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SAMUEL CRAMPTON Among the enterprising, progressive
men whose activity in business circles and
public affairs have made Antrim one of the
thriving counties of Michigan and the city
in which he resides an important center of
commerce and industry, is Samuel Crampton, a native of Canada,
but for a number
of years an honored and public spirited citizen of the state in
which he now makes
his home. Mr. Crampton was born in Lanark county, Ontario,
February 8, I857, and
is the youngest of a family of seventeen
children whose parents, John and Susannah
(Griffiths) Crampton, were natives of Ireland, the father being
by occupation a linen
weaver. John Crampton emigrated to
Canada in 1827, and settled in Lanark
county, Ontario, where he purchased a tract
of wild land and cleared a farm on which
he spent the remainder of his days, dying
when the subject of this review was a lad
about twelve years of age.
Samuel Crampton spent his early life on
the family homestead, received a fair education in the public
schools of his native
county, and at the age of seventeen years
went to Saginaw valley, Michigan, where
he entered-upon an apprenticeship to learn
the trade of blacksmithing, working the first
three years at Carlton and receiving the sum
of four dollars per month and board. After
becoming an efficient mechanic, he began
working for himself and in the fall of 1878
went to Bay City, where he followed his
trade until 1880, when he disposed of his
interests at that place and changed his location to
Elk Rapids.
In the latter city
Mr. Crampton became associated in blacksmithing with a man whose
dissipated habits
made way with the greater part of the
profits, consequently in March of the year
following he dissolved the partnership and
engaged with the Elk Rapids Iron
Company
to do the blacksmith work at their furnace,
which position he held until 1884. Severing
his connection with the company in the latter year, he went to
the north shore of
Georgian Bay, on the Canadian side, but
after spending a few months there returned
to Elk Rapids and, opening a shop of
his
own, operated the same with encouraging
success for a period of one year. At the expiration of that time
he disposed of his establishment to H. H. Noble, general manager
of the Elk Rapids Iron Company,
after
which he again accepted a position with the
company and remained in its employ until
the spring of 1891, when he discontinued
blacksmithing temporarily to become a
member of the Elk Rapids police
force.
After serving in the latter capacity until
April, 1892, Mr. Crampton severed his connection with the force
and went to Central
Lake where he resumed hiss trade, building a
large shop and establishing a very lucrative
business which he conducted with profitable
results during the greater part of the ensuing three years.
Meanwhile he contracted
a marriage with Miss Anna Stewart, a native of Canada, and of
Irish descent and it
was with the object in view of improving
her failing health that he turned his shop
over to other parties in 1895 and went to
Canada, The trip, however, proved unavailing for after a short
time in that country she was taken worse and in August of
the same year departed this life, leaving beside her husband a
son by the name of Vincent, now an intelligent young man of
seventeen, who is making his second trip as express messenger on
the "Empress of Japan."
a Pacific liner plying between the city of
Vancouver and China.
After the death of
his wife Mr. Crampton spent several months
in the West, during which he traveled quite
extensively over Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington and the intermediate states
and territories, visiting many points of interest in each.
Returning to Michigan at
the expiration of his tour he located in 1I896
at Central Lake, where he engaged in enterprise and that he has done much in a
material way to advance the varied interests
of the flourishing cities to which his industrial operations
have been principally confined. A firm believer in progress, he
has
put forth his best efforts to promote the
growth and development of his part of the
state and it is to him and to the public spirited class to which
he belongs that the
county of Antrim is indebted for the era of
continued prosperity it has enjoyed during
the last twenty years and for the proud position it holds among
its sister counties of
the commonwealth.
Mr. Crampton keeps in close touch with
the political issues of the day and as a local
leader of his party has rendered valuable
service in a number of campaigns, being invariably chosen a
representative to conventions and to important places on the
various
central committees. His fraternal relations
are represented by the Masonic and Pythian
orders, having been for twenty years an influential member of
the former and at this
time the latter organization in Bellaire has
no more active or capable worker.
Mr. Crampton's marriage was solemnized on April 29, 1903, with Miss Lena
Gorton, of Antrim county, the union being without issue. When elected
sheriff the subject moved his family to Bellaire and has since made that
city his place of residence. By his thrift in business he has
accumulated an ample competence, and his beautiful and attractive home,
plentifully supplied with all the necessary conveniences and comforts
and not a few of the luxuries of life, is the abode of a generous and
refined hospitality as well as one of the popular social centers of
Bellaire.
Author:
Powers, Perry Francis, 1857-1945.
Title:
A history of northern Michigan and its
people / by Perry F. Powers ; assisted
by H.G. Cutler.
Publication
date: 1912.
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