Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2013, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by (1908) Linda Talbott, (1879) Karen D. Foster for the US Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= U.S. 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 U.S. Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Biographical History of Genesee County, Michigan Author: H.H. Bennett Publisher: B. F. Bowen & Co., Indianapolis, IN., 1908. Page 384 - 386 ROBERT P. AITKEN Robert P. Aitken was born in 1819 in Montgomery (now Fulton) county, state of New York, of Scotch descent, his mother's maiden name being Chalmers, and the grandmother's on the mother's side being Stewart, claim- ing kinship to "Royal Charlie" of Scotland; but, as Mr. Aitken was a staunch Republican, he claimed no preferment on that account. At the age of seventeen he went to the city of New York and served as clerk six years, having by strict economy saved a few hundred dollars. Seeing little chance for a young man having a small capital to commence in business in a large city he decided to try his fortunes in the west. Accordingly, in the autumn of 1842 he started for the then small town of Flint, in the state of Michigan, taking with him a small stock of merchan- dise. Owing to the extreme scarcity of money he exchanged a portion of his goods for eighty acres of wild land on section 8 in the town of Flint, and forthwith went to work improving it. On the 12th of March following he was married to Miss Sarah J. Johnstone, who, with her father's family, had pre- ceeded him from New York city only a few months. Miss Johnstone was born in the city of New York in the year 1823, and up to this time had never spent much time in the country; but a board shanty was speedily erected on this land of their own, and together they commenced under new auspices, the journey of life. Many privations had to be endured, but their farm in- creased to two-hundred and twenty acres, practically all being improved. Any success or improvement may be set down as the result of constant labor. They raised a family of ten children -- five sons and five daughters -- of whom two sons and four daughters only now survive. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 385 Besides having improved a large farm, mainly by his own hands, Mr. Aitken served his township as supervisor thirty-one years, twenty-one years con- secutively, and his district in the state legislature four years. He was recognized as authority by his neighbors for miles around, drew their wills, their deeds, their mortgages and other quasi legal papers, and was their recognized authority and confidential advisor in matters of pri- vate concern. He received in his youth a good common school education, which was im- proved upon while clerking in the city of New York, and by constant read- ing and active interest in public affairs he became in middle life not only one of the best scholars, but one of the best informed men in Genesee county. He was fond of music, as was Mrs. Aitken. They owned the first musical instrument that was owned in the township of Flint - a melodian. He took much interest in his immediate social relations among the farmers of his township, instituted and taught a singing and spelling school during several winters in the district schoolhouse. Mr. and Mrs. Aitken were members of St. Paul's Episcopal church in the city of Flint, and their marriage was the first marriage solemnized in St. Paul's parish. They not only taught their children, but by precept and example taught the doctrine that to do right because it was right to do it, was the best evidence of true religion, and that cleanliness in character and habit was next to godliness. Mrs. Aitken died in 1886, aged sixty-three years, on the farm where forty years before she had taken up life's marital relations, and where her chil- dren had been born, and in 1905 Robert P. Aitken died on the same farm where, sixty-three years before, he had cleared away the brush to erect the board shanty for himself and his bride. The evolution from the board shanty to the beautiful farm home is evidenced by the picture of the house that was constructed on that farm in 1865, and that farm that was, when first visited by Robert P. Aitken, a wilderness, is now a beautiful and fertile farm with practically every acre under the highest state of cul- tivation with beautiful buildings kept up and maintained by the children of the man and woman whose courage and industry were emblematcial of the early pioneers. Robert P. Aitken lived an active life. He did active service in public and private walks. From the time he left the stony hills of Montgomery county in New York until his death, a period of nearly seventy years, his life was --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 386 an unceasing industrious effort, whether laboring for himself and his family, his neighbors or for the public, industry and perserverance characterized his conduct, and if any man has ever lived who could claim the credit of having caused two blades of grass to grow where but one grew before, Robert P. Aitken was the man. ========================================================================== ========================================================================== SOURCE: History of Genesee County, Michigan pub. Everts and Abbott - 1879 Page 190 - 191 ROBERT P. AITKEN Robert P. Aitken was born in 1819, in Montgomery (now Fulton) County, State of New York, of Scotch descent, his mother's maiden Page 191 name being Chalmers, and grandmother's on the mother's side being Stewart, claiming descent from the family of "Royal Charlie," of Scotland; but, as Mr. Aitken is a staunch Republican, he claims no preferment on this account. At the age of seventeen he went to the city of New York, and served as clerk six years, having by strict economy saved a few hundred dollars. Seeing little chance for a young man having a small capital to commence in business in a large city, he decided to try his fortunes in the West. Accordingly, in the autumn of 1842 he started for the then small town of Flint, in the State of Michigan, taking with him a small stock of merchandise. Owing to the extreme scarcity of money, he exchanged a portion of his goods for eighty acres of wild land on section 8, in the town of Flint, where he now resides, and forthwith went to work improving the same. On the 12th of March following he was married to Miss Sarah J. Johnstone, who, with her father's family, had preceded him from New York City only a few months. Miss Johnstone was born in the city of New York in the year 1823, and up to this time had never spent much time in the country; but a board shanty was speedily erected on this land of their own, and together they commenced under new auspices the journey of life. Many privations had to be endured, but their farm has increased to two hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and sixty being improved. Any success or improvement made may be set down as the result of constant labor. They have raised a family of ten children,--five sons and five daughters,--of whom two sons and four daughters only now survive. Besides having improved a large farm, mainly by his own hands, Mr. Aitken has served his township as supervisor twenty-one years (twenty years consecutively), and his district four years in the State Legislature. Mr. Aitken has lived an active life. He has done faithful service in both public and private walks of life during the past thirty-seven years, and claims at least the credit of making two blades of grass to grow where only one grew before. ==========================================================================