Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Watkins, Hiram 1846 - 
************************************************
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 February 23, 2007, 7:12 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

HIRAM WATKINS. It is perhaps no very great triumph for a man to successfully run
for an important office when the party represented by his ticket is in a large
majority in the vicinity, but when, as in the case of our subject, who was
elected Mayor of Lapeer in 1891, he receives the nomination at the earnest
solicitation of friends instead of by his own seeking and then receives a
handsome majority on the Republican ticket while the city is in the main
strongly Democratic, it is truly a subject for congratulation.

  Besides the official position which this gentleman so well fills he is the
owner and manager of the Star Roller Mills. He is a native of this county,
having been born in South Lapeer on a farm, April 5, 1846, and is the son of
Ephraim and Eliza (Brown) Watkins, being the second in a family of three. The
eldest sister, Martha, married James Bolton and died, leaving no children. A
sister, younger than our subject, bearing the name of Casia, died in infancy and
as the father and mother have both passed from earth's activities, our subject
is the only living representative of the family.

  Hiram Watkins received a good common-school education and remained under the
parental roof, assisting in the farm work until near the time of his marriage,
which took place when he was about twenty-five years of age, on the 8th of
January, 1872. His bride was Miss Frances M. Buckingham of Attica, this county,
a native of one of the Eastern States, whose family had recently removed from 
Connecticut to Michigan. She was born July 20, 1851.

  Our subject had already purchased and paid for a farm of one hundred acres
upon which he lived for about ten years when he sold and removed to Lapeer,
erecting the mill which is now known as the Star Roller Mills, being then in
partnership with Mr. Fortune, whose interests he bought out in 1886, since which
time he has operated the business by himself. He is also the owner of eighty
acres of land which had been the property of his father.

  As we have before stated the affiliations of Mr. Watkins have been with the
Republican party but he has never been an office seeker at the hands of his
political brethren. He yielded, however, to their solicitations and made a
remarkable and successful run for office, attaining a majority of which any man
might well feel proud. Besides his official and milling business he ever keeps
up a great interest in the affairs of his farms and is a successful breeder in
Jersey stock, in which he takes a just pride.

  The family which has come to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Watkins, consists
of Orin and Carrie both of whom are in the senior class in the Lapeer High
School and will graduate in 1892; Edna, Lewis and Dora, who are still school
children, are preparing to follow the older members of the family into the
higher walks of the educational field. The parents are both active members of
the Episcopal Church and are training their children in the doctrines and life
of the Christian religion, and take it all in all there is probably no more
happy and prosperous household in Lapeer than that of our worthy Mayor.


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/watkins584gbs.txt

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

File size: 4.0 Kb