L. D. Wood, D. D. S., was born in Malone, N. Y., May 25, 1854, and was the youngest of a family of nine children. His father, Nathan Wood, came originally from Vermont and was one of the early settlers in Northern New York. His mother, Laura Page, of English descent, was born in Canada, and died when the Doctor was eleven years of age, since which time he has taken care of himself. He attended for a short time the Normal School, at Potsdam, N. Y., graduated at the Ogdensburg Business College, and spent three years at the Dental College of the University of Michigan, where he received the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1881. He is a member of the Michigan State Dental Association, in good standing. Dr. Wood located in Lowell, Mich., for the practice of his profession, in March, 1881. He is a young man of good address and strict integrity, of large business capacity, which, together with true devotion to his calling, and his untiring zeal for the cause of truth, combine to render him eminently successful as a dentist, as well as useful to the community in which he may live. Politically he is a Republican.

Fred J. Yeiter, brother of the next mentioned, was born in Ohio in 1838 He was educated in the common schools of Ohio, and trained to the profession of farmer. He settled in Kent county in 1865, and owns 80 acres of good land on sec. 20, Lowell. He was married in 1865 to Elizabeth Eberhart, also born in Ohio. They have seven children living-Catherine, George Frederick, Elizabeth Caroline, Jacob (deceased), Emma Matilda, Joseph Daniel and John David (twins) and Amos Benjamin. Mr. and Mrs. Yeiter are members of the M. E. Church, of which Mr. Y. has been Trustee.

Jacob Yeiter is a native of Germany, born in 1827. His parents were Jacob and Elizabeth (Oberly) Yeiter. He received a common-school education in the log school-houses of Ohio's pioneer period, where the traditionary teachers either yielded to the temptation of convenience or regarded with fear the significant epigram of Solomon to "spare the rod and spoil the child," for Mr. Yeiter was not spoiled by its sparing. The early years of his life were spent in carpentry, but he has since been occupied as a farmer. He was married in Ohio, in 1853, to Caroline Myers, born in Ohio, of German descent. They have seven children John D., Elizabeth (Mrs. W. A. Reed, of Grand Rapids), Marion (Mrs. John B. Coppens), Frederick S., William W., Lewis M. and Clarence W. Mr. and Mrs. Yeiter have brought up their children with much care, and have reason to be proud of the enterprise of their sons. Mr. Yeiter came to Kent county in 1849, and settled in Lowell in 1853. He has been successful as a farmer, and owns 170 acres of land under good improvements. Himself and wife are members of the M. E. Church.

John Yeiter, brother of the preceding, was born June 5, 1825. His parents emigrated to America in 1832, and located in Crawford Co., O., where the father died and the mother still resides. In 1850 Mr. Yeiter came to Lowell, and bought 160 acres of wild land at 62 cents an acre, to which he has since added 120 acres. Although beginning with little but energy and industrious habits, Mr. Yeiter has made his farm one of the best in the tp., and has become independent. He was married April 4, 1840 to Mary Meck, a native of Germany, born March 26, 1825. They have five chidren-Elizabeth, Mary J., Joseph, Lydia and John W. Mr. Yeiter has been Commissioner of Highways. P. O., Lowell.

Joseph Wright, retired farmer, sec. 4, Lowell, was born in Dutchess Co., N. Y., in 1811. His parents, Thomas and Hannah (Jaycox) Wright, were natives of Putnam Co., N. Y. He attended the common school, and has been occupied as a farmer most of his life. He was married in 1835 to Cornelia Vandusen, born in New York, of German descent. They have three children -Austin is a farmer in Ionia county; Justice lives on sec. 4, Lowell, and is a farmer; Louisa married Mr. Shearer of Lowell. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are both Christians Mr. Wright came to this county in 1840, and settled within about a mile of where he now lives. His farm contains 65 acres of choice land.

NELSON AND SOLON TOWNSHIPS.

NELSON TOWNSHIP.

