My Genealogy Hound

Philo Prior, a representative farmer of Milford township, Oakland County, owning a fine farm of 160 acres in section 6, was born at Pittsfield, Berkshire County, Massachusetts, December 27, 1829, and is a son of Frederick and Priscilla (Cawkins) Prior, both of whom were born in Massachusetts.

Frederick Prior came with his family to Michigan in 1835 and settled in Milford township, Oakland County, purchasing a farm which is now the property of the Walsh estate. He lived on this land until his death in 1840, at the age of 39 years, being survived by his widow until 1883, when she died at the age of 83 years. Those members of their large family who grew to maturity were: Elizabeth, Philo, Mary Ann, Dorothy, Asa and Frederic.

Both Mr. Prior and his wife were good and pious people, prominent in the Baptist Church. Politically Mr. Prior affiliated with the Republican party.

Philo Prior was educated in the best schools that Milford township then afforded, and remained on the farm assisting his father until his majority; when he went out to work for neighboring farmers, receiving his board and lodging and $4 a month. That he was able, with such meager wages, to purchase his first tract of 40 acres, in 1861, speaks well for his industry and frugality. To this he has since added and now owns 160 acres of as good farming land as there is in the township. He has carried on general farming and stock raising and for the past 52 years has also operated a threshing outfit.

In 1857 Mr. Prior was married to Josephine Hand, who is a daughter of Eben Hand, a native of the State of New York, and two children have been born to them: Frederick; and Julia, who married Michael Guinian and has two children, Vera and Gerald.

Mr. Prior is a member of the Republican party, but he has never consented to hold any office except that of school director. He has lived a long, honorable and busy life and has seen and taken part in much of the wonderful development of his section of Oakland County.