RICHARD W. BAGOT, dealer in loans and real estate, was born in England Oct. 3, 1832. He spent his youth and received his early education in his native land, and came to America when about twenty-three years of age. He spent some two years in the state of New York, and came (1858) to what now is Elk Rapids, Mich., in the schooner George Davis with over forty other persons. He spent a short time in the employ of Mr. A. S. Wadsworth, but soon entered the employ of Dexter & Noble, and remained with them until 1872. He was then for one year manager of the store of J. H. Silkman, at Torch Lake.

In 1873 he opened a store of drugs and groceries on River Street, Elk Rapids, and continued in that business with good success until Aug. 1, 1881. He then sold the mercantile estate to Messrs. Rushmore and Holbrook, since which time his attention has been given to matters of loan and real estate.

Mr. Bagot's marriage was on Oct. 27, 1875, to Miss Mary E. Radley, of Stafford, Genesee County, N. Y. She was born there Feb. 8, 1833. Their adopted daughter is Alice Maud Mary.

Mr. Bagot was the first deputy county clerk and registrar in Antrim County, and was several years county clerk and registrar, and resigned his office on his removal to Torch Lake. He has also served as county treasurer, and resigned when the county seat was removed to Bellaire in 1879. He is now county agent for the state board of charities.

RICHARD W. BAGOT.

The honored pioneer of Antrim county to whose life history we now direct attention has been a resident of Elk Rapids for nearly half a century and is one of the representative citizens of Elk Rapids, with whose civic and material up building he has been prominently identified, being at the present time president of the Elk Rapids Savings Bank.

Mr. Bagot is a native of the "right little tight little isle," as Max O'Rell pleasingly designated England. He was born in Lancaster, England, on the 3d of October, 1832, and is a son of William and Mary Bagot, both of whom came of stanch English lineage and both of whom passed their entire lives in their native land, where the father followed the vocation of silk merchant. Our subject was afforded the advantages of the excellent public schools of England and was there reared to maturity. In 1855, at the age of twenty-three years, he emigrated to America, depending upon his own resources in fighting the battle of life and making for himself a home in the new world. He remained for a time in New York City and thereafter resided in Buffalo until May,1858, when he turned his face westward, coming to Elk Rapids, Michigan, where he has ever since maintained his home and where he has gained for himself a place of prominence in business and social life, while his attitude has ever been that of a loyal and public-spirited citizen and sincere and reliable business man. Soon after his arrival in Elk Rapids Mr. Bagot secured a clerical position in the employ of the firm of Dexter & Noble, leading lumbermen and merchants, with whom he remained until 1871, having advanced to a position of responsible and confidential nature.

In 1872 Mr. Bagot engaged in the grocery and drug business, in which lines of enterprise he continued until 1881, when he sold out, by reason of failing health. Thereafter he lived practically retired until 1891, when he became associated with other representative citizens in the organization of the Elk Rapids Savings Bank. He was made president and afterwards cashier of the institution and thus served until 1904, when he was chosen its president, an incumbency which he has ever since retained, while to his wise executive policy and marked discrimination as a financier is largely due the success which has attended, the enterprise, the bank being recognized as one of the solid and ably managed monetary institutions of the county. It is capitalized for thirty-five thousand dollars and is conducted in a safe and conservative way, doing a general banking business and giving special attention to the savings department. In politics Mr. Bagot is a stalwart advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and he has been called upon to serve in various positions of popular trust and responsibility in the gift of the people of his home town and county. He has thus been incumbent of the offices of township clerk, justice of the peace, school trustee, etc., while he has also served as county clerk, register of deeds and treasurer, while in 1893 he represented his district with marked acceptability in the legislature of the state. He and his wife are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church, being numbered among the most valued members of St. Paul's parish, while he has been a member of the vestry of this parish for the past thirty years, taking an active and zealous interest in all departments of the church work. In a fraternal way our subject is affiliated with Elk Rapids Lodge, No. 275, Free and Accepted Masons; Traverse City Chapter, No. 102, Royal Arch Masons; Traverse City Commandery, No. 41, Knights Templar; and Saladin Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in the city of Grand Rapids.

On the 29th of October, 1875, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Bagot to Miss Mary E. Radley, who was born in Stafford, Genesee county, New York, being a daughter of George and Mary Radley. Mr. and Mrs. Bagot have one adopted daughter, Alice Maud Mary Bagot.

The subject of this sketch is a citizen who has proved himself loyal in all the relations of life and he has richly merited the high esteem in which he is held in the county which has so long been his home and the scene of his worthy and prolific endeavors as a business man.