My Genealogy Hound

Hon. Fred M. Warner, Secretary of State of Michigan, is not only a prominent political leader, but is also a very conspicuous factor in the State’s business and social life. Although still justly reckoned a young man, he has achieved signal success, in various lines and has indelibly impressed himself upon the history of Oakland County. Mr. Warner was born July 21, 1865, at Hickling, Nottinghamshire, England, and he was brought to America by his parents, at the age of three months. A few months later, his mother died and he was adopted as the son of Hon. P. D. Warner, of Farmington, Michigan.

In early boyhood the youth displayed unusual intellectual strength and was but 14 years of age when he completed the Farmington High School course, graduating with credit from that institution. After a term spent at the State Agricultural College, he took a clerkship in his father’s store at Farmington, and his business ability made him so useful that a few years later the elder partner retired in his favor. Mr. Warner has continued the operation of this store, on a much more extensive scale, conducting at the present one of the largest mercantile establishments in Oakland County. His session at the Agricultural College had given him ideas to work on, and these resulted, in 1889, in the establishment at Farmington of the first of a number of cheese factories and the founding of a local industry which has brought thousands of dollars to this section. Mr. Warner is the operator of seven cheese factories, the combined annual output of which aggregates 20,000 boxes or 800,000 pounds of cheese, nearly all of which goes to supply the Michigan trade. Mr. Warner also conducts a large cold storage plant at Farmington and is interested in minor enterprises. In 1897 he was one of the organizers of the Farmington Exchange Bank, of which he is a stockholder and on the directing board. Well poised mentally, Mr. Warner carefully watches his various interests and makes of each a substantial success.

Mr. Warner from his first years of manhood has been a consistent supporter of Republican principles, policies and candidates, and since 1890 has been identified with official life. In that year he was elected president of Farmington village, an office he held for nine years. His political strength was thus well gauged and in 1895 he was sent to the State Senate from the 12th Senatorial District, and served with marked ability through the sessions of 1895-6-7-8. In 1900 at the Grand Rapids convention, he was nominated by acclamation to the office of Secretary of State and was elected on the succeeding 6th of November, for the term of 1901-2, and in the latter year was re-nominated for the same position, by acclamation, and was re-elected by a vote of 228,197, a very flattering testimonial, considering the votes given other candidates.

Mr. Warner’s services have reflected honor upon the State and his efforts for the honest and economical administration of government and the peaceable adjudication of disputes, will long be recalled by the citizens of Michigan. He is the youngest individual to hold this responsible position since the adoption of the Constitution, in 1850. His public life has shown him as the official of the State, a patriot first, a partisan afterward and those who honor and seek robust integrity in high places can look with congratulation upon the citizen who now occupies the chair of Secretary of State for the Commonwealth of Michigan.

In 1888 Mr. Warner married Martha M. Davis, who was born in Farmington, and is a daughter of Samuel and Susan (Grofft) Davis, formerly residents of Pennsylvania. The four children born to Mr. and Mrs. Warner are: Susan Edessa, born April 18, 1891; Howard Maltby, born January 4, 1893; Harley Davis, born March 4, 1894; and Helen Rhoda, born March 14, 1899.

Mc. Warner’s fraternal associations include the Knights of Pythias, the Loyal Guards, the Maccabees and the Masons, in the latter having taken a number of the advanced degrees, including that of the Mystic Shrine.