The character of Nelson township is still primitive, notwithstanding the fact that it may be said to comprise three prosperous villages and a contented population of 2,599. Pine was formerly the timber of this township, and in the northeast corner were many large cedar and tamarack swamps. The soil, although in many places light, as the presence of pine denotes, is still very productive, particularly where beech, maple and other hard-wood trees are mixed with the pine. For fruit-raising this town promises to be one of the best in the county. Its streams are Black creek, in the northern part of the township, and Little Cedar and Big Cedar, in the western part. Pine lake is a fine sheet of water, covering some 100 acres on sections 26 and 35. On its southern shore was a saw-mill. Sand lake, immediately west of Sand Lake village and extending into Montcalm county, is a shoal lake, possessing some claims to the picturesque. In other days, when the land in the neighborhood is cleared of its pine stumps, this lake will hold a much higher estimation in the eyes of the villagers than it does at present. On the east side of the village are a few large ponds, one of which might be styled a lake. The saw-mill of Ware & Co. is located on the southern shore of the larger pond.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

Scarce 30 years have passed since the present town of Nelson was a dense pine forest. Throughout its length and breadth the woods scarcely gave shelter or food to the denizens of the wilderness. To this place, in July, 1851, Wm. II. Bailey came and settled. John S. Jones moved into the township during the same year, and is said to have been the second settler. They were soon followed by John M. and Josiah Towns, Charles II. Leake, George Hoyle, George N. Stoddard, D. B. Andrew, and George Stout, H. M. Stanton, Riley Smith, Samuel Punches, N. R. Hill, John N. and Andrew S. Tindall, John and Elisha Dean, II. D. Streeter, James and Bradford Bailey, Joseph Wood and Thomas Almy, Simpson Anderson, Cyrus Stilwell, Harlow H. Stanton, Moses E. Ross, J. R. Smith, Church Bailey, Peter D. Buck, and Amos Bessey. Many of the wives of these settlers accompanied their husbands and aided in the building up of the township. Charlotte Bessey, a lady of 78 summers, is still a resident of the town. Among the first patentees of the township lands were the following named persons: William Hartwell, section 5, Nov. 5, 1853; Smith Barrett, section 7, July 1, 1853; William II. Bailey,

Mrs.

section 8, May 17, 1851; John Baker, section 12, Nov. 6, 1854; Miles B. Dean, section 15, June 24, 1850; James Butler, section 20, May 26, 1853; George Dean, section 22, June 18, 1851: Mary Whitney, section 23, July 8, 1851; Edward Foot, section 32, Nov. 23, 1852; William D. Nicholson, section 34, Dec. 8, 1852; Orren Goble, section 33, Sept. 2, 1852, and John C. Beardslee, section 34, Sept. 30, 1853.

The first death in the township was that of Mrs. English, who deceased in 1852, and was buried in the center of what is now the public highway, near the Wood's homestead.

Mrs. Kelsey's daughter was the first white child born in the town, her birth having taken place in 1851. Before the close of that year Pearson was born, being the first male child of the district.

The first marriage was that of Clayton Wood and Catherine Bailey. The ceremony was performed at Rockford in 1852.

ORGANIZATION, ETC., OF NELSON TOWNSHIP.

The first township meeting was held at the house of Charles H. Leake, April 2, 1855. The township was organized under authority given by the Board of Supervisors, Oct. 13, 1854, and the first meeting was presided over by Geo. N. Stoddard, John S. Jones and Geo. Hoyle, Inspectors, and Amos Bessey, Clerk of Election. George N. Stoddard was elected Township Clerk. Simpson Anderson, Samuel Punches, Cyrus Stilwell and Harlow H. Stanton received the full vote, and were elected Justices of the Peace. The Commissioners of Highways were Smith Barrett, elected for three years; H. H. Stanton, for two years; Moses E. Ross, for one year. The School Inspectors chosen were H. H. Stanton, for two years; Ithiel R. Smith, for one year. The Directors of the Poor elected were Church Bailey and Joseph Wood. The first Constables were Bradford Bailey, Josiah D. Towns, Amos Bessey and Peter D. Buck.

