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Portrait And Biographical Album Of Mecosta County, Mich. Containing
Portraits And Biographical Sketches of Prominent And Representative
Citizens of the County together with Portraits And Biographies of All The
Presidents Of The United States  And Governors of the State.  Also
Containing A Complete History of The County, From Its Earliest Settlement
To the Present Time.  Chicago, Chapman Bros. 1883

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HYDE, Hannibal
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Page 253:

Hannibal Hyde, farmer, resident on sec. 10, Mecosta Tp., is the son of
James and Eunice (Puck) Hyde, natives of Connecticut; they settled in
Vermont where the son was born in Orange County, Nov. 5, 1810.  On reaching
his 21st year he set out to seek his fortune.  His first exploit was to
walk to Glens Falls, N. Y., 90 miles distant, and thence to Albany, but he
soon retraced his steps and engaged in lumbering for a few months, finally
finding regular employment on a farm at $11 per month.  At the expiration
of his engagement he went to works in a saw-mill, where he was occupied
some months.  In the summer of 1835 he left Glens Falls with a vague
determination to make his way westward.  He set out with several companions
but became dissatisfied with appearances and took his own route back to
Rochester, N. Y., and returned to Detroit, via Buffalo.  In company with
seven others he chartered a team to take him to White Pigeon, Mich.  Mr.
Hyde, with several of his fellow travelers went to Indiana, whence they
shortly returned to Niles.  Not yet satisfied with the outlook he continued
his prospecting to St. Joseph County, and pushed on to Chicago.  His own
statement is that he was “disgusted with the awful windy little village”
and left in a few days for Sheboygan, Wisc. He was there engaged eleven
months in the management of a saw-mill.  His next remove was to Chicago,
making the journey partly on foot and partly by sail-boat.  He worked there
a short time as a carpenter, then came to Muskegon Co., Mich.  He arrived
in this State in the summer of 1837 and went to work on the river.  The
winter following he came to Newaygo County, and managed a saw-mill one
year, when he decided on a visit to Vermont, where he spent some months,
going thence to New York,

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Page 254:

and thence to St. Louis, Mo., and Louisville, Ky.  This rambling existence
he continued until 1844, when he was married and made preparations for a
permanent settlement in life.  He purchased 80 acres of wild land in
Newaygo County, where he lived and pursued agriculture until 1856.  In that
year he settled in Mecosta Tp.  That section was then in its infancy.  The
township was unorganized and settlers were few especially permanent ones.
Lumber interests invited transient comers, but for a period of ten years
there were few who considered the place as having claims upon their
interest, and no steps were taken toward arranging the municipal affairs of
the township for five years after the settlement of Mr. Hyde.  He was one
of the most active in the movement for the organization of Mecosta, as he
had been in that of the townships of Newaygo County.  H is the oldest
living inhabitant of his township, and his youngest son was the first white
child born within it borders.

Mr. Hyde was married in 1844, to Sophia Russell, who was born in April,
1829, and reared in Newaygo County, in the vicinity of the Big Muskegon
River.  Mrs. Hyde became the mother of seven children.  She was a member of
the Catholic Church, and died Sept. e, 1881.  Three children who survive
her were born as follows:  Daniel, Oct. 4, 1845; Francis E., Jan. 19, 1850;
Miranda J., March 20, 1858.  The deceased children were Eunice, Amanda S.,
Amos H. and James.  Mr. Hyde is an adherent to the principles of the
Democratic party.

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