USA > Michigan > Kent County > Grand Rapids > Grand Rapids and Kent County, Michigan: History and Account of Their Progress from First. Vol. I > Part 52
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in the church, to assume educational pursuits. Rev. E. B. Widger then served for one year, after which Rev. F. P. Arthur entered the service, in May, 1899. He served the congregation until 1907, when he was succeeded by Frank C. Aldinger. The latter remained until 1909, being then succeeded by Ellis B. Barnes, who served only one year. In 1910 Thomas H. Adams was called to the pastorate, but aft- er a couple of years he resigned and the congregation was without a pastor until 1913, when the present pastor, Rev. William V. Nelson, was installed.
The Franklin Street Church edifice was dedicated in December, 1901, the building having been erected largely through the earnest efforts of F. P. Arthur, pastor of the First Christian Church, and the children of Dr. I. J. Whitfield. Rev. W. E. Colegrove supplied for a few months, until Rev. Frank Green, who was at the time a student in Bethany College, W. Va., was able to take charge. Mr. Green began his work in June, 1902. Rev. A. L. Martin succeeded him in November, 1903, and continued until April, 1904. Rev. W. A. Bellamy began his ministry with the church the first of July, 1904, and served until 1909, when he was succeeded by Rev. Homer E. Sala, who served in the pastorate about two years. The latter was succeed- ed in 1911 by Rev. Martin L. Buckley, who served until 1912, when he was succeeded by Rev. Thomas H. Adams. Mr. Adams remained as pastor until 1914, and then was succeeded by David L. Dunkelber- ger, who only served about one year, and then the congregation was without a pastor until 1916, when the present pastor, Rev. Arthur W. Higby, was installed.
Another congregation of this denomination is the Plainfield Ave- nue Church of Christ, the church edifice being located at 315 Sweet street, and its present pastor is Rev. John C. Neece.
THE UNITARIAN CHURCH.
Prior to the regular organization of the Unitarian society in Grand Rapids in 1884, meetings were held by the members of the faith then resident in Grand Rapids, in the Ladies' Literary Club Rooms, on Pearl street. In the year above named the society was organized and held its public meetings in Powers' Opera House for two years. Plans and specifications were drawn, funds were solicit- ed, and a considerable sum was spent in laying the foundation walls for a church edifice on Fulton street, near Lagrave avenue, but dis- satisfaction arose and the project was dropped. The first regular Unitarian minister in the city was the Rev. Henry Powers, of Man- chester, N. H., who assisted in the organization of the society. He was succeeded by Rev. John E. Roberts, and he in turn by the Rev. Mr. Cook. But interest seemed to diminish and for a time public worship was abandoned. An occasional supply preached for the society until 1890, when Rev. Miss Mila Tupper became pastor and served for three years. In 1893, Rev. H. Digby Johnston was called and remained a year, preaching i nthe Ladies' Literary Club house. After this pastorate, which ended in 1894, the society was supplied for a few Sundays by Rev. Mr. Gould, secretary of the Western Uni- tarian Conference. Being without a church home and regular pas- tor, and with interest failing, the society soon ceased to hold srevices.
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The only other Unitarian organization in Grand Rapids is the Holland Unitarian Church, at the northwest corner of Michigan street and Ionia avenue, and at present they are without a pastor.
THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH.
The State of Michigan constitutes one district of the German Evangelical Synod of North America. The first church of this de- nomination was organized through the efforts of Rev. H. Schuknecht, a German minister from Leighton, Allegan County, who organized the church May 1, 1883, with nineteen members. The congregation worshiped regularly in Koch's Hall on West Bridge street, and en- joyed the ministrations of neighboring clergy of their association until the Rev. L. V. Soldan was settled as their pastor, in April, 1884. The building of a house of worship was at once begun, the corner- stone being laid Aug. 3, 1884, by the Revs. H. Schneider, of Ionia, and L. Brown, of Caledonia, and on Oct. 19 of the same year, the people rejoiced in the dedication of an edifice of brick. The present pastor of this church is Rev. William H. Watson. The Second Evan- gelical Church is located at the corner of Griggs street and Horton avenue, with Rev. Charles F. Smith as pastor.
THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTISTS.
The society of Seventh Day Adventists had their first advocate in Elder H. W. Miller. It was in 1886 that he came to Grand Rapids and started holding meetings, and in the same year a tract and mis- sionary society was organized to spread the faith, and this resulted in the acquisition of several members. The church was organized in September, 1887, with about forty constituent members. The present home of the society at 328 Cass avenue was erected in 1912. Rev. Willie H. Sherrig is in charge of the congregation.
