Genesee-Washtenaw County MI Archives Biographies.....Hill, George J. W. 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, 12:40 am Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) GEORGE J. W. HILL is one of the Anglo-American farmers to whose thrift, industry and thoroughness the State of Michigan owes so much of her superior agricultural methods. Mr. Hill was born in Gloucestershire, England, June 14, 1820. He is a son of Joseph and Maria (Wall) Hill. The former was a butcher who lived and died in his native place. Our subject's mother came to the United States and died in Cattaraugus County, N. Y. They were the parents of three children of whom the original of this sketch is the eldest. He was reared and passed the early years of his life in his native land, coming to America when twelve years of age and landed first in Quebec, Canada. Our subject went from Canada to Livingston County, N. Y., and for some little time was variously engaged in farming and in logging. At the age of fourteen years he was apprenticed to learn the cabinet-maker's trade and gave a service of three years. At the expiration of his apprenticeship in 1837, he came to Michigan, locating first at Ypsilanti and there worked at his trade for three years, thence coming to Flint, where he was occupied as a dealer in furniture and an undertaker, until 1870, when he settled in Flint Township, Genesee County, on the farm upon which he now lives, and which is located on section 8. Mr. Hill was married in Bath, Steuben County, N. Y., January 5, 1848, to Helen Bidwell, a daughter of Eli and Helen (Grant) Bidwell. The former was a native of Hartford, Conn., and the latter of Schenectady County, N. Y. She was of Scotch and the father of English ancestry. Their decease took place in Bath, N. Y. Mr. Bidwell was a brick-maker in his earlier years and later engaged in blacksmithing. Mrs. Hill was the sixth in order of birth of seven children born to her parents. The day of her nativity was July 28, 1828. She became a resident of Flint, Mich., in 1845. Mr. and Mrs. Hill are the parents of eleven children, whose names are as follows: George, Frank B., Clarence, Sarah, George 2d, Helen, Flora, Frederick, Arthur G., Alice E. and Harry. The eldest George died in infancy; Frank, who married Margaret Pirnie, resides in Denver, Col.; Clarence died when young; George married Emma A. Burns and died in 1887. Our subject affiliates with the Democratic party and he has taken an active interest in local political affairs. Mrs. Hill is a member of the Presbyterian Church and allows no occasion to pass when by word or deed she can aid in the good cause. Since the spring of 1870 our subject has been engaged in farming and is now the owner of two hundred acres of land. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity. His wife is one of the charter members of the Ladies' Library Club which was established in Flint in 1851. His farm bears fine buildings, a pleasant residence and capacious and well-built barns. He is a man to whom one never appeals in vain in behalf of any worthy and reliable enterprise. The grand-parents of Mrs. Hill were Alexander and Margaret (Kelly) Grant. The grandfather died in Schenectady County, N. Y., in 1804. 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/hill890gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.0 Kb