Mecosta County MI Archives Biographies.....Gray, Wm. S. June 26, 1820 - 
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Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 January 27, 2009, 1:47 am

Author: 1883 Mecosta Co. Portrait & Bio Album

WILLIAM S. GRAY, of the firm of S. H. Gray & Co., manufacturers of lumber, 
lath and shingels, at Big Rapids, 

was born in Chenango Co., N.Y., June 26, 1820.  He is a son of Bethuel and 
Cornelia (Carter) Gray, and was 

brought up on a farm, attending school winters.  He left home at 18, and 
attended the academies at Elmira 

and Corning.  

the first business experience of Mr. Gray was as clerk in a general store in 
Corning, Steuben Co., N. Y.  He 

went two years later to Port Deposit, Cecil Co., Md., in the interests of a 
lumber firm, having charge of 

their sales and shipping, nine months.  At the end of that time he went back 
to Corning and opened a 

mercantile house, operating as a lumber dealer in connection therewith, and 
managing a saw-mill near that 

place.  He sold out at the expiration of two years and went to New York, where 
he was a clerk in a store on 

Grand street, going thence to Ithaca, Tompkins Co., N. Y., and there attended 
the academy one year and 

taught one term of school.  In 1845, he entered the office of Charles Coryell, 
M. D., and read medicine six 

months; thence he removed to Somerset, Lycoming Co., Penn., where he taught 
school three terms.  He then 

went to Jersey Shore, in the same county, and studied with Dr. Hepburn two 
years, supplementing his office 

reading with one course of lectures at Philadelphia.

In 1848, Mr. Gray went to Rick Run, Stephenson Co., Ill., and was a medical 
practitioner, there seven years, 

and engaged in mercantile business, wagon manufacturing and also in faming.  
He next went to Freeport, in 

the same county, and there served three terms as County Treasurer, and managed 
three stock farms - one of 

640 acres, in Carroll County, and two others containing respectively 282 and 
180 acres.  He also owned a 

small farm near Freeport, and had a book store there which he owned about a 
year; he had also a store for 

the sale of furniture.  These establishments were managed personally by 
parties employed for the purpose.

In 1863 he built a woolen mill, in company with Messrs. Rosentiel & 
Sunderland, with which he was connected 

until 1874, and owned a general store and tailor shop at the same time.  In 
1876 he came to Big Rapids, and 

became a member of the firm with which he is at present connected.  The 
company own a saw-mill n the east 

side of the Muskegon River, and a shingle-mill on the west side.  Mr. Gray 
owns his residence, and is a 

stockholder in the National Bank, and in the Big Rapids Boom Company, and also 
is director and President of 

the Big Rapids Water-Power Company; has served the municipality six years as 
alderman.

Mr. Gray was united in marriage, at Uniontown, Penn., April 21, 1848, with 
Margaretta, the daughter of John 

and Margaretta Hill, born in Northumberland Co., Pa., Aug. 12, 1827.  Their 
four children are all deceased 

save one.  Antha, eldest daughter, born April 8, 1849, in Rock Run Ill., is 
the wife of Sylvester H. Gray, 

senior member of the firm.  (See sketch)  The others were Ida May, William B. 
and an infant child.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/mecosta/bios/gray175nbs.txt

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