Background Farm house circa 1840's Livonia, Wayne, Michigan.
Samuel Gates was born 3 September 1827 in Livonia, Wayne Michigan, and married first, 15 December 1847, in Green Oak Twp., Livingston, Michigan, Ruth Eleanor TAYLOR the daughter of Abraham TAYLOR. She was born 22 August 1832 in New York, and died 16 February 1858, in Green Oak Twp. Livingston, Michigan. He married second, 10 February 1861, in Cohoctah, Livingston, Michigan, Melissa PALMER. She was born, 4 November 1835 in Brighton Twp., Livingston, Michigan. He died 18 June 1894, in Michigan.
SAMUEL G. HOUGHTALING. The gentleman whose name we now present was born in Michigan in the old Territorial days. His first home was in Livonia, Wayne County, and the date of his birth September 3, 1827. His parents were Garrett and Lydia (Gates) Houghtaling, and the grandfather, Richard, who was born October 12, 1759, married a lady whose birth was May 11, 1766.
The large household of the grandparents of our subject consisted of five sons and five daughters, namely, Mahala, Hannah, John, Peter, Margaret, Garrett, David, Harry, Henry, and Elizabeth. Their father passed from earth in Oakland County, June 13, 1834, and his wife followed him in April, 1853. They were both Presbyterians in their religious faith and active in church work. Garrett Houghtaling was born December 18, 1798, in New York, and left home when only fifteen years of age to learn the trade of a blacksmith. He married in New York and moved to Michigan, where he settled in Wayne County about the year 1825.
The first land which was entered by the father of our subject consisted of forty acres, which he sold after a while and again entered eighty acres. About the year 1830 he moved to the township of Lyons, Oakland County, where he entered two hundred acres which he cleared and improved, and it was while living here that he was called to part, with his faithful wife. He afterward exchanged that property for a farm in Green Oak, Livingston County, and upon that estate of three hundred and twenty acres he died, August 21, 1845. The first wife of Garrett Houghtaling and the mother of our subject and of his brother William, died in 1835, and the second wife, whose maiden name was Rachel Thompson, had only one son, George E. She survived her husband and was afterward married to Alva Preston.
Until he reached the age of eighteen years young Houghtaling made his home upon the farm and took his training in the district school. He then began to work for himself upon one hundred and twenty acres of his father's homestead, which he sold about the year 1851, before removing to Grand Rapids where he teamed for nine years. In 1858 he traded his house and two lots for one hundred and sixty acres on section 4, Cohoctah Township, Livingston. County, and this land he put into condition for culture. He exchanged ninety acres of swamp land for thirty acres of dry land and owns a round hundred acres. Besides carrying on his farm work he has operated a thresher for twenty years. In politics he is a Republican, but no office seeker.
The first marriage of our subject was with Ruth E. Taylor, a Canadian by birth and a daughter of Abraham Taylor, a wagon-maker. Two children crowned this, union, La Fayette J., and Frankie E. (deceased). The mother of these children died in February, 1858. The second wife was Melissa Palmer, and the marriage took place February 10, 1861. She was born in the township of Brighton, November 4, 1835, and is a daughter of William and Sally (Lane) Palmer, who were born in Onondaga County, N.Y., and came to Michigan in the spring of 1835, making their home in Brighton and entering a claim to eighty acres of land.
In 1856 Mr. Palmer removed to Cohoctah and took up one hundred and twenty acres on section 16, which he at once proceeded to put in condition for cultivation. He was a prominent man in the township and an earnest Republican, (although at first he had been a Whig) and his neighbors placed him in several township offices. He died in Howell, in April, 1888, and his widow still survives. They were the parents of five sons and two daughters, namely: George, David, Christopher H., Andrew A., Boroughs, Melissa and Phoebe A. David and Christopher served their country in the Tenth Michigan Infantry, and the latter fell at Chattanooga in the summer of 1864; while the youngest son, Boroughs, died at the age of thirteen.
In early life Mr. Palmer and his wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and later joined the church of the United Brethren. He was the only son of his parents, Abel and Hannah (Smith) Palmer, who came to Michigan in 1836. One child only, a daughter, Ellen, is the result of the second marriage of our subject. He has ever been prominent in social circles and is prominently identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
1840 Census Index GARRET Green Oak Livingston County MI 205
Garret HOTELLEN
Under 5; 5 to 10; 10 to 15; 15 to 20; 30 to 40; 40 to 50; 70 to 80; 80 to 90
Male: 1 ------- 1 1 -------- 1 -------- --------
Female: ------- 1 -------- -------- 1 -------- 1 1
1850 Census Green Oak, Livingston, Michigan Page 403
R Estate Where
Name Age Sex Race Occupation Value Born
Saml. HOTAILING 23 M ---- Farmer $ 0,800 Michigan
Ruth " 18 F ---- ----------- -------- New York
Lafayett " 1 M ---- ----------- -------- Michigan
Abraham TAYLOR 66 M ---- Wagon Maker -------- New York
John " 28 M ---- Wagon Maker -------- Canada
1860 Census Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, Page 497
R Estate Personal Where
Name Age Sex Race Occupation Value Value Born
William O HOUGHTALING 38 M ---- Farmer $ 4,000 $ 0,500 New York
Fidelia E HOUGHTALING 34 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- New York
Julia A HOUGHTALING 13 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Eliab S HOUGHTALING 12 M ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Susan L HOUGHTALING 8 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Emmaline HOUGHTALING 5 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Chloe M HOUGHTALING 3 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Ida May HOUGHTALING 1 F ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
La Fayette HOUGHTALING 11 M ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
Samuel G. HOUGHTALING 32 M ---- Farm Labor $ 0,500 $ 0,050 Michigan
1860 Census Cohoctah, Livingston, Michigan, Page 350
R Estate Personal Where
Name Age Sex Race Occupation Value Value Born
Saml. HOUGHTELLING 26 M ---- Farmer $ 0,500 $ 0,100 Unknown
La Fayette " 11 M ---- ---------- -------- -------- Michigan
1870 Census Cohoctah, Livingston, Michgian, Page 35
R Estate Personal Where
Name Age Sex Race Occupation Value Value Born
HOUGHTALLING Samuel 42 M W Farmer $ 2,000 $ 0,550 Michigan
" Melissa 32 F W Keeping House -------- -------- Michigan
" Lafayettey 21 M W Farm Laborer -------- -------- Michigan
" Ellen 3 F W ------------- -------- -------- Michigan
1880 Census Cohoctah, Livingston, Michigan, ED 182 Page 4 Line 15
Mar | Place of Birth |
Name Race Sex Age Relat Sta Occupation |Self Father Mother|
HOUGHTALING Samuel W M 52 ----- M Farmer Mich. ------ ------
" Melissa W F 44 Wife M Keeping House Mich. N. Y. N. Y.
