JOHN PALMER BRAND

The career of the subject of this review has been varied and interesting and the history of Antrim county would be incomplete without a record of his labors and achievements, and a tribute to his worth and high character as a business man, public official and enterprising, broad minded citizen. James Palmer Brand is a native of England and was born near the city of London on August 30, 1826. His father being a banker and a man of influence, also, well-to-do financially, was able to provide for him exceptional educational advantages, and during his childhood and youth he applied himself closely to his studies, making rapid progress as long as he remained in school.  While still young he decided to fit himself for the legal profession and in due time received his preliminary training in the same and was admitted to the bar, but after practicing two years in the court of chancery he abandoned the law to become bookkeeper for a large zinc works in Derbyshire, Wales. After spending four years' in the office of that concern, Mr. Brand resigned his position and, returning to London, was made secretary of a mining company, in which capacity he continued the ensuing four years, severing with the same about the year 1852.

In the spring of 1851 Mr. Brand came to the United States and during a part of the summer of that year worked in the harvest fields of Wisconsin, receiving liberal wages for his labor. While there he became acquainted with a civil engineer by the name of Orange Risdin, whom he accompanied to Leelanau county, Michigan, the following fall for the purpose of helping survey certain lands in the vicinity of Carp Lake and Traverse City. After spending a part of the next winter in the woods skirting the lake, the party, under the leadership of Mr. Risdin, five in number, made their way to Traverse City, arriving at that place after experiencing many hardships and suffering much from cold, the snow the greater part of the trip averaging three and a half feet in depth and making the work of surveying very difficult. Shortly after his arrival at Traverse City Mr. Brand secured employment as a wood chopper, in connection with which he also did considerable work at skidding, but his experience in these capacities not being very agreeable and the provisions of the camp where he stayed becoming scarce, he finally decided to get out of the woods and go further south. Accordingly he and two companions, one of them an Indian, started in the dead of winter for Muskegon, one hundred miles distant, following the old mail trail, on which were no settlements and which led through a wilderness region exceedingly difficult, even under favorable circumstances, to traverse. The little party, after much suffering from cold, hunger and exhaustion, finally arrived at their destination, one of the number falling by the wayside on the last day of the journey and being rescued by his companions after they had reached Muskegon, and returned for the purpose of bringing him into the town. Mr. Brand remained at Muskegon until the weather moderated, when he returned to Traverse City, thence, after a brief stay, went on to Elk Rapids where Amos Wadsworth had started a lumber mill in operation, the other settlers of the town, at the time of the subject's arrival being Thomas Hill, Samuel Rogers, Amos Wood, Alexander McVicar, and a man by the name of James McLaughlin, who kept the first boarding house in the place.

Mr. Brand worked two years for Mr. Wadsworth at one dollar per day boarding himself, and while thus engaged purchased land, built a house of his own and subsequently laid off a part of his place into lots as an addition to the town. After two years' experience living alone, during which time he subsisted principally on bread and tea, vegetables, meat and other articles of diet being difficult to obtain, Mr. Brand went to Chicago, where he spent one year in the office of a railroad company, resigning his position at the expiration of the time noted for the purpose of returning to Elk Rapids. He next entered the employ of James Rankin, successor to Mr. Wadsworth in the lumber business, with whom he remained until that gentleman sold out to other parties, when he turned his attention to the improvement of his land on the west side of Torch lake, the greater part of which he cleared and reduced to cultivation. While thus engaged he was induced by Henry Noble, foreman and general manager of Mr. Craw & Company's large lumber and mercantile interests at Elk Rapids, to become bookkeeper for the firm, which responsible position he held for a period of twelve years, becoming during that time familiar with every phase of the concern's extensive operations, besides achieving distinction in the public affairs of the town. Severing his connection with his employers at the expiration of the time noted, Mr. Brand again resumed the improvement of his real estate, which the meanwhile had been increased by the addition of eighty-five acres south of Elk Rapids, to the clearing and development of which he devoted the greater part of his attention during the several years following. He soon forged to the front as an enterprising tiller of the soil and has always kept abreast of the times in the matter of advanced agriculture, his beautiful and highly improved farm adjoining the city being at this time one of the finest and most attractive places in Antrim county, also one of the most highly improved. On the eighty-five acres in cultivation he raises in abundance all the grain, vegetables and fruits grown in this part of the state and in addition to this devotes considerable attention to live
stock, his horses, cattle and other domestic animals representing the finest and most approved breeds. Mr. Brand's addition to Elk Rapids, consisting of twenty-five acres, which he platted some years ago, has been improved with fine buildings and is now one of the most attractive and desirable parts of the city. The lots were disposed of at liberal prices and proved the source of considerable wealth to the proprietor, and in this connection it may be proper to state that all of his enterprises have been financially successful and he is today classed with the well-to-do men of the community in which he resides. In connection with farming, Mr. Brand has been identified with various other interests, having dealt quite extensively in real estate for several years, also quite extensively in dairying for some time, from which he received liberal profits. Ever since becoming a citizen of Antrim county he has been an active and influential participant in public affairs and at different times has served his fellow citizens in positions of honor and trust. He was treasurer of his township for six years and when Antrim and Leelanau counties constituted a single jurisdiction he held the two-fold office of county clerk and register of deeds. As a zealous  Republican Mr. Brand is not only widely and favorably known in local political circles, where his services have long been appreciated at their true value, but he has also achieved considerable reputation in matters of district and state, in both of which he has been largely instrumental in strengthening the ticket and leading the party to victory.

Mr. Brand was happily married to Miss Ann McVicar, of Canada, who departed this life on the 25th day of February, 1903, after a happy wedded experience of forty-four years, the union being without issue. Mrs. Brand was a lady of intelligence and culture and beautiful Christian character; a devoted communicant of the Episcopal church and, possessing a nature overflowing with charity and good will, won the esteem and friendship of all with whom she came in contact. Mr. Brand subscribes to the Episcopal creed and, while a loyal son of the church, is liberal in matters of religion, perceiving good in all denominations, and recognizing in every individual, however humble, the spark of divinity which bespeaks a heavenly origin and an immortal destiny. He has lived to the ripe old age of seventy-eight years, retaining to a marked degree the sound intellect and strong mental faculties for which he was distinguished during the period of his greatest activity and usefulness. Of recent years he has been leading a comparatively retired life in the quiet enjoyment of his home and many friends, though still attending to his business affairs and keeping in touch with current events and the trend of modern thought. Surrounded by everything conclusive to his comfort and happiness he has the unbounded esteem and confidence of a community for the material, social and moral advancement of which so much of his life and interest have been devoted.