Mead and family settled in Lyons, Oakland Co., in 1832, when there were but two families within six miles. Mr. and Mrs. Mead died where they located. Mr. Mead, of this sketch, was married Oct. 27, 1850, to Sarah A., daughter of John and Mary Forbes, of Paris, born in Canada April 26, 1829. Her father was a native of New York, born Dec. 14, 1800; her inother, a native of New Brunswick, was born April 10, 1803, and died July 18, 1861. Six children of Mr. and Mrs. Forbes are living. They settled in Paris in 1841. In 1850 Mr. Mead, of this sketch, purchased 80 acres of land on sec. 10, in Paris. He resided on the farm 15 years, selling it and taking charge of the county farm two years. He then purchased 104 acres of most desirable land on sec. 34, Grand Rapids. It is situated two and a half miles from the city, on the south bank of Reed's lake, a summer resort of considerable celebrity. Mr. Mead spent the year 1859 at Pike's Peak, Col., with a party of six from Kent county, who went to that land of promise with their horses. He is a Republican in polities, and both himself and wife are connected with the East Street Methodist Church.

Munson & Knapp, proprietors of the Grand Rapids nurseries. These popular nurseries were established in the spring of 1873, by Wm. K. and Edward A. Munson, under the firm name of Munson Bros., both of whom had served an apprenticeship in the large nurseries of Geneva, N. Y. They first rented 10 acres of land of E. U. Knapp, on sec. 17, tp. of Grand Rapids, one and one-fourth miles N. E. of the D. S. & M. R. R. depot. In the spring of 1878 E. A. Munson sold his interest to Chas. E. Knapp, and the business was continued under the firm style of "Munson & Knapp." Their business now covers upward of 60 acres of ground, and they offer for sale a first-class assortment of apple, standard and dwarf pear, cherry, plum and peach trees. Of the latter they make a specialty. Their trade includes strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, grapes, currants, evergreens, deciduous and weeping trees, roses, climbers, etc. They have 7,000 peachtrees and 2,000 grape-vines, and are planting more every year.

Wm. K. Munson and wife were both born near Syracuse, N. Y., and came to Grand Rapids in the spring of 1873. Chas. E. Knapp and wife were born in Butler, Wayne Co., N. Y., and moved to Grand Rapids in the fall of 1873.

R. Parish & Sons, manufacturers of cider and vinegar. Their works are located on Lake avenue, near Reed's lake, and have a capacity of about 500 barrels of vinegar, which are shipped to the trade in different parts of the State. Besides, they make cider for customers. Mill capacity, 60 barrels a day. The business was established in 1877 and is constantly on the increase; no similar establishment exists in Grand Rapids.

Mr. Parish, sr., was born in King's Sutton, Northamptonshire, England, Dec. 6, 1823. In 1830 his parents came to America and settled at Rochester, N. Y., where he remained until 1844, when he located in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., where he remained four

years. He was married Jan. 6, 1848, to Martha, daughter of Roderick and Lucinda Rowley, both natives of New England. She was born Dec. 12, 1827, in Middlesex, Ontario Co., N. Y. Soon after that event he bought a farm in Ada, Kent Co., where they lived until 1870, and moved to the city of Grand Rapids. In May, 1876, they moved to their present location. Mr. and Mrs. Parish had three children, born in Ada-Roderick T., De Witt R. and Charles D. Mr. Parish died in Grand Rapids, March 11, 1880, aged 57; himself and wife were members of the Congregational Church. He was a Republican, as are his three sons. Roderick T. was married May 5, 1874, to Anna E. Spencer, of Independence, Buchanan Co., Iowa; they have one child-Grace S., born Aug. 27, 1880.

George D. Potts was born in New Jersey, Aug. 26, 1842. His parents came to Michigan in 1847, and settled in Washington, Macomb Co., where he lived with them three years, and went to Bruce, and two years after returned to Macomb county, and 11 years later he bought 160 acres of land in Muskegon, on which he lived nine years and sold it, going to Alpine, where he resided six years. His next removal was to Grand Rapids tp., where he now resides. He was married Sept. 22, 1878, to Nancy Bird, of this tp., daughter of Daniel and Nancy Bird, born in 1840. They have no children. Mrs. Potts has four sisters, and Mr. Potts two brothers. Politically he is a Democrat. His wife is connected with the Methodist Church. P. O., P. O., Grand Rapids; box 334.

