My Genealogy Hound

Horace A. Green. We have the pleasure to present to our readers in the following brief article the biography of one of Farmington township’s most prominent agriculturists, whose name heads these lines. He resides on his well cultivated farm in section 6, Farmington township, Oakland County. He was born May 17, 1835, on the homestead farm in section 31, West Bloomfield township, Oakland County, and he is a son of Zephaniah R. and Zarilla (Gould) Green, and grandson of Levi Green.

Levi Green was one of those brave patriots who fought with heart and soul in the War of Independence that their country might be free. He took part in the battles of Bunker Hill and Bennington, distinguishing himself for bravery and zeal in the cause. Our subject has in his possession a powder horn which was carried by his grandfather in those battles. On this powder horn was engraved by Levi Green’s father (our subject’s great-grandfather), Timothy Green, the following inscription: “Levi Green, His Horn, Who Enlisted in the Continental Service to Range in the County of Albany in the Year 1776 Under Leftenant Jackson During the Congress.” Our subject has also in his possession a pension claim signed by the War Department, giving his grandfather Levi Green a yearly pension of $23.32 as a Revolutionary soldier.

On his mother’s side, Horace A. Green is a grandson of Nathan Gould, who was born February 21, 1767, and lived in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, where he farmed on the old Cornish Turnpike. He was married to Betsy Goodwin, of Hopkinton, Massachusetts, and they had nine children, of whom our subject’s mother was the seventh. She was born December 14, 1803, and married Zephaniah R. Green, December 3, 1826, at Livonia, Livingston County, New York. Zephaniah R. Green was born August 6, 1801, and died February 6, 1879. Our subject’s parents had the following children: Addis Emmett, born October 17, 1827; Nancy Almeda, born October 9, 1829; Adeliza Lutheria, born April 7, 1831, and died June 9, 1892; Emma Maria, born May 25, 1833, who is the widow of George H. Heliker — she resides at Pontiac, Michigan, and has reared five children: Ida, George, Kate, Samuel and Mildred; Horace Alphonso, our subject; Saphronia, born May 17, 1837, and died October 6, 1840; Lucy Ordelia, born March 18, 1839, who married Charles E. Seeley, resides at Garden City, South Dakota, and has seven children, Grant, Harry, Clare E., Mary, Eugene, Frank and Alice; and Betsy Louisa, born October 8, 1841, and died June 17, 1886, who was the wife of Byron C. Phelps of Novi township, Oakland County, — they were the parents of two children: Gertrude, who married Delmar Morrell of Allegan, Michigan, and has three children, Pearl, Ruby and Vina Opal; and Byron, who died in infancy.

Horace A. Green received a good education in the schools of Oakland County, and from boyhood days has always been engaged in the pursuits of agriculture. He is a man of great business activity, and has accumulated considerable property, being one of the largest land owners in the county. His father left him 80 acres of the homestead farm that the former had taken up as government land in the early days and which is located in section 31, West Bloomfield township. This property Mr. Green still owns and it is now being farmed by his son, Arthur Ray Green. Later Mr. Green purchased 70 acres in section 6, Farmington township, where his home is located, 30 acres of which, however, he let his brother, Addis Emmett Green, have. Subsequently our subject purchased 80 acres in section 5, Farmington township, and in 1895, at the sale of the old homestead farm to make a final settlement with the heirs, our subject’s son, William L., bid in 80 acres of the same, which after the latter’s death came into the possession of our subject, who is now the owner of the original quarter section taken up by his father. Mr. Green is still actively engaged in superintending his business interests, although approaching an age when most men desire to retire from active labor.

Mr. Green was married November 22, 1865, to Mary E. Seeley, who is a daughter of Edward H. and Calista (Walker) Seeley, who spent the greater portion of their lives in the occupation of farming and stock raising in Novi township, Oakland County, later removing to Wayne County, where Mr. Seeley died in May, 1882, at the age of 70 years; his wife’s death followed in February, 1902, on our subject’s farm, having reached the age of 80 years. Mr. and Mrs. Seeley were the parents of eight children, namely: Charles E., Major H., Mary E. (Mrs. Green), William P., Emma M. (deceased), Frank (deceased), Isabella and Herbert A. Mr. and Mrs. Green have been blessed with five children, namely: Emma May, born May 20, 1869, and died September 10, 1870, in. infancy; William L., born August 28, 1871, and died December 7, 1897; Arthur Ray, born August 19, 1875, who was married to Nellie W. McCracken, and lives on the grandfather’s old homestead; Addie Bell, born August 5, 1877, and died October 23, 1877; and Grace Calista, born April 6, 1881, who married Charles H. Halsted, son of Harvey Halsted, whose history will be found elsewhere in this volume, — Mr. and Mrs. Halsted had one child, Helen M., born February 7, 1903, who died when a few weeks old. In fraternal circles Mr. Green is a Mason and Knight Templar. Politically he is a Republican. A portrait of Mr. and Mrs. Horace Green accompanies this sketch, being presented on a preceding page.