Notes:

1898, Feb 22 Cadillac, Wedding at Cadillac, Waldo Cummer, son of the wealthy lumberman, marries Miss Cooke.
Two of Cadillac's most prominent & popular young people were united in marriage at noon today. The contracting parties were Waldo E Cummer, a son of Wellington W Cummer, the wealthy lumberman & Miss Clara Cooke, dau. of Seth cooke of this city. The wedding was celebrated at the home of the bride's father & was attended by the relatives & intimate friends of the bride & groom. The wedding gifts were costly & profuse. The newly wedded couple left on the afternoon train for the south. Their future home will be at Jacksonville, Fla, where Mr. Cummer is interested with his father & brother in the operation of a larger new lumber plant. - - -

Died:
Verify location.

Waldo married Clara COOK on 22 Feb 1898 in Cadillac, Wexford Co., Michigan. Clara was born on 23 Jun 1873 in Cadillac, Wexford Co., Michigan; died in 1905 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida; was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Ada G CUMMER was born in 1903 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida.
2. Barbara V W CUMMER was born in 1904 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida.
3. Wellington Willson CUMMER, .II was born on 4 Jan 1912 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida; died on 21 Feb 2005 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida; was buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville.

Notes:

. 1895 Jan 21. Wellington W Cummer, Cadillac, Michigan, Age 48 year, Height 5 feet 6 3/4 inches, eyes blue gray, Hair sandy, complexion light.

Wellington Willson was married to 3 October 1871 at Hersey, Osceola Co., Mich., to Mary Ada Gerrish; born 20 August 1853 at Lee, Penobscot Co., Me., daughter of Nathaniel L. Gerrish & Caroline Gatchell. Late residence, Jacksonville, Florida.

His early education was received in the district school near Toronto, & when his parents removed to Newaygo, Mich., in 1860....further schooling at Waterdown, Ontario & Bryant & Stratton Business College, Toronto.

His father operated a flouring mill in connection with his business as a farmer in Canada & continued in this industry for several years after coming to Newaygo. In connection with his grist mill, he gradually added lumbering operations ...
Moving rather rapidly to Croton, Mich., then in Cedar Springs, Michigan, the family settled in 1870 at Morley, Michigan where the Cummers really commenced their development as lumbermen. While located in Morley, he was married on October 3rd, 1871, to Mary Ada Gerrish, daughter of Nathaniel Lord Gerrish & Caroline Gatchell Gerrish of Hersey, Michigan.
Children:
Arthur Gerrish Cummer born 10 Oct 1783, married Ninah M Holden.
Waldo Emerson Cummer, born 31 December 1875; married Clara M. Cook.
Mabel Carrie Cummer, born 7 May 1882; married John L. Roe.

. 1887 Dec 14, Wed. - Shot at W W Cummer. Cadillac - It has just come to light here that W W Cummer of this place, a wealthy lumberman well known over the State while walking from the Muskegon River back to the Toledo, Ann Arbor & Cadillac Road early last week, was mistaken for Supt. Ashley & fired upon. He was alone & saw a man near Chapin's place fire several shotes in succession. The smoke floated between Mr. Cummer & the marksmen, so he believed the shots were directed at himself. Upon subsequent inquiry it was learned that the man who had driven Mr. Ashley, Mr. Cumme & others over to the Muskegon river was asked at Chapin's who the party were. He replied: "Mr. Ashley & some friends." It is presumed, judging from later developments, that this was a deliberate attempt to take Mr. Ashley'is life, mistaking Mr. Cummer for him.
Ref: Saginaw News.

. 1886 Mar 12, Mayor Cummer of Cadillac calls on all citizens to shoot at sight all unmuzzled dogs found on the streets for the next 20 days.
Ref: Muskegon Chronicle.

. 1888 Nov 20 - Mayor Cummer of Cadillac, has supposed he was a citizen, but now finds that he is not, nor was his father before him. He has therefore vacated the office to which he was elected last spring & a special election will be held to fill the place.
. 1888 Dec 12 - Wellington W Cummer, who resigned as Mayor of Cadillac because he thought he was not a full fledged citizen, was re-elected to that position last Monday.
Ref: Saginaw News.

. 1890 Feb 19 - Wellington W Cummer, of Cadillac, is off for Florida to look after his southern pine & to give his family a sun bath. Ref: Muskegon Chronicle.

* 1895 USA Passport Application: Wellington W Cummer, a Naturalized & Loyal Citizen of the USA apply for a passport for myself & Wife Mary Ada Cummer, bon Lee Maine, 20 Aug 1853., I was born at Toronto, Canada, 21 Oct 1846, emigrated on board the Delaware Ontario on 14 May 1860,
Resided 34 years from 1860 to 1895at Michigan., Naturalized citizen of US on 5 Nov 1888.
Description of applicant, Age 48, 5 feet 6 Inches, high & full forehead, blue gray eyes, medium straight nose, medium mouth, round but chin, sandy hair, light complexion, found & full face.
. 1895 Jul 27 - W W Cummer of Cadillac, passed through the city yesterday on his return from a trip to Europe & the Holy Land. [What 'city' was not referenced, but Grand Rapids is presumed. PJA] Ref: Grand Rapid Press.

