My Genealogy Hound

FRANK ATWOOD. The Atwood family is one of the prominent ones of Wayne Township, Cass County, for its members have been identified with its interests from an early day, and have ever been upright and honorable citizens. Wells H. Atwood, the grandfather of our subject, was a native of New York, which State he left in 1836 to come to Michigan. He was one of the first settlers of Wayne Township, and located on section 20, “Oak Opening,” where he made a permanent settlement. Later in life he retired to Dowagiac, and there received his final summons in 1864. Three of his children are now living: Lafayette; James, who resides in Dowagiac; and Roxanna, who makes her home in Wayne Township.

Lafayette Atwood, the father of our subject, was born in the State of New York in 1824, and in 1836 came to Cass County, Mich., with his father. Here he was married to Miss Adeline Allen, who was also born in the Empire State, but who came with her parents to Cass County, Mich., at an early date. Her father, Gideon Allen, was a farmer and a very successful one. Three of his children are now living: Henry, who resides in Wayne Township; Ann Eliza, who makes her home in Dowagiac; and Mrs. C. A. Taylor, of Wayne Township. The parents of our subject celebrated their union in Wayne Township, and later settled on the farm, “Oak Opening,” at a time when very few improvements had been made. Mrs. Atwood died in 1864, but Mr. Atwood still survives in this township. He was married the second time, but no children were born to this union. By the first marriage three children were born, but our subject is the only survivor. The father has taken an active interest in township affairs and is one of the foremost and most substantial farmers of his section. Formerly a Whig in politics, he is now a Republican and has held a number of township offices. He has been Highway Commissioner and a member of the Board of Review.

Many of the most active and enterprising residents of Cass County are natives of the county and have here spent the greater part of their lives. In them we find men of true loyalty to the interests of this part of the State, who understand, as it were by instinct, the needs, social and industrial, of this vicinity, and who have a thorough knowledge of its resources. They are therefore better adapted to succeed here than a stranger could be and are probably without exception warmly devoted to the prosperity of their native place. Such a man we find in the person of Frank Atwood, the subject of this sketch.

This gentleman was born in Wayne Township, August 12, 1852, and was early trained to the duties of the farm. His scholastic training was received in the Union School at Dowagiac and the district school in Wayne Township. In the year 1873 he married Miss Belle Ingling, a native of Penn Township, this county, born July 13, 1857, and the daughter of Samuel and Jane (Stanard) Ingling, natives respectively of Ohio and New York. Her parents reside in Dowagiac. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood have lived on their present farm ever since their marriage and are the parents of three children: Fred O., Fay and Cora. Our subject is interested in school work, has been a school officer since twenty-one years of age, and has given his children good educations. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen, and m politics is a Democrat, although formerly a Republican. He was School Inspector for a number of years, and also served as Town Clerk for several years, and is now serving his first term as Supervisor of the Township. The farm comprises two hundred and fifty acres.