My Genealogy Hound

Thomas Wyckoff, proprietor of the Rambouillet United States of America Farms, located near Orchard Lake, in section 15, West Bloomfield township, Oakland County, is probably the most widely known and successful stock raiser in the State of Michigan. He was born in Romulus, Seneca County, New York, in 1846.

The great-grandfather and great-grandmother of Mr. Wyckoff when in their “teens” were captured by the Indians in Seneca County, New York, and brought as prisoners to Orchard Lake Island and confined there. After about three months they made their escape and found their way to Canada and later to their home in Seneca County, where they were married at once at the ages of 19 and 16 years.

When our subject was two years old, his father came to Oakland County and purchased a farm of 160 acres in Waterford township, two and a half miles from Pontiac. On this farm he reared his family of 10 children, seven of whom grew to maturity, as follows: H. A., postmaster of Pontiac and a prominent citizen of the State, whose sketch will be found in this volume; Lauren, who died in infancy: Thomas, of this sketch; Frances L., who married H. D. Leonard of Waterford township, Oakland County, and left at her death in 1884 two children, — Denton, who lives at Ottawa, Kansas, and Stewart, who died in 1902 aged 18 years; Mary A., who married Dr. Romig, of Big Rapids, Michigan, who was but recently mustered out of the army where he had served as surgeon of the 40th Infantry, stationed in the Philippine Islands; and John P., who resides at Butler, New Jersey.

Until he was 16 years of age, our subject was occupied in gaining an education and he then took charge of a school and followed teaching for one year. On August 12, 1864, he enlisted as a private in the 3rd Reg. Michigan Vol. Inf., and was soon promoted to the rank of corporal and later to that of 1st sergeant of his company and still later was commissioned 2nd lieutenant by Governor Henry H. Crapo, on November 27, 1865, an office he held with the greatest credit until he was mustered out of the service at Victoria, Texas, at the close of the war. He participated in the battle at Decatur, Alabama, where his company was constructing fortifications when forced to fall back to Nashville, before the advance of Hood. He also took part in the battle of Nashville and that of Murfreesboro.

Upon his return after the close of the war, Mr. Wyckoff soon resumed teaching and then abandoned the profession to engage in farming and stock raising. His first interest was excited in Shorthorn cattle and he bred 50 head of the noted Galloway cattle, his success in producing such fine herds making him a central figure in the Galloway Michigan Association and electing him to its presidency. He was a charter member of the Michigan Improved Live Stock Association, a position for which close study and continued success made him well qualified. In 1891 he was sent to Europe as the Columbian commissioner of the American Rambouillet Sheep Breeding Association, in the interests of which he visited Germany from the Baltic Sea to its Southern confines, and then France, taking courses in the agricultural colleges under the direction of Hon. Rudolph Behmer, of Berlin, the eminent stock director of Germany and South Prussia. In France he visited Paris, Marseilles and Rambouillet and all through the lands he traveled he studied the methods and conditions for raising stock. Upon his return to America, he brought with him a car-load of the famous Rambouillet sheep, importing from the Von Homeyer flocks, Pomerania, Prussia, Germany. The raising of this stock has been the feature of Mr. Wyckoff’s farms and all the stock now scattered throughout the United States came from his place. He is the originator of the International Von Homeyer Club and a member of its executive board.

Mr. Wyckoff made the first call for the meeting of the American Sheep Breeders’ Association in Pontiac in 1900, of which he was elected secretary. The live stock owned by the members of this association is now valued up in the millions. Since 1885 our subject has been a director in some of the Michigan live stock associations. Fraternally he belongs to Dick Richardson Post, G. A. R., of Pontiac. In politics he is a Republican.

On April 8, 1903, Mr. Wyckoff was married to Effie Florence Howe, who is a daughter of Absalom and Elizabeth (Graham) Howe, of Wayne, Wayne County, Michigan, who reared these children: Burton J., of Pontiac, who married Catherine Callahan of St. Louis, Michigan, and has one child. Delta; Mrs. Wyckoff; and Mae, wife of Fred Hartwig, business manager of the Queen Anne Soap Company of Detroit. Absalom Howe is a survivor of the Civil War, which he entered when but 16 years of age as a member of Company I, 6th Mich., Heavy Artillery. In 1863 he was wounded at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a bullet passing through his left lung, hence he was shortly afterward mustered out. His father was Philetus Howe, a pioneer farmer of Wayne county, who reared a large family, the greater number of whom located in Michigan, viz: Joseph, who was killed while serving his country in the Civil War; Mary and John, both deceased; Zorada, a resident of Shepard, Michigan; Julius, a resident of Ohio; Hulda, of Wayne, Michigan; William, of Shepard, Michigan; Elizabeth, of Battle Creek, Michigan; Absalom; and Emma, who resides near Detroit.

Mr. Wyckoff has introduced a wonderful variety and has entirely re-organized the systems of sheep raising in Michigan. His farms are schools in stock raising, and his numerous medals from expositions demonstrate that he is a master of his subject, and in this way one of the real benefactors of the State.