THE UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH.
The earliest action looking toward the establishment of a United Brethren Church in Grand Rapids was in the fall of 1889, when I. J. Bear and family and G. H. Kirtland and family removed to this city. An organization was formally effected Jan. 19, 1890, the Gener- al Board of Missions not only recognizing the infant society with a formal indorsement, but also aiding with practical financial support. In 1909 the congregation erected a fine church edifice at the south- west corner of Stewart street and Buchanan avenue. The present pastor is the Rev. Charles E. Pilgrim. The Second United Brethren Church is located at the southeast corner of Porter and Oak Lawn avenues (Wyoming Park), but at present it has no pastor.
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE CHURCH.
In the year 1885 the first interest in Christian Science was aroused in Grand Rapids through the healing of a number of persons of vari- ous conditions of disease. About Jan. 1, 1886, a student of Mrs. Eddy came to the city, taught a class, and remained as a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science. Interest grew until the rapidly in-
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creasing band of believers commenced weekly meetings for the pur- pose of making a systematic study of the Bible and the text-book of Christian Science, "Science and Health, with Key to the Scriptures," by Mary Baker Eddy, the discoverer and founder of Christian Sci- ence. Quickly following this move, a society of those loyal to the teachings of "Science and Health" was formed and regular Sunday services were established in 1889. The church was legally incorpo- rated Oct. 20, 1893, with eight charter members. Sermons were de- livered each Sunday, as in other evangelical churches, until 1895, when Mrs. Eddy, the leader of the Christian Science movement, in- stituted the Bible and "Science and Health with Key to the Scrip- tures" as the impersonal pastor for all Christian Science Churches. The Grand Rapids church immediately adopted this system, wherein the sermons, consisting of passages selected by a committee from these two inseparable books are read by two Readers, a man and a woman, thus giving the same sermon each Sunday in every church of the denomination throughout the world. In October, 1895, a Sun- day School was organized with six members. The church congrega- tion occupied for short periods, Good Templars' Hall, the Ladies' Literary Club house, and the St. Cecelia Auditorium, changing loca- tion as the need for improved conditions appeared. In January, 1901, a building site was secured at a cost of $8,000, the amount being paid that year. On July 20, 1902, the decision to build a church edifice was made and steps were taken to raise the necessary funds. Ground was broken Oct. 20, 1902, and the cornerstone was laid June 10, 1903. The edifice was completed at a cost, including furnishings and pipe organ, of about $75,000. It was formally opened for services Feb. 12, 1905, but as Christian Science Churches are not dedicated until paid for, the dedicatory exercises did not take place until Oct. 14, 1906, when these requirements were complied with. The missionary activities of the church began with the opening of a free public read- ing room in 1891, in conformity with the universal custom of the Christian Science movement. This reading room was first placed in a small office building, later removed to the church edifice, and finally located in a commodious building in the center of the business dis- trict. A department for the distribution of free Christian Science lit- erature was established, and through this effort thousands of people are yearly being supplied with religious information and instruction. The local church actively supports the Board of Lectureship of the Mother Church, in Boston, which missionary enterprise is now reach- ing practically every nation of the world. Its benevolent enterprises have been many, as it quickly responds to all calls for assistance as presented in calamities, such as floods, earthquakes, fire and water, as well as in local efforts, to relieve human suffering by activity in every humanitarian endeavor for the world's relief and evangelization.
OTHER CHURCHES.
There is one spiritualistic congregation in Grand Rapids, which holds regular services-the Church of Truth, whose place of worship is at 26 Shelby street.
The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints meets at 1204 Division avenue. The elder in charge of the congrega- tion is E. K. Evans.
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The Greek Orthodox Church maintains two organizations in Grand Rapids. St. George's, the Syrian congregation, meets at 219 Williams street, with Rev. Philipos Abou-Assaly as pastor, and St. John's, the Russian congregation, meets at the northeast corner of Veto street and National avenue, with Rev. Anthony Diachenko is pastor.
The Church of the Brethren (Dunkard) meets at the corner of Burton street and Gardner avenue, with the Rev. Ellis F. Caslow as pastor, and the Pentecostal Church of the Nazarene meets at the southwest corner of Griggs street and Buchanan avenue, with Rev. Levi H. Humphrey as pastor.
