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Asahel
G. Hopkins, M. D.,
a prominent physician and surgeon, residing
at No. 171 Pine Street, Muskegon, Mich., has been intimately associated
with the growth and history of the State for more than a half-century,
and is in fact one of the medical pioneers, well known and highly regarded.
Our subject is a native of the Empire State and was born in Washington
County September 3, 1819. His father, Martin Hopkins, a native of Rhode
Island, passed away in New york, at the age of seventy-eight years. He
was a brave soldier of the War of 1812, and by occupation was a farmer,
prosperously tilling his fertile fields. The Hopkinses came of a long line
of distinguished English ancestry, whose descendants, locating in the United
States, have with ability filled many important positions of trust. The
mother, Mary (Pettis) Hopkins, died when Asahel G. was but six years of
age. She was the daughter of Matthew Pettis, and a woman of efficiency
and fine character. Dr. Hopkins was educated in his birthplace and completed
his preparatory studies in Shelby Academy, Washington County, N. Y., and
later read medicine with Dr. Savage and Dr. Freeman Hopkins. In 1840, emigrating
to Michigan, he settled in Otsego, Allegan County. After arriving in the
Wolverine State, he read medicine with Dr. Carr, of Whitehall, and took
a course of medical lectures in Detroit. In 1846 he moved to Kalamazoo
and followed contracting and building.
Some time later, during
1873 and 1874, our subject took a second course of lectures in Detroit,
at the Homeopathie College, and from 1876 to 1877 studied in Cincinnati
Ecletic Medical Institute. In 1861 Dr. Hopkins, in connection with C. C.
Weeb, enlisted in the services of the Government and joined Company E,
Thirteenth Michigan Infantry, organized by Col. Charles C. Stewart, and
was assigned to the Army of the Potomac. Our subject was commissioned Lieutenant
of a company which he had recruited, and with the command actively participated
in the battles of Vicksburg Landing and Shiloh, and was injured July 7,
1862, on the march between Moorville and Decatur. On that account he was
assigned by Gen. Buell, in September, to the camp and barracks at Nashville,
Tenn., and remained there until honorably discharged, May 16, 1863. At
the close of the war returning to Kalamazoo, he then located in Decatur,
but in 1866 made his home at Whitehall, Muskegon County, where he engaged
in merchandising and was elected Justice of the Peace, at the same time
studying medicine under Dr. Carr. After graduating from the college in
Cincinnati, Ohio, the Doctor located in Decatur, Mich., where he remained
in general practice until 1882, when he removed to to Muskegon, conducting
a general practice, and making a specialty of chronic diseases. In 1884
our subject erected the Invalids' Home at Muskegon and superintended the
institution with great success until 1891, when the building was destroyed
by fire, May 16.
Dr. Hopkins immediately
rebuilt on the same site and established the well-known and prosperous
Hopkins' Sanitarium, conducted on eclectic-electro homeopathic principles.
The building has a fine frontage of forty-four feet and is eight rods in
depth, well lighted, and conveniently arranged for the care of the sick
and suffering. Our subject is a valued member of the State Medical Association
and is likewise a member of the American Association of Official Surgeons.
Fraternally, he is connected with the Ancient Free & Accepted Masons,
belonging both to the Sir Knights and the Royal Arch Masons. He also affiliates
with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is a member of the Good Templars,
and was associated with the first Grand Lodge of the order. Politically
a stalwart Republican, he cast his first Presidential vote for Gen. William
H. Harrison and also voted for Benjamin Harrison. In February, 1841, were
united in marriage Asahel G. Hopkins and Miss Charity S. Brown, of Lyons,
Wayne County, N. Y., and a daughter of Ephraim Brown, a native of Connecticut.
August 8, 1890, the estimable wife of our subject passed away, mourned
by many friends. She was the mother of five children, three of whom are
living, two sons and one daughter. Olin is located in Muskegon, Asahel
G., Jr., was the fifth-born; Frankie is the wife of Benjamin Bray, of Idaho.
Dr. Hopkins has a store of interesting reminiscences of the early days
when he settled in Kalamazoo, before there was a railroad in the county.
Known throughout the State, our subject commands the confidence and
best wishes of a host of friends, many of whom have recuperated from ill-health
under the faithful care. November 5, 1892, our subject was married to Miss
Isabella Boughton, a native of New York.
Patrick
J. Connell In a city of the rapid
growth and development of Muskegon, the importance of the line of industry
in which Mr. Connell is engaged cannot be overestimated. To this contractor
and builder in effect, conjointly with the architect, belongs the task
of imparting to the city to the city that appearance of solidity, wealth,
refinement and comfort which at once stamps its citizens as progressive
and enterprising. In a work which has for its object a comprehensive
review of the leading enterprises of Muskegon, Mich., it is highly important
that special attention should be devoted to those great artisans whose
skill and labor have been utilized in the construction of her buildings
and public institutions; and foremost among the number is our subject,
who has been closely identified with the rise and progress of the city.
Mr. Connell is senior member of the firm of P. J. Connell & Son, contractors
and builders of Muskegon, Mich.
