E. J. Knowlton's Death

E.J. KNOWLTON'S DEATH

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AN OLD AND RESPECTED RESI-

DENT OF THE CITY

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He Was the Father of Prof. Jerome

Knowlton and Mrs. Victor H.

Lane

Ernest J. Knowlton, No. 322 N.

State st. ,died Monday evening about 11

o'clock, aged 81 years.

Mr. Knowlton was born Feb. 11,

1818, at Manlius. New York. His

parents carne from New England. He

married Miss Roxana R. Potter,

March 17, 1850. Their union was

blessed by three children, Prof. Jerome

C. Knowlton, of the University of

Michigan, Ida K., wife of Prof. Victor

C. Lane, also of the university, and

Mildred, wife of William T. Whedon,

she having preceded her father in death

two years ago. Mr. Knowlton and

wife removed to Michigan 50 years

ago settling in Canton, Wayne county,

later he resided in South Lyon, until

1867, when he removed to Ann Arbor,

where he has since lived. Early in

life he had a great desire to go to

college and in order to carry out this

purpose he hired his time of his father.

He and his brother were contractors on

the Erie canal. During this time his

brother died with typhus fever which

also attacked Mr. Knowlton. Circum-

stances were such that he failed to

acquire the college education he so

greatly desired, but he succeeded in

obtaining a very good general educa-

tion. He taught school 11 terms and

traveled for a number of years. Later

he became an inventor of a ladder, a

land roller and universal bath on all

of which he received patents. He ac-

cumulated his handsome competency in

this line of business many thousands of

his universal baths being sold through-

out the country.

He was an earnest supporter of the

union cause in the war of the rebellion

and did much work in filling the quota

of men from his town. He was a man

of most persevering character and in-

domitable courage, never being cast

down by matters that would have dis-

couraged ordinary men. He was an

earnest Christian, having united with

the M. E. church when lie first carne to

Ann Arbor and remained a consistent

member until the time of his death.

For many years he was a member

of the official board of the church. He

always took great interest in city and

public affairs generally.