Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2015 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ ========================================================================= USGenNet Data Repository NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization. Non-commercial organizations desiring to use this material must obtain the consent of the transcriber prior to use. Individuals desiring to use this material in their own research may do so. =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== A History of Northern Michigan and its People. Vol. II Perry Francis Powers, Lewis Publishing Co., - 1912 [840-843] WILLIAM W. RICE. - The late WILLIAM WIRT RICE, who died at his home in Petoskey more than a quarter of a century ago and identified himself closely with its civic and business interests. He did much to further its development and upbuilding, gave his aid and influence in support of all legitimate measures and enterprises projected for the general good of the community, and, above all, he was a man whose nobility of character and fine business ability made him a power for good in the little city in which his interests became centered after his retirement from business in the state of New York. He was signally true and loyal in all the relations of life, was generous, kindly and tolerant; was of optimistic temperament, and his gracious personality gained and retained to him the staunchest of friends in all classes. His was a large mind and a large soul, and both were manifest in all stages of his career, which was one of distinctive attainment along normal lines of productive industry. Though he maintained his home in Michigan for less than a decade his name and fame remain a very part of the history of Petoskey and Emmet county, and none is more worthy of representation in this publication. The genealogy of the family of which William Wirt Rice was a sterling scion is traced back to ROBERT RICE, who was born in England, about the year 1590, and records extant show that the family name in England was variously spelled as ROYCE, ROISE and ROYSE, the while there is no definite indication as to the exact time when the present simplified orthography of the name was adopted. ROBERT RICE emigrated to America in 1631 and first settled at Boston, Massachusetts, whence he removed to New London, Con- necticut, prior to 1657, and became one of the earlier settlers of that place. He became a citizen of prominence and influence in this community, in which he served as constable in 1660 and which he represented in the colonial legislature in the following year. Records show him to have been a man of probity and good repute and he became the owner of a property of considerable value. He died at New London, in 1676, and his wife, ELIZABETH, survived him, as data show that she was still living on the family estate in 1688. They became the parents of six sons and three daughters. SAMUEL, the third son of ROBERT and ELIZABETH RICE, married HANNAH CHURCHILL, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, and he resides at New London, where he was a freeman in 1669, but he removed thence to Wallingford, New Haven colony, prior to 1677. He was the father of two sons and three daughters, and his eldest son, who likewise bore the name of SAMUEL, resided at Wallingford, where, on the 5th of June, 1690, he married SARAH BALDWIN. SAMUEL and SARAH (BALDWIN) RICE became the parents of four children, and SAMUEL died on the 11th of June, 1729. JACOB, the youngest son, was born April 11, 1697, and on the 28th of September, 1724, he wedded THANKFUL BEACH, who was born September 20, 1702, and who was a daughter of THOMAS and PHEBE BEACH. JACOB RICE died November 13, 1727, at the age of thirty years, and was survived by two children, AMOS and EXPERIENCE. AMOS RICE, who was born on the 1st of November 1725, was married to SARAH MORSE about the year 1753, and they resided at Wallingford, Connecticut. They became the parents of seven sons and four daughters, and their fifth son was BENAJAH, who was born March 16, 1767, and whose marriage to SARAH HOUGH was solemnized in January, 1793. AMOS, the only son of BENAJAH and SARAH (HOUGH) RICE, was born in Windham, Greene county, New York, on the 22d of August, 1800, and thus it is shown that the parents were pioneers of that section of the Empire state. AMOS RICE was reared to manhood in his native county and there he married LORETTA SUSAN ANDREWS. In 1857 they removed to Lewis county, New York, where they passed the residue of their lives, secure in the high regard of all who knew them. Of their children WILLIAM W., subject of this memoir, and two of his brothers, became prominently concerned with the tanning industry in the state of New York. WILLIAM WIRT RICE was born at Lexington, Greene county, New York, on the 13th of August, 1833, and when he was two years of age his parents removed to Homer, Cortland county, where he was reared to adult age and where he was afforded the advantages of Cortland Academy, which was long one of the represent-ative educational institutions of this section of the state. He continued to be associated with the work and management of the home farm until he had attained to the age of twenty years, and in 1853 he left the home roof and removed to the town of Greig, Lewis county, New York, where he served a thorough apprenticeship at the tanner's trade, in the well ordered tannery of C. W. PRATT. He was thus employed for three years. at a compensation of twelve dollars a month, and in the meanwhile he mastered all details of the tanning of sole leather. In 1856, in company with his eldest brother, BENAJAH B. RICE, he erected a tannery at