Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....McEntee, Patrick Henry 1830 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 11, 2007, 5:45 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

PATRICK HENRY McENTEE is a general hardware dealer in Almont, and was born in
Genesee County, N. Y., August 1830. He is a son of Patrick and Mary (Stebbins)
McEntee, the father a native of Monaghan County, in the north of Ireland, his
natal day being May 10, 1791. He was brought to America by his parents when
three years of age. Our subject's paternal grandfather, Charles McEntee, was a
visionary man who had wonderful ideas regarding emigration to America. He was of
a most sanguine temperament and generous to a fault, expected always to find
riches to make up for his extravagance. After coming to America he was engaged
in saltmaking at a place near where the city of Syracuse now stands, and there
he and his wife died in 1806.

  Our subject's father grew to manhood in Clinton, Oneida County, N. Y. He there
had but three months' schooling and was married when very young, his wedding
being celebrated March 7, 1815, at the age of twenty-four, his wife and our
subject's mother being sixteen. They started the next day for Western New Y6rk,
where he purchased a farm in the woods, his nearest neighbor being two and a
half miles distant. He was obliged to cut the roads to his place and although he
became comfortably well-to-do, was never rich, for although he was a hard worker
and made much money, his was an open house for all sorts of travelers, taking in
colporteurs, singing masters, ministers, priests and school teachers. He was the
father of sixteen children, of whom fourteen grew to maturity, nine of whom
became the heads of families, seven living to the present time. The father of
the family died in Genesee County, May 19, 1878.

  Our subject's father was naturally an agitator on the subject of slavery and
kept the Presbyterian Church, of which he was a member, stirred up on the
subject. Born and reared in the Catholic faith, after his parents' death he
became a Presbyterian and was an ardent worker in that church. He was a Captain
of the Sixty-first Regiment of New York Militia and our subject has his
commission signed by Gov. DeWitt Clinton. He was naturally of a controversial
disposition and found food for this in the church of which he was a member. He
was honest, outspoken and fearless, and although he aroused discussion and
opposition, he was generally liked. He served in the War of 1812 for a period of
nine months.

  Our subject was reared upon the home farm and received a common-school
education. He made an attempt at teaching, but soon gave it up. He left New York
when nineteen years of age, in 1849, I and located in Utica, Macomb County, N.
Y., where he engaged in the manufacture and sale of fanning mills, being thus
employed for five years. He then came to Lapeer County, in 1854-55 and engaged
in the same business for ten years. Our subject was married January 19, 1863, to
Miss Sarah Goodrich, of Bruce, Macomb County, N. Y. After quitting the fanning
mill business our subject opened up a store in Almont in 1866, which he
continued for about three years. He sold this out and opened up a crockery,
glassware and jewelry establishment, of which he was the proprietor for five
years. He then moved to a farm in Macomb County and there lived for eight years
and in 1886 returned to Almont and  opened up his present store.

  Our subject is Republican in his political liking but is a Free Soiler of
1852. He has been Supervisor of Almont, also Justice of the Peace and President
of the Board of Trustees. Mr. McEntee claims that it does not run in his family
to be even self supporting and says that he would not have been worth a dollar
had it not been for the good management of his wife. They have one child,
Charles G. McEntee, who was born in Almont, November 23, 1865. He is unmarried
and in partnership with his father, doing much to make the business successful,
as he inherits the business tact and talent of his mother.


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

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