Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Higley, George W. 1830 - ************************************************ 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 July 12, 2007, 10:12 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) GEORGE W. HIGLEY is a prominent farmer, residing on section 10, Lapeer Township, Lapeer County, and is the son of William Simpson Higley, a native of Massachusetts, who, previous to his coming to Michigan, carried on the occupations of a farmer and merchant. The father was the son of Jesse Higley, who was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The mother was Lois Turrell, a sister of the Hon. James Turrell, for a history of whom see the sketch of G. N. Turrell. They were married in Vermont, and there they resided until they came to Michigan in 1832. They might be called pioneers of this county, as very few people then lived here. He bought his farm of one hundred and sixty acres from the Government and settled upon it, moving his family on it in 1833. They came from Vermont through Canada, by team all the way. He was in fair circumstances for those times. He first built a board shanty then a log house, which later he occupied for several years, when they progressed to a frame house. He had two hundred and forty acres, all wild and raw, of which he cleared one hundred and eighty. He was also engaged in the lumbering business, owned a watermill and operated it for custom work. His wife died November 18, 1855, at the age of sixty years, and he survived until April 1, 1868, when he too passed away at the age of seventy-nine years. This worthy couple were the parents of eleven children, seven of whom are now living: William S., Mary E., Y. T., George W., Ellen M. Kellogg, Marian A. Morse and Alice Chipman. The parents were members of the Congregational Church. In politics Mr. Higby was a Whig, a very strong Abolitionist and later a stanch Republican. He was Sheriff of this county and acted as Registrar of Deeds, in lieu of his eldest son. Our subject was born in Vermont, May 30, 1830. He was an infant when his parents came to Michigan. He received his education at the Lapeer schools, also became a student at the State Normal School at Ypsilanti, and afterward taught school for a short time. He worked on his father's farm until he was twenty-seven years old, caring for the place then began business for himself by buying some land one and one-half miles south of here. It was pine land with which his father's mill was supplied. He continued to operate this mill until 1876, and also, carried on the farm, having bought out the estate when his father died. In 1880 Mr. Higley entered the mercantile business in Lapeer in which business he continued for six years after which he sold out, since which time he has devoted himself to his farm, now owning four hundred acres of land, three hundred and fifty of which are under good cultivation. Two hundred and seventy acres are under his own special supervision, and the rest of the land is leased. He built a residence and one barn during his father's life, all the rest having been built since then. He carries on general farming and is interested in thoroughbred Merino sheep. He has some very fine specimens which have been registered in the Vermont State Registry book. He was one of the School Board for many years. In politics Mr. Higley is a Republican. At present he is Highway Commissioner of Lapeer Township, this being his third year. He was a candidate for Supervisor three times but, his party being in the minority, he was defeated. He has been delegate many times to conventions. 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/higley803gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.3 Kb