History of Michigan, Vol. 4 (Classic Reprint)

Publisher Marketing: Excerpt from History of Michigan, Vol. 4 Alexander Dodds. It has been asserted that the commencement of civilization is the discovery of some of the useful arts or sciences through which men acquire fortune, comforts or luxuries, while the necessity or desire of preserving them leads to laws and social institutions. In reality, however, the origin, as well as the advancement and improvement of society, is based on mechanical and chemical inventions, in connection with which Alexander Dodds, of Grand Rapids, has become one of Michigan's best known citizens. As inventor, organizer, promoter and executive he has shown himself capable, far-seeing and energetic, and while he has found no time for public life, has always demonstrated a commendable willingness to perform the duties of public-spirited citizenship. Mr. Dodds was born December 8, 1845, at Gouverneur, New York. His grandfather, also named Alexander Dodds, was born in 1770, near the village of Kelso, on the banks of the River Tweed, Scotland, and at the age of twenty-four years was married to Jane Wilson, who bore him five children: Katherine, Margaret, Andrew, John and Alexander. Shortly after their marriage they began to make plans to emigrate to the land of promise across the water, but Mr. Dodds was for six months a mere farm laborer at about twenty-five dollars per month, a salary hardly conducive to great saving, and it was not until the spring of 1833 that enough money was accumulated for the family to make the voyage. After a six weeks' journey on a sailing vessel they arrived, in May, in St. Lawrence county, New York, and purchased a farm two and one-half miles from the village of Gouverneur. They lived to see all their children settled on good farms, the mother passing away in October, 1857, and the father in January, 1864. About the year 1835 another family left Berwick, Scotland, for this country by the name of Witherston, and, getting lost on the voyage, were thirteen weeks on the high seas before sighting a vessel from which to get their bearings. They also settled in St. Lawrence county, New York, and one of the daughters. Jeanette, married the son, John Dodds, and with him took possession of the old homestead. To them were born three children: Jane Elizabeth, Alexander and William Atkin. Alexander Dodds, of Grand Rapids, was given a good common school education in his boyhood, and was twenty-one years of age, or nearly so, when he started to work at the trade of machinist. In February, 1867, he was converted, but could not conceive the teachings of the Bible as taught by the church of his fathers, the Scotch Presbyterian, and accordingly became a Baptist and united with that faith to do Christian work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.