. 1904 Dec 17, Bought Cummer Homestead. Larens W Wolcott has purchased of Wellington D Cummer of Jacksonville, Fla., the Cummer homestead at the corn of Fulter St & College Ave, the consideration being $14,000. The property has a frontage of 150 feed upon Fulton St & a depth of 265 feet on collage Ave.The residence is a large frame structure & is to be occupied by the purchaser as a home.

. 1907 Dec 13 - Burned to Ground - At 8 o'clock last night a big distillery in connection with the chemical works of the Cummer-Diggns Co. of this city was completely destroyed by fire....$100,000, partially covered by insurance. One of the 2 watchmen on duty in the distillery all night discovered a leak in one of the stills. He was using an incadencent light which he had lowered into the hole ...alcohol ignited ..forced the men to flee for their lives. The fire dept. had to run over a mile over a rough road & when the water was turned ton the flames, they had a headway that no volume of water could check.
Re. Flint Journal Newspaper.

. 1909 Nov 2, Tues: Give A Fine Site Mr. & Mrs. Bertsch Woman's Hospital Benefactors. Donors Are Modest Cummer
donors are Modest, Cummer Eight Acres at East Fulton & Carlton, Proposed Loa against residuary legacy may provide money for new buildings.
Through the beneficence of Mr & Mrs Christian Berishch, the Woman's Home & Hospital association only temporarily will be confined to its cramped outgrown & insufficient quarters on Bostwick St...yesterday recorded deeds in the office of the register of deeds transfers of the ideally beautiful Cummer property at E Fulton St & Carlton Ave.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press, (abbreviated).

Obituaries
. 1909 Dec 27: Dies in the south, W.W. CUMMER, CADILLAC'S BENEFACTOR, PASSES AWAY.
CADILLAC, DEC 27: A telegram received here announces the death Saturday night of W. W. CUMMER OF Jacksonville, Fla., millionaire manufacturer & philanthropist, who had been closely identified with Cadillac for years & who had extensive interests here. Heart trouble, from which he sought relief in Germany & other foreign countries, cause death. Funeral services will be held in Jacksonville, Tuesday & Cadillac business men will suspend business for a time in observance of the funeral. Mer. Cummer was 63 years old. One daughter survives.

. 1909 Dec 29 - Mourn for Cummer, Cadillac Business Men Close during His Funeral (Special to the Evening Press, Cadillac, Dec 29:
With flags from municipal & county buildings aft half-mast, business houses & several of the large mills were closed yesterday afternoon from 2:30 to 3:30, while the funeral of Wellington W Cummer, millionaire lumberman, was being held at Jacksonville, Fla. Memorial service were held in the First Congregational church, Rev E J Millington paying a tribute in sermon to the memory of the former citizen of this city. Deceased was once mayor of Cadillac & served several terms as alderman. He was prominent in business & politics & made many bequests to charities.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press. - - -

The Hummers of Riverside
Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Ninah Cummer, Wellington cummer.

Wellington Cummer. photo credit: The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens
The Cummer family already had significant lumber holdings in Michigan & Virginia when Wellington Cummer moved his family, including sons Arthur & Waldo, from Cadillac, Michigan to Florida in 1896. When the men of Cadillac queried why they were moving to Jacksonville, the answer they received was, “to turn boys into men.”

One of the Cummer Lumber Company sawmills, circa 1900.
In truth, as the pine forests in Michigan became exhausted, the firm found a field for its energies in Florida.  Here the business was carried on in the name of the Cummer Lumber Company. Cummer bought up vast tracts of cypress & long leaf pine forest, eventually becoming the largest landowner in the state.
To haul lumber & phosphate from Cummer operations in Georgia, the company constructed the Jacksonville & Southernwester Railway, a railroad nearly 100 miles long. Sons Waldo & Arthur formed the Cook-Cummer Steamship Line & built a mill and phosphate shipping facility north of the city that employed 1150 workers in 1906.
Michigan architect William Williamson designed this palatial home for Wellington & Ada Cummer, which was built in 1902 at a cost of $25,000. The white & yellow home featured four massive columns, highly detailed portico, & a one-story colonnade wrapping around the Georgian Revival Style structure. There were huge reception rooms & a vast wine cellar.
During the Great Fire of 1901, the Cummers opened the third floor of their home to some destitute families that had nowhere else to stay. Cummer died Christmas Day, 1909, & his subsequent funeral was said to have been one of the largest held in the city’s history.
Although sons Waldo & Arthur were able businessmen, it was Arthur’s wife, Ninah, who is responsible for the Cummer family’s most lasting legacy. Active in several charitable groups and a leading light of Riverside society, Ninah also was an avid gardener & knowledgeable collector of European treasures, from a 16th century polyptich, to Meissen porcelain, Old Master portraits, Russian icons & snuff boxes of lapis lazuli. When she passed on, Ninah willed that her home, with its stunning gardens & cultural treasures, be turned into a museum. The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, built on the site of the home of Arthur & Ninah Cummer, opened its doors November 10, 1961. The Cummer Museum isn’t the only Cummer legacy still standing. Waldo Cummer’s first home, purchased from Riverside developer Edward Cheney, was moved to its present location in 1911. this charming, elegant & well manner home, now 140 years old, is all that remains of Riverside in its infancy.
Ref: Jacksonville Historical Society, 2011.

