Charles Churchill Pierson 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. 975-976


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.


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CHARLES CHURCHILL PIERSON. Our subject is one of the oldest settlers in 
Genesee County, and is a prominent and much respected man. Although 
early in life he suffered a great disappointment in being the victim of 
an accident that resulted in a personal blemish, so ambitious and 
energetic has he been that he has conquered fate, and has accumulated a 
snug fortune and has a beautiful home. He is the head of the firm of C. 
C. Pierson & Son, general produce dealers, located at No. 119 Kearsley 
Street. He is a Director also of the Genesee County Savings Bank. He 
was born in East Avon, Livingston County. N. Y., January 18, 1818, and 
is a son of David Pierson, and a grandson of Jesse Pierson, a native of 
Connecticut and a soldier in the Revolutionary War, who served under 
Gens. Washington and Putnam. He was also part of the time upon a 
privates on the ocean, and was on Long Island the night it was 
surrendered to the British. Like many of the other Revolutionary 
soldiers the suffered severely from privations, both of clothing and 
food during a severe winter.

   After the war our subject's grandfather located in Wells Township, 
Vermont, and there improved a farm. At a later period he moved to Avon, 
N. Y. His decease took place when seventy-two years of age. His father 
was a native of England. Our subject's father resided on the original 
homestead in Avon, N. Y., and there died at the age of sixty-eight 
years. His wife's maiden name was Huldah Churchill, a native of 
Hubbarton, Vt. She too was of English descent. The Churchills were 
prominent people in Vermont. The family later went to New York and 
settled in Livingston County. Our subject's mother died in Leroy. 
Genesee County, N. Y., at the age of seventy-six years. She was the 
mother of eleven children, there being eight girls and three boys, ten 
of whom are now living, and the youngest is sixty-two years of age. 
They are by name: Ruhama, Mrs. Halsey: Adelia, Mrs. Smith; Ann, Mrs. 
Bainbridge; our subject; Jane, Mrs. Lacey; Mary. Mrs. Johnson: Ephraim 
J.; Laura, Mrs. Rust; Media, Mrs. Day, and Delos D.

   Our subject was reared in his native place. He attended the district 
school at Avon for one winter and then went to West Avon Academy. In 
18411 he made a trip to Michigan to attend to some land belonging to 
his father in Livingston County. After spending some time in this 
locality he returned to New York and there remained until the fall of 
1842, when coming to Michigan he located permanently, first settling in 
Grand Blanc. In 1843 lie traded the Livingston County land for land in 
Grand Blanc, Genesee County, securing one hundred and thirty-five 
acres, which was partially improved, fifty acres of it having been 
fenced, and an orchard having been planted. There was also an apology 
for a house.

   Going energetically to work our subject grubbed out the land and 
added fifty acres to it. In 1847 he lost his arm by an accident, it 
being caught in the cylinder of a thresher, necessitating its 
amputation half way between the elbow and shoulder. He then rented his 
farm and engaged in teaching, having been so employed three winters 
previous to this. He taught for five winters and then went back to his 
farm. There were deer here at the time of his coming that were so tame 
that they would come to the door and feed in the wheat. There were also 
snakes, our subject having himself killed a black snake that was seven 
and one-half feet in length. They hauled all their wheat to Pontiac, 
and it took two days to make the trip. The first shearing of wool was 
sold in Detroit at twenty-five cents per pound. In the fall of 1848 our 
subject, with Mr. G. Davidson and Enos Goodrich, purchased eighteen 
pure-bred Merino Vermont sheep, bringing them from New York, also a 
pure-bred short-horn male, the first one in the county. So greatly has 
the sentiment changed in regard to fine-bred animals that Mr. Ephraim 
Harvey, of Livingston County, who years ago declared to our subject 
that he would never pay more than $5 for any buck, has since paid $400 
or $500 for a single animal, and is now one of the greatest sheep men 
in the State.

   Our subject was very successful in raising sheep, taking from the 
first flock three pounds to the head. By improving them with the 
Merinos they soon averaged over six pounds to the head. At one time he 
had five hundred head of sheep, and has been one of the most successful 
sheep-raisers of this part of tae country. He sold in 1863 fifteeen 
hundred and sixteen pounds at $1 per pound.

   Mr. Pierson was one of the organizers of the Genesee Agricultural 
Society. He was also one of the organizers of the Genesee County Mutual 
Fire Insurance Company, which is one of the richest companies in the 
State. Our subject lived on his farm until 1864, and in April of that 
month he moved to Flint, since which time he has engaged in his present 
business. He and his son are dealers in all kinds of produce, and make 
large shipments of grain and hay. He was the owner, with C. C. Behan, 
of the first Diedrick Press in this county, and has shipped as many as 
one hundred car loads of hay to one man in a single winter. He is also 
agent, for the Champion machine and the Bean Harvester. He is the owner 
of one hundred and eighty-five acres of land in Grand Blanc Township, 
which his son, Charles S., operates. He has besides some valuable real 
estate in Flint. He owns twenty-three acres inside the city limits.

   Our subject was married in Albion, Calhoun County, this State, 
December 19, 1849, to Miss Martha A. Dutton, a native of New York and a 
daughter of Enos Dutton, who was an early settler in this State. Mrs. 
Pierson was educated at Albion College and is a cultured and lovely 
woman. She is the mother of six children--Martha J., Mrs. Pier; Enos D. 
is a graduate of the University of Michigan, and engaged with his 
father; Charles S. is on the farm; Anna H., Mrs. William Edwards; Fred 
J., who is in partnership with his father, and is also a job printer in 
the city; Alice A. will graduate with the class of '93 from the High 
School. In their religious preference the family are Baptists. He has 
always been a teacher in Sunday-school, and was Superintendent of the 
Mission. He is a Republican.



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