George R. Howe Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 1036-1037

This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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GEORGE R. HOWE. Our subject is a prominent farmer in this section and 
has a fine place which is under the best of cultivation and boasts a 
pleasant and attractive home. He was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., 
August 16, 1833, and is a son of Emra Howe who was born in Franklin 
County, N. Y. Our subject's father was a farmer but worked at lumbering 
until he was thirty or thirty-five years old. He came to Oakland 
County, Mich., in 1849 and in 1851 he removed to Davison Township, 
Genesee County. He cleared and improved a farm here and made it his 
home for eighteen years and then came to Burton Township, and has since 
made his home with his sons. He is now in his eighty-fifth year. He 
remembers some incidents of the War of 1812 and especially of hearing 
the cannonading at the battle of Plattsburg.

   Our subject's father has been associated with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church for nearly seventy years. He is of English ancestry 
his father served in the Revolutionary War; he was wounded and received 
a pension. Our subject's mother was in her maiden days a Miss Frances 
Goodenough, a native of Vermont and horn in 1806; she died in 1883. 
Three children were the outcome of that union. Our subject was reared 
on the farm and attended school in the log schoolhouse of the district, 
until twelve years old when he went only in the winter. He remained 
under the parental roof until of age but was engaged some in working 
out previous to that time in a lumber camp, and for nine winters he 
worked in the pine woods. Our subject purchased his first land in 
Davison Township, this county, in 1853, paying for it by labor in the 
lumber woods during the winters and spending the summers in clearing 
and improving the place.

   After marriage our subject located on his farm but in 1870 he sold 
out and purchased his present farm, which is located on section 26, 
Burton Town-ship and he has since resided at this place. Our subject 
married Miss Clarissa Merrill, October 15, 1863. She was a native of 
New York and a daughter of William G. and Angeline (Morgan) Merrill, 
natives of Massachusetts and New York respectively. They were pioneers, 
however, in this State. Mrs. Howe's father was a finely-educated man 
who was naturally given positions in township and social affairs. When 
a young man he studied law in Boston until his health failed and he was 
obliged to come West. Mr. and Mrs. Howe are the parents of four 
children whose names are Edwin G., Marion S., Herbert M. and John G. 
The eldest is married and lives on an adjoining farm. The second is a 
teacher in the Indiana Normal School. The daughter is a teacher in the 
district school. Our subject is a Republican in politics and has held 
various local offices. He was Highway Commissioner in Davison Township 
and Justice of the Peace in this township for seven years. He was also 
Supervisor of this township for seven successive years and was elected 
to a position on the County Board of Superintendents of the Poor in 
1888. Both he and his wife have been associated with the Methodist 
Episcopal Church since 1855. Our subject is the owner of eighty acres 
of fine land.



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