My City May 2022

Andrew J. Ward 1893-94

Arthur C. McCall 1894-95

Born in 1843 in Medina County, OHWard moved at the age of six with his parents to Flint where he studied under his father as a brickmaker.When the Civil War started, he enlisted and served with the 4th Michigan Cavalry under General Wilson. He was there for the duration and part of the cavalry regiment that captured Confederate President Je‚erson Davis near Irwinville, GA before he was able to †ee overseas after the surrender of Confederate forces. Upon his return to Flint,Ward re newed his trade as brickmaker and expanded it to include construction. In fact, he and his associates were responsi ble for building many of the downtown structures and city blocks. Immediately after his stint as mayor and the death of his ‰rst wife, he took a contract to build the courthouse in Ottawa County. Upon arriving in Holland, MI Ward met Ms. Lucy Harrington, decided to stay and the two were soon wed. In Holland, he was elected city supervisor and then held the title of register of deeds for two terms. Near the end of his life,Ward continued to work in con struction. His ‰nal job was repaving several city streets. A man who preferred to be busy, he would tell his friends that he would rather “wear out than rust out.”Ward lost a battle with cancer in 1914 and was buried in Lake Forest Cemetery in Grand Haven, MI.

Born in 1852 in Onondaga County, NY McCall moved to Grand Blanc with his family at the age of 15. He worked with his father making harnesses until 1881 when he was elected deputy sheri and turnkey of Genesee County. In 1884, he entered the race for county sheri just three days before the actual elec tion was to take place. With great public backing, he won and was easily reelected to a second term. While sheri, four men were convicted of murder in the rst degree and ve men sentenced to life without parole – a sheri ’s record unheard of before his time. After his terms as sheri, McCall entered the clothing business with partner Milton Pettibone while serving as city alderman for two years. After his mayoral term, he was once again elected county sheri serving for another four years. After retiring from oŠce, McCall left Genesee County to run the Dunlap Hotel in Jacksonville, IL and nearly two years later returned to Flint, where he died in 1916. In Flint, he held shares in the Flint Carriage Company, acted as Eminent Commander of the Knights Templar and was a mem ber of the Flint FreeMasons. While in oŠce, the Flint Telephone Co. began service. Arthur C. McCall was buried in Evergreen Cemetery. 

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