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Subject: [MIJackson] Horace son of Thomas Field /Charity McCain Bio Sketch 1890
Date: 3 Jul 2002 15:58:01 -0600

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Surnames: Field/Waudby/Foster/Brady/Schram/Hewlett/Northedge/Murray/Barnes/Dayton/Noyes/Greenwood/McEnany/Mullin/McCain/Ferris/Sittser/
Classification: Query

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http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/BGB.2ACI/254

Message Board Post:

Excerpt from Portrait and Biographical Album, Chapman Bros. 1890
"Horace Field is a prominent capitolist of Jackson, standing in the front ranks of the leading men of wealth and enterprise who have had the making of this metropolis, has been dealing extensively in real estate for some years, and has thus promoted the growth of the city and county.He is a descendant of a good old Massachusetts family, his father, Thomas Field having been born in that State, and there reared. He went to Genesee county N.Y., in an early day of its settlements,and locating among the pioneers of LeRoy, carried on his trade there several years. In 1833 he broke up his home in that county and once more became a pioneer, settling in the Territory of Michigan as a suitable location. He came with his family by team to Buffalo, where he embarked on the steamer 'William Penn' for Detroit,and at the latter city hired a team to take his family to the wilds of Jackson County. There were no roads at all,and the journey over indian trails was a slow one. They found Jacks!
on to be a city in only a name,with but a few log houses,and two or three frame buildings. The Government owned the surrounding country,and Mr. Field entered a tract of land in Summit Township, two miles from Jackson,paying $1.25 per acre for it. His first was to erect a log house, and then he set about the task of clearing a farm from the forest. There were no railways here for some years after his arrival,and Ann Arbor was the nearest milling point, Detroit being the nearest depot for supplies. The early settlers were much troubled by the wild animals of the primeval forest, deer, bears, and wolves roaming near the settlements, and occasionally approaching the habitations of the pioneers, and the wolves would sometimes follow the people. Mr Field while developing his farm also devoted much of his time to carpentering for some years, finding plenty of work in that line to do for his neighbors, and he also erected a substantial set of frame buildings on his own farm. He di!
d his share in advancing the growth of the county, and lived to see valuable farms, busy villages,thrifty towns, and populous cities where he had found howling wilderness and dismal swamps, and uninhabitated praries. In his death in 1872, at the advanced age of 90 years, his community lost a venerated and honored citizen, whos name will be held in rememberance as that of one of the pioneers of the county. The maiden name of the mother of our subject was Charity McCain,and she was born in New York state, a daughter of Abel and Mercy McCain (McKain). She lived a long and useful life of seventy nine years,, dying in the home of our subject in 1877. She was the mother of thirteen children, twelve of whom were reared to maturity.
The life record of Horace Field was opened April 1, 1829, in the town of LeRoy,Genesee County N.Y. When he was in his forth year his parents brought him from the home of his birth to the new dwelling place they had established in the wilds of this county. He still remembers the incidents of the pioneer life in which he was reared, and can recollect the rude log schoolhouse, with its primitive home made furnature, in which he gleaned his education. Like all farmer boys,he was early initiated in the work of the farm, and after his marriage his fathers homestead was managed by him successfully for some time. He finally abandoned agricultuer pursuits, and coming to Jackson, has resided here ever since, and has been actively engaged in real-estate business, a large amount of reality passing through his hands every year. Gifted with practical tenacity of purpose, possessing a clear and vigorous mind, his judgement in regard to business matters is keen and far seeing,and he has be!
come wealthy in the prosecution of his business, and at the same time has encouraged the development of the city in various directions. When Mr. Field came to Jackson, he bought a lot on south Milwaukee street, and resided in the house thereon two years, and then disposed of it at a good advance. Since then he has erected five other dwellings, four of which he still owns, including his present commodius residence on the corner of Blackstone and Washington streets, and at the present time he is putting up a substantial, conveniently arranged building on West Main Street.
Mr Field has been twice married. He was first wedded in 1850 to Miss Martha L. Barnes,a native of New York State. To them were born two children, Nina M. and Willie A., both of whom are dead. After a pleasant married life of twenty- five years Mrs. Field departed this life in March 1875. Mr. Field's marriage to his present wife was solemnized in August, 1877, and she has devoted herself to making his home cozy and attractive, and is to him all that a true wife can be. Her maiden name was Louisa L. Chamberlain. She was born in the town of Rose, Wayne County, New York, and is a daughter of Philetus and Julia(Barnes) Chamberlin, natives respectively, of Monroe and Cuyuga Counties, N.Y."
The following was omitted from the text and is found in an addendum:"Thomas Field and Charity McCain came to Jackson county from Genesee county NY, bringing their family with them. The year was 1833. Thomas was a carpenter, and the village(Jackson) was very young. Finding work was no problem at all. They found the village contained only a few log buildings and 2 or 3 framed houses. Thomas entered on land 2 miles south of the village in the present Summit township."
I descend fro Thomas and Charity and their oldest son William. Please contact me if you have any connection to these or my other families. John

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