The offiers elected since the organization of the township are named in the following list:

The school interest of the town has grown from a singularly humble beginning to magnificent proportions; with its districts and fractional districts, it now boasts of school property valued at $27,825. The township contains 10 school districts (three of which are fractional), 1,029 children of school age, one brick school-house, six frame school-houses, and three of logs. The value of the school property is $27,825; number of teachers, 27; amount paid teachers for the year ending June 30, 1881, $3,882; total resources, $11,880.

MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES.

The lumber-mill on sec. 22 was erected by its present owner, J. R. Squires, in June, 1874, at a cost of $4,000. It then comprised a shingle-mill, which was operated in connection with the saw-mill till February, 1881, when it was removed to Marcelona, Antrim Co. The lumber factory employs on an average eight men, and cuts 15,000 feet per day. In 1880 it manufactured 10,000,000 feet.

The lumber and shingle factory, located on sec. 11, Nelson tp., owned and operated by S. L. Ware, was built in 1877, by Matthew Hart, and purchased by its present owner, in 1878. Employs in each department 12 men. Daily capacity in lumber, 25,000 feet; annual capacity, 2,000,000 feet. Daily capacity of shingle department, 35,000; manufactured in 1881, 3,000,000 shingles.

The shingle-mill on sec. 21 of Nelson tp. was built in October, 1880, by Z. B. Cheney, at a cost of $3,500. It has a 30-horsepower engine, employs on an average 30 men, and manufactures 40,000 shingles daily. Manufactured in 1881, 9,500,000 shingles. The mill is superintended by J. A. Taft.

Sand Lake shingle-mill, located on the outlet of Sand Lake, was built in 1869, and was purchased by G. H. Barker, in October, 1878, at a cost of $1,400. The industry employs 14 men, and produces daily 35,000 shingles. In 1881 the total number manufactured was 5,000,000 shingles.

The remains of four old mills still stand on the shore of the lake.

Ware & Olin's planing mill was built in 1879, by E. Ware & Co., and was purchased by the present owners in April, 1881. The engine is 30-horse power. The capacity of the mill is 60,000 feet per 24 hours. There are six men employed. Apart and from the regular shipping trade, the custom department of the mill produces many thousand feet of planed lumber per year.

SAND LAKE VILLAGE.

This nucleus of a prosperous village is located on sections 4 and 5, Nelson township, on the northern borders of the county. It is distant 25 miles from Grand Rapids, and 171 northwest of Detroit. The population of the hamlet in 1880 was estimated at 700. The three years which have elapsed since its incorporation as a village have worked great changes for the better. The manufacture of lumber is extensively carried on, there being no less than five saw-mills and three shingle-mills in the village and immediate neighborhood.

The Congregational, Adventist and Methodist societies have churches in the village. Its railroad facilities form an important factor in its progress. The G. R. & I. R. R. Co.'s depot is located there, and northward still is an office of the D., L. & N. R. R. The postoffice is administered by M. L. Swift. In the following table the names and occupations of the principal inhabitants are set forth:

George Barker, shingle manufacturer; Stephen Bitely, lumber and shingle manufacturer; Bradish Bros., boots and shoes; Mrs. M. J. Butler, millinery; F. Carpenter, shingle manufacturer ; Homer L. Carter, funiture, etc.; Z. V. Cheney, shingle manufacturer; James S. Cowin, drugs, etc.; George W. Finch, jeweler and barber; E. C. Giddings, grocer; J. Gill, harness-maker; S. Hart & Son, shingle manufacturers; Hine, Wooding & Stone, lumber manufacturers; G. W. Jones, hotel; Lyman T. Kinney, shingle manufacturer; Oberhaltzer & Brackman, shingle manufacturers; Poland & Wenzel, shingle manufacturers; Miss H. Richmond, milliner; Russell & Beardsley, shingle manufacturers; Shattuck & Cain, general store; M. Sockerby, shingle manufacturer; M. Lewis