Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2014 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/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Portrait and Biographical Album of Huron County, Michigan Pub. Chapman Brothers, Chicago, 1884 [372] JAMES S. AYRES, of the firm of AYRES & Co., at Port Austin, merchants, farmers, dealers in real estate, and manufacturers of salt, was born Aug. 30, 1838, in New Canaan, Conn. He is a son of FREDERICK S. and NANCY (RAYMOND) AYRES, and is in company his father and brother, EBEN R. AYRES, resident at Sandusky. (See sketch of F. S. AYRES.) MR. AYRES was educated in the common schools of West Troy, and afterwards was instructed by a private tutor until about the age of 17 years, when he matriculated at Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., and four years later was graduated at that institution. He attended the Law School at Albany one year, and graduated there, and went thence to S. Chicago, where he opened his office and acted as an attorney for three years. In 1866 he came to Port Austin to manage his father's lumbering interests, which he conducted five years, and in 1871 became a mem- ber of the firm of AYERS, LEARNED & Co., engaged in the business already named, in which they have since continued to operate. In 1874 MR. LEARNED sold his claim to the brother of MR. AYRES, EBEN R., a resident of Sandusky. The building where the MESSRS. AYERS conduct their mercantile transactions is one of the first constructed at Port Austin. Their stock is estimated at $10,000, and they employ three salesmen. The firm offer for sale 14,000 acres of farming lands in Huron County, situated in the townships of Port Austin, Dwight, Lincoln, Meade, Lake, Chandler and Oliver. They have about 1,200 acres which they cultivate in Port Austin and Dwight Townships, and employ by the month a small army of agricultural laborers. Mr. Ayres is an active and aggressive Republican. He was Presi- dent of the Blaine and Logan Club at Port Austin, and has taken part in several Presidential campaigns, doing the variety of ser- vice popularly known as "stump" speaking. He has acted as Chairman of several Republican county conventions, and is always actively interested in the State conventions, and in all movements for the advancement of the present party element on the earth. He takes an earnest interest in school matters, and is a member of the present School Board (1884), with which he has been connected continuously for upwards of 16 years. MR. AYRES was married at Tarrytown-on-the-Hudson, Oct. 20, 1869, to ANNIE EVANS. She was born in Mobile, Ala., in April, 1841, and died Nov. 2, 1882, at Port Austin. The five children born of this marriage are named as follows: NANCY (deceased), EBEN R., JAY D., JAMES S. and ANNIE (deceased). MR. AYRES was a second time married Feb. 7, 1884, at Port Austin, to a sister of his first wife, SARAH LOU EVANS. She was born in New York in 1846. MR. AYRES owns a fine residence on Lake Street: also an interest in the different plats of the firm in the village of Port Austin designated respectively as "AYRES & Co.'s," and "AYRES, LEARNED & Co.'s plats." =========================================================================== 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/ ===========================================================================