From Michigan Pioneer & Historical Collections, V-28, page 616-618:

ALVAH EWERS

The (Detroit, Wayne County) directory of 1837 contains the following reference: "Alvah Evers, cooper, 37 Woodbridge street." "Evers" was meant for Ewers, but such mistakes are very frequent in that work. Alvah was about five feet six inches in height and weighed about 160 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was very quiet and unassuming in manner, reserved in speech, and a man of integrity and good sense. After business hours he devoted a great deal of his time to reading, his mental pabulum being generally books of the "dry and improving" order. He was also fond of acquiring property and invested all of his spare cash in real estate. In religion he was a Presbyterian, and worshipped under Rev. George Duffield until the day of his death. He was an active member of the old fire department and foreman of No. 1 engine company, alderman of the old first ward in 1840-1, and president of the Detroit Mechanics' Society in 1844. Being a man of good literary taste he generally selected and purchased new books for the society's library when he went to the seaboard cities on business.

Little of his early life is known by his descendants, except that he was born in Berkshire County, Mass., on April 1, 1799. He came to Michigan about 1825 or 1826, settling in Washtenaw county, at a settlement named Geddes, which is now a station on the line of the Michigan Central, between Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor. It was named after the brothers Geddes, who were leading farmers in that locality. Here he taught school for a time, bought a farm, became a friend of the Geddes family and fell in love with Janes Geddes. The marriage took place in Detroit on April 28, 1829, and the pair lived in this city the remainder of their lives.

His first residence was on the west side of Shelby street, between Jefferson avenue and Larned street, on the south side of the alley. The lot, which was 22 1/2 by 87 feet, was purchased by him in 1831 for $200 and with the house was sold in 1849 for $2,000.

COOPER AND GROCER

His cooperage for about twenty years was on the northwest corner of Cass and Larned streets. On this property he built three frame houses and a cooper shop, the latter being now occupied by McCausland & Sons. He afterwards bought the property on the southwest corner of River and First streets, on which he erected a brick store and carried on the grocery business.

After selling his house he lived on his property at the corner of Cass and Larned streets, and subsequently purchased a lot on the north side of Fort street, one lot west of Fifth street, on which he erected a brick residence, and lived there until the time of his death.

Mr. Ewers was afflicted for several years with a painful disease of the hip, and succumbed to that ailment on July 13, 1851, aged fifty-two years.

His estate was appraised at about $34,000, of which $20,000 was in real property. The latter included some valuable city lots, a tract of 162 acres on Michigan avenue, adjoining the Larkins farm, four miles from the city hall, a farm in Greenfield township, and about 700 acres in Oakland, Shiawassee and Livingston counties. The city property is still mostly owned by his descendants.

HIS CHILDREN

His only surviving child is Jane, wife of ex-City Treasurer William Parkinson, of this city. His deceased children were four in number. William Ewers, by the terms of his father's will, continued the grocery and cooper business with his mother, but was unfortunate and lost all his property. His wife was Adelaide Pasco, and they left six children, all of whom live in Springwells township, in this county. Sarah and James Geddes Ewers died before reaching maturity.Charles graduated at the Detroit College of Medicine and practiced medicine for some time. As a republican city politician he was astute and successful. He was alderman of the old second ward for five years, from 1876 to 1881, during which he was very influential in city politics. He was then appointed United States consul at Windsor which he held until a short time before his death. He was never married. In person he was short and very stout, with brown hair and blue eyes, and was a pleasant and popular man.

(Would love to share information with descendants of this family!)