Prince Nye, Kalamo, Eaton, County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Jan Sedore. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ PAST AND PRESENT OF EATON COUNTY Page 466 Photo: P.H. Nye and Family PRINCE HASKELL NYE Prince Haskell Nye is one of the prominent pioneer citizens and prosperous farmers of Kalamo Township and is a scion of stanch old colonial stock. He has been for a number of year's president of the Kalamo Pioneer Society, and takes much interest in all that pertains to the early history and development of the fine organic division of Michigan which whose annals he has been familiar from an early period. Mr. Nye was born in Bronson township, Huron County, Ohio, April 29, 1833, being a son of Alonzo and Maria (Haskell) Nye, the former of whom was born in Woodstock, Vermont, in 1804, and died in Huron County, Ohio, in 1884, passing the closing years of his life on the farm which he purchased in 1831; his wife was born in Barnard, Vermont, June 14, 1805, and died in Huron County, Ohio, the Haskell lineage being traced back to the year 1030, and authentic records showing that a representative of the family was a soldier under William the conqueror. Both the Nye and Haskell families were founded in New England in the early colonial era. Three representatives of the Nye family came to America, one settling in Vermont, one in Virginia and one in the state of New York. Alonzo Nye and Maria Haskell were married at Barnard, Vermont, in May 1832, and of their four children the subject of this sketch was the first born. Lenora, born December 2, 1835, died at the age of twenty-one years; Albert Thomas, born April 1, 1841, has been twice married, having two children by the first union, and he now resides in the city of Charlotte; Frances Maria, born December 4, 1846, is the wife of John H. Crawford, and of their six children four are living: Mr. and Mrs Crawford resided on the old homestead of her father until 1902, when the farm was sold, and they now reside in Norwalk, Ohio. Alonzo Nye was reared to maturity in the old Green Mountain state, where he remained until 1830, when he took up his residence in the village of Peru, Huron County, Ohio, where he worked at the carpenter's trade in summer and as a cabinetmaker in winter. In 1832 he returned to his native state and married, and soon afterward returned with his bride to Peru, Ohio, where he purchased a house and five acres of land. Previous to her marriage Mrs Nye had taught school for a year at Loudonville, Ashland County, Ohio. For eleven years thereafter he worked at the carpenter's trade, in the employ of the Cleveland & Toledo Railroad Company, and within this period he purchased about forty acres of land in Huron County, retaining possession of the same until his death. The subject of this sketch has in his possession a silver-case watch for which his father traded a bureau in 1822, and the ancient timepiece is still in good condition. His paternal grandfather was Elihu Nye, whose entire life was passed in Vermont. The maternal grandfather, Prince Haskell, died in Peru, Ohio, May 31, 1845, at the age of eighty-two years and eleven months, and the latter's wife died in the same place May 3, 1845, at the age of eighty-five years and ten months. Mr. Nye holds as prized heirlooms a chair made by his great-grandfather Haskell in 1792, and a mirror which came into the possession of the Haskell family in 1781, the cost of the same having been one hundred dollars in Continental money; he also has a smoker's cabinet made by his maternal grandfather, and a silver buckle which his great-grandfather Haskell wore when a soldier in the Revolutionary war. The story is current among the family traditions that at the time of the capture of the latter, in that war, he had upon his person $800 in money. George Washington in his personal letter complimented Prince Haskell for his courage. Mr. Nye was reared to maturity in Huron County, Ohio, where he received a common-school Education, his advantages being such as were usual in that locality and period-far less than those enjoyed by the youth of the present generation. At the age of twenty-two years he gave inception to his independent career, finding employment at teaming, farm work and for a time working in a sawmill. In 1845 he bought forty acres of partly improved land in Hartland Township, Huron County, erecting a house on the place and developing the greater portion of the land. In 1862 he sold the property and in the autumn of that year he removed to Saginaw, Michigan, where he worked in saw mills and salt works two years, then returning to Huron County, Ohio, where he remained through the winter. In the spring of 1865 he came to Eaton County and purchased eighty acres of wild land in section 14, Kalamo Township, erecting on the place a small frame house, which is part of his present substantial and comfortable residence, while he has made the other permanent