Buried:
Large memorial cement resting bench, inscribed for Wellington & Ada Cummer.

Wellington married Mary ADA Hogg GERRISH. Mary was born on 20 Aug 1853 in Lee, Penobscot Co., Maine; died on 8 Nov 1929 in Jacksonville, Duval Co., Florida; was buried on 11 Nov 1929 in Evergreen Cemetery, Jacksonville. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Ada is the daughter of Caroline Gatchell & Nathaniel Lord Gerrish, of Maine.

1905 Sep 12 - Pioneer of Cadillac - James Hogg, one of the early pioneers of this section died here after a few weeks' illness. Mr. Hogg had resided in Cadillac for 1st quarter of a century. He is survived by 2 children, Mrs. Ida Cummer of this city & Will Hoag of Detroit.

1911 Jan 20 - Woman Aids Cadillac Library, - Mrs W W Cummer, of Jacksonville, Fla, has donated a check of $500 to the public library fund. Mrs. Cummer was a former resident of Cadillac.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press.

Wellington Willson & Ada Gerrish Cummer were among the first residents in the Riverside area of Jacksonville, FL. Wellington started the family's lumber business 1896. In addition to a large & modern saw mill located at Panama Park at the mouth of the Trout River, the Cummers also owned vast timber tracts in Baker, Alachua & Levy Counties, as well as a phosphate plant at Newberry, Florida. These various properties were connected by a 100 mile long railroad line constructed by the Cummer family. Named the Jacksonville & Southwestern Railroad, this line later became part of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad. Pine, cypress, & oak, as well as phosphate rock, was brought by train to Jacksonville where it was shipped from the Cummer docks. In addition to being one of the largest employers in Jacksonville during the early 1900's, the Cummer land holdings had increased to the point that the family was the largest private landowner in the state with over 500,000 acres. The extensive Cummer holdings which included the sawmill, a box factory, & wood processing plant, came under the management of brothers Arthur & Waldo with the death of their father, Wellington in 1909. 

Monument Inscription:
An oak has fallen - in the time of changing leaves & somber haze
A man has fallen - in his prime. And this the triumph o'er the tomb: The man who slumbers does not die His life doth other lives illume.

Obituary of Descendant of Ada & Wellington Cummer.1st: Will Cummer
November 01, 1938 - October 25, 2015

Will Cummer, of Wakefield, passed peacefully away at home, on October 25, 2015, with his family at his bedside. He was born in Jacksonville, FL, a son of the late Wellington Willson Cummer & Caroline Stevens Cummer. Will died of Cancer at age 76.
Will received his BA from Yale University & his PhD in Classical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania, studying at the American School of Classical Studies in Athens. Between his undergraduate & graduate programs, he was a Lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. In graduate school he met & married Sarah Boll Cummer. They had t2 children together. He was a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome, & a Director of the American Research Institute in Turkey. As a Professor at Cornell University & the Rhode Island School of Design, he taught Classical & Near Eastern Art & Architecture. He worked on Archaeological excavations in Greece, Italy & Turkey (including being a diver/excavator on a Roman shipwreck). In Rome he ran a course, “Illustrating Archaeology”, teaching how to survey & draw Archaeological sites, where he met his wife, Whitney, a fellow teacher.

He was interested in everything & did it all with great enthusiasm. A boat-builder & sailor, he restored his beloved 1936 Concordia sloop “Cinderella” back to her former glory, as well as building prams, skiffs & even a colonial punt for Smith’s Castle. He created a magnificent garden with ponds, waterfalls, a march, a birch grove, & every imaginable shrub, tree & flower. He loved kayaking, hiking in the Adirondacks, Bluegrass music, building theater sets, soccer (both as his children’s coach & as a diehard “Barcelona” fan), & volunteering – for Meals on Wheels, Welcome House, URI Watershed Watch, Hospice Care of RI, & the South Kingstown Land Trust. Will was a Trustee with his sister Cheryl, of the Cummer Family Foundation in Jacksonville, Florida. When he wasn’t volunteering, or helping his family & multitude of friends, he was on Narragansett Bay or in his garden. He passed on to all his family & friend show to live with joy, friendliness & humor, & to face illness with courage.
He is survived by his loving family - his wife Whitney Powell, his son Willson Cummer & daughter-in-law Michelle Breidenbach, his daughter Clementine Douglas Cummer, his son Samuel Ross Cummer, & his sister Cheryl Stevens Cummer & brother-in-law Jack Lyle. He also leaves his beloved grandchildren Magdalena Cummer Nacco, & Giuliana Cummer Nacco. He will be much missed by his sisters & brother- in-law, Deborah Abbott& Ross & Kate Powell, nieces Ada Cummer Chamberlain, Whitney Eno, & Kate & Jon Nazemi, & grandnieces Kate Chamberlain, Chloe & Maeve Nazemi, & grandnephew Ciaran Chamberlain.
A Memorial service will be held on May 14, 2016 at 2:00pm, at the South Kingstown Land Trust Barn, 17 Matunuck Beach Road, Matunuck, RI. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Welcome House, 8 North Road, or the South Kingstown Land Trust, 227Robinson Street, both in Wakefield, RI 02879. - - -



- - -

Birth:
Alt Spelling: Ada Hoag. Verify name.

