My Genealogy Hound

John Harris Forster Mullett, M. D., is a prominent physician and surgeon, who has been located at Pontiac, Michigan, since 1900, in which time he has established a good practice. He was born in Ingham County, Michigan, December 14, 1869, and is the son of John H. Mullett, and grandson of John Mullett.

John Mullett, the grandfather of the Doctor, came to Michigan from Buffalo, New York, February 9, 1814. He was a charter member of Detroit Lodge No. 2, F. & A. M., whose charter was granted September 5, 1821. He was prominent as a surveyor, helping to lay out the city of Detroit and assisting in many of the government’s original surveys of Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana. He did much of the surveying for the plank road between Detroit and Grand Rapids, and in 1849 moved with his family to a farm near Williamson, Meridian township, Ingham County, which farm still remains in the possession of the family. He died in 1862. His brother, Harvey Mullett, built at Sylvan Lake more than 80 years ago, the first grist mill in Oakland County. Mullett street in Detroit and Mullett Lake in the northern part of the Southern Peninsula of Michigan, the largest lake in the State, were named in honor of John Mullett. He and a Mr. Burt, who now resides near Marquette, Michigan, worked together and completed the first solar compass, but it did not come into general use until after the patent had expired. One of the original instruments is now in the hands of the State Engineering Society. John Mullett was father of a large family of children, among them being Catherine Mullett, who was the wife of B. F. Hall, a banker of Aurora, Illinois, who lost his life by drowning in the wreck of the “Lady Elgin” on Lake Michigan. Their only child, Brig.-Gen. Robert H. Hall, a graduate of West Point Military Academy in 1860, was president of the committee selecting the Krag-Jorgensen rifle for use in the United States Army. He was inspector for different departments in the West, was at Tampa, Florida, during the Spanish-American War and in the Philippines, and is now living in retirement at Buffalo. Martha Mullett married John H. Forster, a pioneer of the Lake Superior country, where he acted as agent of a mine for years, later residing on a farm in Ingham County, Michigan, until his death. Charles F. Mullett and Marshall C. Mullett reside on their farms in Ingham County, Michigan. Henry Mullett is deceased; his widow and daughter live at Detroit, the daughter being an instructor in the Duffield School.

John H. Mullett, the father of our subject, was born in 1825 and during early life engaged in surveying, following this line of work in Michigan and elsewhere for a number of years. He later resided on a farm in Ingham County, Michigan, until his death in August, 1902, aged 77 years. He was married to Mary Elizabeth Brown, whose father was a drummer boy in the War of 1812. She came from New York State to Michigan and now resides in Ingham County at the advanced age of 71 years. She has two brothers and a sister living near Cooperstown, North Dakota. Our subject has two sisters: Katherine, wife of Clay Call, an attorney of Petoskey, Michigan; and Martha, who resides with her mother.

John H. F. Mullett, after attending High School, went to the Michigan Agricultural College and was graduated in 1890. He was graduated from the Chicago Veterinary College in 1893, and engaged in practice at Cassopolis, and also carried on a drug business there. He then entered the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was graduated in 1900 with the degree of M. D. He has since been in successful practice at Pontiac.

Dr. Mullett was united in marriage with Clare Pemberton, of Cassopolis, Michigan, and they have three children: Victor, Faith and Eleanor. Fraternally, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias; Independent Order of Foresters; Blue Lodge, F. & A. M.; Chapter, R. A. M.; Commandery, K. T., and of the Order of Eastern Star, to which Mrs. Mullett also belongs. He is a member of the Pontiac, Oakland County, Michigan State and American medical societies. Dr. and Mrs. Mullett are members of the Protestant Episcopal Church.