Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Gass, Romain M. 1842 - 1874 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 14, 2007, 5:58 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) ROMAIN M. GASS. The gentleman whose name is given above was one of the early pioneers of Arcadia Township, Lapeer County, and for years in the early days carried on a brisk trade with the Indians. He was a native of Greene County, N. Y., and was born July 1, 1842. He died on his farm in the township and county above mentioned, April 16, 1874, having been troubled for some time with abscesses, which caused his death. He was married in 1868 to Mary St. Thomas, a native of Cynthiana, Harrison County, Ky., and a daughter of J. F. and Barbary St. Thomas, natives of New York, but of French descent. They came to Michigan in 1866 and purchased a small farm in Attica Township. Mrs. Gars was educated in Cynthiana Academy, Ky., and was the first lady teacher in the institution. Later she taught a private school for some time in the same town and just previous to her marriage to Mr. Gass she taught the village school at Attica for a short time. Mrs. Gass was always interested in education. She was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was a conscientious and noble Christian woman. She died in 1888 at the age of forty-two years. The father of the subject of this sketch was Nicholas Gass, a native of Greene County, N. Y., and his father was Nicholas Gass, who came hither from Scotland. Nicholas Gass, Jr., came to Michigan in 1848 and settled on the farm which our subject occupied and which he had taken up from the Government in 1836, being one of the first to take up land in the township. He was a surveyor by profession and at the time of his decease held the position of County Surveyor for Lapeer. His wife was Elmira Whitcomb, a native of Greene County, N. Y. She still survives and makes her home on the old homestead at the advanced age of eighty-five years. After the marriage of our subject the estate was divided and the portion bearing the house was given to him and has since been his home. The farm is now one of the best in the township. The marriage of Romain M. Gass and Mary St. Thomas resulted in the birth of two children-Burr L. Gass who was born September 16, 1870. He has attended the district school and at present takes the active charge of the farm, he is moreover acting Postmaster of Arkdale and the office is in his home and prior to his holding it was presided over by his mother. The younger child is Barber E. Gass who was born April 21, 1873. He is now his brother's efficient aid in conducting the work of the farm. Although the boys are young, the fine condition in which the place is kept attests their ability as managers and business men. As a surveyor Nicholas Gass laid out the village of North Branch and Thornville, Lapeer County. He also surveyed the plank road from Lapeer to Port Huron. As official surveyor of the county his books show his first survey to have been made April 31, 1849, and his last September 20, 1855. When he had been in the township about three years, the Indians under the renowned chief, John Okemus, and Chief Machunk, took up some land from the Government in North Branch. The first named chief secured the services of Nicholas Gass to survey the tract for them, conducting the way through the woods. Nicholas Gass and his wife came to their farm through Macomb County. Aaron Barber was then living where Mrs. E. P. Stowe now resides, and he soon paid his new neighbors a visit and informed Mrs. Gass that her nearest neighbor on the East was seventeen miles distant; on the North forty miles and West five miles. At first they were obliged to be constantly on their guard against the fiendish proclivities of the Indians. Mrs. Gass relates to the writer of this article the following incident concerning them. When her husband had harvested his first wheat crop the Indians came along and asked for the straw; Mrs. Gass told them it was wheat and that they could not have it, but the shrewd savages were equal to the emergency and sent in two squaws to engage her in conversation while the braves pulled the wheat out of the stack, and before she could warn them off the place each had seized a bundle and ran away with it. Although Mrs. Gass is now eighty-five years of age she still speaks the Indian language. The lady was brought up in wealth and affluence and never knew hardships until moving to Michigan. Her husband, not being a farmer, did not clear enough land to raise wheat for family use. After his death in 1855, which was known as the winter of the Michigan famine, she was in need of flour and had a man make some shingles. Loading them on her sleigh which was drawn by a yoke of oxen and taking her eleven-year-old son. Romain, with her, she started to Oakland County to trade her shingles for flour. Although she encountered a snow storm and the way was blocked, she drove to Oxford and there found an opportune to trade for flour. The snow, however, made it impossible for her to return immediately and she was obliged on the way home to stop at Thornville to get her grist ground. She has left two children at home and naturally her mother heart misgave her concerning them, but she found them quite well. Mrs. Gass is a woman of intelligence and culture and tells many reminiscences concerning days that are past. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/lapeer/bios/gass641gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 6.1 Kb