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Columbus Christopher Douglass was a Merchant & was living in Houghton, Michigan with his family in the 1860 census: (married Lydia on Sept 17, 1856 in Detroit, MI). His parents, Christopher & Phebe Douglass, had 10 children and moved to Macomb County in 1827, where they bought land close to Mt. Clemens.
Columbus C. Douglass first came to the Northern Peninsula in 1838 acting then as assistant to his cousin Dr Houghton, who was appointed the first State Geologist of Michigan. Dr. Douglass Houghton was born at Fredonia, New York and was a professor at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at Troy, New York when he was requested by the Governor of the Territory of Michigan to deliver a course of lectures at Detroit. Dr. Houghton accepted the commission and went to Detroit in 1830. He continued his geological surveys and examinations up to the time of his death by accidental drowning near Eagle River, Michigan in October 1845 Columbus C. Douglass, who had been his cousin's assistant, then prepared himself to continue these interesting & valuable explorations by taking a number of special winter courses at Boston in geology, mineralogy, mining, & chemistry.
The book, "Time by Moments Steals Away: The 1848 Journal of Ruth Douglass" has more information on the Smith Douglass and Edgerton family. It quotes a Detroit Free Press obit saying that C. C. Douglass died in London, England on December 17, 1874 . . . It goes on to say he was buried in Algonac, Michigan under a massive stone engraved with the names of his 2 daughters who died in infancy, close to Lydia's parents [Smith & McDonald] and, eventually, to his son and daughter-in-law and to Lydia and her second husband.
See also:
• Douglass
House, Houghton
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