My Genealogy Hound

JAMES F. HASKINS, a prosperous and extensive general agriculturist of Berrien County, Mich., is one of the two oldest and earliest pioneer settlers of Pipestone Township, now surviving. Mr. Haskins was born September 11, 1820, in Erie County, N. Y. His father, William Haskins, was likewise a native of the Empire State and was an energetic farmer. The mother, Annie (Anson) Haskins, born, reared and educated in New York, was united in marriage in her early home, the parents soon after their union removing to Erie County, their residence for many years. Finally journeying to the West, they remained for a brief time, but later returned to New York, where the father died in 1879, the mother having passed away a score of years before, in 1859. William and Annie (Anson) Haskins were the parents of six children, two of whom are living. James F., reared in a Quaker family upon a farm, attended school in very early boyhood, but soon began the struggle of daily toil. He, however, enjoyed the additional advantage of two terms of instruction in an academy and well profited by the offered opportunities. At seventeen years of age he began for himself, but had really been self-supporting from his tenth year, and before he had attained his majority had acquired the trade of a carpenter.

In the fall of 1843, our subject determined to avail himself of the broader advantages of the West, and with his wife and one child drove seven hundred and fifty miles in twenty-one days to Peoria County, Ill., where he remained with his family until 1844, at which time he rode a horse to Berrien County, Mich., a distance of four hundred and fifty miles, in five days. He later brought his family to Michigan by wagon and settled in Pipestone Township, upon eighty acres of wild timber-land. Building a house and clearing the farm, he remained in that locality until 1851, when he settled in Berrien Township, in 1858 returning again to Pipestone Township and entering upon the cultivation of a second farm of wild land upon section 19. As before, he built a frame house and cleared land with energetic enterprise, and made this place a permanent home until 1872, when he settled in Shanghai Corners. In 1877 our subject finally located upon his present farm on section 18, and erected a substantial residence and barns and made other improvements. He was united in marriage in 1841 with Miss Lydia Stancliff, a native of New York. She died October 24, 1850, and was the mother of five children, two of whom are surviving, Albert W. and Charles W., both of whom served with courage in the Sixth Michigan Infantry during the Civil War, and were under the command of Gen. Butler. The youngest of the brothers was severely wounded at Ft. Hudson. Some time after the death of the estimable wife, Mr. Haskins a second time entered the bonds of wedlock and married Miss Marilla Ryther, a native of Erie County, N. Y., who passed to her rest in 1871. She was blessed by the birth of five children, of whom three lived to maturity and now survive: Mary M., wife of C. D. Jennings; Lizzie L., wife of Albert M. Chase; and Sarah, wife of Joses T. Reams. Our subject married his present wife, Charlotte (Clark) Sabin, a native of New York, in 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Haskins have no children. Mrs. Haskins is a valued member of the Free Methodist Church and is active in good work.

The sons and daughters of our subject have enjoyed the best educational advantages of their home locality and have attained to positions of useful influence, and some of them have taught school. Mr. Haskins has been prominently identified with public affairs from his early manhood. Formerly a Democrat, he is now a Prohibitionist. In 1850 he served as Clerk of Pipestone Township and in 1852 was elected Highway Commissioner. In 1853 he served as Supervisor of Berrien Township and in 1858 became Justice of the Peace, and for twenty eight years has discharged the duties of the judicial position with unvarying and able fidelity to the interests of his fellow-townsmen. In 1861 Mr. Haskins was elected Treasurer of Pipestone Township, and was re-elected to the office in 1867. From 1868 until 1873 he gave to the cares of Supervisor close attention, and as Chairman of the Board of Supervisors of Berrien County during 1871, 1872 and 1873 materially assisted in the upward growth and rapid advancement of local progress. He was again, in 1881, elected Supervisor, re-elected in 1882, and once more became Chairman of the County Board. Since 1870 our subject has been a Notary Public, and for nearly thirty years has devoted much of his time to official work, giving universal satisfaction to the home community. After the war he became a Republican, but since 1885 has thrown his influence with the party fighting against the liquor traffic. An admirer of Jefferson, Mr. Haskins has been a liberal-spirited citizen and a leader in local politics, excelling in debate and persuasive arguments, as well as in practical work. He is well known in the halls of conventions and as a delegate has acquitted himself with honor. For thirty-five years he has been an administrator of estates ranging in value from $5,000 to $17,000. There is but one settler now in Pipestone Township who had arrived at twenty-one years of age in 1844, and he is our subject. For nearly a half-century the name of James F. Haskins has been known and regarded with high esteem in Berrien County.