A history of Pickford Area Pioneer Families Daniel Morrison

O’BRIAN

O'NEIL

William (Bill) O'Neil came here from Ailsa Craig, Ontario, before 1882. He purchased 160 acres of woodland three and one-half miles west of town (Elda and Ellott Cottle) lived on the west 80; Marion and Stanley Harrison did live on the east 80. The road had considerable corduroy and part-way he found it so swampy it was necessary to travel on the ridge south one-half mile of the town line, across the Jackson farm (Beatrice and Everett Hardson's farm) and the Moore farm. This hill is still known as "Moore Hill". Percy Harrison and Timothy Greenough own this farm.

He had a house built and 60 acres cleared on his farm when his sister and brother-in-law, Elizabeth and Charles Harrison, atrived with their family in 1888. (Mrs. Harrison was so anxious to reach her brother's home, she walked the last three-quarters of a mile without following the ridge, and she was soaked to her knees.

Bill, not married, lived alone after the Harrisons moved in 1894 to their 160-acte farm lying directly east of his. In 1906 Bill was digging a well on the William Brundson farm (father of Newman, William John, Sarah (Mrs. Pollick), Elizabeth (Mrs. Fred Wallis), Martha (Mrs. Hiram McDowell), and Emma (Mrs. John Dunbar). The farm is west of the Cottle Cemetery. He dug until he struck a rock and, unable to remove it, he dug a second basin, throwing the earth into the first. He and the man helping him (this is not certain, but several today believe it was Hiram McDowell) were using a windlass after digging a considerable depth. Bill met an untimely death - the sand gave way between the two holes and he was covered. It was customary to wood curb as the holes were deepened, but no curbing was used here. His nephews and several neighbors dug that afternoon and all night before reaching him. They found him standing in the bucket with his hands on the rope as if he had been preparing to be lifted to the surface.

His body was taken back to Canada for burial. Elizabeth and Charles Harrison purchased his farm. Later their sons, Lewis and Charles Alexander, purchased it.

PATTON

George Patton was born in Goderich, Ontario, in 1860. In 1884 he married 22-year-old Mary Meylan. In the next two years Nina and John M. were born and in 1887 the family moved to Michigan.

Mr. Patton settled on a homestead four and one-half miles south of Pickford on which he built a log cabin that Mrs. Patton always referred to as "The Shanty" While living in their "shanty" their next two children were born: George Edward in 1888 and Margaret B. in 1893. Mr. Patton cleared land with oxen and lumbered and in 1895 they built a new home. In this home were born Reno M. in 1897, Wilmer R. in 1901 and Opal M. in 1903.

At this time Rockview consisted of a post office, a union church, and a small store. Often Mr. Patton served as a substitute minister. The children walked two miles to the Maple Leaf school west of Rockview.

During the summer of 1906 and 1907, the family, with the exception of John and Ed, who stayed home to run the farm, "touristed" on the Les Cheneaux Dairy Farm and supplied dairy products to the tourists on Marquette Island.

In 1916 Mr. Patton rented the farm and moved to the Soo where Wilmer and Opal graduated from high school. Wilmer graduated from Alma College Summa Cum Laude and taught for over 2O years in Utica, Colgate, Ohio, Grosse Point, Lake St. Claire, and Constantine. Opal and Margaret selected the teaching profession also, attending Ferris Institute. Margaret retired in 1960 after 30 years of teaching, the last eleven in the Raber system. Opal taught a few years and was cashier at War Memorial Hospital in the Soo. Reno farmed and was the caretaker of the Kinross 4-H building. He was in the service in 1918.

