Samuel H. Thurber

Samuel H. Thurber was born in Ontario County, New York, in 1827. Sometime before 1848, he moved to Pontiac, Michigan, following several of his older half-siblings, and became involved in politics with the Democratic Party.^[1] He was involved in the hardware merchandise business with his half-brother, Horace C. Thurber. About 1856 he moved across Lake Michigan to Manitowoc, Wisconsin, establishing his own hardware business, dealing in stoves, farming equipment, tools, and other utensils.^[2] Shortly after arriving, another former Pontiac resident, S. E. Beach, came to Manitowoc and joined the business as a partner, the business was then known as Thurber & Beach.

In 1858, Thurber was the Democratic Party nominee for Wisconsin Senate in the 19th Senate district, which then comprised Manitowoc and Calumet counties.^[3] He defeated Republican A. W. Preston in the general election,^[4] and went on to serve in the 1859 and 1860 legislative sessions.^[5]

Sometime after his term in the legislature, he returned to Michigan. He died of tuberculosis in Pontiac, Michigan, on May 15, 1870.^[6]

Samuel Hallet Thurber was a son of Samuel Hallet Thurber of Unity, New Hampshire, by his second wife, Hannah (née Briggs) Thurber. Several of Thurber's older half-brothers were successful in Michigan business and politics. Jefferson G. Thurber served several terms in the state legislature and was speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives in 1851. Horace C. Thurber was a successful businessman, village president of Pontiac, Michigan, and was chosen as a presidential elector in 1848. Horace's son, Daniel D. Thurber served as mayor of Pontiac in the 1870s.^[7][8]

Samuel Hallet Thurber married Elsie Draper Chamberlain about 1849, in Michigan. They had at least eight children, though two died in childhood. Their grandson, Horace Chamberlain Thurber Jr. was a United States Army Air Corps training officer during World War II, but died in an automobile accident in 1943.^[9] Their great-grandson, Donald Neal Thurber also served in World War II as an enlisted man in the United States Navy, later in life he was responsible for creating and promulgating the D'Nealian method for teaching handwriting.^[10]