A twentieth century history and biographical record of Branch County, Michigan, Part 24

Author: Collin, Henry P
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing
Number of Pages: 1198

USA > Michigan > Branch County > A twentieth century history and biographical record of Branch County, Michigan > Part 24

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WRITERS, ARTISTS AND MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS.

The number of individuals belonging to Branch county who have been original producers in the fields of literature and the fine arts cannot be said to be large. And yet comparison with other communities might reveal it as a fact. that in proportion to its population its number of producers in these fields is as high as the average in our state or in the entire country. There are not many Branch county people who have written books, or painted fine pictures, or composed music, or chiseled works of sculpture, or designed artistic structures as architects. The large cities with their wealth and social stimulus and culture draw to themselves the talented and ambitious indi- viduals. Branch county has only one city, and that with a population only a little more than 6,000. The county has no college, while Hillsdale on the east of it has Hillsdale College, Calhoun on the north has Albion College. and Kalamazoo cornering on the northwest has its Kalamazoo College. The three counties, Branch, St. Joseph, and Cass. so similar in many respects, as we have noted. are alike also in, this, that no one of them has the scholarship and culture of a college within its borders.

The classes of persons in every community who are naturally most in- clined to write out their thoughts and have them printed for others to read are its editors. ministers, lawyers, physicians and teachers. Besides these. every American community as large as a county is likely to have individuals in it who make writing for the reading world a part of their work. Branch county has persons in it belonging to every one of these classes, whose writ- ing has been printed and has gone into the reading matter of the people of the county or of a wider public.

Of course the class who give the most reading matter to the public are the editors of the newspapers. From the very beginning Branch county has had men among the editors of its papers, who, besides giving to the people a large and well arranged amount of local news. have done strong, thought- ful. and effective editorial writing. men too whose work has something of real literary quality in it. The names of most of these editorial writers have been mentioned already in treating of the press of the county, but a sketch of its literary activities requires allusion at least also here to the editors as a class. if not some particular mention of persons.

First in the list of editors who have done large and influential work in the county in putting their thought into language stands the name of Albert Chandler. For eight years from April 6, 1841. he wrote something every week in the Coldwater Sentinel that the people of the county read. To re- cord the beginning. however, of this kind of literary production in the coun- ty requires that we go back four years farther to the year 1837 and into the extinct little village of Branch. There Charles P. West put his own editorials

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into the Michigan Star with now and then a brighter and keener article from the pen of his sister. Miss Laura West. Between 1850 and 1860 Elihu B. Pond, Il. B. Stillman. Seth W. Driggs, Col. H. C. Gilbert. Judge John H. Gray, and his son, John H. Gray, Jr., sent from Coldwater week by week the product of their pens, a product exhibiting no low literary quality. Dur- in.g the next decade, 1860 to 1870, Coldwater still continued to do almost the entire editorial writing done in the county. The men who did it were: Jonas H. McGowan, C. P. Benton, F. V. Smith, W. G. Moore, Major David J. Easton, P. P. Nichols, and Frank L. Skeels.

The man who ranks as the Nestor of Branch county editors, both by reason of his long service and the large amount and high character of his work, is Abram J. Aldrich. Beginning with the weekly in 1873 and going on from 1875 with a semi-weekly, for twenty years continuously he put his thought week by week upon the pages of his paper. Behind his thought was the scholarship of a university graduate, a wide range of reading, and high moral ideals. His thought had substance, insight, breadth and moral earn- estness, and his language had vigor and aptness of phrase. The following extract from his editorial in the first number of the Semi-Weekly Republican, issued August 3, 1875. is typical of the man and his paper, and is an his- torical example of the kind of literature produced by a Branch county man and read by Branch county people for twenty years. The editorial was head- ed, " Independent Journalism," and contained the following: "We hear more about independent journalism in these days than ever before. It is said that one with God is a majority. True. But oftentimes; that one who imag- ines himself on God's side may be mistaken ; and, at all events. he most gen- erally finds the majority of voters against him when it comes to an election. * At this time in our political history we are attaining the point where but two parties exist. While the editor must choose the fold to which he shall belong, it is not his duty to blindly accept the following of any per- son who may for the nonce be the recognized party leader. The Republican has always been and still continues, the advocate of Republican principles."

