STERLING L. SUTHERLAND, who is well known as one of the leading fruit growers of Berrien county, his home being in Benton township, where he has eighty acres of land, was born in this county on the 23rd of February, 1861, and is the eldest of the six children whose parents were Lewis and Matilda A. Sutherland. The father is now living retired in Benton Harbor after giving many years to general agricultural and horticultural pursuits. He [Lewis] dates his residence in Michigan from 1836 and in Berrien county from 1840. He was born in Barker, Broome county, New York, on the 28th of February, 1831, and was a son of Lott and Lydia (Bliss) Sutherland. The grandfather [Lott] was a farmer by occupation and spent his earlier life in the Empire state, when in 1836 he came to Michigan, settling in Kalamazoo. After four years he came to Berrien county, locating in Bainbridge township near Millburg, where he followed farming until his death in 1873. His wife [Lydia] passed away shortly after their arrival in Michigan and the father reared their family of eight children, three of whom are now living. He voted with the Democracy but was never active in politics.

Lewis Sutherland, father of our subject, was reared and educated upon the frontier, pursuing his studies in a log schoolhouse. He assisted in the farm work, aiding in the arduous task of developing new fields and caring for the crops and throughout his active business career he carried on general agricultural pursuits and fruit raising. Becoming convinced of the adaptability of the county for horticultural pursuits, he began raising various kinds of fruits and this proved to him a profitable business. He continued to reside upon the farm until 1901, when he removed to Benton Harbor and purchased his present fine home on Superior street. He was the owner of about four hundred acres of valuable land in Benton township, which he has now divided among his sons. A few of the old time settlers can remember the conditions which existed in this part of the state at the time of Mr. Sutherland’s arrival here. Only at rare intervals could be found a tract of land that had been placed under the plow. Wild animals roamed through the forest and herds of deer and many kinds of lesser game were seen. A wonderful transformation has been wrought since those early days, for the traveler today sees little or none of the native forest but find sinstead well cultivated orchards, bearing their fruits in season and the change is due to the enterprise and labors of such men as Lewis Sutherland. In 1860 he married Matilda A. Howard, a daughter of Joseph S. Howard, of Ohio, who came to Michigan at an early day and here followed farming. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Sutherland have been born six children: Sterling, of this review: Darwin B., largely engaged in the cultivation of peaches in this county; Lott F., a farmer and fruit grower of Benton township; Mrs. Addie Pearl; and two children who died in youth.

Lewis Sutherland, while practically retired from business cares, is a director in the State Bank of Benton Harbor. In 1902 he built the Masonic Temple of Benton Harbor and has been an active representative of Masonry since 1852. He belongs to the Universalist church and has been a champion of many progressive measures. His ballot supports the Democracy, and he has served as highway commissioner and as school director. He is numbered today among the honored and prominent pioneer settlers of the county.

Sterling L. Sutherland remained at home until he had attained his majority. He pursued the greater part of his education in the common district schools but was also for two winters a student in the high school in Benton Harbor. He early became familiar with farm labor in its various departments gaining that practical knowledge which has been the source of his success in later years.

After reaching a man’s estate Mr. Sutherland was married on the 28th of December, 1881, to Miss Elma D. Pearl, a daughter of Major Pearl. He settled on a farm at Pearl Grange upon land belonging to his father and he also worked his father’s farm for three years, the two places adjoining. His father then gave him forty acres of land which was comprised in the old Ripley farm on Brittain avenue, where he at once began the task of clearing and developing his place, ditching and draining it and erecting thereon good buildings. He lived there for seven years, at the end of which time he purchased his present farm comprising eighty acres located on the township line and situated about six miles from Benton Harbor. It adjoins the old homestead and is known as the old Jonathan Rose farm, Mr. Rose having converted it from a tract of wild land into a good farm property. Mr. Sutherland has cleared thirty acres of this land and now all is under cultivation. He rebuilt the barn in 1891 and erected a new house in 1905. It is a modern structure, thoroughly up-to-date in every particular and constitutes one of the fine country residences. It contains ten rooms, is heated with a furnace and supplied with many modern equipments and in fact is one of the best homes of the county. Mr. Sutherland is devoting his time and energies to the cultivation of fruit, although he raises hay and grain to some extent. He makes a specialty, however, of peaches, plums and apples, all of which he has set out himself. He has fifteen acres planted to young apple trees, one thousand peach trees, seventeen hundred pear trees and one hundred plum trees. From a peach orchard of six acres he sold in 1905 fruit to the value of fifteen hundred dollars. He is now planting six acres to grapes, so that he will soon have one half of this land in fruit. The land is especially suited for the production of pears, plums and grapes and in 1905 he gathered five hundred baskets of grapes from forty-eight plants. During the summer season his fruit farm is certainly a most attractive place with its splendid crops of fine fruit. He plants only the best varieties and his fruit therefore in size, quality and flavor is unsurpassed and finds a ready sale on the market, commanding high prices.

NOTE: End of page 531.