The other churches, missions, etc., may be named as follows : Apostolic Church, 709 Shamrock; Apostolic Faith Assembly, 515 Di- vision avenue; Apostolic Faith Mission, 957 Ottawa avenue; Avery Chapel, 920 Lyon ; Bradford Street Mission, 441 Bradford; City Res- cue Mission, 56-60 Market avenue, Rev. Melvin E. Trotter, superin- tendent ; Edgewood Baptist Mission, southeast corner of Edgewood and Eleanor avenues; Fairmount Park Mission, southeast corner of Graceland and Wartrous avenues; First Christian Reformed Church Mission, 1220 Division avenue; Gospel Hall, 432 College avenue, Gospel Mission, 348 Bartlett street; Grant Street Mission, 320 Grant street ; Holiness Mission, 115 Division avenue; Salvation Army, 242 Pearl street; Volunteers of America Gospel Mission, 225 Bond ave- nue; "Way of Life" Mission, 715 Division avenue, and Whosoever Mission, 640 Burton street.
MISCELLANEOUS ORGANIZATIONS.
The organization of the Young Men's Christian Association in Grand Rapids was the result, here as elsewhere, of the wave of relig- ious revival which swept over the United States and Canada, in 1857 and 1858, although actual organization in Grand Rapids did not take place until several years later. The meeting called to organize the Grand Rapids branch was held on June 6, 1866, and in a compara- tively short time the membership had reached more than 200. There was no general secretary during the early years of the association, but rooms were maintained in Mills & Clancy's Hall. In 1867, and for three years subsequent, rooms were occupied at 30 old Canal street. In 1870 legal incorporation was effected and in 1871 the As- sociation took rooms on Monroe avenue, about opposite the site of the Widdicomb Building. An attempt made in 1872 to obtain a building of its own failed, but in July of that year it succeeded in se- curing a general secretary, John Horner, who served until October, 1873. A new constitution was adopted in 1874 to widen the scope of its usefulness, and open-air services and the jail work were under- taken. In July the Rev. L. H. Pearce, who had for two years been pastor of the Second Street M. E. Church, became general secretary and remained until September, 1875. In January, 1875, a vast im- provement was made by occupying nice quarters in the Ledyard Block. In 1876 the Centennial celebration was marked by a specially interesting rehearsal of the history of the first decade of the Associa- tion, by Hon. M. S. Crosby, who showed that in those years over $20,000 had been expended in the work, besides $1,862.92 expended
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in the relief work during its first four years. Just before the close of 1876 the Fifth State convention of the Young Men's Christian As- sociations was entertained here. The Rev. E. A. Spence was engaged as general secretary in February, 1877, but was succeeded before the end of the year by A. B. Carrier. The latter served two years, after which there was a vacancy in the office and a curtailment of the work until November, 1880, when L. P. Rowland, formerly State secretary, assumed charge. In February, 1883, the Association moved to more inviting quarters in the Godfrey Block on Ionia avenue, one door south of Monroe avenue, and in March a work for boys was begun. In the autumn of 1884 Mr. Rowland resigned. He was succeeded in April, 1885, by R. M. Beattie. In 1886 the Association removed to the northwest corner of Pearl street and Ottawa avenue, where Julius Berkey had erected a temporary building for its use. In September, 1888, the site for a Y. M. C. A. building at the corner of Pearl street and Ionia avenue was purchased, and in October of the same year the headquarters were again removed from the corner of Pearl street and Ottawa avenue to an old dwelling on the site purchased. In 1892 the building was erected on this site and at the time it was thought to be adequate to all demands. But the rapid growth of the city and the increased interest in Y. M. C. A. work caused larger quarters to be a crying need, and the magnificent building which at present houses the Association was completed, in December, 1914, and occupied in the early part of the year following.
The Grand Rapids branch of the Young Woman's Christian As- sociation was organized at a meeting held in the early part of 1900. The charter was issued on June 16, 1900, and in that month a room on Pearl street, where the Board of Trade is at present located, was secured for the use of the Association. The society grew so rapidly that larger quarters became necessary, and in September, 1900, new rooms were opened in the White Block on Monroe aveune. In Sep- tember, 1907, the Association took possession of rooms in the Shep- hard Building, on Fountain street, and that place has since been its home.
What is known as the Open Forum is maintained at All Soul's Church, where weekly Sunday afternoon meetings are held. Various subjects are discussed and the privilege is given to ask questions.
