Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1896-06-12
"REMINISCENCES.

Israel Wolfe came to this township in
1886, from Monroe county. He was a
youth of seventeen winters then, and
the long journey between Monroe county
and the woods away up north" had nc
; terrors for him, and he walked the
entire distance. The first year of his
residence here he worked by the month
for man by the name of Schwartz,
who lived on section five in this town
ship. A year after Mr.. Wolfes arrival
| here, his parents came from Monroe
county, and located on section five, and
. after their arrival Israel lived with them
until he had attained his majority Like
many another son he left home and
started out TO get rich, an undertaking
in which he had made but little progress,
when the death Of his father, in 1862,
obliged him to return to the homestead
and assist in the management of his
mothers farm.
His responsibilities at this time did
not keep him so busy but that he courted
and won for his bride, Miss Martha
Adams, to whom he was married in De-
cember, 1868. A double wedding was
celebrated on this occasion, for the late
ID. II. Sullivan and the sister of Mr..
Wolfe's bride were married at the same
time. Mr.. Wolfe rented the farm of his
fatherin-law, and worked it on shares
for about one year. For little more
than two years Mr.. Wolfe lived happily
with his wife, when she died, in Febru-
AIRY, 1864. After her death he again
made home with his mother until Sep
| TENDER, 1864, when he enlisted in the
Eighth Michigan Infantry, Co. G.
| known as the Gratiot Rangers and
served Loyalty until the close of the war,
when he returned to the more peaceful
pursuits of agriculture.
Mr.. Wolfe married again January |,
1866, this time Mrs. Amanda Turner
Cpcc Hildreth) who has been a faithful
wife and help meet for more than thirty
years. May ,, 1866, he moved onto the
farm where he now lives, one and one
half miles southwest Of Alma. When
he moved there he had not one cent in
money, but now he has one of the finest
so acre farms in the county, with IA
large and handsome residence and com
modious out-buildings, all free from
debt. All this has been gained by the
hard, never ending labor of himself and
wife, and now, with faces turned |
toward lifes sunset they richly enjoy |
the fruits of their united labOrs.
Gen. Ely was the leading man in this
place, at that time, and Lorton com |
monty known as Blackhawk) Holiday |
was also well known character in this |
settlement on the Pine. Gen. Ely had |
the only store III the village. There
was no post office then. Gen. Ely used |
to drive from here to Maple Rapids and |
IOnia and bring back with him the
mail for the settlers here, all of which
came addressed TO his care. At this
time all the provisions were brought in
by team from Ionia, Portland and Lyons,
and the little grain and produce that
could be spared was sent TO these points
i'll the same manner. Mr.. Wolfe says
that often when coming To Alma nova
days he looks at the beautiful college
buildings, and his thoughts inadvertent-
ly revert to the little log school house
which stood in front of where the library
on the campus now stands, and
in which Miss Rachel Kress Mrs. Gee
taught. The first winter of his residence
here, there was private school taught
by l.. G. Cole, III Il house occupied by
Louis Fisk
In these early days there were plenty
IF amusements for the young people,
among whom were Garwood, Theron ,
and Richard Kress, Ed. Adams, james
5weeting, Billy Johnson, the daught-
rs of Gen. Ely, Martha and Mary Cole
md Rachel Kress in this place, while
he young people of the Woodin and
Jlymer families of st. Louis, and of
Judge Nelson's family, near Ithaca,
)ften joined with them in their merry
markings. These gatherings, and the
prayer meetings, class meetings and y
other religious services afforded the ,
young people abundant opportunity for
seeing each other
The physical ills of the settlers in this
ownship We're looked after by DIR. Gift
ord, IA surgeon Of the Mexican war,
who lived in house which stood where ?
he pretty farm house of Mrs. Goodrich
low stands, between here and St. Louis. f.
Alma Wins the Championship C