My Genealogy Hound

Alonzo Kingsbury, a prominent citizen and successful farmer of Addison township, Oakland County, where he owns a finely improved farm of 123 acres, was born at Clarkston, Monroe County, New York, in 1823. He is a son of Leonard and Esther (Williams) Kingsbury, natives of New York, who came to Michigan in 1833.

Leonard Kingsbury was a farmer and came west to secure larger agricultural opportunities. He first located one-half mile west of Clifton Mills, in Macomb County, but in 1836 removed to Oakland County and settled in section 5, Addison township, on the farm now owned by our subject, who purchased it in 1866. There our subject’s grandfather died, at the age of 87 years; his father, at the age of 85 years, four, months and four days; his mother, at the age of 57 years. The brothers and sisters of our subject are: Valentine, who died at New Orleans, Louisiana; Elias, who probably died while serving in the Mexican War; Lorinda, who married Lewis Lockwood, and is now deceased; Lucina, wife of Cyrus Watkins, also deceased; and Fannie, wife of R. W. Sage, who resides at Linden, Genesee County, Michigan.

Alonzo Kingsbury was reared and has resided on this farm ever since 1836 and since 1865 has followed farming. In addition, he conducted a blacksmith business for 30 years. He has engaged in general farming and stock raising and has been successful in his efforts and now possesses one of the finest estates in the county. For the past three years, he has been the agent for the United States cream separators, through Addison and Dryden townships. They have been proved to be machines of inestimable value and through Mr. Kingsbury’s intelligent enterprise are in general use in his locality.

In 1847, in New York State, Mr. Kingsbury was married to Martha Bennett, who was born in 1828 in Tyre, Seneca County, New York, and is a daughter of Richard and Mary (Anderson) Bennett, who never came to Michigan. One daughter born to this marriage is now living: Mary Celesta, who is the widow of the late Elijah Kelley; she resides with her son Mark, near her father’s home.

Politically Mr. Kingsbury is a Republican. He is serving his third term as a justice of the peace, his administration of the office meeting with general satisfaction. In former years he was identified actively with the Masonic fraternity. He is a leading member of the Methodist Church of Dryden, in which he has been prominent for a number of years. His farm is served by the Rural Free Delivery Route, No. 1. A portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury accompanies this sketch, being presented on a foregoing page.