improvements conform to the high standard which he ever maintains in connection with all departments of his farm. He has reclaimed the place to cultivation, and is one of the successful farmers and stock-growers of the county. In the early period of his residence in the county Mr. Nye worked other land on shares and also did a large amount of work at the carpenter's trade. He is held in unqualified esteem in the community, which has thus represented his home for two score of years and is a liberal-minded and public-spirited citizen. He has been identified with the Republican Party from the time of attaining his majority, and reverts with satisfaction that he cast his first presidential vote for the party's first candidate, General John C. Fremont. He has served as drain and highway commissioner of his Township and has at all times stood ready to aid in supporting enterprises and measures tending to further the general welfare and progress of his township and county. His religious faith is that of the Universalist Church, of which his parents were members, but he is not formally identified with any religious body. He is possessed of much musical talent, and for fourteen years led the choir in the congregational church at Kalamo. He became a member of the Grange in 1874 and for many years was very active in its affairs. He has been president of the Kalamo Township Pioneer Society for several years, and is one of the most enthusiastic and appreciative members of the organization, which was formed in 1883 and which meets once a year, no building in the township now proving adequate to accommodate the annual assemblage. On Christmas day of the year 1859 Mr. Nye was united in marriage to Miss Hannah M. Foote, who was born in Huron County, Ohio, December 23, 1834, and who proved to him a devoted companion and coadjutor, the great loss and bereavement of his life being that of her death, on the 14th of August, 1901. She was a woman of gentle and gracious attributes of character and was held in affectionate regard by all who came within the sphere of her influence. During the last twenty years of her life she was blind, but she bore the affliction with Christian fortitude. She was possessed of much literary ability and appreciation and her poetical composition, many of which were dictated after her blindness came, show a refinement of taste and an artistic temperament, while the diction is chaste, the thoughts ennobling. Her husband treasures these productions, which merit reproduction in book form. Mrs. Nye was a daughter of Jarvis and Maria (Wilkinson) Foote, both of whom were born in Clyde, Wayne County, New York, while both passed their declining years in the home of the subject of this sketch, the former passing away July 2, 1876, at the age of seventy-four years, and the latter October 17, 1887, at the age of seventy nine years. They were married in the state of New York, whence they removed to Ohio in 1829, Mr. Foote being there engaged in farming until 1875, when he sold his farm, in Huron County, and he and his wife passed the residue of their days with their daughter, Mrs. Nye, as already intimated. In 1878 Mrs Foote purchased thirty and one-half acres of land in section 14, Nye Township, the same having a fine grove of sugar maples and being utilized each year for the production of the maple sugar. Mrs Nye came into possession of this property after the death of her parents, and since she has passed away, the property has been divided among her children. Mr. Nye states that since he purchased his farm he believes he has tapped fully three thousand maple trees for the sugar product therefrom. Mr. and Mrs Foote became the parents of seven children: Lucinda became the wife of Henry Hammond and died in 1881 in Huron County, Ohio; John married Anna Talcott, and his death occurred in 1883, in Ohio, one son surviving him; Mrs Nye was the next in order of birth; Bronson is a resident of Calhoun County, Michigan, is married and has one son; Minerva is the wife of Guerdon P. Lester, residing in the state of Iowa, and they have two children; Myra, wife of George W. Summerton, died in Illinois in 1890, leaving two children, and Orvis, who married Augusta Brownberg, and has three children, resides in Calhoun County, Michigan. The parents were members of the Congregational Church, as was also Mrs Nye. Mr. and Mrs Nye became the parents of four children, Addie Maria, born August 6, 1861, is the wife of William H. Sprague, and they reside in the state of Washington, having two children; M. Hayden, born November 28, 1864, married Louisa McKinnie and they reside near Nashville, Barry County; Emma Irene. Born August 14, 1868, is the wife of Albertus Cottrell, of Kalamo, and they have one son; Burnette A., born August 14, 1876, resides on the homestead farm with his father and has charge of the place. He married Bertha Baker, and they have one child, Gladys Theresa, born July 3, 1903, who is at home.