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GRAY, William S.
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Page 234:
  William S. Gray, of the firm of S. H. Gray & Co., manufacturers of
  lumber, lath and shingles, at Big Rapids, was born in Chenango Co., N.
  Y., June 26, 1820.  He is a son of Bethuel and Cornelia (Carter) Gray,
  and was brought up on a farm, attending school winters.  he left home at
  18, and attended the academies at  Elmira and Corning.

Page 237:
  The first business experience of Mr. Gray was as clerk in a general store
  in Corning, Steuben Co., N. Y.  He went two years later to Port Deposit,
  Cecil Co., Md., in the interests of a lumber firm, having charge of their
  sales and shipping, nine months.  At the end of that time he went back to
  Corning and opened a mercantile house, operating as a lumber dealer in
  connection therewith, and managing a saw-mill near that place.  He sold
  out at the expiration of two years and went to New York, where he was
  clerk in a store on Grand street, going thence to Ithaca, Tompkins Co.,
  N. Y., and there attended the academy one year and taught one term of
  school.  In 1845, he entered the office of Charles Coryell, M. D., and
  read medicine six months; thence he removed to Somerset, Lycoming Co.,
  Penn., where he taught school three terms.  He then went to Jersey Shore,
  in the same county, and studied with Dr. Hepburn two years, supplementing
  his office reading with one course of lectures at Philadelphia.

  In 1848, Mr. Gray went to Rock Run, Stephenson Co., Ill., and was a
  medical practitioner there seven years, and engaged in mercantile
  business, wagon manufacturing and also farming.  He next went to
  Freeport, in the same county, and there served three terms as County
  Treasurer, and managed three stock farms—one of 640 acres, in Carroll
  County, and two others containing respectively 282 and 180 acres.  He
  also owned a small farm near Freeport, and had a book store there which
  he owned about a year; he had also a store for the sale of furniture.
  These establishments were managed personally by parties employed for the
  purpose.

  In 1865 he built a woolen mill, in company with Messrs. Rosenstiel &
  Sunderland, with which he was connected until 1874, and owned a general
  store and tailor shop at the same time.  In 1876 he came to Big Rapids,
  and became a member of the firm with which he is at present connected.
  The company own a saw-mill on the east side of the Muskegon River, and a
  shingle-mill on the west side.  Mr. Gray owns his residence, and is a
  stockholder in the National Bank, and in the Big Rapids, Boom Company,
  and also is Director and President of the Big Rapids Water-Power Company;
  has served the municipality six years past as Alderman.

  Mr. Gray was united in marriage, at Uniontown, Penn., April 21, 1848,
  with Margaretta, the daughter of John and Margaretta Hill, born in
  Northumbeland Co., Pa., Aug, 1827.  Their four children are all deceased
  save one.  Antha, eldest daughter, born April 8, 1849, in Rock Run, Ill.,
  is the wife of Sylvester H. Gray, senior member of the firm.  (See
  Sketch.)  The others were Ida May, William B., and an infant child.

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