William T. Moorman, one of the old-time and most highly respected agriculturalists of Byron Township, is the 4^th in a family of 3 sons and 5 daughters born to William and Orpha Moorman.

William’s father was obliged to relinquish his carpentry trade in the howling wilderness of Washtenaw County and devote himself entirely to farming. Subsequently he came with his family to Byron Township, Kent County, and was one of those pioneers who succeeded in hewing out a home from the forest and in making "the desert bloom as the rose".

William remained in Washtenaw County, aiding his father in clearing up the wilderness, until he was about 13 years of age. At that time the family came to Byron and here purchased 160 acres of unimproved land. Here he renewed his labor as a backwoodsman and axman. The forest covered the land on which Byron Center now stands and young William drove over the spot with two yokes of oxen.

The first habitation of the family was a rude log cabin around which Indians roamed at will and deer gamboled in the wantonness of their unmolested liberty. There were only 3 school houses in the entire township. On his trips to Grand Rapids with his ox-team he would frequently mire to the hubs of his wagon wheels in what is now Canal Street.

Mr. Moorman has been twice married – his first marriage to Miss Sarah Tibbetts lasted 34 years and produced 3 sons and 3 daughters of whom 4 are still living. William married Catherine Mulholland and is a farmer in Byron Township. Burton married Elma Hanson and is a farmer in Byron Township. Lizzie is the wife of John Snider, a dealer in livestock in Jamestown. Linda is the wife of Ross Avery, merchant of the city of York.

In 1897 Mr. Moorman chose for his second helpmate Mrs. Louisa Hintz, a native of New York, born in 1843, and a lady of many womanly graces.

Mr. Moorman took charge of the homestead in 1870 and all the better improvements have been made by him. It comprises 120 acres and is one of the best farms in the township, made so by his judicious management. The soil is a clay-loam and well adapted to the growth of fruits and vegetables usual to this latitude. All has been cleared from a forest through which there was not even a pathway when the elder Mr. Moorman settled upon it. It is situated 12 and a hald miles from the city limits of Grand Rapids.

In 1862 Mr. Moorman enlisted at Grand Rapids in company H, Fourth Michigan Cavalry. Mr. Moorman took part in all the skirmishes and actions in which his regiment was engaged including Stones River where 2 horses were killed in front of him. The Fourth Michigan Cavalry had the good fortune of capturing Jeff Davis at Evansville, Georgia, on May 10, 1865. Col. Ben Pritchard of Allegan was its colonel at that time. Mr. Moorman was discharged at Nashville, Tenn., having served bravely and faithfully for nearly three years.

In his politics Mr. Moorman is a Democrat in national matters, but locally he is non-partisan. His first presidential vote was cast for Horatio Seymour in 1868, but individually he has never felt any desire for office. Yet he served a highway commissioner for 2 terms and as justice of the peace three years. He advocated the employment of the best instructors in the common schools and, being a taxpayer himself, is sincere in his wish to secure teachers who are competent.

Fraternally Mr. Moorman is a member of Crescent Lodge, No. 322, F. & A.M. at Grandville, and is also a member of the Whitcom Post, No. 302, G.A.R. at Byron Center of which he was at one time commander, and the membership of which at the present time numbers about 40.

Mr. and Mrs. Moorman have aided financially in the erection of the United Brethren church at Maple Hill and have freely exercised other benevolences. They are prominent among the agriculturalists of the township, are classed as pioneers, stand very high socially, and are esteemed greatly for their many good qualities throughout the entrie township and the greater part of the county.

He was 69 when he died. His first wife, Sarah (Tibbetts), was 57. They are buried in Boynton Cemetery.

Transcriber: Evelyn Sawyer
Created: 30 October 2002
URL: http://kent.migenweb.net/townships/byron/pioneers/moormanw.html