My Genealogy Hound

Henry Clay Ward, located in section 6, Bloomfield township, Oakland County, is one of the best known fruit growers in Michigan and his name is known to fruit handlers throughout the United States. He has made this a life work and has attained a high degree of success. He was born in Richmond, Macomb County, Michigan, October 6, 1852, and is a son of David Ward and a grandson of Nathan Ward.

Nathan Ward was born in Vermont and was a surveyor by profession. He surveyed several thousand acres of land in the region of Saranac Lake in New York State for Peter Smith, father of Garret Smith, and John Jacob Astor, who were making a division of their property. Mr. Smith took the lands in the region of Saranac Lake, and Mr. Astor for, his share took what had been their joint property on Manhattan Island. On this survey, David Ward, father of our subject, helped his father by carrying a chain, being at the time but nine years old. He was a native of Keene’s Valley, New York. He was running a compass at the early age of 12 years, and thereafter followed surveying and lumbering. He accumulated a great deal of property and at his death owned more than 100,000 acres, which was located in Michigan, California and West Virginia. He also had some iron and coal land in West Virginia and Tennessee. He built the Frederic & Charlevoix Railroad in Michigan, and had in process of construction a railroad in Pocahontas County, West Virginia. He was at one time president of the First National Bank of Pontiac and was a manufacturer of large means. He died May 29, 1900, at the age of 78 years. David Ward was joined in marriage with Elizabeth Perkins, who was born in Romeo, Michigan, and is now living in West Bloomfield township, Oakland County, at the age of 71 years. She is a daughter of George Perkins. David and Elizabeth Ward reared six children, as follows: Henry C., our subject; Charles, a florist located at Queens, Long Island, New York; Flora, wife of Fred H. Fay, a banker of Auburn, New York; Willie C., who has an extensive peach orchard at Orchard Lake, Oakland County, and is one of the trustees of his father’s extensive estate; Helen, wife of Louis Pelouse, a jeweler of Boston, Massachusetts; and Perle, wife of George K. Root, of Deward, Michigan, one of the trustees of the estate of David Ward.

Henry Clay Ward has always engaged in lumbering and orchard growing, and his magnificent place is located in section 6, Bloomfield township, where he has about 300 acres of land, on which is a bearing orchard of 19,500 trees. He owns one of the largest commercial orchards in the United States, and by far the largest in Michigan. Orchard growing has been a study and life work for him, and every detail is done in a scientific as well as a practical manner.

On December 18, 1872, Henry Clay Ward was united in marriage with Mary Scott, who was born at Guelph, Ontario, in 1854, and is a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth Scott. Three children have been born to them, as follows: Franklin B., a trustee of his grandfather’s estate; Fred L., who is in the lumber business at Bay City; and Dolores E. Mrs. Ward is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In politics, Mr. Ward is a stanch Republican, and is always found in active support of that party.