1802 - 1871

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• Title	Capt.
  Birth	17 Sep 1802	Manchester, Bennington County, Vermont
  Gender	Male
  Died	2 Aug 1871	Hopkins, Allegan County, Michigan
  Person ID	I77508	Brainard (Brainerd) / Foster / Fish
  Last Modified	11 Sep 2003 00:00:00
  Father	Daniel HILLIARD, b. 31 Jan 1759, Norwich, New London County, Connecticut
  Mother	Rebecca WASHBURN, b. 8 Mar 1766, Connecticut
  Family ID	F33361	Group Sheet
  Married	1833	Canada
  Family ID	F33484	Group Sheet

• Notes

  Captain Hilliard attended the academy of his native town, after which he began the study of medicine. This he continued for about three years, under his brother-in-law, Dr. Patchin. Disliking the practice of surgery, however he gave up the profession, and went to Canada, where he took command of one of the barges on the St. Lawrence River, plying between Prescott, Grenville County, Ontario and Montreal, Quebec. In this latter step he was influenced, in a great measure, by an account of the early life of his father. He afterwards bought a farm and settled at Prescott; but, becoming restless in so quiet a life at the age of twenty-one, he purchased a barge, which he ran successfully for about two years and a half. He then engaged as purser and clerk on the steamboat "Great Britain", and held the position for about three years. In 1828 he became Captain of the steamboat "Brookville". In 1829 he took charge of "William the Fourth", then the largest boat on Lake Ontario. Captain Hilliard continued to be interested in steamboats until 1852. During this time he was instrumental in opening the St. Lawrence River to navigation. He performed what had been considered an impossible feat, - that of taking a steamboat over the rapids of the St. Lawrence River. For this he was presented with a valuable gold watch, bearing the following inscription: "Presented to Captain L. Hilliard, by John Hamilton, to commemorate the safe arrival of the steamboat 'Ontario' at Montreal, from Prescott, United States; having made the first descent by steam over the rapids of the St. Lawrence, 19 AUG 1840". For a number of years, Captain Hilliard was engaged in a forwarding business, having in charge a large number of vessels, and living in Montreal and Toronto. In 1854 he removed with his family to Michigan. He made a short stay in Battle Creek, Calhoun Co., MI, engaging in the flour business in a limited way. He then went to Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo Co., MI; and in company with others, engaged in the lumber business at Dorr, Allegan Co.; but in the financial crash of 1857, he lost nearly all he had. In FEB 1861, he purchased a small piece of land and a saw-mill in the town of Hopkins, Allegan Co., and worked earnestly to retrieve his fortune. He made a second purchase of land, - about nine hundred acres - upon which he realized a net profit of thirty thousand dollars. He still continued to manufacture lumber, and to deal in real estate, until the time of his death in 1871. He left an unencumbered estate of about one hundred thousand dollars. He was a member of the Congregational Church for the last thirty-seven years of his life; he was a faithful attendant and a liberal contributor. He was a Whig, and became a Republican upon the organization of that party, in 1854. Four of his children served in the Civil War. Captain Hilliard was strong in his personal friendships, and genial to all. He died of stomach cancer. (20 SEP 1871)