Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Hodges, Varnum N. 1856 - 
************************************************
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, 4:07 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

VARNUM N. HODGES is a well-known miller located at Attica. He here has a
roller-process mill and is engaged in doing general custom work. He was born in
Dryden Township, Lapeer County, January 30, 1856, and is a son of James Hodges,
the present owner of the mill who was born in Oswego County, N. Y., April 6,
1826. He came to Michigan when he was seventeen years old, settling first in
Rochester. He staid there about one year and then removed into Dryden Township
where he was engaged as a laborer by the month. He took up a farm from the
Government and by hard work he cleared his land and made of it a valuable tract.
He is at the present time the owner of about eight hundred acres of choice land
and is moreover the proprietor of the Excelsior Flouring Mill of Attica, and has
money out at interest, being one of the richest farmers in Lapeer County. Our
subject's mother, Elizabeth (Varnum) Hodges, is a native of Canada; she still
survives.

  Our subject remained with his parents until he was twenty years of age and was
an attendant at the graded schools at Thornville and in Attica. He moreover
worked in the mill which he now conducts. On reaching his majority he opened up
a general merchandise store in Attica and conducted it very successfully for six
years. He then sold out and removed to Dakota where he engaged in farming for
three years. He later returned to Attica and resumed his merchandise business
again, carrying it on for two years, but finally traded his stock of goods for
one hundred and twenty acres of timber land in Huron County, forty acres of
which he still owns.

  Our subject's father being unable to get a suitable person to run his mill,
Varnum rented it in April, 1889, and has conducted since that time. He has made
of it a very profitable business. The mill is five stories high and well
equipped. It was the best mill in the State when built about twenty years ago,
it costing $15,000. Its proprietors are its present owner and his
brother-in-law, Z. Varnum.

  Varnum Hodges was married in 1876 to Miss Mila E. Thatcher, of Attica, a
daughter of Enoch and Vina Thatcher, farmers. Three children have been the issue
of this union—William, born October 27, 1879, a bright boy, now attending the
village school of Attica; James who died in his third year, and Leila, who was
born December 31, 1888. Politically Mr. Hodges is a Republican. He has been
Township Clerk of Attica for two years.


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/hodges631gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 3.3 Kb