Sylvester Hazelton; the Cooper in Oxford, was born in Ingham County, Michigan, July 28, 1846, he is the son of Ransom and Polly (Whiting) Hazelton, both natives of New York state. The father was a farmer and he is still living in Washington, Macomb County, having reached the ripe old age of four score years and four. His good wife was snatched from his side by death in 1850. To them were born eight children. The family is a mixed Scottish and English decent.

Sylvester Hazelton was brought up to farming pursuits, but he learned the cooper’s trade and 1874 open a Cooper shop in Oxford. This work he did not continue very long, but returned to the farm in 1878 and engaged for a year or more in farming, but he finally regretted this step in 1880 he returned to coopering, and still carries on a quite an extensive business in this line. He continually employs as many as ten hands and often increases the number the twenty. He has an output of about 75,000 barrels per year. He has associated with him Ralph C. Miller under the firm name of Hazelton & Miller.

Mr. Hazelton was married November 30, 1868, the Lydia Ingoldsby, who became the mother of one child, Delia, who is now the wife of Ralph Miller, her father’s partner. Mr. Hazelton is a member of several of the social orders, belonging to the Knights of the Maccabees, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Grand Army of the Republic.

The subject of this sketch is one of the veterans of the Civil War. He enlisted September 6, 1864 in Company G, Third Michigan Infantry. He saw service with the Army of the Cumberland and was in several skirmishes and at the battle a Murfreesboro. His Regiment was sent to Texas about the time the war closed, to guard government property, and their discharge was granted them at Victoria, Texas. He would’ve been glad to go into the Army at the breaking out of the war and enlisted in 1862, but was sent back home on account of his extreme youth his political affiliations are with the Republican Party.