Morris Atwood was a blacksmith by trade, and after reaching mature years moved to Ohio. Later he returned to his native State, and there died in 1872, at the age of sixty-five. His wife died in the Empire State in 1891. They were the parents of the following children: Horace, our subject; Elizabeth, the wife of J. W. Pearson; David, deceased, who left a family in New York; Ann; Frances, Mrs. Broth, of New York; Corella, the wife of a Mr. Reynolds, of New York; Rose, the wife of Lou Darbey; and John D., of New York.

Horace Atwood received only a limited education in the common schools of Ohio and New York, and at the youthful age of fourteen started out to fight his own way in life. He left the parental roof and sailed on the bark ‘Columbus’, of Fair Haven, MA, as a sailor. He went to some of the islands off Brazil, and after being before the mast for one year, and touching at Java, and other places, landed in Australia, where he remained for some time in the Swan River Colony. While there he engaged in whaling for two seasons, and received for his services $7.50 per month. After leaving that place he went to Hobart Town, Tasmania, and remained there in all about two years. While there he visited the Philippine Islands and made five trips to the Island of Mauritius, where he was engaged in the sugar trade. From there he went to Valparaiso, Chili, and was engaged in the employ of Chilian merchants at the copper ports. While in Chili he walked from Valparaiso to Tucumana, a distance of over two hundred miles, without any company. His only experience during that time was when his coat and cap of blue cloth were stolen by a peon, who kindly left his own in their place.

For about eighteen months Mr. Atwood remained in Chili, and then went to Callao, Peru, where he also engaged in different work for six months. After this, for six or seven months, he worked the nitre beds, and then went to Liverpool, England, where he hired to go on a merchant vessel and took two trips to southern Spain, on the Mediterranean Sea, making about forty ports. Late he sailed to Calcutta, India, the island of Colombo Seon and to Marseilles, France, also to various other ports, and then returned to Liverpool. From there he sailed to Sidney, Australia, and later from London to Liverpool, carrying a cargo of tea. Afterward he sailed to Quebec, Canada, but returned to Liverpool, thence going to the East Indies, and back to Liverpool, where he shipped for the west coast of Africa on the Senegambia River and touched many points in that country. Returning to Liverpool, he shipped for New York, but the vessel sprang a leak and sank twelve hundred miles west of Cape Clear about four p.m. The crew was picked up about nine a.m. next day by a steamer and carried back to Liverpool, where our subject remained for one month. He shipped again for New York, and arrived in that city in May, 1865, after having been absent from home eleven years. During that time he had heard from home but once, and his relatives had heard from him but once.

After returning home, he was engaged in tilling the soil on a farm in the Empire State, but shortly afterward returned to Ohio and worked for the Cleveland, Columbus at Cincinnati Railroad for two years. In 1866 he came to Michigan and was engaged in lumbering and other occupations from that date until 1874, when he moved on his present farm of eighty acres. He now has thirty acres under cultivation, and is one of the prosperous and substantial agriculturists of his section. He has served as Highway and Drain Commissioner from 1878, except about five years, and also, has served as School Director for three years, holding that position at the present time. In the year 1873, he was married in September, to Miss Helen Orton, a native of New York and daughter of Arcelus and Mariah (Cressett) Orton. Six children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Orton, those living being: Helen; Clara, the wife of Angus McDonald; Alice, the wife of Alexander McDonald; Lena, the wife of Ellis W. Lang, and Kate, wife of Frank Taylor. Mr. Orton died September 11, 1860, and in September, 1863, Mrs. Orton married William Lowing. They now reside in Georgetown Township. Mr. and Mrs. Lowing have one living child, Edgar. Mr. and Mrs. Atwood have been the parents of six children: Morris, Vesta and Ruby, deceased; Lena, Allie and Frank. Politically, Mr. Atwood is a Democrat, and socially he is a Mason, a member of Crescent Lodge No. 322. In 1865 he shipped from Liverpool on the ‘Great Eastern’ with troops for Quebec, Canada.