Thomas T. Bates, President of the Herald & Record Company and Editor of the Record Eagle, died at his home, 413 Washington Street, at 2:30 this afternoon after and illness of about four weeks.

	18 December 1912 page 1 - Traverse City Record Eagle
	Thomas Tomlinson Bates was born December 13, 1841, at Keeseville, Essex County, New York.  His father was Rev Merritt Bates and his mother Eliza A. Tomlinson, both being of English ancestry.  The father was a Methodist clergyman, and an active and uncompromising anti-slavery man through all the thirty-five years preceding the Civil War.  A man of strong convictions and great ability, he occupied a prominent place in his church, and lived to see the triumph of the cause to which he had given the best years of his life.  His mother was of the old New York family of Tomlinson's, prominent in New York in Revolutionary times and the years immediately following.  Thomas T. Bates was educated in the public schools.  At sixteen he began life for himself, clerking at one dollar a week and boarding himself.  A year later he was general helper in a bank at Glens Falls, New York.  At eighteen he occupied an important position in a banking house in Memphis,, Tennessee, but came north at the outbreak of the war.  He removed to Traverse City in 1863, was cashier for Hannah, Lay & Company two years, and resigned to open a real estate office with Hon. D. C. Leach, whose interest in the business he bought in 1871.  In 1858 his uncle, Hon. Morgan Bates, established the Grand Traverse Herald, and sold the paper in 1867 to Hon. D. C. Leach.  Thomas T. Bates, who had had the management since 1865, bought the Herald in 1876, and since that time been its editor.  His wife, Mrs. M. E. C. Bates, was for many years associate editor, his daughter, Miss Mabel, now Mrs. Mabel Bates Williams, of Denver, Colorado, local and society editor and associate manager, and since the death of Mrs. Bates, editor of the Home Department of the Herald and Evening Record, while, since her mother's death, Miss Clara Bates has been president of the Herald Young Folk's Sunshine Club, and editor of that department in the Herald. Mr. Bates has always been active in politics.  He was prominent in eastern New York in 1856, when only fifteen years old, in the youths organization of the "The Rocky Mountain Boys" in the Fremont campaign.  His first presidential vote was for Lincoln in 1864, and he has never missed voting a straight Republican ticket since.  He has never been a political officer holder, with the exception of that of postmaster at Traverse City, 1881-3.  Resigning the position on account of the increasing business of the Herald, which demanded his time.  He was for several years chairman of the township and county committees.	In 1880 he was chosen a member of the state central committee of his party and served ten consecutive service ever given by any member of the party.  He represented his district as delegate in the Republican national convention in 1892, and was made to secretary of the delegation. In 1885 Mr. Bates was appointed a member of the board of trustees of the Northern Michigan Asylum, now the Traverse City state Hospital, and which was opened to patients that year.  He was re-appointed in 1889 and again in 1895, again in 1901 and again in 1907.  He acted on the board until his death. (1912)  This is the longest service ever given by any member of any board of managers of any state institution in Michigan.  He was the president of the board from 1886 to 1892, and again from 1907 to 1910.  In the fall of 1885 he was also appointed a member of the Board of Building Commissioners for the same institution, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Hon. Perry Hannah, and was at once chosen chairman of the board, serving in this capacity until the completion of the work of the commission in the fall of 1886.  He was elected secretary of the Traverse City Railroad company upon its organization in 1871 and served in that capacity until the road was leased to the Grand Traverse & Indiana Railroad company; was then placed upon the board of directors of the Traverse City Railroad company and still holds that position and for several years was president of the company.  for several years he was a member of and president of the Board of Library Trustees of Traverse City. For a number of years he was president of the Traverse City Business Men's Association, which was instrumental in locating at that point of the important manufacturing establishments of Traverse City. In 1897 he established the Evening Record and the enterprise has been very successful.  In 1904 the business was incorporated as the Herald and Record Company and Mr. Bates has been president of the company since its organization.  In 1910 the Eagle Press, daily, semi-weekly and job department, was consolidated with the Herald and Record Company, as were also the Fife Lake Monitor and Kingsley Echo, both weekly papers published in the county. In 1904 Mr. Bates was  a member of the Lincoln National Memorial Association to arrange for the observance of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln at the birthplace of his martyred president, and to provide a national monument on the spot to commemorate the event. Mr. Bates was married in 1867 to Miss Martha E. Cram, daughter of Jess Cram, who for many years identified with the early history of Wayne and Genesee counties, and who was also one of the pioneers of Grand Traverse county.  Mrs. Bates died in 1905.  The family consists of tow daughters, Mrs. Mabel Bates Williams and Miss Clara, and a son, George G., who for many years was in the publishing business in Chicago, and who is now a resident of Traverse City and is vice-president and actively interested in the Herald and Record Company.