Died:
807 Riverside Ave.

Buried:

Notes:

. Jacob Cummer Sr.
In addition to his ability in other lines he was quite clever in the treatment of horses & cattle and was much sought after on this account. Bleeding was of course a common practice at that time & for this work he owned a spring lance made in England, containing several different blades. His skill, moreover, was frequently used in treating his neighbors & his grandson Jacob Cummer was at one time sent to him for treatment. He says of his grandfather, "He looked me over, locating my pain. 'I guess I had better bleed you.' He took out his lance,
examining it carefully, wiping it. Grandmother brought the bowl, expecting to hold it. He said, 'Let him hold the bowl; if he can't, he is no Cummer,' & I held it. He said, 'You will pass all right'
Notes: For the foregoing account of Jacob Cummer & his life we are indebted to his grandson, Jacob Cummer, who several years before his death dictated a partial account of the family to his son, Wellington W. Cummer.
Ref: An addendum to the Cummer Memorandum: pertaining to the Mallmann family, Walter LeRoy Mallman, 1976.

. 1855 Apr 26 York Twp. Agricultural Spring Fair was held Tuesday at Nightingale's Tavern, Yonge Street An import horse, Cumberland, took first prize. General purpose Stallions, 2nd prize, Jacob Cummer.
Ref: The Globe Newspaper, Toronto.

Cummer Memorial. Jacob Cummer s early youth was without stirring incidents. His early education was obtained at the common schools & before he attained his majority he became a flour miller, learning his trade at Lockport, N. Y. For a time he operated the mills at Reading Mills, near Willowdale. He then became a miller at Delaware, Ont. Later he moved to Newaygo, Mich., & afterwards to Croton in the same State. At both places he was engaged in lumbering & milling. At Cedar Springs he devoted himself to lumbering. Then at Morley & later at Cadillac he & his son, Wellington, controlled extensive lumber tracts as J. Cummer & Son.

As the pine forests in Michigan became exhausted the firm found a field for its energies in Florida. Here the business was carried on in the name of the Cummer Lumber Company, with Jacksonville as its headquarters. In this firm were representatives of 3 generations, Jacob Cummer, his son Wellington, & his grandsons Arthur & Waldo.

At Cadillac Jacob Cummer was a devoted member of the Congregational Church, being a charter member of the organization of that body. In the church he held the office of deacon. Political life did not attract him, but at Morley he was elected Justice of the Peace, & at Cadillac he occupied the office of Mayor as well as being a member of the Board of Education for many years.

If he possessed any characteristic which might be called a distinctively Cummer one, it was a firm &positive nature. Moreover he was almost always correct in his judgment & so was greatly esteemed, as a good adviser, by those who knew him. His business methods were simple but lived up to most exactingly. He lived & worked by the Golden Rule. Furthermore, whatever he did was done well. Indeed, he could not even undertake a thing unless it were worth doing well. Whenever he put in a foundation for a piece of machinery, it never failed him. It was by these virtues that his life was regulated.

Originally his trade was that of a miller & he followed it until the fall of the year 1869. Gristing in Northern Michigan was done largely for the early pioneers, & it was his rule never to take toll from the first products of the land, so that in this way many a farmer s heart was made happy. As an example, a young pioneer is recalled, one who had come a distance 40 miles with only 10 bushels of wheat, the entire year s product. Jacob Cummer's son had charge of the mill &, of course, his instructions were not to toll the grist of this young pioneer. When morning came & he was given his grist, the pioneer was asked where his bags should be put. "Why," he said, "I have brought my extra bags & I see that they are filled; therefor there is nothing more due me." The miller insisted that it was all his, & as the farmer stoutly denied it, he was finally told that it was the rule not to take toll from the first products of the pioneer s land. The farmer was greatly affected & the tears coursed down his cheeks as he said, "This perhaps does not mean much to you or your father, but it is every thing to me & my family, & all I can do now is to thank you, but I will never forget this little act of kindness." Nor did he, for on the night of the same day, & for several days afterwards, new customers came to the mill who had designed going elsewhere, but who had made the Cummer Mill their preference through the instrumentality of the young pioneer. Jacob Cummer did these things, not with the view of any direct gain, but because he thought they were right. However, the gain came to him, & many fold.

As an example of his consideration for others, it may be said that at the mill he built a comfortable barn, in which the farmers kept their teams over night, & all that was asked of them was to furnish their horses with the necessary provender. In his large & commodious office he built a series of bunks, which at night, by an ingenious device of his, made comfortable beds that could be rolled together again in the day time, so as to form a bench. In the office he kept a large case of good smoking tobacco & some clay pipes. All these conveniences were free to the farmer.