Dunning's Station, on the Dela-ware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, nine miles distant from Scranton, Pennsylvania, but he sold his interest in this tannery before it was placed in operation. In December, 1856, he established his home in Crogham, Lewis county, New York, and in the following year he there erected a tannery, which he successfully operated until 1865, when the plant was destroyed by fire. A new tannery was forthwith erected and equipped. BENAJAH B. RICE was associated with his brother in the enterprise until 1863, when he sold his interest to his father, who, in the following year, transferred the same to his son YALE, who thereafter continued to be associated with his younger brother, WILLIAM W., of this review, in the operation of the well equipped plant until this and other properties held by the firm of W. & Y. RICE were sold to the firm of Bullard & Company, of New York City. Concerning the operations with which WILLIAM W. RICE was thus long and successfully identified in Lewis county, New York, further data may consistently be entered. The capacity of the firm's tannery at the time when the property was sold was thirty thousand sides of sole leather per year, and in the manufacturing of the same thrty thousand cords of tanbark were utilized. In the spring of 1870 the firm purchased ten thousand acres of land in Lewis county, principally for the purpose of thus securing a reserve of hemlock timber for use in connection with their tannery. They also erected a tannery at Jordan Falls, on the Oswegatchie river, and this plant had an output capacity of sixty thousand sides of sole leather per annum. At this point they also erected twenty-five or more dwellings for the use of employes, together with a large boarding house, a general store and a school house. In 1873 they purchased about eighteen thousand additional acres of land, principally for its hemlock timber, and they built up one of the most extensive tanning enterprises in that section of the Empire State. On the 27th of February, 1883, the tanneries and about ten thousand acres of the hemlock land were sold by the RICE brothers to Bullard & Company, of New York City, and about two years later, in 1885, WILLIAM W. RICE came to Emmet county, Michigan, and established at Petoskey a tannery from which has been evolved the large and prosperous business now conducted under the corporate title of the W. W. RICE Leather Company, in which his sons, as the interested principals, have perpetuated his name. The original tannery at Petoskey had a capacity for output of fifty sides of dry-hide hemlock sole leather a day, and concerning the growth and expansion of the enterprise further and adequate details are given in the sketches of the careers of the two sons, GEORGE S. and FRANCIS Y., on other pages of this work. Petoskey was a small and obscure village at the time when WILLIAM W. RICE here established his home, and his public spirit reached wider mani- festation than the upbuilding of the important industrial enterprise which he here founded. He was alert in the promoting of measures and projects for the advancement of all interests tending to foster social andl material progress and became a leader in local business circles as well as in the direction of public affairs. He was president of the village board of trustees at the time of his death and no citizen commanded a fuller measure of popular confidence and esteem. He was considerate in the treatment of all in his employ and showed a kindly interest in their welfare, the while he was essentially democratic in his attitude and placed true valuations upon both men and things. A kind word was ever his to give to those employed by him and by others, and he had an abiding appreciation of the dignity and value of honest toil and endeavor, in whatever capacity. Sympathy and toleration were his permanent guests and his entire life was ordered upon the highest plane of integrity and honor. As a man and as one who contributed his quota to the advancement and upbuilding of Petoskey and Emmet county his name and work should be made the subject of definite tribute in this history of northern Michigan, where he lived and labored to goodly ends. In politics MR. RICE gave a staunch allegiance to the cause of the Democratic party, and his wife was a zealous member of the Presbyterian church. On the 11th of October, 1864, was solemnized the marriage of MR. RICE to MISS MARTHA A. GOWDY, who was born at Lowville, the county seat of Lewis county, New York, in 1839, and whose death occurred at Petoskey in 1885. She was a daughter of NORMAN GOWDY, one of the representative citizens and business men of Lewis county. Concerning the children of MR. and MRS. RICE the following brief record is given in conclusion of this memoir: ALICE G., who was born on the 24th of October, 1865, died on the 28th of September, 1870; GEORGE STANLEY, who was born August 20, 1867, is individually mentioned elsewhere in this work; JULIA B., who was born October 23, 1869, is now MRS. ARTHUR M. COBURN, of Detroit: FRANCIS YALE, who was born November 12, 1871, is likewise the subject of a specific sketch on other pages of this work; NORMAN G., who was born January 12, 1874, is now a resident of Ubly, Michigan; and MARTHA A., who was born September 12, 1876, is MRS. MORGAN CURTIS of Petoskey. ================================================================================ If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access more of our growing collection of FREE online information by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/ ================================================================================