E.SUTHERLAND

From "Past and Present of Eaton county" - 1906

Elihu SUTHERLAND is one of the venerable pioneer citizens of Oneida township, where he has maintained his home for sixty years, while he has done his share in the developing of the agricultural industry in the county and is a man who is respected by all. In Oneida township at the present time are living only two persons who were resident of the township when he came here.

He was born in the city of Syracuse, New York, August 21, 1822, and the lineage is traced back to stanch Scottish stock, his grandfather, William Sutherland, having immigrated from Scotland to America, locating in the state of New York, where he passed the remainder of his life. His son Eric, father of the subject of this sketch, was born in Onondaga county, New York, and his death occurred in Oneida township, Eaton county, Michigan, at the time of the civil war, his age at the time being sixty-seven years. His wife, whose maiden name was Betsey Ripson, was born in eastern New York, and died, in Oneida township, at the age of eighty years. In 1844 the parents came to Eaton county, making the trip from New York state with team and wagon. They located in Oneida township, where the father purchased eighty acres of heavily timbered land, in section 8. Very few roads had been opened in the township, and the trails followed by the pioneers were those marked out by blazed trees, while Indians were still numerous in this section and wild game of all sorts was abundant.

Eric Sutherland erected a log house on his land and then began the working of reclaiming the farm, having cleared most of the land prior to his death. The old homestead is now owned and occupied by Elmer Sutherland, son of the subject of this review. At the time of his death Eric Sutherland was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of land. He was a Democrat in his political proclivities and he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Of their seven children Elihu, of this sketch, is the eldest. Henry (lied on his farm in Oneida township, being survived by his wife and two children; Solomon was likewise a farmer of Oneida township, where he died, being survived by one son; Peter also died in Oneida township, being survived by his four children; Hiram, a farmer of the same township, is survived by one son; Charles, who died as the result of disease contracted while serving as a soldier in the civil war, is survived by two children; Oscar resides in Perry, Shiawassee county and has one daughter.

Elihu Sutherland came to Eaton county in 1842, remaining a few months, in Oneida township, and then returning to his home, in New York state. In 18415, in company with the other members of the family, he again came to this county, and he purchased eighty acres of government land, in section 17, Oneida township. He made some improvements on the place and then sold the same, purchasing one hundred acres in section 8, the greater portion being covered with timber. He erected a small frame house and ditched and cleared the land, developing one of the fine farms of this part of the county. He later erected his present commodious residence, and he has lived on the farm during all the intervening years, retaining forty acres of the homestead and having sold the remaining sixty acres to his son.

In February, 1865, Mr. Sutherland enlisted for service in the civil war, becoming a member of a recruit company, Company I, Eleventh Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He continued with this command until after the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge, in the city of Detroit, in September, 1865. He is a stanch adherent of the Republican party but has never desired public office, though he has served many times as an officer of his school district. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church as was also his wife.

In speaking in a reminiscent way concerning conditions and personal experiences in the pioneer days, Mr. Sutherland stated that he had drawn many bushels of wheat to market in Marshall and Jackson, which were then the chief trade points of this part of the state. He has worked in harvest fields in Calhoun county in order to earn the money with which to pay taxes on his farm in the days before it rendered the requisite revenues, and he used to make maple sugar in considerable quantities, finding a market for the same in Jackson. He has often seen bear and wolves when searching for his cows in the woods, after the close of his day's work. In 1848 he took a contract to cut timber in what is beautiful Washington avenue, in Lansing, the city at the time having but one house, and he also assisted in getting out timber for the construction of the old capitol.

May 4, 1848, Mr. Sutherland was united in marriage to Miss Emmeret Sophia Jones, who was born in Wyoming county, New York, June 23, 1827, and who died December 9, 1894. She was a daughter of Simeon P. Jones, who was one of the early settlers of Eaton county, where he reclaimed a farm in the midst of the wilderness, here passing the remainder of his life. Of his children only four are now living: Eliza, Charles, Herman and Hiram. Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland became the parents of eight children: Emory, who resides in Grand Ledge, married Miss Ida Hixson; Emily Flemming is deceased; Elmer, who married Miss Ida Campbell, resides in Oneida township; Emerson died at the age of four years; Ella C. is the wife of Winslow Johnston, of Grand Ledge, and they have two children; Eric H. is a resident of North Dakota; Charles F., who married Miss Pearl Sherwood, and has one son, lives on the Smith-Johnson farm in Oneida township, which he owns; Nevada M. is the wife of Simeon Strang and resides in the state of Illinois.