William D. Penoyer 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. 999-1000


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.


************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************




A wood cut or an engraving of William D. Penoyer faces p. 999


WILLIAM D. PENOYER. The portrait presented on the opposite page 
perpetuates the lineaments of this gentleman, who is the oldest pioneer 
settler in Flushing Township, having resided here fifty-five years, a 
period longer than any man in its bounds. The greatest regard and 
esteem is due him from the people of to-day who enjoy the advantages 
which he with other early pioneers struggled and denied himself in 
order to get. He has been connected and prominently so with the 
building up of Flushing. At the present time he is enjoying the result 
of his early labors in his beautiful home, which is one of the best 
farms in this township. His place comprises two hundred and five acres 
of land on sections 22 and 23, Flushing Township, Genesee County.

   Mr. Penoyer was born in Onondaga County, N. Y., January 26, 1824, 
and is a son of David and Levina (Nichols) Penoyer, natives of the 
Empire State. His father held various positions of trust prior to his 
coming West, and he was Sheriff of Onondaga County for some time. He 
was engaged in the handling of fine horses and came to Michigan in 
1834. He returned home, however, but in 1836 came back to Michigan to 
make a permanent settlement. He came on the steamer "Robert Fulton" to 
Detroit and spent three months in Oakland County. Our subject came on 
in the meantime with another family, as he was to live with Jarvis 
Bailey. He drove the first horse team that ever came to what is now 
Flushing Township, They first stopped east of Flushing village, two 
miles up the Flint River and remained there for three months, thence 
taking the boat down the river five miles. They located on the farm now 
known as the Failing place and there remained two years.

   Our subject then became engaged with his father in chopping and 
clearing a place, for which he was to receive one hundred and sixty 
acres on the Flint River two miles east of Flushing. Their home was a 
log house and in it they lived for eight years. They then moved to 
Flushing, where the father died in September, 1846. The mother passed 
away in September, 1883. Our subject's father was a Democrat. He had 
nine children, of whom six are now living. They are William D., Lewis, 
Charles H., Homer, Esther and Ellen. Lewis lives in Saginaw, City; 
Charles H. in Mt. Morris; Homer in Flushing; Esther is Mrs. O. F. 
Clark, of Flushing and Ellen is Mrs. A. N. Niles, also of Flushing.

   On first coming into the country the work was rough and hard. They 
had roads to cut out and the nearest trading point was at such a 
distance that the settlers learned to do without many things that most 
people consider necessities. At that time they paid $18 per barrel for 
flour and $3O per barrel for pork and the journey to and from the 
nearest trading point, which was Detroit, took ten days. Venison was 
their staple article of meat food. Our subject was educated in the log 
schoolhouse in Flushing Township. He remained at home until twenty-one 
years of age and then purchased forty acres which was the nucleus of 
the farm whereon he now lives. He paid for the place $7.50 per acre and 
gave his horse in trade. The place was heavily timbered and about a 
fourth of it pine land. There was a little shanty, 12x24 feet in 
dimensions in which he lived for eight years and then built a frame 
house which was his home until 1874, when he built his present 
beautiful place.

   Meantime Mr. Penoyer added to his original purchase, until it is now 
of no inconsiderable size. He has held various offices in the township 
having been Constable for twelve years. Our subject was married in 1849 
to Miss Sarah A. Martin of Flint, a daughter of George L. Martin. This 
union was blessed by the birth of three children-George, Leman and Ada. 
George married Miss Adell Turner; Ada married E. L. Beecher, of Clayton 
Township. Mrs. Sarah Penoyer died February 9, 1887. Mr. Penoyer was 
united to his present wife December 20, 1887, she being Miss Louise 
Delbridge of Genesee County. She is a daughter of William L. and Grace 
(Delbridge) Delbridge, natives of England, who came to America in 1835. 
In 1841 they came to Michigan and settled at St. John's, Clinton 
County, and thence came to Flushing Township where they lived for five 
or six years and then moved to Flushing village. Our subject is a 
Republican in politics and has always held to those principles. He has 
always been a very good shot and has often killed deer while running 
through the woods, at one time killing two before breakfast. He takes 
great delight in telling that Mrs. Harrison, the oldest lady pioneer in 
the township, made for him two pair of deerskin trousers from the hide 
of deer killed by himself and tanned by the Indians.



j