Genesee-Oakland County MI Archives Biographies.....Lewis, William 1829 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 12, 2007, 10:17 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

WILLIAM LEWIS. The secrets of brewing malt liquors have been brought to this
country from Germany and England. Probably the largest interests in this country
are now owned by the latter nationality, hence it is not surprising that our
subject should be the proprietor of the large brewery located on the Thread
River, in Flint, and that he is an Englishman, a native of Harwell village,
Berkshire. He was born May 8, 1829, and is a son of William and Hannah (Dines)
Lewis, the former a brewer in our subject's native place.

  Our subject's father accumulated a comfortable fortune before his decease,
which occurred in 1836, when forty-four years of age. He of whom we write was
the youngest of seven children who were born to his parents. Four of these,
three boys and one girl, came to America, but with the exception of our subject
all are deceased. Two of the children still live in England. William attended
school in his native land but knew nothing of the free school system as we have
it here. When seventeen years of age he came to America alone, leaving London,
February 21, 1846, and coming on the sailing vesssl "St. James," the voyage
occupying thirty-eight days. After landing in New York City he proceeded to
Monroe County and was engaged in various occupations until the fall of 1846,
when he came to Waterford Township, Oakland County.

  While in Rochester, Mich, our subject was engaged in the brewing and
distilling business. In 1851 he made a trip to Flint to see his sister, and in
the spring of that year returned to England and after a visit to his home and
having enjoyed the sights of the World's Exposition in London, he returned to
America. He was in Rochester, Mich. until 1852, when he came to Flint and was
engaged in trade here for four years, serving as foreman of the brickmaking
business in use in the mute institute. He then went into partnership with Samuel
Elston, manufacturing brick, and two years later he began to manufacture
barrels, then resumed his early trade, which was that of brewing. In 1880 he
purchased the brewery from Burroughs; it was founded in 1851 by Beasley. Since
Mr. Lewis has had charge of it he has greatly improved it. It now occupies one
and a half acres of land on the Thread River, and on the corner of Saginaw and
Fifteenth Streets.

  The original of our sketch was married September 20, 1855, in Flint to Miss
Lucina Buchanan, a daughter of George Buchanan, a native of Bath, N. Y. The
Buchanan family traces its ancestry back to England and its representatives in
this country have been well-known patriots. The father of Mrs. Lewis was a
cooper in Danville, N. Y. He came to Genesee County in 1845 and located in
Flint, where he was engaged in the manufacture of barrels. His wife was in her
maidenhood Miss Sarah Washburn and a native of Reading, Schuyler County, N. Y.,
and a daughter of Nathan Washburn, a native of Tolland, Vt. He served in the War
of 1812 and his father was a Revolutionary soldier. Mrs. Lewis' mother died
while an inmate of her daughter's family, June 22, 1890, at the age of
seventy-eight years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

  Mr. and Mrs. Lewis are the parents of three children—George M., who is an
engineer at Alpena; Isabelle, the wife of Clark B. Dibble; and Julia W., who
died at the age of twenty-one years, her de cease taking place Februrary 23,
1888. Mr. and Mrs. Lewis have a very pleasant home at No. 1436, Church Street.
Mrs. Lewis is a member of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. Her parents were
among the first organizers of the Bath Methodist Church. Our subject is a firm
believer in the efficacy of the Democratic party.


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

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