The Highland Township Historical Society
Highland, Oakland County, Michigan

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MOREHOUS, MELVILLE H.

Portrait and Biographical Album of Oakland County, Michigan, Chapman Bros. (1891), pp. 402-403

MELVILLE H. MOREHOUS, a grain and produce dealer of Clyde, is a son of Lorenzo D., whose father John was a native of Vermont.  John went to Canada in his early days, and there reared a family of eight children, four sons and four daughters.  He came to Michigan in 1837 settling in Troy Township, Oakland County.  Later he moved to Shiawassee County and then to Illinois, where he lived about three years, after which he spent seven years in [Begin Page 403] Iowa, and finally returned to Southfield Township, this county, where he ended his days in 1863.  His wife survived until 1880.  She was Mary Hull, a native of Vermont.  He fought at Lundy's Lane in the War of 1812.

Lorenzo D. Morehous was born February 10, 1826, in Westminister, near London, Canada.  At the age of eleven years he came to Michigan with his parents and from that time supported himself by working on a farm.  When sixteen years old he learned the blacksmith's trade and followed it for a number of years, but the latter part of his life was spent upon a farm.  He was married in Canada to Harriet Odell, a daughter of William Odell a native of Canada.  Mrs. Odell was born in Vermont and she became the mother of five sons and seven daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. Morehous had but one child, our subject.   His parents went to Detroit where his father worked for a year at his trade, after which he carried on the same work in Troy Township, Oakland County, until 1852 when he went to California.  He earned there about $275 a month in blacksmithing, and often received $20 for shoeing a span of horses.  After spending two years in California he returned to Oakland County where he lived for eleven years.

In 1862 Lorenzo D. Morehous enlisted in a regiment of Michigan Engineers and Mechanics and served in this capacity for about five months.  He was stationed at Kingston, Tenn., most of the time.  He returned to Southfield to his farm and in 1868 moved to White Lake where he lived for fourteen years, and then went to Highland Township where he spent the rest of his life.  He died April 19, 1882.  His wife survived until 1886.  He possessed one hundred and twenty-two acres of land.  Both he and his wife were identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church.  In politics he was a sturdy Democrat, and was Supervisor of White Lake for two years.

The subject of this sketch was born October 25, 1849, in Detroit.  He remained at home until his marriage which occurred in Highland Township, September 24, 1874.  His bride was Ada, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Jessie (Newton) Robertson, of Clarkston.  The mother was a native of the West India Islands and the father a Scotchman.  The following children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Morehous: Edith, Claude and Charles.  At the death of his father Mr. Morehous fell heir to one hundred and twenty two acres of land which he farmed until 1889, and then sold out and came to Clyde where in the spring of 1890, he engaged gaged in the grain and produce business.  Most of his property is in money, but he owns the grain elevator which he operates.  He is a Master Mason, a member of the Holly Lodge, No. 129.  He is also an Independent Odd Fellow, a member of Clyde Lodge No. 249.  He is a Democrat and has been all his life and was made Supervisor of the township for two years.
 

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