Dr. Thomas Phillips Jr. was born April 14, 1817 in Gagetown, Queen’s County, N.B son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Hartt) Phillips. After 1847 he went to Ionia, Michigan, In 1848 the Doctor went to Oceana and after a year he went to White Lake near Whitehall. With John Hanson, Walter Duke and others they explored the shores and the interior of what is now Oceana County and finding lands that were in every way satisfactory for settlements at a place called Stoney Creek.

Dr. Phillips brought his parents Thomas & Elizabeth (Hartt) Phillips to Claybanks, Oceana County as first settlers in the County in 1849. He built the first sawmill in the county at Stony Creek for the Reverend W. Ferry. After settling at Claybanks he divided his time between agriculture and the practice of medicine.

Dr. Phillips was married July 13, 1845 to Emeline Bowman in Burford Durham, Ontario. She was born January 20, 1827 by whom he had seven children six sons and one daughter (two sons passed away in infancy). He married Emiline M. Bowman on 13 July 1845 in Burford Durham, Ont. Emeline died early May of 1874, eleven days later he married Mrs. Ann M. (Vanderventer) Haggerty on May 8, 1874 She was born in New York State November 16. 1821, and was a daughter of Abrams and Charity Vanderventer. By a previous husband she had eight daughters.

Mr. & Mrs. Phillips passed their declining years on the farm on Sec 21 Claybanks. They were loved and respected by all who knew them. He was offered many official positions but as a rule had refused to accept them. He, however, served as treasurer of his township and as a Deputy Sheriff of the County. He spent many days and nights of laborious toil but can now honestly exclaim, “I have done my part in making the wilderness to blossom as the rose.”

Dr. Thomas Phillips died Dec 8, 1890 at Claybanks, Michigan.

Contributed to Genealogy Trails by Carole Dick
Information from - Olive Fordham & Virginia O’Brien
Note from Olive Fordham - A researcher told me that he was an honorable man and had to have someone to live in the home and take care of the children while he was away with his medical duties.  (That was a nice thought.)  Ladies in those days married again and again as their husbands died in order to have a home. Thomas, who married Adah Grow three years before he died, was in need of someone to care for him and she was a widow, no doubt, looking for an inheritance. He willed her everything he had.