Skidmore, James

James Skidmore, an old and much respected resident of Troy, died at his home Nov. 23, 1886, at the advanced age of about 89 years. The deceased was born in Ulster county, New York, March 9, 1798. He came to Michigan with two brothers, who afterwards returned, in 1823, locating the farm upon which he died, having been the continuous owner of the same farm for 63 years. After locating his land he returned to Ulster county, where he was married the same year, 1823, to Miss Philanda Beach. They lived together 49 years, when she died in the spring of 1873, aged 72. We add a brief personal experience of this old pioneer, as published in the Pontiac Gazette Feb. 27, 1874. “I took up a farm, upon which I now live, of 80 acres, in the township of Troy. Shortly after I went back to New York, where I was married to Miss Philanda Beach, with whom I shared the pleasures and sorrows of life until last March, when she was taken from us, to a better land, I trust, in her 72d year.
It is needless for me to give an account of all the incidents of pioneer life with which I am familiar, it would only be repeating the same old story of toil and hard time. Suffice it to say that no one can realize what pioneer life is until they have experienced it, until they have left their home and friends, and gone into the wild forest, constructed for themselves a dwelling from the sturdy oak, and manufactured for themselves furniture from the saplings of the surrounding forest. When I first moved upon my farm I had nothing but good health and strong muscles to support myself and family, but by hard work and strict economy, I managed to buy a cow the first summer for eleven dollars. I also raised two acres of corn upon Mr. Satterlee's farm, the same summer, and I often sat down to a meal prepared from the productions of that cornfield and our limited dairy, which, in those days, I thought was good enough for any man. After we had been upon our farm about three years we had the misfortune to lose our house by fire, one cold January night, as we were visiting Mr. Alanson Goodrich's, with James Bailey and their families. But my neighbors, showing the true pioneer spirit, helped me to build a new house, which was completed in a week; they also contributed household goods and provisions enough to enable us to keep house for the remainder of
the winter. I have in my house to-day some of the dishes given to me upon this occasion.”