In the years following 1870, besides by Mr. Aldrich, editorial writing has been done in Coldwater by Jefferson S. Conover, Calvin J. Thorpe, Henry C. Bailey and his son, Willis C. Bailey, S. H. Egabroad. Frederic Martin Townsend. Major George H. Turner. Charles S. Newell, John S. Evans, Simon B. Kitchel and his son, Horace Kitchel. The writings of C. J. Thorpe were characterized by scholarship, scientific ideas and literary form; those of Major Turner by historical and classical allusion and by rhetorical and even poetical style. About 1870 the villages of the county too began creat- ing a good quality of literary product in their local papers. In 1869 David J. Easton left the sanctum of the Republican in Coldwater and set up that of the Register in Union City, where he went on to the end of his long and in- fluential editorial career. In 1878 Colonel Cornelius VanRennselaer Pond began printing his vigorous English in the Quincy Herald. In 1880 the Bronson Journal began. Mr. C. W. Owen was at one time editor of that

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paper : later he did editorial work in Coldwater, and afterwards he made the Quincy Herald the medium of his ideas.

In addition to the strictly editorial literature contained in the press of the county, its editors have always opened their columns generously to others. The papers of the county during the past forty years thus show on their pages sermons of resident ministers, and well written articles on varied subjects by the thinking, educated men and women of the county. Two persons especially have done a large amount of this work in the county papers dur- ing the past fifteen years, Mr. C. J. Thorpe and Mr. Charles W. Bennett. the former on economic and philological subjects. the latter on geological and theological.

Besides the literary product that has thus been printed week by week upon the pages of its papers, books have been written by some of the natives and residents of the county. WVe name the following in this connection : Mrs. Fannie E. Newberry, Mrs. Celia Parker Woolley. Miss Ida Dandridge Bennett, Mr. Allen Dyer Shaffmaster. Rev. Robert W. Van Schoick. D. D., Mrs. Clara Dillingham Pierson, and Miss Frances Alice Kellor.

Mrs. Newberry. Miss Bennett, and Mr. Schaffmaster have resided in the county for years, and these, with Dr. Van Schoick, wrote their books while residents of the county. The parents of Mrs. Woolley have been resi- dents of the county continuously since 1848. Though she herself was born in Toledo. O., nearly all her early life was spent in Coldwater and her edu- cation was received there. Mrs. Pierson and Miss Kellor were born in Cold- water and there grew to adult years.

In the Coldwater Semi-Weekly Republican of April 4, 1876, there is printed upon the first page a story with this heading: "Written for the Republican. 'A Lordly Soul,' by Fannie E. Newberry." In 1891 Mrs. New- berry began putting her work into book form. Since then she has written the following fifteen volumes: " The Impress of a Gentlewoman," " Brian's Home," " Comrades." " Transplanted." " The Odd One." "Sara: A Prin- cess," " All Aboard." "House of Hollister." " Everyday Honor," " The Wrestler of Philippi," " Strange Conditions," " A Son's Victory," " Bubbles." "Not for Profit." "Joyce's Investment."

Miss Ida Bennett has been writing regularly for several magazines since 1895. Among them are: The Woman's Home Companion, American Homes and Gardens, Indoors and Out, Town and Country, Ladies' Home Journal, and Suburban Life. In 1893 she wrote " The Flower Garden, A Handbook of Practical Garden Lore." which was published by McClure, Phillips & Co .. of New York, as a book of 282 pages with numerous illustrations.

Mr. Shaffmaster's home is in Bronson, where he is editor of the Bron- son Journal. In 1904 he prepared for the press " Hunting in the Land of Hiawatha, or the Hunting Trips of an Editor." It made a volume of 220 pages with 40 illustrations as published by M. A. Donohue & Co. of Chi- cago.

Rev. Dr. Van Schoick while a resident of Coldwater attended the World's Fourth Sunday School Convention in Jerusalem in 1904. In con-

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nection with his journey he wrote articles or letters, which were first printed in the Coldwater Reporter and afterward published in book form by Eaton & Mains, making a book of 253 pages with 25 illustrations.

Branch county people have noted with interest and with allowable pride the work that has been done and the books that have been written by Mrs. Woolley in Chicago, Mrs. Pierson in Stanton, Mich., and Miss Kellor in New York City, and they may claim some share of influence in originating and developing the abilities which have already wrought such results. As to their literary productions we record the following: Mrs. Woolley wrote in 1897 "Rachel Armstrong, or Love and Theology," in 1889 "A Girl Gradu- ate," in 1892 " Roger Hunt." Mrs. Pierson since 1897 has written and pub- lished through E. P. Dutton & Co. of New York, ten volumes: " Among the Meadow People." " Among the Forest People," " Among the Farmyard Peo- ple," " Among the Pond People," " Among the Night People," " Notebook of an Adopted Mother," " Dooryard Stories." " Tales of a Poultry Farm," " Three Little Millers," and the " Millers of Pencroft." Miss Kellor wrote in 1901 "Experimental Sociology, Descriptive and Analytical." which was published by the Macmillan Company, and in 1904 "Out of Work, a Study of Employment Agencies," published by G. P. Putnams' Sons.

