Early
Memories of
Author: Heath, May Francis
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company;
W. G.
TISDALE
William Graham Tisdale
was born in Norwich, Conn., 1838, of Puritan settlers who had settled there
about 1630. He was left an orphan at the age of three and in early manhood came
West to Chicago, where in 1866 he was married to Miss Hannah Matilda Mortensen;
she was born in Christiana, Norway, in 1847, coming to Chicago in 1850 and was the
first Norwegian-born child to graduate from the Normal department of Chicago
High school.
In 1874 Mr. and Mrs.
Tisdale came to live on the west side of the Kalamazoo river, locating there
for the natural beauty of the place, good schools and churches, and a good opening
for contracting business which Mr. Tisdale followed, some of the larger jobs
being the construction of the old wooden bridges between the two villages, the
Moore and Dutcher flour mill, and many village homes.
Mr. and Mrs. Tisdale
appreciate what the wonderful surroundings of Saugatuck could do for the
bringing up of a large family, the primitive training and love of nature it
would give them. They often received offers for their home on the river banks
but refused, on account of the schools and church influence.
There were six children,
Electa, Matilda, George, Susan, Sarah and William.
Mr. Tisdale passed from
this life in 1907 and Mrs. Tisdale lives at Ypsilanti, Mich.