Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= USGenNet Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== A History of Northern Michigan and its People. Vol. II Perry Francis Powers, Lewis Publishing Co., - 1912 [945-946] JOHN W. WEAVER. - One of the aggressive and enterprising business men who are aiding in the upbuilding of Petoskey and who is especially well entitled to consideration in this volume, is JOHN W. WEAVER, a large real estate holder in Petoskey and the owner in its vicinity of valuable farming property upon which he is developing fine orchards and vineyards. He was for many years an extensive and well-known cattle dealer and he has been engaged in the lumber and timber business, in that important field of endeavor having achieved much success. MR. WEAVER has seen a number of far corners of this country of ours and gained his start in life as a mining prospector in Nevada and other states of the Golden West. JOHN W. WEAVER is a native son of the state of Michigan, his birth having occurred in Berrien county, on the twenty-sixth of October, 1849. He is a son of SAMUEL and CAROLINE (HUNTER) WEAVER, the former of whom was born in Darke county, Ohio, in 1817, and died in 1907, having thus completed fourscore and ten years of life. To be exact, he was within four days of his ninetieth birthday, when summoned to the Undiscovered Country whence no traveler returns. The mother, who survives, was born in the same county which gave her husband birth, and has now attained to the venerable age of ninety-one years, her residence being maintained in Berrien county, Michigan. To these worthy and useful citizens, whom it was granted by heaven to remain longer on the earth than the majority of mankind, were born ten children, six of whom survive, the subject being the fifth in order of birth. SAMUEL WEAVER left the Buckeye state when a mere boy and came with his parents to Indiana where they remained for a time. They then went on to Michigan and settled in Berrien county, where young SAMUEL grew to manhood and when his years and strength were sufficient, hewed him a farm out of the wilderness. He was greatly interested in fine stock and raised many fine specimens in his day. He was held in confidence and respect by his fellow citizens, who elevated him to several offices, including those of the county and township and the schools, he being a strong advocate of the best education possible. He was a member of the Advent church and in the early days was a Whig, upon the organization of the Republican party transferring his allegiance to the same. JOHN W. WEAVER passed his boyhood days beneath the parental roof-tree, attending school during the winter months and in seed-time and harvest giving his young strength to the manifold duties to be encountered upon the farm. In 1870, when not far from his twenty-first birthday, he must have come to the conclusion that "home-keeping youth have ever homely wits," as the Bard of Avon has put it, and he journeyed to Nevada, which in that day was still in a wild and lawless condition. Having engaged there for some time quite successfully in prospecting, young Weaver again made a change and removed by rail to Omaha. There was no bridge at that time over the Missouri river and the train was conveyed across on a rope ferry. He subsequently went by rail to Ogden, Utah, where he spent the years of 1871, 1872 and 1873, and also a part of 1874, with occasional journeys to Virginia City and Carson City, Nevada. He tasted to the full the adven-tures of the rough mining days and unlike so many others on the same quest of fortune, was quite successful. The charms of Michigan remained very vivid with him and in 1874 he returned to the state and returned to pastoral pursuits in Berrien county for three years. Subsequent to that he engaged in the stock business, buying and shipping cattle to Chicago and Buffalo markets for the space of sixteen years and after that engaged in the lumber business in Charlevoix, Emmet county, the Northern Peninsula and Wisconsin, and he bought and sold timber lands until within a short time ago. At the present time he is the owner of some fine timber lands and has a fine improved farm eight miles north of Harbor Springs. He also owns a fine farm east of Petoskey and as before mentioned is engaged in developing orchards and vineyards on the same. His city holdings amount to a value of fully twenty thousand dollars. On February 14. 1874, MR. WEAVER was united in marriage to MISS NELLE J. TEW, a native of Ohio, and daughter of WILLIAM and ELIZA (CARTER) TEW. To the subject and his wife have been born three daughters and one son, the following being an enumeration: AUSTIE. wife of GUY WILLIAMS, residing in Cheboygan county; LENAH, wife of HAROLD BRITTON, of Toronto, Canada; NELLIE, wife of BERNARD CLISE, of Sturgeon Bay, Michigan; and WARD, who is engaged in business with his father and resides with his parents. The subject is a staunch Republican and is interested in all that pertains to good government and the prosperity and progress of society in general. ================================================================================ If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ ================================================================================