My Genealogy Hound

Orsamus Beardslee, one of the leading citizens of Oakland County, has the distinction of being the largest land owner in Independence township, possessing 560 acres, situated as follows: The southeast quarter (160 acres), the east half of the northeast quarter (80) acres, and the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter (40 acres), of section 13; the northeast quarter of section 35 (160 acres); the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 25 (40 acres); the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 24 (40) acres; and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 11 (40 acres). In addition to this land, Mr. Beardslee owns 100 acres in Orion township, — the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 8 (40 acres), and the west half of the southwest fractional quarter of section 18 (60 acres). One hundred acres of this land was obtained from the government in 1835, but all the rest has been added by purchase from different parties.

Orsamus Beardslee was born October 24, 1825, in Sussex County, New Jersey, and is a son of Aaron and Sarah (Fairchild) Beardslee, all of New Jersey. His grandfather, Beverley Beardslee, and his great-grandfather, Colonel Beardslee, who was an officer in the Revolutionary war, were also born in Sussex County, where the old stone home in which they lived, still stands. The family came originally from England.

Aaron Beardslee was one of a large family of children. He married Sarah Fairchild and they had four children born to them, — Orsamus, John (deceased) and Barton, born in New Jersey, and Phoebe Ann (Lanning), now deceased, born in Michigan. In 1832 Aaron Beardslee, accompanied by his wife and three children, started to find a new home in the forests of Michigan. The journey was long and tiresome and in our day of rapid transit would seem appalling, but the completion of the Erie Canal had made travel comparatively easy when that waterway was reached. Our travelers went first to Albany, thence by the canal to Buffalo and by steamboat to Detroit. The remainder of the journey was completed by team. They joined a cousin, John W. Beardslee, who since 1825 had been located at Sashabaw Plains, and had taken up the first land in Independence township. They shared his home the first summer and in the fall built a cabin in section 27 on land belonging to Leander Taylor, and in the following fall removed to section 13. Aaron Beardslee built a cabin on United States land which two years later was entered by his brother. There Mr. Beardslee died in 1837, when but 35 years of age.

Orsamus Beardslee was six and a half years old when the family came to Michigan, and his home has been in section 13, Independence township since the fall of 1833. When his father died, he was only 12 years old and the eldest of the family, and responsibilities fell upon him that prevented much school attendance. At first he worked by the month for neighboring farmers; soon he became able to acquire land, which, added to the original tract, has resulted in his present large holdings. Mr. Beardslee has always engaged in general farming and his fertile land produces large crops, annually, something like 2,000 bushels of wheat; 1,000 bushels of barley; 400 bushels of buckwheat; and 3,000 bushels of potatoes. His 75 acres of oats will produce from 50 to 70 bushels to the acre, and his 40 acres devoted to corn will average 75 bushels to the acre. His orchards are in a very flourishing condition, and he has some 600 apple trees and 300 peach trees. He has engaged largely in the raising of high grade stock, keeping about 30 head of hogs, 12 head of horses and 200 sheep. His operations are all carried on with improved machinery and the excellent methods which insure success.

Mr. Beardslee was first married to Jane Hibbler, of New Jersey. Both she and their son John are deceased. His second marriage was to Clarissa Beardslee, a distant relative, and five children have been born to this union, namely: Estella, who married Isaac I. Voorheis, and died in 1886, leaving two children, — Arthur and Homer; Aaron, who lives on a farm one mile distant and has six children, — Nettie, Orsamus, Hazel, Charles, Julia and Avery; Elmer, who resides on the Sashabaw Plains farm, and has these children, — C. Laverne, Irwin, Mary Josephine and Clarissa; Mrs. Susan Sherwood, of Oxford, who has three children, — Addie and Ada (twins) and Glenn; and William, who remains at home, unmarried. Our subject’s capable sons are managing their father’s large estate, guided by his counsel and experience. This large property has all been purchased by Mr. Beardslee, and he paid the heirs $1,400 for the original tract of 100 acres that his father left, which was appraised at $1,000.

Mr. Beardslee is a stanch Democrat and has been called upon to serve in many of the local offices, holding all of them except that of township clerk, although he has not sought any. For eight terms he was supervisor, declining to serve longer. He has frequently been a delegate to the county and State conventions and had the satisfaction of materially assisting in the nomination of the last Democratic gubernatorial candidate. Mrs. Beardslee is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Beardslee are shown on a preceding page, in connection with this sketch.