History of Berrien County Michigan, D.W. Ensign & Co, 1880.

(after) p.308



Among the many prominent men who appear upon the pages of this book, none is more worthy of note than William H. Tryon, who was born in Staford, Fairfield Co., Conn., May 15, 1816.

Some lives are spent where they first see light, but Mr. Tryon does not belog to that class, he having lived in the following states: Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Indiana.

In 1836 Mr. Tryon settled on land in Royalton township, section 29, where he now resides.

Roland Tryon, father of the subject of this sketch, came to Michigan in bringing only part of his family; the others followed soon after. He entered eighty acres of land that his son William now owns; he also entered land in other townships, living long enough to see his family all well settled. He died at the advance age of ninety-four years. William has added eighty acres to the entry of his father; erected a large brick house in the place of the small and inconvenient one that was first built; has improved his farm and made of it a very desirable place; has been one of the largest fruit-growers in the township. Mr. Tryon has not only been engaged in farming and fruit-raising, but carried on a general store in Royalton for six years. He has also been a grain-dealer in Chicago.

His neighbors, and the citizens of the township and county, have ever regarded him as a man whom they could trust, and have placed him in many positions of honor. Among the offices he has filled are the following: director of the National Bank at St. Joseph, two years; justice of the peace, four years; township treasurer, two years; coroner, six years; and notary public, six years, holding this office at the present time. He has all his life taken a decided political stand, and is an out-and-out Republican. He is also a member in good standing of the Masonic lodge in St. Joseph, and also of the Odd-Fellows. On the 17th of April, 1844, he married Mary E., daughter of Jonathan and Deborah Kent. Four children blessed their union, but death invaded the family circle and claimed two, viz.: William R. and Orleanna A. Minte is the wife of Jesse B. Hamilton, living in Lansing, Mich.; Charles E. married Miss Celestine P. Collier, and is living at home with his parents. Mrs. Tryon was born in Chatham, Morris Co., N.J., Sept. 7, 1826; and in 1851 joined the Methodist Church.

In the early settling of this State there was plenty of wild game; this afforded sport for many of the people, none enjoying it more than Mr. Tryon, who was a very successful hunter. As an instance of his success, he narrates making a score of thirty-seven deer, sixteen coons, six wild turkeys, and nine swarms of bees in a forty-days' hunt; also, as an experience of the early days, of having had a vist to New Jersey from Michigan byt he way of the lakes, being thirty-seven days on the way; the cause of this being he condition of the boat; after starting out it was discovered to be leaking, and the water had to be bailed out by the men, it taking them twenty-four days to go from St. Joseph to Detroit.