(1807-1885) Sources: History of Calhoun County
William was born in Kinderhook, Columbia County, New York; in 1835 he moved his young family to Michigan, casting in his lot with the earliest settlers of Calhoun County. He settled upon a farm in Pennfield Township, which constituted a part of the farm now owned by the heir of Henry Foss. From the government he entered about five hundred acres of land, which was entirely unimproved, and with characteristic energy he began to clear and develop his property.
Joining the state militia, he served for some years in its ranks and won the title of Colonel. He was pre-eminently a military man, tall and erect and without a knowledge of fear. He married Lauraa Avery, and when they came to the west there were three children in their family, while after their arrival, three more were added to the household. Colonel Fonda was a man of marked intelligence and enterprise in his day and was also a most progressive agriculturalist, becoming the owner of one of the finest farms in his part of the county. He took an active and helpful part in the early development of this section of the state and his name certainly deserves to be high on the roll of honored pioneers.
William's brother,
Sources and references
- History of Calhoun County: http://www.rootsweb.com/~micalhou/1877_Index_F-J.htm