Purple Family

The first member of the Purple family moved to the area in 1838, and by 1860 Isham and Phoebe Purple along with at least 4 of their adult children were here.

Not much is known about Isham and Phoebe except that he served in the War of 1812 in Howe’s Regiment of the Connecticut Militia. They had ten children. Those coming to the Lowell area were Mary, Louisa, Martha and William. Isham and Phoebe are buried in the Fox’s Corner Cemetery in Vergennes Township.

Morgan Lyon* and his wife Mary Purple moved to Vergennes Township in 1838. They had three children, Matilda, James and Emily. After Mary died in 1848, Morgan went back to New York and married her sister Louisa Purple. Morgan and Louisa had one daughter, Mary.*

Martha Purple remained single after the death of her fiancé the night before their wedding. She threw herself into her profession and social movements of the day. Her profession was that of Eclectic Doctor, which highly emphasized botanical remedies and physical therapy. She learned her profession by apprenticeship. Martha set up her practice here in the Village of Lowell with the honor being Lowell’s first female physician. As part of the spiritualist movement, Martha held seances upstairs from her office and was a leader in the movement. She was said to be a woman of “no ordinary strength of character. For more than a score of years she has practiced her profession here, bringing into our homes, in the hour of need, her wise head, large heart and strong hand.” Though she was in failing health for some time, she worked until the day before her death in 1884 at the age of 68. Martha is also buried in Fox’s Corner Cemetery on the same lot as her parents.

William Purple was in Lowell by the 1850 census and gives his occupation as a doctor. He bought land on Cumberland Avenue between M-21 and Foreman Avenue, just north of property owned by Benjamin Lyon, brother of Morgan Lyon. William later gives his occupation as farmer on all of the ensuing censuses. William married Nancy Spencer in 1856 in Lowell. William and Nancy’s son William was Sheriff of Emmet County in northern Michigan when he was shot and killed in the line of duty in 1923. William and Nancy are also buried in the Fox’s Corner Cemetery.

Nancy Purple, Martha Purple and Louisa Purple Lyon were leaders in the local Spiritualist movement. Martha held seances upstairs from her office and at the time of her death, she was the Vice President of the Lowell Liberal League, an association dedicated to women's suffrage, spiritualism and temperance.

Today the museum is thankful to have a volunteer descended from the Purple Family. Lee Smith is descended from Dan Purple, brother to William, Mary, Louisa and Martha. Dan Purple also came to Michigan and is buried in Mason County. The museum preserves history through artifacts and information and is a great place for family research. Who knows, you may even meet a cousin!

Images:

Old Wooden Row in Lowell showing Martha Purple's Bazaar.

Dr Martha Purple

Louisa Purple Lyon, Mary Lyon Adams, Cora Adams Krum.

William Purple, Sheriff of Emmet County, killed in action.

For more information
*Morgan Lyon ABC Volume two, Round 3 - L is for Lyon Brothers.
*Mary Lyon Adams ABC Volume three, Round 6 - A is for Adams Family