General Isaac D. Toll
General Isaac DeGraff Toll was born in Glennville (some sources say Schenectady), New York on December 1, 1818. His great-grandfathers were killed in the French and Indian War, his grandfather served in the American Revolution and his father in the War of 1812. He moved to Centerville, Michigan with his father in 1834, where they were involved in manufacturing and real estate. He married Julia Victoria Moran on January 9, 1840. They had three children.
In 1846 Isaac Toll was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, and the following year served in the Senate. He was Brigadier General of the State Troops and received a commission in the regular army as Captain of the Fifteenth United States Infantry. In April 1847 he raised a company of men and took them to Detroit, and then Cincinnati. They were Company E of the Michigan 15th Infantry. They eventually ended up in Vera Cruz, Mexico, where they participated in several battles of the Mexican-American War. When he returned to Michigan, he was an Aide to Governor Ranson and Major-General of the Michigan Troops. He went to Washington, DC, where he was Examiner of Patents and Commandant of the Battalion of the Interior Guard and a member of the National Rifles. He returned to Michigan in October, 1861, and made speeches in support of the Union.
He gave an address at Detroit in June 1878.
In 1880, he moved to Petoskey. He was village president in 1881 and 1882. He was also postmaster of Petoskey. He was known as "father of the breakwater" because he raised money and oversaw the building of the breakwater. He donated about 6 acres jointly to the city and GAR Lombard Post 170, originally for a Veterans' Memorial. In 1893 landscape gardener John Swift of Harbor Springs worked on the north two acres, planting trees and shrubs. When the hospital board determined that the Oriental Hotel was not suitable for a hospital, he donated the land for that purpose instead and Lockwood Hospital was built there in 1900 and completed in 1902.
According to his obituary, he was an intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln and Lewis Cass. He died March 27, 1908.
In 1846 Isaac Toll was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives, and the following year served in the Senate. He was Brigadier General of the State Troops and received a commission in the regular army as Captain of the Fifteenth United States Infantry. In April 1847 he raised a company of men and took them to Detroit, and then Cincinnati. They were Company E of the Michigan 15th Infantry. They eventually ended up in Vera Cruz, Mexico, where they participated in several battles of the Mexican-American War. When he returned to Michigan, he was an Aide to Governor Ranson and Major-General of the Michigan Troops. He went to Washington, DC, where he was Examiner of Patents and Commandant of the Battalion of the Interior Guard and a member of the National Rifles. He returned to Michigan in October, 1861, and made speeches in support of the Union.
He gave an address at Detroit in June 1878.
In 1880, he moved to Petoskey. He was village president in 1881 and 1882. He was also postmaster of Petoskey. He was known as "father of the breakwater" because he raised money and oversaw the building of the breakwater. He donated about 6 acres jointly to the city and GAR Lombard Post 170, originally for a Veterans' Memorial. In 1893 landscape gardener John Swift of Harbor Springs worked on the north two acres, planting trees and shrubs. When the hospital board determined that the Oriental Hotel was not suitable for a hospital, he donated the land for that purpose instead and Lockwood Hospital was built there in 1900 and completed in 1902.
According to his obituary, he was an intimate friend of Abraham Lincoln and Lewis Cass. He died March 27, 1908.
From "Our Michigan Friends" 1905