Near Newaygo there lived a tribe of Indians, the Pottawattames. They became quite familiar with Mr. Cummer & confided to him all the little troubles which came up in the course of their business affairs. The government annuities were paid to them through him & what corn they raised he ground free of cost. Of course, it was not much, but still sufficient for their wants. Their chief, "Poconobino," could talk some English & naturally he was the one with whom Mr. Cummer dealt. During the Sioux War in Minnesota in the fall of 1862, these Indians feared that the whites would wage war against them & completely annihilate them. For weeks not an Indian was to be seen. Of course, the white settlers felt uneasy, fearing that the Indians were preparing for an outbreak, & every man who could drill & shoulder a musket did so. After a while "Poconobino" found a way to avoid the guards & reached Jacob Cummer s home. After a conference with him, he met some of the city s principal officers who assured him that there would be no trouble. With Jacob Cummer's endorsement of this promise he returned to his tribe & old relations were revived.

. 1884 Mar 7, Fri. - Cummer of Cadillac, intents to extend his logging road to Lake City to tap a ten years cut of timber.
Ref: Jackson Citizen Patriot, MI.

. 1886 Jul 12 - The Cummer lumber company will build 2 mile additional to their logging railroad, north of Cadillac, to reach the tract of pine recently purchased.

. 1888 Feb 2 - Cummer's ladder company of Cadillac recently shipped a car load of ladders to California.
Ref: Muskegon Chronicle, Muskegon, Michigan.

. 1904 Jan 30 - Attack of Apoplexy Jacob Cranmer of Cadillac Unconscious Today From Its Effects, Jacob Cummer, pioneer lumberman of the City, was attacked by a slight stroke of apoplexy at his home here last night. He is still unconscious, though he is not expected to die. Mr Cummer, who is the father of W W Cummer, the millionaire lumberman, is himself a millionaire. He has been engaged in the lumber business in this region for a quarter of a century or more & is well known all through this northern country. He is 78 years of age an has been in failing health for some time. Ref: Grand Rapids Press.

. 1904 Jun 21, Tues. The Cadillac Library association has decided to accept the Carnegie offer of $15,000 for a public library. WW & Jacob Cummer, millionaire lumbermen of this city, have donated a fine site in the central part of the city & the work of building will commence in ten days.
Ref: Evening News, Sault Ste. Marie, MI.
. 1904 Nov 4, Fri. - Lumberman Is Dying Jacob Cummer of Cadillac Is Well Known in the State:
Cadillac's pioneer lumberman, Jacob Cummer, is rapidly nearing death at his home in this city. The family doctor sys he will not live through the day. Senility is the cause of his illness. He is one of the wealthiest & best-known lumberman in Michigan.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press.

Biography of Jacob Cummer. Ref: History of Wexford County, MI. 1903, B F Bowen, p 83-85. (MIGenWeb, Wexford Co.)

. Michigan Death Certificate # 963,
Jacob Cummer, 218 East Maston, 2nd ward, Cadillac, Michigan
born First November 1823, age 81 years, days, Willowdale, married
Died Nov 7 1904, chronic Nephritis.
Son of John Cummer, Toronto Canada & Sarah Lockman Smith, Toronto,
Lumberman, Burial Cadillac, MI.

. Obituary, Monday, Nov 7, 1904:
JACOB CUMMER DEAD - Cadillac Man had capital invested in Grand Rapids (Special to the Evening Press.)
Cadillac, Nov 7- Jacob Cummer, aged 80, & one of the best known lumberman in this section, died this morning after an extended illness. He had heavy investments in this locality. For several years he had been a stock holder & director of the Old National bank at Grand Rapids.
. The death of Jacob Cummer, which occurred at his home at Cadillac early this morning was announced at the meeting of the directors of the Old National bank today. A committee comprising W R Shelby, Harvey J Hollister & Wm Judson was appointed to draw suitable resolutions, which will be presented at the next meeting of the directors, Mr. Cummer had been a member of the directorate of his bank since the name of Old National was assumed in 1883, & was one of the largest stockholders in the institution. While some of his associate was delegated to attend the funeral tomorrow, a number of the directors will be present at the services.
Ref: Grand Rapids Press.

. 1904 Nov 8, Tues.,
Jacob Cummer, Prominent Lumberman, dies at Cadillac Nov 7th
Jacob Cummer, a pioneer lumberman & member of the firm of Cummer Diggins & Co., died yesterday, aged 80 years.
He was born in Canada in 1823 & his father, John Henry Cummer, was the first white child born in Toronto. In 1860 he moved to Newaygo & there made his fortune in lumber, putting his logs into the Muskegon river & selling them at Muskegon. In 1876 he & his son Wellington W Cummer, moved to Cadillac & continued their lumber operation near here.

Attack Of Apoplexy Jacob Cranmer of Cadillac Unconscious Today From Its Effects

Note: Very many Grand Rapids Newspaper, etc. articles concerning the Cummer & Diggins Lumber Company have not been transcribed here. -PJA. - - -

Died:
Chronic nephritis, 2 years, Paralysis.

Jacob married Mary Ann SNIDER on 6 Nov 1845 in Eglinton (Toronto), York Co., Ontario. Mary was born in 1825 in Willowdale (Toronto), York Twp., Ontario; died on 4 Jan 1918 in Cadillac, Wexford Co., Michigan; was buried on 8 Jan 1918 in Maple Hill Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Mary Ann is the daughter of Jacob Snider & Rachel McCready, both born in Canada.

