My Genealogy Hound

ISAAC LONG, a prominent citizen and pioneer settler of Bertrand Township, Berrien County, Mich., is one of the leading general agriculturists and successful stock-raisers of the State. A man of superior business ability, he has accumulated a large property and is one of the stockholders of the First National Bank at Niles. Mr. Long was born in Perry County, Pa., January 30, 1822. His father, Christian Long, was a native of the same State and county, but later made his home in Lancaster County. He died, however, in his birthplace at the age of sixty-five years. The paternal grandfather, David Long, was of immediate German descent, but his parents, early emigrating from the Old Country to America, located in Lancaster County, Pa., where he was born. The mother of our subject, Anna (Goble) Long, was likewise born in Lancaster County, of the Quaker State, which was the birthplace of her father, John Goble, his parents being of German birth. The mother had reached three-score years and ten at the time of her death. Christian Long and his estimable wife were the parents of eighteen children, thirteen of whom lived to adult age, twelve sons and one daughter. Seven of the brothers and sisters now survive.

Isaac Long was the ninth child and the ninth son of his parents’ large family. He was reared upon a farm and received his education in the district school of the neighborhood, remaining among the associations of boyhood until twenty -six years old. In 1849 he journeyed Westward and located in Bertrand Township, Berrien County, Mich., where he immediately received employment upon the farm of Jacob Rough, working for $10 per month. He was married within the same year to Miss Susannah Rough, a daughter of Jacob and Anna Rough, and a sister of George Rough, a well-known citizen of Berrien County. Mrs. Long was born in Pennsylvania and was about twenty-two years of age when she accompanied her parents to Michigan. For three years our subject and his estimable wife made their home with Mr. Rough, but at the expiration of this time Mr. Long, who had continued to assist in the farming duties of the Rough homestead, located on section 7, Bertrand Township, where he yet resides. For a number of years the husband and wife lived in a humble log cabin, but in 1861 our subject built a brick residence costing $2,000, and in 1865 erected a fine barn at an expenditure of $800. An energetic and enterprising man, Mr. Long accumulated a large property and owned an extensive acreage, but has profitably disposed of a portion of his home farm, which now contains one hundred and fifty acres, all under a high state of cultivation.

A son devotes himself to the agricultural duties of the old farm, and our subject, now retired from active labor, enjoys a well-earned rest. Eleven children clustered in the pleasant home of Mr. and Mrs. Long, five sons and six daughters. Mary is deceased. Jane is the wife of Joe Korn, of Indiana, and is the mother of four daughters and four sons. Elizabeth is the wife of L. Bachman, and had a family of five sons, three now surviving; she resides in Niles Township. Phoebe, deceased, the mother of three children, was the wife of John Bicel, a resident of Buchanan Township. Kate, who resides with her parents, was the mother of four children, one daughter and three sons, two of whom are deceased; her children are Frank Huss and Edward Huss. Fannie is the wife of Osmund Howe and has one daughter. William H. married Belle Ashbrook, and is the father of one son and one daughter. Ira M., unmarried, is a student now attending the law department of the State University at Ann Arbor. George W. married Miss Mary Black and makes his home with his family in California. Jacob J. is deceased. Edward married Miss Lodemia Broscius and is a citizen of Buchanan Township, Berrien County, Mich. Financially prospered Mr. Long is a stockholder in the First National Bank of Niles and is one of the representative men of the county. He and the various members of his family occupy a high position in the social and business circles of Berrien County and command universal esteem. Our subject and most of his sons are politically Republicans. Mr. Long was from his earliest residence in the township an active factor in local progress and has been identified with the promotion of the best interests and rapid advancement of Berrien County for more than two-score years.