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submitted by Todd D. Conover |
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Condensed version of obituary printed in the Newaygo Republican 19 March 1891:
Henry J. Orton was born on the 2nd day of May, 1818, at Luzerne, Saratoga Co., NY, and died in this village, Newaygo, MI, March 12, 1891. He was married to Miss Lydia Gregory of Glen's Falls, NY, March 27th 1845.
The early years of Mr. Orton's life were spent as a canal boatman on the old Erie Canal, he and his brother being proprietors of a line of boats on that famous canal. In 1853 the original Newaygo Company was formed at Glen's Falls with the brothers A.F. & H.J. Orton becoming members of it, and in September of that year operations were commenced at Newaygo. The Ortons were moving spirits in the enterprise and the Muskegon River was damned almost entirely under the supervision of Henry, who developed a great skill in that work and became noted as a skillful dam builder.
After a few years of success the affairs of the company became badly tangled and the property was bought by Wood & Lawrence. Later the firm of A.F. & H.J. Orton was formed and soon became one of the most prominent concerns on the river. They bought a mill at Muskegon and did a heavy lumbering business. For years they had contracts for running all the logs cut on the river to Muskegon. A.F. Orton had charge of all the business at Muskegon, while H.J. was engaged in affairs up the river. At the death of A.F. on October 17th 1873, it was found that the affairs of the firm were again tangled. After the death of his brother Henry wound up the affairs as best he could and since then has done little.
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