Early in 1876 there was in Coldwater " The Woman's Club," which studied especially United States history in preparation for the interests and observances of the Centennial year. In 1892 and 1893, largely through the suggestion and direction of the librarian of the Coldwater Public Library. Miss Mary A. Eddy, the Columbian Woman's Club was organized, dividing itself into several " circles." This club has continued its existence and con- nected itself with the Michigan Federation.

The Twentieth Century Club of Coldwater was organized and incorpor- ated April 20, 1892. Its object was stated to be " intellectual, scientific and esthetic culture." The membership has been composed of men and women and has been limited to forty in number. It has regularly held its meetings every two weeks in each year between Oct. I and June 15. The presidents of the club have been: Caleb D. Randall, George H. Turner. ex-Governor Cyrus G. Luce, and Milton W. Wimer. In Batavia township the Bay View Reading Club has been active for more than ten years.

The fortnightly Musical Club of Coldwater is a strong organization of the women of the city. The choirs of the several churches with their or- ganists have done much to promote musical culture everywhere in the county. George W. Klock has been an organist and teacher of music in Coldwater for more than twenty-five years. For a still longer time Dr. William L. An- drews was a choir leader in the city, and by his enthusiasm and unselfish de- votion to musical work probably did more than any other one man in the county in creating a popular interest in music.

The Lewis Art Gallery, already spoken of, left some of its works in Coldwater and thus has continued somewhat to help maintain an interest in painting and sculpture. Coldwater has no sculptural nor architectural mon- ument to its soldiers of the Civil war. In this regard Quincy and Union City

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excel the county seat, each having erected a worthy monument to its heroes of 1861-65. The most imposing building in the county is the county court- house. One of Coldwater's own citizens was the architect of this edifice, Mr. Marcellus H. Parker. Mr. Parker also designed the main building and five cottages of the State Public School, the Lewis Art Gallery, the Bap- tist church, and the Edwin R. Clarke Public Library building.

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CHAPTER XXIV.

RELIGION AND CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.

Religion and its institutions and organizations have been a prominent part of mankind's life everywhere in historic time. The religion of the people of the United States is, of course, in general the Christian religion in distinction from Mohammedanism and Buddhism. Of the three great forms of Christianity, the Roman, the Greek and the Protestant, only the two, the Roman and the Protestant, have entered in any organized form into the life of the people of Branch county.

Religious feeling and thought express themselves most conspicuously in church organizations and church activity. We shall endeavor to give a brief account of the church organizations in the county in which the Protestant and Roman Catholic belief of its people has been embodied. Prot- estantism in its history has differentiated itself into its well known denomin- ations, having in every region their local churches, in one or both senses of the word church, that is, a social organization only, or a social organization and a building in which it carries on its activities. We shall group together all the churches in the county connected with each denomination, following mainly the chronological order in their treatment.

There have always been in the churches of the county the forms of church activity common in the several denominations throughout the world. Every seventh day, Sunday or Saturday, has been a day for gathering of men, women and children in their church buildings for their various exercises of " worship," or "divine service," and for Sunday-schools in which the Bible and Christian life and history have been studied and taught. One or more evenings of the week have been used for prayer and conference meet- ings, for improvement in church music, for study of the Bible and Christian- ity and for social fellowship. The church buildings have thus been centers in which a large amount of associative activity has been carried on, producing a large amount of thought, feeling, determination, and action of the kind com- monly spoken of as religious, moral, ethical and spiritual. At the same time all this activity and all these forms of life have been essentially social, and have exerted a continuous and powerful influence in many ways upon the life of the people of our county.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES.

The first denomination to begin an organized church life in the county was the Methodist Episcopal. In Allen Tibbits' log house in Coldwater, June 19, 1832, Rev. E. H. Pilcher, of the Tecumseh circuit, organized the first

OLD METHODIST CHURCH.

Coldwater, built 1836-38

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Methodist class in Branch county, its charter membership being Allen Tib- bits, who was also the local preacher; Caroline M. Tibbits, his wife; Joseph Hanchett and wife Nancy, and Amelia Harrison. These, the founders of Coldwater village, were likewise the founders of Methodism in the county. Allen Tibbits preached the first sermon in his log house in the month of July following. Early Methodism in Coldwater was represented by such well known families as the Crippens, Dr. W. B. Sprague, Dr. D. Littlefield. Thomas Daugherty, James Fisk and Rev. Francis Smith.