Albert C. Stonebreaker was born in Hartwich, Otsego Co., N. Y.; is son of Peter M. and Juliette (Reed) Stonebreaker, the former of German parentage, born in Huntington, Pa., the latter in Hartwich, N. Y., of mixed Scotch, English and German lineage. His maternal grandfather was one of General Washington's staff officers, and received a pension. His parents moved to Wisconsin about 20 years ago, where his father died about 1871; his mother still survives. They had seven children, five of whom are living. Mr. Stonebreaker is the oldest. He received only a commonschool education and had his own way to make in the world. In 1848 he came to Michigan and bought 80 acres of land in Grand Rapids, on sec. 36. It was perfectly wild, and he built a shanty for a home and practiced self-denial, economy and perseverance until his possessions reach an aggregate of 320 acres. He has cleared in all, himself, about 150 acres. He was married to Esther Pinock, of Mansfield, Cattaraugus Co., N. Y. They have two children. Seth is married and lives on an adjoining farm; has four sons. Constant, the only daughter, is the wife of Franklin Cole, of Shiawassee Co. Mr. Stonebreaker is a Democrat in politics. His portrait appears on another page of this volume.

Hollis R. Taylor was born in Danville, Vt., June 12, 1814; is son of Joseph and Philena Taylor. Charles Taylor, his grandfather, came from England in 1731, and settled at Harvard, Mass.

Mr. Taylor came to this State in 1832, stayed a short time at Jonesville and bought a farm at Coldwater. In 1857 he made a purchase of 80 acres in sec. 36, and repeated additions since have increased his possessions until he owns 280 acres. He was married May 30, 1842, to Hannah Howell, of Quincy, Branch Co., Mich., daughter of Joseph and Dorcas Howell, born at Hartland, Niagara Co., N. Y., May 13, 1825. Her parents settled in Michigan in 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have had six children, born as follows: George E., March 22, 1844; Augustus S., July 8, 1845, died July 18, 1851; Lucius H., March 4, 1847; Charles G., Feb. 9, 1852; Frank A., Jan. 20, 1854; Walter R., Nov. 5, 1858; Emma A., April 8, 1863. George E. Taylor resides in Newaygo and is Register of Deeds for Newaygo Co., with his brother Walter as deputy. Lucius resides in Yazoo Co., Miss., and is engaged in teaching and farming. The two eldest sons were soldiers in the late war. Mr. Taylor is a Republican and has been School Director 15 years. David Wright was born in Hebron, Washington Co., N. Y. His parents, David and Sarah Wright, both natives of Northfield, Mass. His ancestors were of English descent. He settled in Plainfield in 1859, buying 20 acres of land on sec. 21, and six years after sold it and bought 15 acres of land on sec. 6, where he now resides. He was married March 20, 1833, to Lydia A., daughter of William and Lydia Northrup, born Aug. 24, 1810, in Cambridge, Mass. Mrs. Wright's father was born Jan. 21, 1776, in Rhode Island, and died in July, 1861; her mother was born in Massachusetts, July 31, 1777, and died June 3, 1842. Mr. and Mrs. Wright have had three children-Helen Mar, born Aug. 29, 1837; Hercules, born March 9, 1843, died Oct. 22, 1852; Milton Eugene, born Dec. 4, 1854. Helen Wright was married Feb. 9, 1861, to John H. Wood, of Grand Rapids. He was a soldier in the war for the Union and belonged to the 6th Mich. Cavalry; he died in the hospital in Fairfax, Va., about nine months after enlistment. Mrs. Wood is engaged in teaching.

GRAND RAPIDS CITY.

