Solon F. Brackett of Clarendon, New York

Solon F. Brackett was the son of Levi and Lucina (Ritter) Brackett.  Levi married Lucina on 21 Jan 1826.  Solon was born on 28 Feb 1837 in Clarendon, Orleans County, New York.  Levi Brackett was the son of Daniel and Lydia (Whitney) Brackett, also of Clarendon.  They are descendants of Anthony Brackett, the immigrant ancestor.

According to H. I. Brackett’s Brackett Genealogy, published in Washington D. C. in 1907,  Solon “removed to Michigan when about twelve years old, where he has since resided in Shiawassee and Genesee counties.  Married March 2, 1856, Mary Shatto, born October 21, 1837, daughter of John and wife Magdalena Ohl, of Michigan.”  Solon and Mary (Shatto) Brackett had children:

Emma R. Brackett born 08 Jun 1857 died 18 July 1862

John Brackett b. 1859

George I. Brackett born 14 Mar 1860 who married Clara Pace and lived in Cleveland, Ohio.

Frank S. Brackett born 01 Jul 1868 who married May Herrington and lived in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Solon Brackett’s father, Levi Brackett,  died when he was four years of age.  He may be one in the same as the “Solen Brackett” found in the 1850 census of Grand Blanc, Genesee County, Michigan living in the Simeon Perry household.

The 1860 census of Montrose Township, Genesee County, Michigan includes:

John Shatto 48 years of age born in Ohio

Solan Brocket 22 years of age born in New York

Mary Brocket 22 year of age born in Ohio

Emma Brocket 3 years of age born in Michigan

John Brocket 3 months old born in Michigan.

Notes:  This is Solon and Mary (Shatto) Brackett living in her father’s household.  John Shatto joined Company I of the 10^th Michigan Infantry and died of wounds in St. Louis, Missouri 14 Jun 1862.  John Shatto was laid to rest in the Jefferson Barracks National cemetery in St. Louis.

The 1870 census of Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan includes:

Solon Bracket 32 years of age born in New York

Mary Bracket 32 years of age born in Ohio

George Bracket 10 years of age born in Michigan

Frank Bracket 2 year of age born in Michigan

The 1880 census of Venice, Shiawassee County, Michigan includes:

Saloman Brockett 42 year of age born in New York

Mary Brockett 42 years of age born in Ohio

Frank Brockett 11 years of age born in Michigan

Magdelina Shatto 71 years of age.

Notes:  This is Solon and Mary (Shatto) Brackett and her mother is living in their household. Magdalena (Ohl) Shatto died on 06 Aug 1881 and was laid to rest in the Flushing Cemetery, Genesee County, Michigan.

The 1900 census of Venice, Shiawassee County, Michigan includes:

Solon Brackett 62 years of age born in New York

Mary Brackett 62 years of age born in Ohio

George E. Brackett 9 years of age born in Michigan “Grandson”

The 1910 census of Venice, Shiawassee County Michigan includes:

Solen F. Brackett 72 years of age born in New York

Mary Brackett 72 years of age born in Ohio

George E. Brackett 19 years of age grandson

The Marriage records for Genesee County, Michigan include the marriage record of Solon Brackett who married Mary Shatto on 02 Mar 1856.  Solon Brackett was most often mention in the census records as being a farmer.  In 1870 he is listed as a hardware merchant.  Mary (Shatto) Brackett died on 11 Jan 1915 and Solon Brackett died on 21 Jan 1915.  They were laid to rest in the Yerian Cemetery in Shiawassee County, Michigan.

Marriage records for Shiawassee County, Michigan include Frank S. Brackett who married on 20 Feb 1890 to Merriby (Harrington) Ellis in Owosso. Merriby’s father was listed as Elisha

Harrington.  Frank S. and Merriby Brackett divorced on 25 Jun 1902 and he remarried to Georgia Rohrabacher in 1903.  Frank and Georgia Brackett are buried in the Laingsburg Cemetery in Shiawassee County, Michigan.

George L. Brackett died in Cleveland, Ohio on 16 Oct 1912.  His parents are given in his death record as Solon Brackett and Mary Shatto. 

The History of the Great Lakes, Volume II by J. B. Mansfield was published in 1899 in Chicago by J. H. Beers & Co.  There is a biography in this volume concerning George L. Brackett and it reads:  “George L. Brackett was born in a pinery ten miles from Flint, Genesee Co., Mich., March 14, 1860, son of Solon and Mary (Shatto) Brackett, who are still living on their farm, of which they have made a good property.  George Assisted his father on the home place, attending the district school in the winter, until he reached the age of fourteen years, when he went to work for a neighboring farmer.  He remained with him two years and succeeded in saving the sum of fourteen dollars in cash, taking a cow in payment for the balance of the wages; he drove the animal home and presented it to his mother, who warmly appreciated the handsome present, as it was the first cow she had ever possessed, and George was the proudest boy in the county.  Soon afterward he removed with his parents to Saginaw, Mich., where his father opened a flour and feed store, George Helping him in the store and going to school.  After remaining here eighteen months he went to Port Huron and entered the employ of his uncle, G. R. Shatto, as clerk in his dry goods store.  Mr. Shatto, who was a wealthy and enterprising man, went to California and purchased the Island of Catalona [sic], in the Pacific Ocean, twenty miles off shore, which he improved and of which he made a popular summer resort, some years later selling the island to an English syndicate for $600,000.  On his way to Michigan he was killed in a railroad accident in California.  During the six years that Mr. Brackett remained in the employ of his uncle he purchased an interest in the barge, Antelope.  He then went to work for Mr. Fitzgerald, in the Dry Dock Iron Works, where he remained two years, to learn the steam fitting trade, and in the spring of 1887 he was appointed chief engineer of the tug George Hand, operating on the St. Clair River.  His next charge was the tug Mollie Spencer, and following this he spent a season in the Alfred J. Wright.  In the spring of 1889 he was appointed chief engineer of the passenger steamer Remora, owned by the River Navigation Company.  In 1890 he went to Detroit and worked a s steam-fitter for Messrs. Hinckle & Sharrar, closing the season on the passenger steamer Mary, Plying in the St. Clair River.  In 1891 he removed to Cleveland and shipped on the steamer William Chisholm as second engineer.  In the spring of 1892 he was appointed chief engineer of the steamer George T. Hope, remaining on her two seasons, and he opened the season of 1894 on the tug Excelsior, of Oscoda, finishing on the steamer Marquette.  In the spring of 1895 he went as second engineer on the Monitor steamer Choctaw; during one trip on this boat the crew had a thrilling experience in a northeast gale and the boat was reported lost for two days, but she finally sheltered under Grand Island, where she went aground.  In the spring of 1896 Mr. Brackett was appointed chief engineer of the steamer George Presley, which he laid up at the close of navigation.  Mr. Brackett married Miss Clara Pace, daughter of Dr. S. D. and Lizzie Pace, of Port Huron, Mich., and one daughter, Bessie, was born to their union in 1888.  Dr. Pace was United States consul to Sarnia, Ontario, for three years.  He died in the fall of 1886, and Mrs. Pace lives with her daughter in Cleveland, Ohio.”

Compiled by William Brackett November 2014

brackettwilliam@yahoo.com