Mailing List:2002-03-30 02, Re: ANOTHER WHITNEYVILLE, by Merry J. Whitney
Mailing List Archives > 2002-03-30 02, Re: ANOTHER WHITNEYVILLE, by Merry J. Whitney
From: "Merry Whitney" <mjwhitney -at- earthlink.net> Subject: Re: [WHITNEY-L] ANOTHER WHITNEYVILLE Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 00:12:54 -0600 References: <[email protected]> Dear Susan, One mystery solved, another pops up :-) From the obituary notice of the A.J. Alvord I mentioned: "DIED At his residence in Laketon, near Muskegon, Monday Dec. 30, 1880, after an illness of seven days, A.J. Alvord, aged 55 years and nine months. Mr. Alvord was born in Genesee county, N.Y. on March 22, 1825; he came to Michigan with his father in 1836 and settled at Tecumseh, Lenawce (sp. unclear) county. He was married at Grand Rapids on the 24th day of June, 1852, to Louisa Mizner, his widow. They started for White River, which was then a wilderness with no means of access only by small sail boats from Grand Haven. He helped build and run a mill for I.E. Carleton, situated about twelve miles up White River, in the then unbroken forest of the White River valley. After a few years he removed to Muskegon, which was then but a small village, and lived in this vicinity, with the exception of a few vacations, up to the time of his death. Mr. Alvord was a kind husband, a good neighbor and by his geniality and good nature won hosts of friends who rendered the bereaved family their assistance and sympathy, and will ever be gratefully remembered by the mourning friends. - Communicated." As I think I mentioned, I suspect that my g-grandfather, Abraham J. Whitney, traveled to Michigan with the Alvords and, possible, Abraham's older sister, who married a Jonathan Misener (Mizner), because he moved two years ahead of his Father, Zerah, and the rest of his family. Zerah & sons settled in and near Grand Rapids in the 1830s, but son Ezra later moved to Bradley, Mich.; Chester to Worthington, Minnesota, and Martin to Caledonia (which is near both Grand Rapids and Whitneyville). Merry ----- Original Message ----- From: <Sg2tired2c -at- aol.com> To: <WHITNEY-L -at- rootsweb.com> Sent: March 28, 2002 9:51 PM Subject: [WHITNEY-L] ANOTHER WHITNEYVILLE > Sorry to cause so much confusion. Here is the history behind > Whitneyville/Trent and where it is located: > > William Whitney and family moved from Ohio to Sparta Twp, Kent Co, MI in > 1849. They are listed in the 1850 census for that area. Cyrena had married > Seth Gilbert and Eunice Whitney was married to Eustace Cook. In 1854, the > Whitney, Gilbert, and Cook families moved to Casnovia Twp, Muskegon Co, MI. > The Whitney Brothers purchased a saw mill and over 700 acres of land and > began making improvements. In 1857, a grist mill was added. The mill was run > by the waters of Crockery Creek. In the 1860 census for Muskegon County, the > town is listed as Whitneyville. I am not sure exactly when the name Trent > took over, but it has been written that it evolved because the post office > for the area was called Trent. Trent is west of Bailey and Casnovia and > slightly NE of Ravenna. I know Ravenna is on the map so you should be able > to pinpoint the general area. One of the original homes is still standing, > as well as the Trent Grange and another old building. There are farms and > homes and it is a beautiful area. Because of the damming of the Muskegon > River, Crockery Creek is too low to be of any help for lumbering any longer, > but my husband still enjoyed growing up on the banks of that creek. The > Gilbert family sold the last piece of land in that area a few years ago. For > all the traveling the ancestors did, it's amazing that they managed to stay > in the same area for almost 150 years. Hope this helps answer some > questions. > > Susan Gilbert > Ravenna, MI >
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