Nathan & Levi Shumway
"Nathan Shumway was born in Macedon, Wayne County, New York, February 23rd, 1828. His
father Levi Shumway was born in Belcher(Belchertown), Hampshire Co, Massachusetts, June 11th,
1788. Levi lived with his parents until he was about sixteen years old, when he went to
Wayne Co. New York, where he worked by the month, on a farm, until he earned money enough
to buy a piece of land on the "Gorham, tract". He added to his first purchase
until he owned one hundred acres, and was a thrifty farmer there. He lived there until the
spring of 1829, when after having cleared up his farm, and put it under good cultivation,
building a good frame house, and large barn, he sold out and emigrated to Michigan and
again commenced life as a pioneer. He came to Michigan in June 1829 and located four
hundred acres of land, on section thirty five in Madison. He immediately returned to Wayne
Co, NY and brought his family on, arriving in Adrian the latter part of September of that year. The family lived
with some of the other settlers for a month or so, or until he could build a log house on
his land. He used his wagon box to make a door to his house, to keep out wolves and other
wild animals. In 1832, he built a barn, getting his lumber in Adrian, sawed from trees
which stood within the then village limits. If this was not the first barn built in
Madison, it was the first in that part of the township and all the settlers in the
vicinity brought their wheat there to thresh upon the floor. He afterwards purchased about
four hundred acres more in Palmyra, Madison, and Fairfield and built a saw mill on a creek that
then passed through his land, on section nine, in Fairfield, now owned by Stillman W. Bennett. At that time this creek
afforded a good water power, but now it has dried up, a very small brook being all there
is left to remind the pioneer that "once this was a mill-seat". He was fatally
injured while assisting in raising Thomas Hagaman’s barn in Fairfield, July 27th
1834 and died August 3rd, following. September 16th 1817, he married
Miss Abigail Smith, daughter of Ezekiel and Sylvia Smith of Macedon Wayne Co. NY by whom
he had nine children, ( Alfred b.1818, Polly b. 1820, Stephen b. 1822, Almira b. 1824,
Ezekiel b. 1826, Patience b. 1830, Abigail b. 1832 and Clarissa b. 1834 ) four daughters
and five sons, Nathan being the sixth child and youngest son.
Mrs. Abigail Shumway was born in Ormstown, near Montreal, Canada,
November 12th 1798. She was a pioneer in every sense of the word. Her parents
were pioneers in Canada and came to New York, and settled in a wilderness. After her
marriage she always lived the pioneer life. She died in Madison, this county, November 1st,
1872.
Nathan Shumway lived at home until he was about twenty years old. He
received his education in a log school house, fourteen by sixteen, with a log floor, one
end being occupied by a large fire-place with a stick and mud chimney. After he was twenty
years old he taught school for several winters. He always followed farming and is now
living on the s.w. 1/4 of section 11, in Fairfield, land which his father purchased, it
being the first taken from the government in the township. He has been elected to every
office, except constable, having been supervisor three successive terms. The farm which he
owns was new when he commenced on it, but he has cleared up one hundred and forty acres,
and erected a very fine house, with good barns, and all the other improvements and
conveniences necessary. November 15th 1854, he married Miss Marietta Mann,
daughter of Gilbert B. and Almira Mann of Madison, by whom he had two children as follows:
Irving P., born in Fairfield, October 20th, 1855, at home; Gilbert, born in
Fairfield, April 5th, 1860, and died March 14th 1864. Mrs. Marietta
Shumway was born in Guildhall, Essex Co., Vermont February 24th, 1873. Her
mother was born in the same place, and died in Palmyra, this county, April 27th,
1847.
The name Shumway is rare in this country, and comes from France. At the
time of the persecution of the Huguenot, Peter Shumway came to America, and settled in
Oxford,* Mass, and all the persons in this country by that
name trace their ancestry back to him."
* Peter Shumway(1635 - 1695) first
settled in Topsfield & Boxford, Mass. His son, also named Peter, settled Oxford, Mass.
in 1713.
Compiled by Sandy from:
1. History and Biographical Record of Lenawee County, Michigan Pages
270-272
