Biography of

                                                   LINUS D. ESTEE

                                            (transcribed by: L. Johnson)

 

     Among those persons who, by virtue of their strong individual qualities, earned their way

to a high standing in the estimation of their fellow citizens, having by sheer force of character

and persistency won their way from an humble beginning to a place of prominence and in-

fluence in the community where they were active in industrial affairs, the late Linus D. Estee

is entitled to special mention in a volume of this character.  He was a man whom everyone

admired, living and now that he has taken up his abode in the “windowless palaces of rest” his

memory is revered by a very wide circle of friends and acquaintanced, and the young man

hesitating where the highways divide could take no better model in shaping his career than to

follow that of Mr. Estee.

     Born on March 18, 1850, in Chautauqua county, New York, his parents brought him to

Michigan  when he was five years of age, his father buying one hundred and sixty acres of land

in Coe township, Isabella county, for which he paid fifty cents per acre and which subsequently

became very valuable land.  Here Linus D. Estee assisted in clearing and developing the place,

living at home until his marriage.  Advantages for obtaining an education in those early days

were meager, but he attended the district schools during the winter months for a time, later

“picking up” a great deal of miscellaneous knowledge.  When twenty years of age he was

married in Pennsylvania to Sarah Miller, whose death occurred in Pennsylvania, on January

12, 1884.  While living there he adopted a baby, Claude Hannett, who assumed the name of

Estee.  On March 28, 1886, Mr. Estee married Nettie J. Campbell, a representative of an ex-

cellent family, being the daughter of James and Euphema (Nelly) Campbell.  They were mar-

ried in Coe township, Isabella county, Michigan, this union being without issue.  After his first

marriage, Mr. Estee lived on his father’s farm until he purchased a farm adjoining that of his

father, also bought a little in another place, making in all fifty-one acres.  He erected a house

and barn and lived on the place until about 1904, making a pronounced success in his farming

and stock raising operations.  He then moved to Shepherd where he lived some time before

moving into the present beautiful Estee home.  It is an elegant and substantial house of cobble

stones and cement blocks.  It is one of the most pretentious and is the best built dwelling in

Shepherd, and here the many friends of the family always found an old-time hospitality and

good cheer prevailing.

     Before the death of his first wife, Mr. Estee conducted the Exchange hotel in Mt. Pleasant

about a year.  He took his wife to her home in Pennsylvania and there her death occurred. 

Soon afterwards he worked in Mt. Pleasant for Carr & Granger in the elevator business.  He

did well at whatever he undertook, and when the railroad was built into Shepherd he came

here and went into business with the Mr. Hannett referred to above, in 1886, which partnership

continued from the spring of 1886 until 1893, when the partnership was suspended, and until

about 1900 the subject conducted the business alone in a very successful manner, then took

his adopted son, Claude, in with him.  From 1900 until about three years before his death he

attended to the buying, leaving young Estee to take charge of the books and, in fact, to look

after the principal part of the business.  The death of Mr. Estee occurred on September 6, 1907,

after having been in failing health for two or three years.  He was a highly honored and influen-

tial man, beloved and respected by all, and at his death the local paper said:  “In the death of

Mr. Estee the village suffers the loss of a foremost and progressive citizen.  One who was allied

with every substantial improvement looking toward the welfare of Shepherd and his interests

were unselfish.  Mr. Estee has added greatly in making our village the good market point that

 

 

it is today.  He will be greatly missed, both in his home and outside, as he was a great home

body, a good provider, and always thoughtful of the poor.”

     Mr. Hannett, who was his partner in business for several years, speaks very highly of him,

and when he said that Mr. Estee was always very well known, having lived in the community

nearly all his life and was in business that would bring him in touch with all classes of people

who always knew him to be honest in all his dealings, a truth was stated and a very great com-

pliment was paid him.

     Mr. Estee was a noted sportsman, enjoying greatly a fishing or hunting trip, but these were

taken mostly on his own land, his large ranch, consisting of eight hundred acres in Clare county

near Lake George , known as the “Estee Ranch,” furnishing plenty of recreation in this direction.

He was very successful as a business man, being a keen observer, a man of splendid judgement

and foresight and his scrupulously honest methods won and retained the confidence of all class-

es.  By his own indomitable courage and perseverance he accumulated a large amount of val-

uable property and a handsome competence.  While he was a public-spirited  man and always

willing to do his full share in promoting the general interest of his locality, yet he was not an

office seeker and held only a few minor ones, for he preferred to devote most of his time to his

individual affairs.  He was interested in the Commercial State Bank of Shepherd.  He was not a

strong partisan, preferring to vote for the man whom he deemed best fitted for the office sought,

rather than for the party.  Fraternally he stood high in the Free and Accepted Masons of Salt

River, being a Master Mason.  Like her honored and popular husband, Mrs. Estee, a woman of

many fine attributes, is a favorite with a wide circle of friends, whom she delights to gather at

her elegant and neatly kept home.