At the time of his son’s birth in 1807, Darius lived in Vermont. His wife, Mary Rossiter, died in his son’s infancy and he entrusted the care of his children to their aunt (Mrs. Williams) in Chenango County, New York. Levi came to Richmond with the children in 1813. He owned about 110 acres, purchasing 65 acres from Asa Bushnell (on Route 20A West, in the district of the Purcell School).
In 1815 Darius married Elizabeth, the widow of Levi VanFossen; they had no children together. He is recorded on the 1817 Richmond tax roll. In 1824 he bought property on the shore of Hemlock Lake. “John Hanna was an early settler on the lands ... sold to Darius Jacques in 1824” (D. B. Waite). John Hanna was Elizabeth’s brother, so, Darius’ brother-in-law.
In 1824 Darius purchased from John Hanna the farm later known as the Jacques place and at his death it passed into the hands of his son, Russell, who in 1851 built a new farm house on it, which in a few years was to become the Jacques Hotel. Jacques was called upon to care for so many visitors that in 1872 he enlarged his farmhouse, making the main part into a three-story affair and adding an eighty-foot two-story wing. After this was done about 100 boarders, as they were called then, could be cared for.
This hotel was conducted until about 1900, when it was sold to the city and torn down.
On the 1850 Livonia Census, it was noted that Darius was blind.
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