CHAPTER XXXVI. EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
EARLY SCHOOLS - HIGH SCHOOLS - MANUAL TRAINING - NORMAL TRAINING SCHOOL-KINDERGARTENS - PUBLIC LIBRARY-PUBLIC MUSEUM-SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF-GRAND RAPIDS ACADEMY- COUNTRY SCHOOLS-PRIVATE SCHOOLS.
Baxter, in his "History of the City of Grand Rapids," says: "Un- doubtedly the first educational institution within the present limits of the city was the Slater Baptist Indian Mission on the West Side, with its attendant Indian school, to which certain of the white children were sent for a time, crossing the river in canoes. The earliest school
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OLD STONE SCHOOL HOUSE Built 1849-Torn Down 1868. Same Site As Present Junior High School.
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exclusively for white children was one kept by Miss Emily Guild, afterward Mrs. Emily Baxter, in the spring of 1835, in the building on Waterloo street later known as 'the old yellow warehouse,' that was begun for a Catholic church on the west side of the river, but which Louis Campau caused to be moved across to the east side. It is undoubtedly true that the curriculum of this early school was not exceedingly comprehensive nor the discipline very rigid, as the regu- lar pupils were for the most part children of Joel and Edward Guild, and consequently either the small sisters or cousins of their teacher."
Some of the earlier schools were taught at what is now the city's favorite suburban resort, Reed's Lake. In 1834 the settlement there was nearly equal in importance to that at the Rapids, and in the win- ter of that year a school for the families of the settlement was taught in the upper part of a log house by two young girls-Miss Euphemia Davis, daughter of Ezekiel Davis, and Miss Sophia Reed, daughter of Lewis Reed. This school was maintained for the greater part of a year. In 1835 a school house, probably the first in Grand River Val- ley, was built near the lake, and the school was kept during the win- ter by a young man named Francis Prescott, who afterward married Miss Bond, a teacher in Slater's Indian Mission, and became a Bap- tist minister. In the spring of 1835 the family of Darius Winsor moved from their log cabin on the bank of the river at Ionia into the lower story of a new frame house just built by Mr. Winsor, in Grand Rapids, on the corner of Fountain street and Ottawa avenue. The house was not completed when they moved in, lacking doors and windows, the stairway leading into the upper story having no backs to the steps. Nevertheless, the Winsors began keeping house down- stairs, and later in the season a Miss Day, from the Slater Indian Mis- sion, kept school upstairs, little Miss Adelaide Winsor (afterward Mrs. Adelaide Henderson) and some eight or nine other children at- tending and conning their lessons diligently while seated upon the flat side of the slabs, with legs inserted in the rounded under side, which at that time were the most improved school seats manufac- tured in the embryo Furniture City. Miss Day taught this school for about three months, and then resigned and returned to her former home in Massachusetts.
During the year following the establishment of this school, a large number of immigrants to the West located in Grand Rapids, and in 1836 two or three other schools were opened. One of these was by Miss Sophia Page, afterward wife of Judge Daniel Bacon of Monroe, the sessions being held in a new barn a little to the southeast across the street from the present Morton House. The others were by Daniel Smith, of Cazenovia, N. Y., and Miss Mary Hinsdill, who taught two schools during the winter of 1836-37, in the National Ho- tel, then kept by Miss Hinsdill's brother. Mr. Smith's school was for young men and Miss Hinsdill's for young women, the one occupying a lower and the other an upper room of the hotel. These early schools were subscription or pay schools, as at that time no public revenue had been provided for the maintenance of public schools, except that derived from the school lands, and this was little or nothing, because land was so plentiful and so cheap that it was fully a generation be- fore the lands donated for school purposes would command a price at
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all commensurate with the educational needs of the community. Even then the "sixteenth section" was frequently sold for a mere pittance of what it would bring today.
The young folks who enjoy the benefits of the twentieth century schools have but a slight conception of the "advantages" enjoyed by their grandfathers and grandmothers in 1836. The equipment of those early schools was of the most primitive character. The school house was generally a log cabin or cheaply constructed frame shanty, probably 18x24 feet in size, door in one end, a huge fireplace in the other, and two small windows on each side. Often these windows were not more than 24x30 inches in size, and on cloudy days the pu- pils who occupied seats in the corners or in the center of the room found it a difficult matter to study their books. Long, backless benches were provided for the smaller children, while along the walls under the windows was arranged a broad board for a writing desk. Sometimes small tables with suitable seats were provided for the pu- pils old enough to write, though tables were regarded as a luxury and the school that could afford them was considered fortunate. The schoolmaster was furnished with a chair, a small deal table, a few books, a bottle of ink and a quill pen, as part of his duties was to "set the copies" in the writing books of the pupils. One of his accomplish- ments was to know how to make a good quill pen, as steel pens had not yet come into general use. Reading, writing, and arithmetic- sometimes denominated "the three R's"-constituted the principal features of the curriculum, though occasionally an old map would be hung upon the wall and used for general exercises in geography. Text- books were of divers' kinds, written by various authors, so that effi- cient class work was out of the question, and blackboards were rarely used in the pioneer schools. Yet, notwithstanding these conditions, strong men and women received their most useful early training in the log school house of the frontier.
