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Submitted by Cheryl VanWormer



				BURT W. AND MARY (TAYLOR) ARNOLD

	Burt W. Arnold supervisor of Easton township, this county, proprietor of a fine farm of 
one hundred and sixty-one acres and a pleasant home situated on rural route No. 2, out of Saranac,
and who has long been regarded as one of the most substantial and progressive farmers of his 
neighborhood, is a native son of Ionia county, a member of one of the oldest families in this 
section of Michigan, his grandfather, Dexter Arnold, who was a kinsman of Erastus Yeomans and 
Oliver Arnold, members of the colony which founded Ionia, having come here in 1835, two years 
after the original settlement, and established his home in the then wilderness.
	The Arnold family is of old New England stock, of English ancestry, and was well 
established in this country in early colonial days.  Dexter Arnold, the Ionia pioneer, was born 
on March 1, 1795, son of Job and Hannah (Dexter) Arnold, the former of whom, a soldier in the
patriot army during the War of the Revolution, died in 1834, in his seventy-fourth year, his 
widow surviving him five years, her death occurring at Ionia on July 11, 1839, she then being 
seventy-eight years of age.  Job Arnold, the patriot soldier, was a son of Job and Freelove 
Arnold, the former of whom, born in 1707, died on July 20, 1776, and the latter, born in 1721, 
died on March 23, 1811, in the ninetieth year of her age, after having been a widow thirty-four
years.  Dexter Arnold married Olive Kimball, also a member of an old colonial family, of English 
descent, and to that union four sons were born, Anson R., William D. and Walter Damon (twins) and
Irving E.  When the family came to this county in the fall of 1835, two years after the original 
settlement at Ionia, the village consisted of four log houses and one frame house.  Dexter Arnold
cleared a space in the woods and erected a log cabin in the settlement, but after a time moved 
one mile farther north, where he established his permanent residence and where he spent the 
remainder of his days, his death occurring on June 9, 1879.  His wife, Olive (Kimball) Arnold, 
had long predeceased him and was the first person buried in Oak Hill cemetery.
	William D. Arnold, one of the twin sons of Dexter Arnold and the father of the subject of
this sketch, was born in Herkimer county, New York, May 25, 1827, and was a little more than 
eight years old when he came to the wilds of Ionia county with his parents in 1835.  He grew to 
manhood on the pioneer farm north of Ionia and on December 24, 1854, married Isabel Kimball, who 
was born in Bennington county, Vermont, October 23, 1836, daughter of Martin and Lucena (Smith) 
Kimball, the former a native of Rhode Island and the latter of Vermont.  Martin Kimball was born 
on December 25, 1804, son of Noah and Azuba (Salisbury) Kimball, the former born on August 8, 
1764, and the latter, January 24, 1764.  In 1849 Martin Kimball and family came to this county 
and became early settlers in Easton township.  Mrs. Kimball died in October, 1855, and Mr. 
Kimball died on March 12, 1875.  They were members of the Wesleyan Methodist church.
	In 1855, the year after their marriage, William D. Arnold and his wife settled on a farm 
out on the river road in the woods about five miles west of Ionia, in the southwest part of 
Easton township, and there erected a log cabin and proceeded to establish their home.  Ten years 
later they built a frame house and in 1890 erected the present commodious residence occupied by 
Burt W. Arnold.  William D. Arnold was a good farmer and an active, energetic citizen, who early 
became regarded as one of the leaders in the community life of his neighborhood.  He took an 
active part in public affairs and for six years was township supervisor.  He and his wife were 
members of the Wesleyan Methodist church and took a prominent part in all good works in the
vicinity of their home.  Mr. Arnold for years was one of the stewards of his church and Mrs. 
Arnold was one of the leaders of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, of which she was 
treasurer.  Mr. Arnold was a Prohibitionist and both he and his wife were in full sympathy with 
all movements designed to advance the general welfare of their community.  About 1879 they 
retired from the farm and moved to Saranac, where they spent the remainder of their lives.  
William D. Arnold dying on January 10, 1909, and his wife on January 9, 1914.  She was the third 
in order of birth of the five daughters born to her parents, Martin Kimball and wife, and her 
death, at the age of seventy-seven, was the first break in that devoted group of sisters.  
William D. Arnold was eighty-two years of age at the time of his death and his twin brother died 
about the same time.  Their elder brother, Anson R. Arnold, lived to be past eighty, and their 
younger brother, Irving E., is still living, a hale and hearty octogenarian.  To William D. 
Arnold and wife two sons were born, Burt W., the subject of this sketch, and Fred, of Ionia.
	Burt W. Arnold was born in the original log-cabin home of his parents, on the farm on 
which he still makes his home, on May 7, 1863, and grew to manhood on the home place.  He married
in the fall of 1889 and for two years thereafter lived in a rented house north of his home, 
employing himself at various occupations.  He then returned to the old home place to take 
direction of the same and has ever since made his home there, he and his family being very 
pleasantly and very comfortably situated.  In addition to being an excellent general farmer, Mr. 
Arnold is a competent carpenter and has worked at that trade quite a bit.  He also for fifteen 
years operated a threshing outfit in his neighborhood and has long been looked upon as one of the 
most energetic and substantial citizens of that community.  He is a Democrat and for years has 
given close attention to local political affairs.  He was highway commissioner for two years and 
township treasurer for two years.  In the spring of 1914 he was elected township supervisor and 
is now serving the public in that capacity.
	On September 18, 1889, Burt W. Arnold was untied in marriage to Mary Taylor, who was born
on a farm near Charles City, Iowa, daughter of George and Catherine(Rote) Taylor, the former a 
native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania, who were married in Floyd county, Iowa.  In 1882 
George Taylor and his family came to this state and located on a farm in section 19, Easton 
township, this county, where they lived about twelve years, at the end of which time Mr. Taylor 
moved to Ionia, where he engaged in the livery business.  He died in 1897 and his widow is still 
living at Ionia.  To Mr. and Mrs. Arnold two children have been born, Martin K. and Stella M., 
both of whom are still at home.  Mr. Arnold is a member of the local lodge of the Knights of the 
Maccabees.



This biography is taken from "HISTORY OF IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN:  
HER PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS," by Rev. E. E. Branch.  Vol. II.  
Indianapolis, Indiana:  B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1916.  Pages 248-250.

Also contained within these pages of this book are pictures of Mr. and Mrs. William D. Arnold 
and sons, Burt W. and Fred.