Tuscola-Oakland County MI Archives Biographies.....Laing, John C. 1833 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com April 29, 2007, 7:49 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

JOHN C. LAING.  New Jersey has furnished a large quota of worthy and valuable
citizens who have helped to develop the agricultural and commercial resources of
the Wolverine State, and among these we may mention the family which is here
represented. Our subject who resides in Cass City, was born in Sussex County,
that State, on the 17th of October, 1833, and his parents John and Jane (Wilson)
Laing, were also natives of New Jersey, his father being from Warren County, and
his mother from Sussex. The father was in early life a farmer but later became
an hotel proprietor. The great-grandfather on the father's side emigrated from
Scotland, and at an early date settled at Plainfield, N. J.

  A common-school education and one year at the academy at Newton, constituted
the scholastic advantages offered to our subject, and he completed his studies
at the age of twenty. His father had died previous to the birth of this son, and
his mother subsequently married Wilder Winslow, of Springfield, Oakland County,
Mich., whither his mother came in 1854. John Laing began life for himself in the
fall of 1853 by teaching during the winter and following various occupations in
the summers. In this course he continued for about four years, after which he
removed West, and in the spring of 1857 located in Flint, but removed to Tuscola
County in the fall of the following year, making his home in Elmwood where he
went into the woods and began to clear a farm. He says there was not a stick cut
within miles of his place when he took his land from the Government. He devoted
himself uninterruptedly to the work of subduing the wilderness and cultivating
his farm until 1869, when he gave up farming and removed to Cass City, where he
undertook the management of a general store. There were but few houses in the
town. The partnership which he then entered into with his brother-in-law, P. R.
Weydemeyer and that gentleman's brother W. I. Weydemeyer under the firm name of
Weydemeyer & Laing, continued until 1877, when Mr. Laing purchased the interests
of the other members of the firm, and since then has been handling the business
alone. In the meanwhile they had purchased an interest in the Cass City flouring
mill, in which they continued to be interested until 1878, the mill being run
under the name of Nash, Laing & Co. Since 1878 our subject has had entire charge
of the milling business.

  Mr. Laing was united in marriage, November 24, 1857, to Sarah E., daughter of
John and Ann (Kane) Weydemeyer, who were natives of New Jersey. Mrs. Laing was
born in Springtown, Warren County, that State, September, 2, 1833, and by her
union with our subject she has been granted three children, Arthur E., Minnie A.
and Stanley J. Both sons have passed to the other world, and the daughter is now
married to Orrin K. James, of Ovid, Mich. The political preferences of Mr. Laing
have brought him into close affiliation with the Republican party, and his
personal popularity has brought him prominently before the people. For a number
of years he has held the office of Township Clerk, and indeed was the first man
who filled that office in his township. He was also Supervisor for one year when
he lived in the township of Waterloo now known as Elmwood. For the past thirteen
years he has been the Treasurer of Elkland Township.


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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