My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE BOYLE, a representative general agriculturist, residing upon his finely cultivated homestead located in Buchanan Township, Berrien County, Mich., is a native of the county, and was born December 3, 1835, in Lake Township. His parents, Godfrey and Rosina (Cool) Boyle, were born, reared and married in Germany, and, emigrating to America in 1831, resided for some time in Baltimore, Md., and later removing to Pennsylvania, finally made their home, in 1834 or 1835, in Berrien Springs, Mich. Landing in Baltimore with only a cash capital of fifty cents, the parents labored early and late to support themselves in the country whose ways and language were to them new and strange. When the father came to Michigan he accompanied Mr. Kimball and his family, and for two years worked by the day and month for them. He bought a small bit of land one mile north of Niles, and built thereon a log house, but did not remain very long in this locality, although during the brief period of his residence there he managed to lose nearly all the small savings carefully hoarded dollar by dollar from his hardly earned wages. The father and mother then removed to Lake Township, where the father entered forty acres of Government land for $1.25 per acre, and engaged energetically in the cultivation of the soil. After a time he sold this farm and with his family removed to Orinoko Township, where he purchased eighty acres of land and made this place his permanent home.

Prospering through tireless industry, Godfrey Boyle added a tract of one hundred and sixty acres to the original farm, and with the aid of his sons cleared off the heavy timber and brought one hundred and twenty acres up to a high state of productiveness. He further improved the farm, building an attractive and commodious residence and good barns and sheds. From time to time he made investments in lands and bought and sold, at the time of his death owning two hundred and forty acres. Essentially a self-made man, Father Boyle, hard-working, upright and true to every duty of life, survived to reach sixty-three years of age, and passed away in 1862, mourned by all who knew him. He had served in the army of his native land, as had also a brother, and both had undoubtedly shared the dangers of the Bonaparte campaign. The brother was captured by the troops of Napoleon, his clothes taken from him, and, without covering or shelter, he suffered most severely. Unto the parents were born thirteen children, five of whom lived to years of maturity Gottlieb was the eldest; George was the second in order of birth; Mary became the wife of Orlando Nelson; Godfrey was named in honor of his father; and Hattie is the wife of Joel Hartline. The mother of these brothers and sisters, Mrs. Lucinda Boyle, a most estimable woman, passed away in 1868.

Our subject is self-educated, having in youth enjoyed but the most limited opportunities for instruction and schooling. A man of earnest purpose, he learned to read and write after he had reached manhood. Toiling from his early childhood, he attained to twenty years of age and then began life for himself on seventy-five acres of land his father had given him. The land in the woods he cleared and cultivated, and with patient industry winning his upward way, now owns two hundred and twenty-eight and a-half acres of some of the most valuable land in Berrien County. Mr. Boyle has now under a high state of productiveness one hundred and sixty acres, which annually yield an abundant harvest. In 1880 he purchased one hundred and twelve acres of his tract for $45 per acre. For the balance he paid $72.50 per acre, with the exception of about twenty-six acres, which cost $80.10 per acre. Aside from this valuable property, our subject also owns two hundred and thirteen acres six miles north of Niles, for which he paid $64 per acre. This latter farm has one hundred and seventy acres of finely cultivated land and is improved with a comfortable residence, a commodious new barn and granary, and other buildings. For ten or twelve years, George Boyle, in connection with his brother Gottlieb, ran a sawmill in Weesaw Township, a business which was then most profitable. In 1858 George Boyle and Miss Ann Houstid were united in marriage. The estimable wife of our subject was a native of New York. Her mother, Mary A. Filkins, was twice married. Mr. Houstid died when his daughter Ann was an infant, and later the widow wedded William Walton. Mr. and Mrs. Boyle were blessed by the birth of seven children: Semantha, deceased; Eugene, a resident of Weesaw Township; Laura, wife of Louis Paul, of Weesaw Township; Sarah A., wife of R. N. Norris, of Niles Township; Ira, at home; Melvin, with his parents; and Myra, deceased. A constant resident of his native State throughout fifty-eight years of progress, our subject is identified with the growth and local improvements of Berrien County, and reared amid the pioneer scenes of early days has acquired solely through his own self-reliant efforts a comfortable competence and ranks with the substantial men of Michigan.