Cephas Field- Early Saugatuck Lighthouse Keeper

The Feb. 2010 newsletter shared a photo of the Jacob Fox family taken in about 1855, which we said was one of the earliest pictures we have seen of local residents. Jacob Fox was born in Pennsylvania in 1807, died in Douglas in 1871 and is buried in the Douglas cemetery. His wife and family soon moved on to Florida. One hundred and forty years after his death, his g-g-g-granddaughter Kay Fox sent us a copy of the family photo. From the collection of May Francis Heath, we have a photograph of Saugatuck Founder William Gay Butler, who died in 1857, meaning the photo predated that time. Now, thanks to a family historian on "Ancestry.com", we have another picture of a similar vintage.

Cephas Field (Sep. 17, 1785-Mar. 15, 1861)

In the 1850 census for Newark (later to be named Saugatuck), the very first persons listed were Cephas Field, Light Keeper, age 64, born in Massachusetts, and his wife Mehitable. Lake Michigan Lighthouse researcher Terry Pepper reports that Cephas was the 4th keeper of our Saugatuck Lighthouse, serving from June 5 1849 until he resigned April 15, 1853. He had been born in Deerfield, Massachusetts to Oliver Field and Ketura Hoyt in 1785. The Field Genealogy, 1901, by Franklin Clifton Pierce, reports at entry #1153:

"CEPHAS FIELD -- son of Oliver and Keturah (Hoyt), b. in Deerfield, Mass., Sept. 17, 1785; he went with his father in 1795 to Phelps, N. Y.; in 1809 removed to Sodus, N. Y.; in 1810 returned to Phelps; in 1821 removed to Lyons, Wayne county; in 1823 returned to Sodus; in 1837 removed to Allegan, Mich., where he d. March 15, 1861. While in Sodus he was engaged in the manufacture of salt. Finding that unprofitable, he abandoned it. After his removal to Allegan, he was engaged in mercantile and transportation business. He enlisted early in the war of 1812, and served until peace was declared. He was at the burning of Black Rock and Buffalo by the British Dec. 30, 1813; at the capture of Fort Erie July 2, 1814; battle of Bridgewater July 5, 1814; Lundy's Lane July 25, 1814, and at the defense of Fort Erie, where the British commander, General Drummond, was killed, Aug. 15, 1814, and various skirmishes on the Canadian frontier. He d. March 15, 1861. He m., 1805, Elizabeth, dau. of John J. S. and Polly E. (Hawks) Taylor, of Phelps, b. in Deerfield, Mass., Aug. 1, 1784: d. in Allegan, Mich., Dec. 24, 1839. Res. Sodus, N. Y."

In the 1950s Ruth Robbins Monteith put together a record book of early Michigan Land Grants which reports:

" Caphas FIELD age 69 of Newark, Allegan Co., Mich, applied for an additional Land Grant of 80A (acres) for service in the War of 1812. He had previously had a Land Grand of 40A.

"He was a Musician in Capt. James REESE Co., Lt. Ralph WOOD in the Artillery Regt. commanded by Col. Walter GRIEVES in the War of 1812. He was drafted at Phelps Town, NY June 10, 1812 and was honorably discharged at Sodus point, NY Aug. 10, 1812. Was also in the Co. commanded by Capt. Jenks PULLEN Col. Elias CORTS Regt. of Militia from Aug. 31 or Sept. 1, 1814 to Nov. 10, 1814. He received a warrant for 40A No. 97872 and on Mar. 20, 1855 he applied for 80A more."

We know of nine children that Cephas had by his first wife Elizabeth Taylor, who he married in 1805. She died in 1839 and is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Allegan. The 1860 census shows him living in Allegan with second wife Mehitable Jones, where his oldest son Wells Field (1807-1890) also lived. Cephas died in 1861 and his widow in 1871. Both rest in the family plot at Oakwood. ----submitted by Chris Yoder

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