. 1918 Jan 18 - Nobleton. Mr. Arthur Snider, accompanied by Harvey Snider & Howard Mitchell of Toronto, left on Saturday for Cadillac, Mich. to attend the funeral of their aunt, the late Mrs Jacob Cummer, who died last week. Mrs Cummer was over 90 years of age at the time of there death & left Canada with her husband many years ago settling on the site of what later became the town of Cadillac. The Cummer family have been very prominent in the lumber business & other enterprises in Michigan & other States of the Union. Mrs. cummer's only surviving brother is Albert Snider of Cadillac. Copied from the Bolton Enterprise. [i.e. A Mississauga-Toronto newspaper].
Ref: Newmarket Era Newspaper, Ontario.

. 1915 Apr 8 - Cadillac - Mrs. Jacob Cummer wife of the former well known Michigan lumber man, was 90 years old Wednesday. All her children are dead. She is a mother of the late Mrs. Fred A Diggins & Wellington Cummer, who left estates valued at several milions.
Ref: Flint Journal Newspaper. - - -

Died:
434 E Mason, Died Old xx in service, Senility, Aged 93y 8m 27d.=1824.4.7.

Notes:

John was born on Yonge Street, near Eglinton Ave., at the location directly adjoining Montgomery's Tavern. Lots. 4 & 5, Con 5 - 2 Vaughan Twp., Ontario

The Cummer Memoranda:
It is said that MacKenzie offered John Cummer the command of his forces but the offer was refused. On this account he was known among his neighbors as "the man who refused the sword." His refusal did not relieve him from the suspicion of the party in power. His belief in Reform principles & his personal friendship with MacKenzie subjected him to the suspicion of the government so that he was arrested as a rebel by the soldiery.

. 1837 Rebellion: It is said that MacKenzie offered John Cummer the command of his forces but the offer was refused. On this account he was known among his neighbors as "the man who refused the sword." David Gibson, was a prominent Reform leader. Now Gibson was an old neighbor, for his farm was just opposite the old Cummer homestead. ...Twice he was taken prisoner & rudely hustled to jail at Toronto by a drunken, irresponsible mob. His life was seriously endangered several times & this because it was known that he opposed the "Family Compact."

During the summer of 1838 he was attacked by that dreaded disease, cholera, & while he made a recovery, his health was seriously undermined. He was always busily engaged in his milling operations & carried on farming as well.

John retired & moved to Waterdown. He had started on a business trip & was staying at the home of his son, Franklin, on Elizabeth Street in Toronto. While here he was suddenly taken ill & died September 11, 1868. His grave is in the Necropolis at Toronto.

. c 1824 - William Lyon Mackenzie began publishing his Reform per, the Colonial Advocate. MacKenzie was a warm friend of John Cummer*
& it is related that when the latter passed the door of MacKenzie's printing shop in Toronto he was often summoned in by the great reformer & asked for his opinion on various radical not to say violent articles which he intended to print. It is said that the editor was always cautioned against making his denunciations too bitter. The Cummers, it would seem, rather leaned toward the more conservative wing of the party. The policy of the Willowdale neighbors was to refrain from war-like & treasonable measures.
. 1837 - After the complete & utter defeat of the rebels at Montgomery's tavern the victors burnt the home of David Gibson, a prominent Reform leader. Now Gibson was an old neighbor, for his farm was just opposite the old Cummer homestead & on the morning after the fire, John Cummer went down to view the place. After he had returned to his home, a band of British soldiers appeared. His family immediately knew that the worst had come. John Cummer the officer in charge noisily rode his horse up onto the veranda & hammered upon the door with the butt of his pistol. The father appeared and was tied by the wrists with a stout rope into line with the other rebels and so the party proceeded on foot down Yonge Street to the Court House in Toronto where they were locked up. John's confinement did not last long, however, for sometime the next day his release was secured by influential Tory friends, including his brother-in-law, Peter Lawrence. He owed his release to the influence of Sir Allan MacNab.
. This brings out an interesting story. It seems that in the course of his business he had furnished considerable lumber to Sir Allan for extensive building operations in Toronto, and being unable to secure payment, had even been obliged to have a capias issued on MacNab. Afterwards during the Rebellion MacNab heard that many of his old acquaintances were among the suspects in confinement and so he went to visit them. When he saw John Cummer he immediately demanded his release, saying that he was certainly not a traitor to the Government.
. In connection with the story of the Gibson home there is another interesting anecdote.It seems that the government had offered a reward of £500 for the capture of Mr. Gibson, & when the soldiers were unable to find him, they set fire to his house, hoping to drive him out. They did not do so, though they burned the house to the ground. During this time he was safely concealed behind a panel or invisible door in the log house of Jacob Cummer, where he had been hidden by Elizabeth Cummer when he first sought refuge. Here he remained 3days, while the soldiery ransacked all the houses in the neighborhood. When they appeared at the Cummer home & told Mrs. Cummer that they were hunting Gibson, she answered "all right, but you will not find him," & they did not.
. Others of our family were also involved in the Rebellion in a quiet way. Samuel Cummer, a rebel in sympathy, was drafted into the Government army & was locked up all night, but was released in the morning on account of his youth. MacKenzie's printing press was hidden in an old dry well back of Joshua Cummer's farm. Joshua's wife, Aunt Angelina, was a very ardent Reformer, & she had many an argument before the Rebellion with her brother-in-law, Peter Lawrence, who espoused Tory principles. She stated that after the Rebellion he became disgusted with the Tories & always afterwards voted the Reform ticket.
afterwards voted the Reform ticket.
Ref: An addendum to the Cummer Memorandum: pertaining to the Mallmann family, Walter LeRoy Mallman, 1976.