In 1827 the Legislature of the Territory of Michigan enacted that as soon as twenty families were settled in a town, they should select three commissioners of common schools, who should hold their re- spective offices for three years, and whose duties should be to lease the school lands and apply the proceeds to the establishment and sup- port of the common schools, and it was under this law that the first school districts were organized. But for several years after this the pioneers were too much engrossed with the material development of the country to give much thought to the subject of education. And besides, no funds amounting to anything could be raised by the sale or lease of the school lands, and if the schools were to be brought to a higher standard it would have to be done by local taxation. But the average citizen, especially a pioneer under such conditions as have already been described, is loath to give his assent to any policy that will largely increase his taxes ; hence the houses were log huts or cheap frame shanties, the teachers poorly paid, and the school sup- plies limited to the least expensive kind.
Baxter's "History of the City of Grand Rapids" (p. 220) says: "May 9, 1835, the first school district within the present limits of Grand Rapids city and township was organized. It was bounded south and eastward by the present limits of the city, westward by
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Grand River, and extended northward one mile and a half above the present city line. In the summer of 1837 the affairs of the district were in a condition to warrant the employment of a teacher, and Miss Celestia Hinsdill, of Kalamazoo, Mrs. S. L. Withey's cousin, was a candidate for the position. To William A. Richmond, Charles I. Walker, and Noble H. Finney, school committeemen, and young gen- tlemen friends of the lady, the law gave the task of ascertaining the extent of her knowledge and fitness for the profession of teaching. The legend says they fulfilled the law to the uttermost, asking her questions innumerable, and both relevant and irrelevant to educa- tional matters, to all of which she gave correct answers except one as to the location of Thunder Bay, that body of water having then been but recently rechristened, and she not having heard of its new name. Notwithstanding this defect in geographical knowledge, Miss Hinsdill was hired to teach the first term of the district school, and she afterward honored one of the gentlemen by accepting his name and becoming Mrs. C. I. Walker. Her term continued through the summer."
The sessions of this first term of the district school were held in a frame building on Prospect Hill, erected by Aaron Sibley and first occupied by him as a dwelling, and which was in later years used as an engine house. In 1839, William I. Blakely built the first school house in the district-and, indeed, the first frame school house within what are now the limits of the city. It was a small structure, situated on the north side of East Fulton street, nearly opposite the end of Jefferson avenue. Joseph B. Galusha, of Rochester, N. Y., and who was a son of Governor Galusha of Vermont, taught school in the new house. Warren W. Weatherly and his brother, O. R. Weatherly, Elijah Marsh, and Thomas B. Cuming successively taught there for several terms, Mr. Cuming being in charge when the building was burned Feb. 22, 1849.
In 1848, this large district was divided, the lower or southern part forming District No. 1, and the northern portion District No. 6, or the Coldbrook district. At the first school meeting of District No. 1, May 6, 1848, James M. Nelson was elected moderator, Stephen Wood director, and W. G. Henry assessor. Several special school meetings were held in 1848, at which the question of erecting a new school house in the district was thoroughly discussed, and at a meet- ing held on June 24 it was resolved, "That for the erection and com- pletion of a suitable stone school house in this district the sum of $2,500 be levied and assessed upon the property of the district." A building committee of six was empowered "to act in concert with the proper officers of the district in the disposal of the present site and school buildings, the purchase of a new site, the drawing up of plans and specifications, advertising for and receiving proposals, and let- ting the job for the construction and completion of a stone school house, which, when completed, shall in no case cost to exceed the sum of $2,500. At a school meeting held July 15, 1848, the commit- tee recommended "the purchase of lots Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, in Block 8, Dexter Fraction, and the six lots lying and adjoining on the east side in the Hatch addition, as the new school house site." This report was accepted, and after some inquiry into the title of the lots,
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