Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Hamilton, James 1820 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 23, 2007, 1:26 am Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) JAMES HAMILTON. Arrived in the journey of life at the white mountains of experience, from which he can look back over the years that are fraught with lessons in which pleasure and pain, usefulness, labor and results are strangely mingled, it would seem that a man is but just prepared to live, and who knows but what it is a school, this life of changing and varying shades of happiness and unhappiness, fitting the soul for its after life. He of whom we write is one having these advantages of age and experience, now a resident of Atlas Township, Genesee County, having a farm on section 18, of the same. Our subject is a native of the North of Ireland and was born in June, 1820. James Hamilton is a son of William and Elizabeth (McDole) Hamilton, but is said to be of Scotch descent. He lost his father when about nine years of age, and when in his fourteenth year came with his brother-in-law, Alexander Downey, to America, taking passage on a sailing-vessel from Belfast, and after a voyage extending from April 23 until July 6, he arrived at Quebec, later going to Montreal, and thence to Youngstown, N. Y., arriving there July 6. From there he went to Genesee County, N. Y., and for several years worked on a farm. In 1837 he emigrated to Michigan, coming hither by water. He first took up forty acres of land in Oakland County, where he resided several years and cleared a portion of his purchase. Our subject was first married to Margaret Lobban, a native of Scotland. Their nuptials were solemnized in 1846. By this union he became the father of four children, who are: Matilda, Mrs. Junius Sanford; John; Elizabeth, Mrs. Thomas Collins, and James. Some time after the decease of his first wife our subject was again married, his wife being Mary Collins, a native of Cayuga County, N. Y., and born May 4, 1834. She is a daughter of William and Diana (Larue) Collins. She came with her parents to Genesee County in 1836, and settled in Grand Blanc Township. Her father survived several years after locating here and her mother died quite recently. By his second union our subject became the father of three surviving children, viz: Maggie, Mrs. Fred Dickerson; Jenna, Mrs. Fred E. Gale, and Minnie. About 1847 our subject came to Genesee County and settled on his present farm, building a log cabin in the woods. That continued to be their home for some little time, and he later built the house in which he lives at the present time. As a pioneer he underwent with his family the hardships usual to the life of an early settler. He owns a good farm of eighty acres, which is highly productive. Our subject has served as Highway Commissioner for three years, and for many years he served on the School Board in his district, having held the office of Director for fifteen successive years. He is a Democrat in politics, and he, with his wife, holds a high place in the social life of the community. They have both endured much hardship, and now are enjoying the fruits of their early labors. To the youth of to-day it seems hardly probable in viewing the highly cultivated state of the country that it was almost impossible to use horses, and that four or more yoke of oxen were necessary in breaking up the land. Mr. Hamilton is a well-known man throughout the county and is esteemed among the commercial fraternity as one whose ideas of business are clear and well defined. Additional Comments: Extracted from: Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of the Presidents of the United States Chicago: Chapman Bros. 1892 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/genesee/bios/hamilton901gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb