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Doraville Whitney was the
first Black settler in Isabella County in 1860. The first documentation of
an African-American settler in Mecosta County Michigan was James Guy.
His deed was signed by Abraham Lincoln. He obtained 160 acres in Wheatland
Township on May 30, 1861. Lloyd & Margaret Guy were the first
Black settlers in Montcalm County in 1861. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed each
settler 160 acres in Michigan. By 1873 African-Americans owned
1,392 acres in the three counties of Isabella, Mecosta and Montcalm.
In the 1860's most of the land in Remus was owned by the Old Settlers. |
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Moses & Benjamin Caliman Families
Pictures Courtesy of Peggy
Sawyer-Williams
Kelly Caliman-Stevens, Fern Johnson-Cross
& Peter Byrd
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Moses Caliman, II
Picture Courtesy of Peter Byrd
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Ann (sometimes called Anna) Caliman-Guy
(1813) Picture Courtesy of Peter Byrd |
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Henrietta Guy-Brown
(born 1833 in Meigs County, OH)
James G. Brown born 1830 in Meigs
County, OH
(Daughter of Amos & Ann
Caliman-Guy)
The occasion - 50th wedding anniversary. |
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Electa Longdon Dingus, Florence Amelia
Brown, daughter of
Henrietta Guy
(Amos C. Ann Caliman's daughter) &
James G. Brown (son of Lydia Guy &
Charles Brown). |
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Henrietta
Guy-Brown when
she was in
her late
30's or early 40's. |
According to Peter Byrd, Ann (sometimes called Anna) Caliman Guy. She was the wife of
Amos C. Guy. Ann was born August 8, 1813 in
Frederick, MD and was the daughter of Moses Caliman, Sr. and Henrietta Perrill. Records
show that her father was born in New Jersey in 1765 and her mother was born in
Frederick, MD.
Ann was the mother with Amos, Henrietta Guy-Brown who married James
Guy Brown, the son of Charles M. Brown and Lydia Guy. Henrietta Guy-Brown and
James G. Brown were first cousins. His mother, Lydia, a sister of Amos C. Guy
and daughter of James A. "Grandpa" Guy.
The Calimans lived in Meigs County but moved to Jefferson City, MO around 1878
with their children, Francis (b 1853), Cassius (b 1855), Florance Amelia (b
1857) (my great great grandmother), and Mary P. (b 1869).
James G. Brown's mother died and Charles M. Brown (b 1801 in Virginia) married
Martha Barrett (born 1807 in Virginia).
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| Menzo Caliman |
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Left:
Moses Caliman (John's Father)
John &
Grace Caliman Family
Clare,
Veda, Esta, Menzo & Jay Caliman |
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Ola and
Al Caliman |
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Grace
and John Caliman |
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John & Grace
Caliman
50th Wedding Anniversary |
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Clark Caliman |
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Front:
Faye, Veda, & Mr. Caliman
(Sitting) Merle Caliman,
Tom Guy (Sitting)
Marie
Caliman, Lina Belle Guy (Sitting)
Jay & Menzo Caliman
Back:
John, Grace (Guy), &
(Holding) Esta Caliman |
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Al Caliman and
Merle |
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Merle and Marie
Caliman |
The
Caliman's, along with the Sawyer, Guy, Lett, Segee and Tate families
started migrating to the Michigan area around 1863. They were from
Indiana and Southwestern Ohio, settling in Van Buren, Montcalm and
Isabella Counties. There are two different families of Calimans
listed. Here are some of their generations.
Benjamin
Caliman was married to Elizabeth (Perrill). They had nine children.
Their daughter Sara Jane (1833 - 1897) was born in Virginia and married Aquilla Lett April 4,
1856. (SEE
OTHIAS LETT).
Moses
Caliman married Amanda Lett. They lived in Ohio and had two sons,
John and Allan. John Henry Webster Spring Caliman, the oldest son of
Moses and Amanda Caliman, was born December 8, 1869 at Cumberland, Ohio.
He came to the mid-Michigan area where he met Grace Blanch Guy, daughter
of Thomas and Lina Bell Guy. John and Grace were married, January 6,
1902, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. Their children were Oscar Menzo,
Jay D., Fay Dewit, Veda L., John H., Esta Mae, Clair Guy and Dale Wayne.
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There are "Old Settlers"
who came from Canada via "The Underground Railroad." It was the
most dramatic nonviolent protest against slavery in the United States
that began in the Colonial Era and reached its peak between 1830 and
1865. An estimated 30,000 to 100,000 slaves
used the "railroad" to get to Canada; many others escaped to Mexico,
the Caribbean, and Europe.
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