Alfred G. Bates was the oldest son of Phinius/Phineas Bates and Sarah Sally Gould Bates. Phineas was the son of Phineas Bates, of Canandagua, New York, who purchased "Brookside" in 1790, or what was known as the Bates Farm, and moved his family there from Connecticut in 1791, being the seventh family settling the area. Phineas had four known sons, Stephen, Asher, David C., and Phineas P.(father of Alfred)

Alfred had two siblings, John S. Bates, and George C. Bates. Alfred and George moved to Monroe, Michigan, with John S. Bates staying in New York, where he died in 1855. George became a prominent lawyer, moving to Detroit, Mi. a few years after arriving in Monroe, later left for California, where he lived at different locations in California, Colorado, and Utah, where there, he served as United States District Attorney. George died in 1885.

Alfred G. Bates was the husband of Betsey Ann Elliott Bates, whom he married in Canandagua, New York, in April, 1833, and both then came to Raisinville, Monroe County, Mi. and located on a farm on the north side of the River Raisin, with it being known as the "Bates Farm", and for many years was the center of hospitality. The road that travels through the farm still bares the family name of Bates Lane. It was here, twelve children were born to the union of Alfred and Betsey, with four dying in infancy, Mary in young adulthood about the age of 20 years, and seven children survived him. All of the surviving children but one married. Children were Alfred Elliott (first son), Nellie Taylor of Toledo, Ohio, Sarah Lawrence of Montreal and New York, Adele Granger Stone of Chicago, Agnes Wellington of New York, Henry Bates (the second son) of Colorado, and John S. Bates (the third son) of Montreal, Canada.

He was elected sheriff of the county, two years after arriving in Monroe County, about 1838-1839, appointed United States Marshal for the district of Michigan, and enumerated the 1850 census for the three wards of the city of Monroe. He served one year as a state legislature, and served many local positions in Monroe. Alfred was known as one of the most unselfish and kind hearted citizens of the county, as he understood the many hardships and the struggles of the early citizens of the settlement at that time.

Alfred was 70 years old at the time of his death, while on a visit to his daughter in Chicago.


Rest in Heavenly Peace.