" Ellen L W F 13 Dau S ------------- Mich. Mich. Mich.
Under disabilities it states Samuel has Kidney Comp.
Barry
Spouse Sposse Marriage Marriage
1 2 Date Location
HOUGHTALING, Samuel TAYLOR, Ellen 15 Dec 1847 Michigan
Livingston County
The first division of the town into road districts was made by the highway commissioner, April 11, 1838, ... In 1840 a more uniform division was made. ... The present division is into 38 districts, and the list of overseers is as follows:
No. 1, Harry Houghton; No. 2, Peter Rohrabacher; No. 3, Hubert Blodgett; No. 4, A. H. Jones; No. 5, H. Grant; No. 6, Asa Petteys; No. 7, George Houghtaling; No. 8, James R. Fisher; No. 9, William C. Hosley; No. 10, John J. Barlow; No. 11, Samuel Slider; No. 12, Parmenio Adams; No. 13, George Soule; No. 14, Isaac Teller; No. 15, William Dunkle; No. 16, Henry Stoner; No. 17, Joseph Lamoreaux; No. 18, Edward Antliff; No. 19, John Wiggins; No. 20, John D. Blank; No. 21, Edward Fisher; No. 22, James Gilland; No. 23, John Dunstan; No. 24, Alexander T. Frisbee; No. 25, Charles Dean; No. 26, Adam Shaler; No. 27, Lewis B. Boyd; No. 28, Henry Brigham; No. 29, Charles E. Dunstan; No. 30, Moses Jones; No. 31, Israel Ellsworth; No. 32, Thomas Goldsmith; No. 33, Jesse Morey; No. 34, Waterbury Ostrander; No. 35, Fred Steinacher; No. 36, Samuel G. Houghtaling; No. 37, F. L. Rohrabacher; No. 38, William Patterson.
commonly known as "the Sprague class," was the result of a revival meeting held by Rev. Benjamin Morgan, of Brighton, at the Sprague school-house (District No. 11) in the winter of 1863-64. Most of the first members were new converts brought out at these meetings. The organization was effected at the school-house by Rev. Mr. Morgan, and about 25 persons joined.
Their names, as found on the class-book, were Dudley and Elizabeth Woodworth, William G., Harriet A., Milo, and Lucina Phares, Alonzo Keyser, Thomas White, Edwin Ackley, Benjamin and Margaret Sliter, Samuel and Melissa Houghtaling, Mrs. Merinda Chambers, Clarissa Allbright, Phoebe and Mary A. Palmer, Israel Ellsworth, Elias and Emily Sprague, Cyrus G. and Cynthia Hayner, Oliver, Nancy, and Truman Sprague. Elias Sprague was chosen as the first class-leader, and Oliver Sprague as the first steward.
LAST NAME FIRST NAME VOL. PAGE (my notes RF) HOUGHTALING Diantha 2 381 (wife of Laffaytte) HOUGHTALING Lafayette 2 208 (son of Samuel) HOUGHTALING Martin 1 170 (unknown at this time) HOUGHTALING Samuel 1 228 (son of Garritt by 1st wife) HOUGHTALLING Mary A. 2 41 (wife of George E.) HOUGHTALLING Mellesa 2 259 (2nd wife of Samuel)
LAST FIRST CEMETERY NAME NAME NAME PAGE VOL. (my notes RF) HOUGHTALING Diantha SANFORD 101 III (wife of Lafayette) HOUGHTALING Ellen SANFORD 101 III (1st wife of Samuel) HOUGHTALING George SANFORD 98 III (son of Garritt) HOUGHTALING Lafayette SANFORD 101 III (son of Samuel) HOUGHTALING Martha SANFORD 101 III (unknown at this time) HOUGHTALING Mary SANFORD 98 III (wife of George) HOUGHTALING Melissa SANFORD 101 III (2nd wife of Samuel) HOUGHTALING Samuel SANFORD 101 III (son of Garritt)
CHILDREN of Samuel Gates HOUGHTALING and Ruth Eleanor TAYLOR:
+ 21. 1. LAFAYETTE JAMES b: 3 Mar 1849; Green Oak Twp., Livingston, Michigan.
md: 22 Feb 1877; , Livingston, Michigan.
Diantha FISHER.
d: 19 Aug 1913; , , Michigan.
22. 2. FRANK E. b: Abt 1851; Green Oak Twp., Livingston, Michigan.
d: Bef 1860; Green Oak Twp., Livingston, Michigan.
CHILDREN of Samuel Gates HOUGHTALING and Melissa PALMER:
23. 3. ELLEN D. b: Mar 1867; , Livingston, Michigan.
md: never married;
d: Aft 1930; Cohoctah, Livingston, Michigan.
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