The class was a mission until 1836, when it became a self-supporting circuit, and in June, 1838, the first church building, a wooden structure, and standing on the site of the present Methodist church on North Marshall street, was dedicated. This served as the church home for thirty years and is illustrated on another page. January 26, 1869. Rev. F. M. Eddy dedicated the present brick church, which, with an addition constructed in 1878, has served the Methodist congregation until the present time. The building as first constructed cost $25,000. In 1878 the pipe organ was installed, this being the gift of Alonzo Waterman and his daughters, Mrs. Mary C. Fenn and Miss Allie A. Waterman.

Beginning with the Rev. Allen Tibbits, some of the best known pastors who have served this church were: William Sprague, Peter Sabin. in 1836: Benjamin Sabin, I. Cogshall, in 1875-6, and in more recent years J. Q. Buell, A. P. Moors, D. F. Barnes, D. D., H. M. Joy. W. A. Hunsberger, James Hamilton, Wm. Denman, A. M. Goold. W. L. Barth, W. I. Cogshall, Wm. P. French, L. E. Lennox, and F. M. Chapman, D. D.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, QUINCY.

The first Methodist class at Quincy was formed in 1836 at the home of the pioneer. John Broughton. He and his wife. Bartholomew Hewitt and wife, Rev. James Clizbe and wife, and Dr. Berry composed the members of this class. The ministers were supplied from the Coldwater charge until 1843. and after that they came from the Litchfield circuit. Rev. B. N. Shel- don, whose widow was the author of the historical paper from which these facts are taken, was the first resident minister at Quincy, coming about 1853. It was through his efforts that the first church edifice was erected and dedi- cated on January 1, 1855. In the summer of 1869 the church was entirely rebuilt and refurnished, at a cost of between three and four thousand dol- lars, and largely by the efforts of the late Hiram Bennett all the church indebtedness was cleared off by 1874. Repairs have subsequently been made to the structure, but the present building practically has seen nearly forty years of service. The brick parsonage was built on Jefferson street about 1888, at a cost of about fifteen hundred dollars, the land for the site being donated by Enoch Myres.

The pastors from the time of Rev. Sheldon to the present have been : L. W. Earl, S. C. Woodard, William Doust, W. W. Johnson, A. Coplin, T. J. Conden, N. M. Steele. David Thomas, Isaac Bennett. James N. Day- ton, William Paddock, G. S. Barnes, Thomas Lyon, G. L. Haight, C. C.

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Olds. A. M. Fitch, N. L. Bray, Louis Grosenbaugh, E. L. Kellog, D. C. Reihl, W. H. Thompson, E. A. Armstrong, W. H. Parsons, F. M. Taylor, G. S. Robinson. and P. A. Buell, who came to the charge in the fall of 1905. The board of trustees at this writing are: M. J. Rawson, L. C. Failor, H. P. Norton. E. C. Foster, H. W. Noble; and the board of stewards, Mrs. C. H. Halleck, Mrs. M. J. Rawson, Mrs. N. C. Herendeen, Mrs. H. P. Norton, Mrs Dora Barber, W. H. Shipway, E. A. Dorris, and J. R. Smith. The membership now numbers about two hundred and thirty.

The Algansee M. E. church is a part of the Quincy charge. Its mem- bership is about one hundred, and their nice brick church, which was the first and only building, was constructed about thirty-five years ago. The fol- lowing compose the board of trustees: R. D. Reynolds, Fred Wilbur, Purl Hard, A. D. Ransom, Elmer Hoffman, Omer Winchell, L. W. Zeller. The board of stewards: M. A. Griswold, H. B. Walbridge, C. C. Foster, Emory Waterbury.

WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH.

There is no definite information concerning the bringing of the first musical instruments to Branch county, especially such as piano and organ, although the date of their introduction would measure another step in gen- eral progress. But in the history of the Wesleyan branch of the Methodist church at Coldwater may be deduced the conclusion that at the time of its founding instrumental music was becoming more or less firmly fixed in favor. In 1850 a small number of the Methodists in Coldwater withdrew from the church because the majority insisted, that the bass viol be used to supplement the vocal music. This schism resulted in the formation of the Wesleyan church, whose first services were held in an old schoolhouse a mile and a half south of the village, the charter members, among whom was the late James Fisk, numbering only six persons. For a number of years services were conducted in a schoolhouse, until the erection at the corner of North Hudson and Church streets of a modest frame church, which several years ago was remodeled. The membership has always been small, but has maintained its organization and the regular church activities. At the legal incorporation of the church in Nov., 1861, the following persons signed the articles of association, their names constituting the bulk of the early mem- bership: S. B. Smith, Salmon Chapman, John P. Bradley, Aaron Burritt, C. B. F. Bennett, William C. Woodward, D. J. Smith, Olive Bullock, E. Paine, Fanny Chapman, James Fisk, Silas Burton, C. Coffman.