. 1848 May 19, York Twp. Dissolution of Partnership, The Partnership heretofore carried on by the subscribers, under the from of Carroll & Cummer, is this day dissolved by mutual consent. The business will be continued by Nathaniel Carroll, who is authorized to settle & receive all payments on account of the late from, Nathaniel Carrol, John Cummer.

Methodist Circuit Rider:
. 1859 Jan 23, Sunday - Came to Waterdown. No service here. The friends had not made any preparation such as making a fire, etc. O what little zeal for professors of Christ. Dear Lord, forbid that I should grown cold in thy cause. Finished reading the Book of Genesis today. This has been a cold day. Stopped at J Summers all night.
.Jan 29 Sat. Left Palermo fro Hamilton Stopped at the Parsonage. Pay out 7¢ toll. Came to Waterdown, staying at Father Cummers. Question: Was the solo of Adam immortal? The air was quite raw today. Thawed some half past nine. Let us fall down & worship the Lord. Praise ye the Lord.
. 1859 Jan 30, Sunday. Union Sunday School, Watertown. Gave them a short address. J Cummer, Supt. The Schoolis composed of 100 pupils & teachers. A very interesting School indeed. Took dinner at J Summers.
. 1859 Jan 31. Called on L Cummer but found him absent. Next went to F Crookers & then home to home to summers for dinner. Remaining all night at Dr Bucks. Father Cummer came down with me to Palermo. Weather was moderate again today, quite cloudy. Weather very mild for winter.
1859 Feb 15, Wed. Came to Bro Tezels to remain all night. Went to meeting in the even. Preach from Chron. 28:9. Felt happy in speaking. Praise the Lord. Weather very beautiful. It seems like Spring.
. 1859 Feb 18, Fri. Took tea with Bro Cummer. Went to prayer meeting, about 40 present at good meeting.
. 1859 Feb 19, Sat. Left Bro Summers for Palermo, Wen to church, this was our last Quarterly Meeting.
. 1859 Feb 22, Tues. Left home this bring for the English Settlement. Paid for maps 12¢ Horse shoeing 12¢. Have a fresh horse to drive. Came to Waterdown, took dinner at John Cummers. Called on Lockman Cummers, found him not at home. A mild day. It is now 10 o'clock p.m.
Ref: Diaries of Rev. Leonard Smith, Circuit Rider [Methodist].
. 1859 Mar 6, Sun. Went to Chapel expecting to preach but found Bro. Davis, A New Connexion Local Preach present who kindly consented to office date. He preached Heb. 12:14, good doctrine but dull & dry. Came to Waterdown, distance 7 miles, preached Isa 30:30 Came home to Father Cummer. Praise God for mercies to me during this day, sanctify my effort for good.
. 1859 May 2, Mon. Left for Waterdown with Rev J H Johns. Stoped at Father Summers. Came to Palermo to attend Annual Conference held there.
Ref: Diaries of Rev. Leonard Smith, Circuit Rider [Methodist].

Ontario Land Registry, Abstract North York Book 109, p3-9-10
Lot 21, Con 1 West Side Yonge,
. 1803 Sep 20, Patent, Crown, to John Corn, 210A
. 1855 Dec 23, Bargain & Sale, John Cummer et eux, to John Willson, £1000, Part W Half 29 acres.
. 1856 Nov 26, Mortgage, Peter Lawrence Jr eux, to John Cummer, £1000, E pt 130A
. 1855 Dec 23, B&S, John Cummer et ux, to John Willson, £1000, Part WHalf 29A.
. 1861 Dec 17, Grant, Peter Lawrence et ux, to John Cummer, $2400, Part 30A
. 1867 Feb 15, Quit Claim, John Cummer etux, to Peter Lawrence, $, $1., Part E Part 40A West.
. 1867 Feb 2, Mortgage, Peter Lawrence et ux, to Amelia Harding, $500, Part # 40 A.
. 1868 Feb 7, WILL of John Cummer
. 1869 Nov 2, Mortgage, Margaret Willson et al, *Exrs., to Ben Wincup, $1000 SE part 4A
. 1871 Jan 7, Ben Wincup, to Margaret Willson et al, Exrs. $1000, Part W 29A.
. 1878 May 18, Egerton Willson* et al, to Geo W Irwin, $3300, Part 48A
. 1881 Jul 11, Geo Cooper, to Peter Lawrence, $2300, E 40 of 70A.
. 1894 Nov 20, Peter Lawrence, to Geo Cooper, $2300, Part - .