Patrick J. Connell was
born in Ireland September 25, 1840, to the union of James and Mary (Malone)
Connell, natives also of the Green Isle of Erin. The father followed the
trade of builder in his native country, but finally, growing restive, bade
adieu to his friends and scenes long loved and in 1842 pitched the
household tent in Canada. From there he moved to the city of New York,
remaining there for some time, and then moved to Oswego, N. Y., where his
death occurred in August, 1847. His wife survived him until March, 1881,
her death taking place in Ottawa County, Mich. She was the daughter
of Thomas Malone. Thirteen children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Connell,
six of whom are living at the present time, and all honored and esteemed
citizens in the communities in which they made their homes.
Patrick J. Connell,
the youngest of the above-mentioned children, was left fatherless at a
tender age and was soon thrown on his own resources. He came to Ottawa
County, Mich., and all the schooling he obtained was before he was nine
years old. Later, he spent some time in Grand Haven and went from there
to to Spring Lake, where he was employed in a sawmill, finally going to
Detroit, where he engaged with Manly D. Richardson, learning the man's
trade there. In 1860 he went south to New Orleans, but the Civil War breaking
out, he returned North, and in 1861 enlisted in Company G, Fifth Michigan
Infantry. After serving three months he was honorably discharged for disability
and went to Chicago, where he was married to Miss Maria J. Looney, of that
place. There they made their home until 1870, when they went to Grand Haven,
Mich. In 1874, Mr. Connell removed to Muskegon, Mich., and is now one of
the leading contractors and builders of this city. He is a popular and
public-spirited citizen and is worthy the large measure of success achieved
in this difficult, yet so vitally essential branch of skilled industry.
He has made a prominent record in contract work, having erected the opera
house, Occidental Building, Chase _______ works, Alaska refrigerator works,
Kelly Brothers factory, the iron and steel works, city water works, the
Sheriff's residence and jail and the new court house.
John J. Connell, son
of our subject, was born in Chicago in 1856, and learned the mason's trade
in boyhood. In April, 1891, he became a partner, making the above firm
P. J. Connell, & Son. They employ over fifty men, have $8,000 invested
in modern building appliances, and annually disburse about $@0,000 in wages
alone, which goes towards Muskegon's upbuilding. Our subject, the senior
member of the firm, and his son were the contractors and builders of the
new court house at Muskegon, the same being erected in 1893. In connection
with his building interests, Mr. Connell is engaged quite heavily in handling
stone, brick and cement, and has a good office, well fitted for his business.
He is one of the most successful and prominent business men of the city.
In politics, Mr. Connell
formerly advocated the principles of the Democratic party. He is now a
stanch Prohibitionist, and for the past eight years has been Treasurer
of the Grand Lodge of Good Templars of the State. He was a delegate to
the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of Good Templars at Des Moines. At present
he is Treasurer of the Emmens Brick & Tile Company, Director of the
Capital and Chattanooga Building and Loan Associations, President of the
Curtis Automatic Railroad Gate Company (the capital stock being $60,000),
and a stockholder in the Iron and Steel Company. Mr. Connell holds membership
in the St. Mary's Catholic Church and contributes liberally to its support.
He has an elegant residence and is the owner of much good property.
Ole E. Gordon Muskegon County numbers among her honored citizens
and industrious agriculturists many sons of Norway and Sweden, and to them
is due in no small degree the development of this region. For many years
Mr. Gordon was identified with the history of Fruitland Township and was
one of the oldest settlers of the county. He was born in the western part
of Norway in 1829, and was one of sixteen children, whose parents were
Andrew and Mary Oleson. He was reared to manhood on a farm and from early
youth earned his own living by working for neighboring farmers. Though
his father's family was large, the children were given good educations.
Mr. Gordon was an ambitious young man and determined
to try his fortunes on the Western Continent. Accordingly in 1849 he bade
adieu to the friends of his youth and after his arrival in the United States
at once proceeded to Michigan. He located in Fruitland Township before
its organization, and entered a portion of Government land, which, with
characteristic energy, he proceeded to clear. The following ten years of
his life were years of hard labor and unremitting toil, as much of that
time he was employed in logging camps.
It was in 1859 that the first marriage of Mr. Gordon
was celebrated, Miss Hanna Brady, of Oceana County, becoming his wife.
After her death he wedded Miss Emily Halvorson, who was born in Norway.
Her parents, Halvor and Emily Halvorson, likewise of Norway, emigrated
to the United States at an early day, settling in Wisconsin. The father
died soon after his arrival of that dread epidemic, cholera, after a sickness
of only twenty-four hours. Some years later the mother came to live at
the home of our subject, where she died after attaining the age of sixty-eight
years. Mrs. Gordon, who was one of nine children, became the mother of
two sons and two daughters. One died in infancy, while those living are
Harrison E., Ida G. C. and Emalinda O.
For a number of years Mr. Gordon held the office
of Supervisor and filled other local positions. He was the first Treasurer
of Fruitland Township and was faithful to that trust for thirteen years.
He was a member of the county Grange, and with his wife was one of the
workers in the Lutheran Church. His ballot was deposited for the Republican
nominees, and he was ever to be counted on to support just and upright
measures. His well-improved farm, one hundred and twenty acres of which
he entered from the Government, he cleared himself, making many substantial
improvements upon it. In addition to this he owned tracts of land in many
places, and at the time of his death was possessed of considerable wealth.
He was called from this life in 1889, leaving a host of friends and neighbors
who have missed him in the various walks of life. He was one of the earliest
settlers of the county, and was well worthy of a representation in the
history of its pioneers.
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