Horace C. Spencer 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. 1012


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.


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HON. HORACE C. SPENCER, Cashier of the Citizens' Commercial and Savings 
Bank of Flint, has been a resident of this city for twenty-five years. 
He was born in Cortland, Cortland County, N. Y., July 27, 1832, and is 
a son of Chester and Abigail (Badgley) Spencer. His father was a 
merchant of Cortland but moved to Springville, where the boy was 
educated in the old and renowned academy of that place.

   The father went out of business about that time and at the age of 
thirteen the young man established a trade of his own in general 
merchandise in his old town, and being successful, he finally decided 
to come West and establish himself in a similar line here. He therefore 
sold out his business and coming to Flint in 1866 opened up the hard-
ware trade which he continued until 1880. He then sold out his hardware 
store and lived for awhile a retired life on his fine stock farm of 
Burton Township near the city of Flint and at the same time took care 
of the outside investment he had made.

   On this splendid estate of one hundred and twenty-five acres Mr. 
Spencer keeps a fine line of standard bred roadsters. In August, 1890, 
was re-organized the old Citizens' National Bank, he taking the 
position of Cashier and retiring from his official position as Director 
of the Genesee County Savings Bank. The capital stock of the new bank 
is $150,000 and it now has $20,000 surplus and is in an excellent 
financial condition. The Nickel Savings Stamp plan has been adopted by 
this bank and is proving a great incentive to people in moderate means 
to open up a savings account. The bank has two departments, Commercial 
and Savings, and occupies handsome quarters on Saginaw Street. Mr. 
Spencer devotes himself to the management of the bank and also deals to 
some extent in real estate in Bay City and Saginaw, and is one of the 
original stockholders of the Second National Bank of Bay City, which 
was originated in 1877.

   Mr. Spencer has been a very prominent Republican, but not an active 
politician, although he served in the State Senate during Gov. Alger's 
administration. It is universally conceded that there was more good 
honest material in the Legislature that year than ordinary. He acted as 
Chairman of the following committees: On the Reformed School; on the 
Kalamazoo Asylum; on the Pontiac Insane Asylum, and was a member of the 
Committee on Public Lands and on Rules and Joint Resolutions, and was 
also member of the committee that redistricted the State. His record 
therein was in every way creditable to himself and acceptable to the 
people, and he has since been frequently sent to State Conventions. For 
a time he was a member of the Agricultural Board, but had to resign on 
account of stress of duties.

   Mr. Spencer was married December 12, 1853, to Catherine C. Morris of 
the renowned Morris family of New York and daughter of Charles Morris, 
of Buffalo, N. Y. One daughter came to bless their home, to whom they 
gave the name of Carrie and she is now the wife of A. G. Bishop, 
assistant Cashier of the Genesee County Savings Bank, and they have two 
children, Spencer and Catherine.




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