John Morris of Alcester and Thomas Morris of New ... - RootsWeb

14 931 950 Miner D. 1 M . . . Ohio "Hotel" written across line 13-16
15 931 950 Wheeler Lovica 68 F . . . Conn. "Hotel" written across line 13-16
16 931 950 Bennett Abram 82 M . Farmer . N. Y. "Hotel" written across line 13-16
17 931 950 Bennett Lydia 81 F . . . R. I. "Hotel" written across line 13-16
18 931 950 Morris Parly 20 M . Farmer . N. Y. . . . . .
19 931 950 Day Cymantha 21 F . . . Ohio . . . . .
Generation No. 3
6. Myron 3 Morris (John 2 , Thomas 1 ) was born 1813 in Gorham Twp. Ontario Co. NY, and died 1885 in New London,
Huron Co. OH. He married Elvira (Eliza) Blodgett Abt. 1835 in Gorham Twp. Ontario Co NY. She was born 1814 in
Gorham Twp. Ontario Co. NY, and died 1889 in New London, Huron Co. OH.
More About Myron Morris:
Burial: Grove St. Cemetery, London two. Huron Co. OH
More About Elvira (Eliza) Blodgett:
Burial: Grove St. Cemetery, London twp. Huron Co. OH
More About Myron Morris and Elvira Blodgett:
Marriage: Abt. 1835, Gorham Twp. Ontario Co NY
Children of Myron Morris and Elvira Blodgett are:
12 i. Martin 4 Morris, born Abt. 1836.
13 ii. Arminda Morris, born Abt. 1837. She married Philo Thomas; born September 11, 1831.
Notes for Philo Thomas:
PHILO THOMAS
Born September 11, 1831, in Alfred, Allegheny County, New York. Married Arminda Morris (parents
Myron and Elvira Morris) on December 1858 in Brighton, Ohio. Ceremony performed by Thomas H.
Delamanitis. Philo and Arminda lived a short while in Detroit, Michigan before moving up north to a
wilderness area, now known as Hemlock. They were the first permanent settlers in the area. Arminda
stated that the trip from Detroit took several days, and they arrived long after darkness had settled over the
forest.
She was a small dignified woman and though apprehensive about her future she was happy and anxious
to start her life in the small log cabin which Philo had provided on an earlier trip to the area. She often
retold the story how she had to look straight up to see the sky because of the dense hemlock forest.
The town of Hemlock came into existence because of a traveller named Glasby, when he found it
necessary to stop over at this mid point in the wilderness, on his trips from St. Louis to Saginaw. Glasby
would stay over with the Philo Thomas family. Some time later Glasby decided to buy land and build a
sawmill. Philo told him he could have the land free and clear if he would build the mill. Arminda sold a
parcel of land to First Methodist Episcopal Church on June 16, 1888, for one dollar.
My dad (Jack Ault) remembers his grandmother Vina talking about when the town built the church. The
men all volunteered their labor, Philo volunteered building materials and the wives cooked and put on quite
a spread for all the workers. Philo was the first blacksmith in Hemlock and his shop (built in 1870) was
across the road from the current Catholic Church on Gratiot Rd. About 1890 the first telephone in town
could be used for calling other towns and Philo was the first Central. His telephone office was in the post
office since he was Postmaster at the time. Philo held many municipal positions during his life in Hemlock
including Justice of the Peace in the mid eighteen nineties.
Most of the land in the north half of Hemlock was owned by Philo and Arminda, with Arminda owning the
lions share. Arminda was a woman ahead of her time. She not only raised her family and kept the home
but she is credited with teaching the local Native American population English and was a shrewd but
generous business woman. She made sure her children were either set up in their own business or equally
provided for . It was stated that she was always deeply interested in every movement for the welfare of
the community. Parley and LaVerge (Virgil) were set up with their own businesses and Philo built the
house that they gave to Lavina and her husband John S. Ault. Philo passed away February 3, 1905, in
Hemlock, Michigan. Arminda lived in Hemlock for some years after Philos death and then moved in with
her son Parley in Breckenridge until her death ,December 13, 1912. They are both buried in the Philo A.
Thomas plot in Richland Township cemetery
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