Grand Traverse County records for this Bates family
	Marriage records of family: BATES, THOMAS T CRAM, MARTHA E 1867 Liber 1, page 091 WILLIAMS, CLIFFORD C BATES, MABEL 1906 Liber 3, page 253 BURTON, M C BATES, CLARA M 1927 Liber 4, page 236 BATES, GEORGE C FAIRBANKS, MAYME E 1896 Liber 3, page 096 No marriage for Morgan Bates	Death Records of family: BATES, THOMAS T 00-00-1912 Liber 2, page 166  BATES, MARTHA E 00-00-1905 Liber 2, page 026 No Record for son, George G. Bates FAIRBANKS-BATES, MARY E 08-03-1941: dau-in-law BATES, MERRITT 08-23-1869 Liber 1, page 005: Father BATES, ELIZA 08-27-1870 Liber 1, page 008: Mother BURTON, CLARA M 01-15-1941: daughter WILLIAMS, MABEL P 10-03-1967 ? Daughter BATES, MORGAN 00-00-1902 Liber 1, page 215: Uncle
Following The Census Records
	Following the census is really one of the best ways to follow a person's life to know where they lived, their occupation, seeing the time frame they marry and the children they have. Following Thomas August 23rd  1870 finds him born in New York but now living in Traverse City with Martha and Mabel 2 and Eliza, shown as housekeeper. Thomas is a land agent at this time with a real estate value of 4,000$ and personal estate of 2,000$.  Eliza is listed as having 4,600$ personal estate.  His neighbor is Jess Cram his father-in-law, age 65 and is working as a candy clerk and register (not clear here) with a real estate value of 4,000$ and a personal value of 400$.  Hannah his mother-in-law is keeping house and Anna Cram age 45 is their domestic servant.  All of this household is born in New Hampshire. Thomas' neighbor on the other side is the Hon. Dewitt Leach family. 1880, finds Clara N. Bates daughter of Thomas T and Martha E Cram  born about 1877  is living with parents and Mabel her sister, age 12, Peota? Bates age 19 is listed as a nephew of Thomas.; Mary (says: Ad Daughter so perhaps adopted daughter ) age 23 and Elvia Campbell age 39 is the housekeeper. The family is living on Washington street at this time. Thomas' family is living with Edwin Wait, the druggist. Thomas is currently the proprietor of the Grand Traverse Herald. Going on to the year of 1900 we find Thomas living in Ward 1, Washington Street  of Traverse City.  He is 58 now and has been married 33 years and is working as a journalist.   His household consists of his wife Martha age 60, Mable, daughter  age 32, Carrie N. daughter  age 22 and Sophia Rick age 17 is their servant.  Observing here they Clara and Carrie are most likely the same person.  The census says Thomas and Martha have 2 natural born children.  At this time his neighbors is the  Elvin Sprague family with the next neighbor being the Arthur Wait family.  On the other side of his resides Edwin Wait.  All good writers and authors living in this close area. 1910 finds Thomas 68 years of age, a  widow due to Martha having died in 1905 but still working as editor for the daily newspaper.  Living with him at his home on Washington street  is daughter Clara Bates now 34 is the assistant editor of the same newspaper as her father.  Their servant now is Lizzie Schomberg age 23.  Thomas died in 1912 and is buried with Martha in Oakwood Cemetery. 1920 Census has George and Mayme Fairbanks Bates:  George b. New York about ---- and Mayme Fairbanks, age 54,  b. abt 1866 in Wisconsin and parents b. in New York have a child Janet Bates, age 12 born about 1902. George is a bookkeeper in a gas company and Mayme's  occupation appears to be a teacher in the public schools. They were residing on Washington Street at this time.   Backing up to 1910 this family was living on Franklin Street and Janet's name was spelled Janette showing birth in Illinois which is contrary to the 1920 census.  George is the proprietor of a magazine shop and Mayme was staying at home.  They were married 13 years in 1910 and but one child, Janet