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| WILLIAM S. GRAY, of the firm of S. H. Gray & Co., manufacturers of lumber, lath and shingels, at Big Rapids, was born in Chenango Co., N.Y., June 26, 1820. He is a son of Bethuel and Cornelia (Carter) Gray, and was brought up on a farm, attending school winters. He left home at 18, and attended the academies at Elmira and Corning. the first business experience of Mr. Gray was as clerk in a general store in Corning, Steuben Co., N. Y. He went two years later to Port Deposit, Cecil Co., Md., in the interests of a lumber firm, having charge of their sales and shipping, nine months. At the end of that time he went back to Corning and opened a mercantile house, operating as a lumber dealer in connection therewith, and managing a saw-mill near that place. He sold out at the expiration of two years and went to New York, where he was a clerk in a store on Grand street, going thence to Ithaca, Tompkins Co., N. Y., and there attended the academy one year and taught one term of school. In 1845, he entered the office of Charles Coryell, M. D., and read medicine six months; thence he removed to Somerset, Lycoming Co., Penn., where he taught school three terms. He then went to Jersey Shore, in the same county, and studied with Dr. Hepburn two years, supplementing his office reading with one course of lectures at Philadelphia. In 1848, Mr. Gray went to Rick Run, Stephenson Co., Ill., and was a medical practitioner, there seven years, and engaged in mercantile business, wagon manufacturing and also in faming. He next went to Freeport, in the same county, and there served three terms as County Treasurer, and managed three stock farms - one of 640 acres, in Carroll County, and two others containing respectively 282 and 180 acres. He also owned a small farm near Freeport, and had a book store there which he owned about a year; he had also a store for the sale of furniture. These establishments were managed personally by parties employed for the purpose. In 1863 he built a woolen mill, in company with Messrs. Rosentiel & Sunderland, with which he was connected until 1874, and owned a general store and tailor shop at the same time. In 1876 he came to Big Rapids, and became a member of the firm with which he is at present connected. The company own a saw-mill n the east side of the Muskegon River, and a shingle-mill on the west side. Mr. Gray owns his residence, and is a stockholder in the National Bank, and in the Big Rapids Boom Company, and also is director and President of the Big Rapids Water-Power Company; has served the municipality six years as alderman. Mr. Gray was united in marriage, at Uniontown, Penn., April 21, 1848, with Margaretta, the daughter of John and Margaretta Hill, born in Northumberland Co., Pa., Aug. 12, 1827. Their four children are all deceased save one. Antha, eldest daughter, born April 8, 1849, in Rock Run Ill., is the wife of Sylvester H. Gray, senior member of the firm. (See sketch) The others were Ida May, William B. and an infant child. |