L. R. Boynton's Biography, St Ignace, Mackinac County Michigan Transcriptions by: Kathleen Perry May 1998 Huntsville, Tx originally from Munising, Michigan in Alger County USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. ____________________________________________________________________ BIOGRAPHIES FROM MEMORIAL RECORD OF THE NORTHERN PENINSULA OF MICHIGAN 1895 The Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago Il BOYNTON, L.R. PAGE 121 L.R. Boynton: Captain L.R.Boynton, manager of the Mackinaw Transportation Co, of St Ignace Mi was born in St Clair county, Mi Dec 9 1833. He is the son of Granville F. Boynton, a carpenter and joiner who came into the State under an arrangement to build a stean mill at Desmond, now Port Huron, which was the first stean mill constructed there and known as Black River Steam Mill Co. He remained in that town as its leading architect and builder till death about 1845, at the age of 37 yrs. He was a "Green Mountain" man by birth, and there learned his trade. He went into Canada on leaving home, and while in the vicinity of the St. Clair river he met and married Miss Fannie Rendt, the daughter ofa German who had come to America as a soldier in the English Army. On being transferred to Canada, all officers of foreign birth were placed on half pay, for the purpose, it was discovered, of forcing the said foreigners to resign and thus reduce the number of officers and bring the "personnel" of the army to actual Englishmen. This officer and the father of Mrs. Boynton was Capt Lewis Rendt, who settled on the St. Clair River. The yound carpenter brought his wife to Michigan about the year 1831. After his death she became the wife of Jonathan Graves. Mr Boynton was a Master Mason and a member of the Congregational Church, and was a man of the highest integrity of character, respected by all who knew him. His father, the grandfather of our subject, was likewise a mechanic, a bridgebuilder, born in Vermont, who in his extensize operations, frequently contracted for work far away from home. On one occasion his work brought him out to Ohio, putting a bridge at Perrysburg, and while there he took the Maumee fever and died, and thus ended the career of Nathan S. Boynton. He was the father of seven children whose sons and daughters are broadcasted over this country and are occupying positions in every calling. Captain L.R. boynton is his father's first born. The next is Major M.S> Boynton, of Port Huron, Mi, the father of the Knights of the Maccabees in the United States and who is now the Grand Commander of the order. The Major went into the Union army as a Lieutenant of calvary, served under Gen Thomas, and was mustered out with the rank of Major. Granville L. is the third and last of the Boynton sons. He is a marine engineer at Port Huron. The two half brothers of our subject are George Graves, of Denver Colo and Albert Graves a wholesale merchant in Port Huron. The mother of these gentlemen died in 1889, at the age of 78 years. In his native town Captain Boynton's boyhood days were spent, his education being received in the public schools and in a printing office. His initiatory work as a printer was performed on the Port Huron Observer, as office boy under Editor William L. Bancroft. He learned the routine of the newspaper office very thoroughly during the winter seasons, and in the summer his time was spent on the lakes. His last work in the composing room was on the Port Huron Commercial, that being just before the was. his first trip on the water was on the Grace Amelia, a sailing vessel commanded by Capt Dillon, and as a boy before the mast he exhibited evidences of becoming a proficient sailor. He has filled engagements in some capacity every summer for a period of forty-five years, and during all this time he has never met with an accident, has never lost any lives, nor has he ever caused an insurance company to pay out a dollar. For fourteen years he sailed with the Alpena Transportation Co. on their steamers Winona and Galena from Cleveland to Detroit, Alpena, and Mackinaw. he followed this with a term of years as captain of the St. Paul between the same points. Then he became a boat owner buying a half interest in the steam barge Rhoda Stewart, plying between Cleveland and Alpena; ran her two years. It was at this time he came to St. Ignace and took charge of the Algomah for the Mackinaw people. He was married at Algonac, Mi Sept 15, 1853 to Sarah E. Kendall, daughter of Oliver kendall, a machinist, who came to Mi from the Bay State. Mrs Boynton's mother was nee Betsy Cummings of whose family of four children only two survived..Mrs Boynton and Mrs Olive Crippen, the latter of Alpena, Mi. The Captain and his wife have a family as follows: Lewis Kendall, bookkeeper in the office of Grand Commander of K.O.T.M. of Port Huron; Arthur Hulbert, foreman of the Port Huron Gas Co.; Fannie wife of George Westover of Seney, Mi; Granville W. captain of the steamer Algomah; Adah, now Mrs Arthur Dudgeon of Oscoda, Mi; Wilbur P. marine engineer; Albert H. second officer of the D.S.S.&A St Ignace; Sarah Irene; Oliver Cummings, a pharmacist of Port Huron and Walter C., quartermaster on the Algomah. In his political affiliation, Capt Boynton has always been a Democrat. He is a Royal Arch and Knight Templar Mason, and is also identified with the A.O.U.W. and K.O.T.M. Personally, the captain is of average height and weighs 190 pounds is of pleasing address, and looks younger by many years than he really is. He has a wide circle of acquaintence in the lake region and is as popular as he is well known.