From that day in August, 1833, when Joel Guild arrived on the spot, now known as Campau Place, progress has been made, unequaled in some respects, and exceeded only in a very few instances. The locality possessed every advantage; nature made it beautiful, the American pioneers made it useful; the former gave it a rich soil, stone quarries, and a great water-power, the latter utilized each, turning the soil into well-ordered gardens, soon concealed it beneath piles of masonry, and turned the very waters of the rapids into controlling channels. The change which has marked this age of progress is one in which the people must take an especial pride. Ten of the early citizens survive time to realize it; the greater number of the old people who survive do not regret it; but there are yet among them men and women who look back to the never-forgotten past, and mourn the by-gone times when contentment waited on the workers of the cradle, plow and spade, when pastoral industry was rewarded by peace and plenty, and primitive happiness ruled within the rude but comfortable homes of a people who lived with and for one another. Old-time manners and customs have been revolutionized, a new order established, and the labor of the modernizers made to manifest itself in everything.

The citizens have, from the earliest period, paid much attention to educational matters. From the pioneer era to the very present the school has formed a subject for gossip and inquiry. A love of educational advancement formed the leading characteristic of the people. The school has always been fostered by them. It has been raised up from a very humble beginning to the greatest height, until now the system, the number of educational houses, the literary and scientific associations have won for the city as well as the county a high reputation for practical knowledge.

The varied forms of Christianity have steadily advanced; churches have multiplied until their spires or minarets may be seen from every quarter of the city. The era of the Catholic missionary passed away, and for a time there was nothing left to the Indians and French traders but the memory of their visits and their zeal. Christianity revived under the patronage of the settlers, and where the French priest preached in Otchipwe then, the Church is to-day represented by French, Irish, English, Polish and German ministers, and every form of Christain worship fully tolerated. Grand Rapids is the See of an Episcopal bishopric, the center of a great Baptist congregation, and one of the strongholds of Methodism. The synagogue, too, is here, with all its ancient usages. Lutherans, Swedenborgians, Mormons, Adventists, Per

fectionists and the hundreds of various forms of Christain worship exist here in profusion.

The literary and scientific circles of the city compete in membership and intellectual excellence with those of the great literary centers of the Union. Perfect in organization, they awaken in the minds of those who read the reports of their meetings, or who attend their reunions, a sense of what organization is capable of performing.

The city press is well conducted. Though at times, it deals with the more unfortunate trans-Atlantic peoples in a manner altogether opposed to American ideas, it still may be considered the exponent of the American mind, and the faithful guardian of American interests in home affairs. With rare exceptions the journalists are of that class who have risen above flunkeyism, and have just sufficient pathos and depth of feeling to deal justly by the men and events of our day.

Charitable organizations are common here. Apart from the aid which the county appropriates for the relief of the poor, the citizens have their relief societies, also ready and willing at all times to aid the deserving poor or the unfortunate. Benevolent associations are numerous, and the amount of good they accomplish almost incalculable. In very many instances the societies, whether secret or benevolent, carry on a special insurance business, by which the widow of the deceased member is entitled to $2,000, and in some instances to a much larger amount.

The manufacturers are of that class who understand what is due to the honest laborer, and therefore claim nothing more from employes than an honest day's work for a reasonable money consideration. The commercial houses are conducted on principles equally equitable, and thus a trade, metropolitan in character, moves steadily onward under the genial influence of good will between employer and employed, and honor between manufacturer and dealer.

Disassociating the history of a city, like Grand Rapids, from that of the county, of which it is the capital, would be similar to an effort to write the history of the American Revolution without an America, or of a Chicago without the Northwest. While avoiding, so far as practicable, special references to this city in the pages of the county history, many general notices of it necessarily occur. It will be found, however, that nothing solely connected with Grand Rapids, or which pertains directly to the sketch of the city, has been alienated from its proper place in local history. There is a dual reason for following such a plan. The city is justly proud of its record of advancement and its present high social and commercial importance. In war and peace it proved one of the strongest pillars of the State, and is to-day the 58th city of the Union in point of population, ranking among the first in beauty of location, in the enterprise of its commercial men, and in the probity of its inhabitants.