[Page 9-10:]
. 1899 Jan 6, Mortgage, Geo W Irwin & Erma M his wife, to William B Willson*, 275, Part 84 Acres, Reg. in full.
. 1899 Oct 23, Agrt., Emma Maria Irwin, to., Wm. A Person, $400, Part 29 A Half.
. 1899 Oct 7, Assgnt. of Legacy, John C Willson, to Herbert E Irwin, $500, Part 29 A Half.
. 1899 Oct 20, Assgnt. of Legacy, Herbert E Irwin, to. Wm. A Person, $400, Part 29 A Half.
. 1899 Oct 23, Assgnt. of Legacy, Emma Maria Irwin, to Wm. A Person, $400, Part 29 A Half.
. 1899 Oct 23, Release of Legacy, Emma Maria Irwin, to Confederation Life Assn., $400, Part 29 A Half.
. 1899 Oct 17, Release of Legacy, Rufus Skinner, to Emma Maria Irwin, $536.60, Part 29 A Half.
. 1905 Feb 13, Grant, Egerton Willson, Exor of John Willson 4th., to Erma Maria Irwin, $1.00, Part 84A.1905
. 1905 Mar 31, Grant, Geo W Irwin, to Erma M, his wife, $1.00, Part 84A.

. 1905 Mar 2, Assgnt. of Legacy, Sarah Morris & Margaret Lawrence, to Emma Maria Irwin, $200, Part 29 A.
. 1905 Mar 13, Assgnt. of Legacy, Sarah M W Hannon, to Wm. A Person, $400, Part 29 A Half.
. 1905 Mar 31, Quit Claim, Wm A pasons, to Erma M Irwin, $1 & Prem.(?), Part Half 29 A
. 1906 Oct 26, Grant, Emma M Irwin, to Margaret H Boeckh, $3200, Part WHalf 29 A.
. 1906 Sep 25, Notice of Sale, Fletcher C Snider, Admr. of Edwin Snider,
to Geo W Irwin, Sidney M Johnston, Marle A E Bales, exrics. of Wm B Willson
. 1907 Apr 4, Grant Under Power, fletcher C Snider,Admr of Edwin Snider & Samuel V Blake to Wm H Cronyn, $625. Part 84 acres.


Note: Margaret Lawrence Willson* is brother of John H Cummer, & thus, also granddaughter of Jacob Cummer* & Egerton Willson* & Mrs. Erma M Willson Irwin* were the children of Margaret Willson.

. 1868 Sep 12 - Died, in this city, the mining of the 11th inst. at the residence of his son F D Cummer, 32 Isabella Street, John Cummer, Esq. of Watertown in his 72nd year.
The funeral will leave the house at 2:30 on Sabbath afternoon. Friends & acquaintances respectfully in tied to attend.
Ref: The Globe Newspaper, Toronto. - - -

Birth:


Died:
Died at son F D Cummer's, 32 Isabella Street.

Buried:
Red Granite pillar

John married Sarah Lockman SMITH on 1 Jan 1823 in Town of York (Toronto), Ontario. Sarah (daughter of David William SMITH and Rebekah WILLSON, .1) was born on 30 Jun 1806 in Willowdale (Toronto), York Twp., Ontario; died on 11 Apr 1870 in Waterdown, Wentworth Co., Ontario; was buried on 13 Apr 1870 in Toronto Necropolis Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Alt Name: Lackman, Lockman, Lakerman, & the original was Larzelere (Dutch).

. 1816 Aug 9 - WILL of John Willson Jur.2, To granddaughter Sarah Smith to be paid $200 & 2 cows & 8 sheep when she arrives at 18 years & also one bed & bedding which is not in the house. [John Willson.2 died 27 Dec 1818.]

. 1823 Jan 1st, York License, Markham, John Cumar married Sarah Soliner Smith [Is Soliner a transcript error?]
Witnesses: John Wilson & Sarah Cumar.
#78 Marriage by Rev. William Jenkins, Richmond Hill.

. Cummer Memoranda: At the time when John Cummer attained the age of about 10 years, there was born she who 16 years later was to become his wife. It would appear that John was a frequent visitor to the home of his future life-companion & very soon after her birth he asked her mother, Rebecca Willson Smith, that he be given the promise then & there that the child in after years might be his wife. Strange as it may appear, the youngster carried out his engagement. A promise was always a promise, then as in after life.

Obituary:
. CUMMER, Mrs: relict of the late John Cummer, died of paralysis at Waterdown, 11th inst.
Ref: Canada Christian Advocate 1858-1872, April 13, 1870, Pg 3, DN.

. Died, At her late residence, Waterdown, On Monday, the 11th inst, at 7:30 a.m., Sarah Lockman, relict of the late John Cummer, aged 64 years. The funeral will leave the Yonge street station Toronto, on Wednesday, the 13th inst. on the arrival of the train living Hamilton at 9:20 am, & will proceed to the Necropolis. friends & acquaintances are respectfully invited to attend.
Ref: The Globe Newspaper, Toronto.
Transcriptions by PJ Ahlberg. Thank you. - - -

Birth:
Born Yonge Street.

Died:
COD: Diopsy, 10 Weeks.

Buried:
Tall red granite pillar monument.