NINA married Herb Bawks in 1905. They had 12 children, 5 of whom died in infancy. Clifford married Leota Pennington. They live in Sault Ste. Marie and have two children, Gerald and Joan. Gerald married Ina Winger and they live in the Soo with their four children: Debra, Wallace, Bonnie, and Lori*. Joann married Clarence Wagner, Jr. and they live in Fayetteville, N.C., and have four children: Linda, Donna, Larry, and Pam*. Raymond married Irene Pudelko and they live in Pickford. Their son, Raymond, married Judy Cabanaugh and live in Muskegon with their twins, Steven and Sally*. Effie married Ivan Leach. They live in Pickford and have 6 children: John, William, Lila, Ivana, Richard, and Duane. John married Ruth Finlan (deceased 1972) and had 5 children. William married Karen Huyck and they live in Lennon, Michigan and have three children, Duane, Joan, and Amy*. Lila married Gary Williams and they live in Muskegon and have four Marty, Julia, Robin, and Todd*. Ivana married Robert Jones and they live in Pickford and have three children, Robert, Jr., Pauline, and Roger*. Richard married Judy Palmroy. They live in Muskegon and their children are Patti, Faye, and Allan*. Duane died in 1948 at the age of 5. Violet married Sam Cruickshank. They lived at Rockview. Sam died in 1957. Violet lives in Pickford and they have five children. Theora married Robert Bosley. They live in Stalwart and have five children: Frances, Harrison, Penny, Bobby, and Cheryl*. Wanda married Vern Saywers. They live at Donaldson and have three boys: Jeff, Steven, and Douglas*. Seward and they live in Texas with one son, Billy*. Donald married Kathryn LaPoint. Deborah graduated from Pickford High School in 1972. Vern married Irene Rose and they live in Mt. Clemens. Their two children are Carol and Wayne. Robert married Bertha Kramer. They live in Hessel and have two boys, James and Ronald. Ronald is married to Darlene Hardy. Dean married Mae Huyck and they live in Pickford. Their three boys are Larry, Jerry, and Bruce.

JOHN and EDWARD both farmed. JOHN died Feb. 14, 1915 at the age of 28 and EDWARD on March 15, 1920 at the age of 31.

MARGARET married Ford Bawks, June 24, 1926. They live in Pickford and have two children, Eldon and Helen. Eldon married Marion Wise. He lives in Brighton and they have a daughter, Marjorie (Margie). Margie married David Templeton and they live in Brighton. They have a son, Scott Bryan*. Helen married James Crisp. They live in Newaygo and have four children: Marcy, James, Jr., Ricky, and Brian.

RENO married Beulah Smith June 4, 1924. He died June 3, 1970. Beulah died in 1972. They had five children. Clare married Louise Dahlam. Clare is a minister and they live in Wisner, Michigan, and have three boys: Steve, Brian, and Terry. Grant married Sylvia Johnson. They ahve six children: Doreen, Larry, Cindy, Carla, Drew, and Timmy. Avis married Orvan Alcorn. They live in Brimley and have three children: Lawrence, Karen and Jeffrey. Karen married Richard Ladd and has one son, Richard, Jr.* Wilda married James Edward, Jr. They live in the Soo and have a son, Jimmy Joe, Heber married Nancy McCloskey. They live at Birch Run and have four children: Richard, Darrell, Rebecca, and Caroleta.

WILMER married Mary Winegar June 16, 1926. They live in Three Rivers and have two children, Kathleen and Jack. Wilmer died October 6, 1948. Kathleen married Richard Myer. They live in Madison Heights and have two children, Richard and Mary Ann. Jack married Loretta Welty and they live in Lansing. Their four children are Dennis, Kathryn, Patricia and Brian.

OPAL married Norman Pennington June 24, 1926, a double wedding with her sister, MARGARET. They lived in Sault Ste. Marie. She died October 25, 1968. They had two daughters, Margaret Joy and Norma Jean. Margaret Joy married William Smith and they live in Toledo, Ohio. Their four children are Norman, William, Jr., Cindy, and Mark. Norma Jean married Fredrick Schmitz. They live in Milton, Florida, and have a daughter, Michelle.

Mr. Patton died February 23, 1934 and Mrs. Patton on August 20, 1928. NINA died on April 16, 1928. Descendants of the original Patton family, besides the 7 children, are now 118: 18 grandchildren, 54 great grandchildren, and 39 great great grandchildren.

The Patton house stands much the same today as it did over 60 years ago. It has had a face-lifting with a new roof, siding, and electricity. Even the original cement walk from the house to the road is still in use. Mr. Patton sold his property to Frank Taylor. Harold Taylor, Sam Cruickshank, and Clark Taylor have lived in the house since that time.