BRONSON.

The first Methodist class was formed at Bronson in 1836, but died out, and the present organization dates from 1857. Mrs. Phurna Isabell Bartlett nee Wing, who came to Bronson about 1844, says that the first minister of the village within her remembrance was a Presbyterian, named Patch, living in Orland. The first Methodist minister in her recollection was Rev. Ercan- brack, who was in charge of the Coldwater church in the early forties. Rev.

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Sabin, named in connection with the Coldwater church. also preached in Bronson. Rev. James N. Dayton, besides preaching. taught the union school. The meetings at first were held in the old " white schoolhouse " in the east of the village on the street leading to the cemetery, south of Chicago street and on the east side of the road, then called the " quarter line road." A Sunday-school was maintained in this schoolhouse at the time of Mrs. Bartlett's coming, and she recalls that Mary Ann Vance was her teacher.

Rev. John Clubine instituted the present Methodist society at Bronson in 1857. It was a station of the Burr Oak charge until 1866. The oldest book of records in possession of Rev. C. L. Keene, present pastor of the M. E. church at Bronson, and the oldest record of the church of which he knows, begins with "Dec. 22, 1866." as its earliest date. The first entry is that of " Minutes of the first quarterly conference for Bronson circuit * * held at Snow Prairie, Dec. 22, 1866. Rev. Isaac Taylor in the chair." The parts of the circuit mentioned are Snow Prairie. Matteson. North Gilead. Bronson and Gilead. The following apportionment for the pastor's salary would seem to indicate the relative strength and membership of the " societies of the circuit." They were as follows: Gilead, $2.20; Snow Prairie, $2.00; North Gilead. $1.70: Bronson, $1.25; Matteson, $.85. In February, 1867. the "Shaw Schoolhouse Class" was added, and in September following Strong's Island was added. In September, 1869. Gilead. Noble Center, East Gilead, Snow Prairie and Kinderhook were set off as Gilead circuit.

The Bronson society held its meetings in a schoolhouse or public hall until the erection of the present brick building in 1871.

SHERWOOD.

The first Methodist class in Sherwood township was organized in 1838, with Mr. and Mrs. Lyman Studley, Mr. and Mrs. John Onderdonk and Mr. and Mrs. Ryan Williams as charter members. The frame church building was erected about 1858. The pastors since 1877 have been : O. S. Paddock, J. W. Buell, John Klose, S. George, C. C. Dawkins. M. H. Mott. W. J. Tarrant, William Barth, D. D. Martin. J. T. Iddings, G. D. Lee. E. A. Arm- strong. L. A. Sevitts, J. C. Upton, J. G. Ruoff, Walter Burnett, Russell Bready, A. W. Mumford, J. W. Gosling, W. H. Parsons, Quinton Walker, E. A. Baldwin, F. H. Larabee.

GIRARD.

The Methodists were early in the field in Girard, meetings being held in the home of John Cornish while he was still a resident of that township. Allen Tibbits preached here and in a schoolhouse. The church was organ- ized in 1840, the first board of trustees being the following settlers: Lyman Fox, Mason Chase, Joseph C. Corbus, John Parkinson. Lyman Aldrich, Ben- jamin H. Smith, John Worden. The first house of worship was put up in 1844, this was repaired in 1848, and the present brick church bears the date of 1876. Rev. Isaac Bennett preached at Girard in the sixties.

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UNION CITY.

In almost every locality the Methodists were the pioneers in church work in Branch county. At Union City they organized a short time before the Congregationalists, their first class being held in the winter of 1836-37. Isaiah Bennett and family and Mrs. Carpenter Chaffee are named among the first members. Coldwater supplied some of the first preachers. Revs. Sabin, Tibbits and Crippen being named in this connection. Some time in the forties a frame church was erected, and this gave place about twenty years. ago to the handsome brick church, of modern design and proportions.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of Branch County, Michigan, Part 24

Author: Collin, Henry P Publication date: 1906 Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing Number of Pages: 1198

Author: Collin, Henry P
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: New York : Lewis Publishing
Number of Pages: 1198