My Genealogy Hound

Francis L. Hadley, a representative and substantial farmer of Holly township, Oakland County, owns the northeast quarter of section 1, which is located on the old Detroit & Saginaw turnpike road, probably the oldest general highway in this part of Michigan. Mr. Hadley was born in section 12, Holly township, in 1847, an d is a son of Joseph and Emily (Owen) Hadley, the former of whom was born in England and the latter in the State of New York.

After immigrating to the United States, Joseph Hadley resided for some time in the vicinity of Clyde, New York, but in 1833 he accompanied his father and family to Oakland County, Michigan. The father took up land in Groveland township, but Joseph and his brother Thomas secured a farm in sections 11 and 12, Holly township, the former buying his brother’s interest at a later date. In 1853 he purchased the farm upon which our subject now resides and still later acquired another farm, in Grand Blanc township, Genesee County, operating all three at the same time, owning some 650 acres of land. He was a man with practical ideas, and during the Civil War paid much attention to the raising of sheep. He was one of the prime movers in all the pioneer enterprises in his locality and most efficiently filled a number of the local offices in the gift of the Republican party, which organization always had his hearty support. He was married to Emily Owen, who was born near Medina, New York, of Welsh ancestry, and they reared these children: Edward, of Holly township, Oakland County; Adeline, wife of Alexander Campbell, of Groveland township, Oakland County, and our subject, Francis L., being the survivors; John O., Mrs. Mary A. Lyon and two infants, being those deceased.

Our subject was reared in Holly township and obtained the best education afforded at the time in his locality. He has devoted his life to farming and took care of his parents in their declining years, the death of his father occurring June 2, 1896, at the age of 83 years, two months and 15 days, and that of his mother, on June 22, 1890, aged 71 years, 11 months and 24 days. Mr. Hadley has passed his whole life on his present farm, with the exception of eight years in Crawford County, where better educational opportunities were offered for his daughter. He has been very successful in his agricultural efforts and owns one of the well cultivated and finely improved farms of the township, but has partially retired from active farm work.

Mr. Hadley was married first to Louzetta L. Smith, of Genesee County, Michigan, who died in 1894, leaving one daughter, Alberta Z., who is now the wife of Claude Gould of Holly, Michigan. She is a graduate of the Grayling (Michigan) High School, and also enjoyed advantages at Olivet. Mr. and Mrs. Gould have one daughter, Hazel, aged 6 years. Mr. Hadley’s second wife, Mrs. Nettie L. (Vanderpoel) Lyon, was born in 1852, at Canaan, Columbia County, New York, and is a daughter of Cornelius and Lucinda (Clark) Vanderpoel. She was reared in her native State and lived there until 1891, when she came to Oakland County. Her one son, Newman E. Lyon, died in 1902, at the age of 18 years.

In politics Mr. Hadley is an active Republican, and he has most acceptably filled a number of local offices, notably that of drainage commissioner. It was mainly through his influence that the rural mail delivery from Holly is in operation. Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic Blue Lodge at Holly.