History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 137

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 821

USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 137
USA > Michigan > Berrien County > History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 137

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

CHAPTER LXVIII.

WAVERLY TOWNSHIP .*

General Description of the Township-Pioneer Settlers and Early Events-Township Organization and List of Officers-Post-Offices -Religious-Educational.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION.

TOWN 2 south, range 14 west, now known as Waverly, was originally a portion of the township of Clinch, created in 1837, when Van Buren County was divided into seven townships. Waverly's boundaries are : Bloomingdale on the north, Paw Paw on the south, Almena on the east, and Arlington on the west. When organized, Waverly con- tained thirty-six full sections, but one and a half sections in the southwest corner have been since set off to Paw Paw township, for the greater convenience of the people living in that part of the territory.

There is a large swamp in the southwest, and swamp- lands are observable in numerous portions of the town. Generally the character of the soil is heavy, and as to the production of wheat, it ranks very high. It is said that 40 bushels per acre have been grown in some cases, and that 25 bushels may be regarded as far from rare. Heavily- timbered lands are plentiful, as are also water-courses. In the south the Paw Paw River flows westward, and here and there numerous smaller streams are found, although in no case are the streams rapid enough to furnish water- power. Apart from the saw-mill interest there are no manufactures. There is a post-office called Glendale, but no village, nor is there within the limits of the township a church building. The interests of agriculture are the sole dependence of the people, and they are valuable enough to make the community a prosperous one.

PIONEER SETTLERS AND EARLY EVENTS.

In 1837 Bloomingdale and Waverly received their first settlers simultaneously, and received them from the same family. In the fall of 1836, Mallory H. Myers, Merlin M. Myers, Reuben J. Myers, William H. H. Myers, and their mother, with two sisters, migrated westward to White Pigeon, Mich., and there determined to remain temporarily. In the spring of 1837, Mallory, Reuben, and William started upon a land-looking tour, and fancying some land in the township of Clinch, concluded to locate there,-Reu- ben selecting a tract on section 2, in the present town of Waverly, and his two brothers locating farms in what is now Bloomingdale. The rest of the family coming directly

* By David Schwartz.

OLD HOME.

RESIDENCE OF O . A . BRECK, WAVERLY TP., VAN BUREN CO, MICH.

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TOWNSHIP OF WAVERLY.

from White Pigeon, they all lived together in a cabin built on Mallory's place. Reuben began at once, however, to clear his land in Waverly, and in the fall of 1838 he erected a comfortable log cabin, into which he moved with one of his sisters, who kept house for him until some time in 1839, when James Scott, a shingle-maker employed in the neighborhood, courted and married Miss Myers, and took her away to Decatur. Reuben and his sister had been the first and only settlers in the town, and when she left, Reu- ben was the solitary white inhabitant, although he had neighbors in the adjoining towns of Bloomingdale and Al- mena (both being then a portion of Clinch).

In 1839, Merwin Myers came over from Bloomingdale to keep Reuben company, and located on section 1, where he lived until 1857, when he removed to Illinois, his present home. Reuben Myers has always lived in Waverly since he first settled there. He has his home now on section 11.

In that same year there were settlements in the southern portion of the township by Loren Hurlbut and Jacob Finch, both of whom located on section 35. Hurlbut died in Paw Paw in 1877. Finch moved to the far West after a not very extended residence in Waverly.

When Isaac Brown moved into Waverly from Washte- naw County, in 1839, and settled upon section 13, there was no settler within two and a half miles of him. He lived there until shortly after 1860, when he moved to Paw Paw, where he died in 1865. Mr. Brown's son, John D., born in 1839, was the first person born in Waverly. He now lives in Bangor, where also resides Isaac Brown's widow, aged eighty-seven.

Zeri Taylor located upon section 13 in 1839, and Brown was therefore not left long without a neighbor. Taylor de- parted, however, after a few years' stay, but whither he went cannot be stated.

Rezin Bell came to Michigan in 1833 and made his home in Adrian, but left there in 1837 for Van Buren County, and although he located land in Waverly in that year on section 2, he lived in Almena two years before be- coming a permanent resident of Waverly. He moved to Bloomingdale in 1854, and died there in 1865. When he came to Van Buren County he had five children, of whom only one is now living.

In 1839, William Murch, a young man from New York, came to the town, and located land upon section 2; but de- voting the next twelve months to laboring for others, he did not effect a permanent settlement until 1840, when he mar- ried one of Reuben Myers' sisters. The marriage was solem- nized at the house of Mallory H. Myers, in Bloomingdale, by Elder Junia Warner, of Almena, and may be regarded as the first marriage among the Waverly settlers, although the ceremony was performed across the line in Almena. The `marriage of Scott to one of Mrs. Myers' daughters took place in 1839, but in that case only one of the contracting parties belonged in Waverly.

In the same year of 1840 a six-year-old son of Rezin Bell, named Josiah, fell sick and died. That death was the first in the township. There was then no public burial- ground in Waverly, and the lad was accordingly buried near Elder Warner's house, in Almena.

Leonard Lull bought land on section 2 in 1840, but did

not effect a permanent settlement, although he was in and out of the town for a few years. Philo Herron came from New York in 1841, and settled upon the northeast corner of section 3. Subsequently. however, he moved to Pine Grove, where he died. Almon B. Covey and his brother Amon, after remaining a short time in Almena, located in 1841 upon section 12, in Waverly. Amon married after a while and moved to Almena. Almon became ultimately a resident of Arlington, where he died in 1878.

Jonah Austin, a New Yorker, was a settler in Oakland Co., Mich., in 1836, and after a residence there of six years moved to Waverly, where he had bought 160 acres on section 24,-the land being now occupied by his sons Alexander and Jasper. The elder Austin died on his place in 1869.

John Scott, one of the best known of Waverly's citizens, came hither from Monroe Co., N. Y., in September, 1843, having bought 80 acres on section 6, of Mr. McVean, be- fore he started. While preparing his own place for habita- tion he lived with his family at Ashbel Herron's, four and a half miles east, and with the assistance of the Herrons he put up a log cabin 18 by 24 feet. The lumber and shingles for floor and roof he hauled from Porter's mill, in Allegan County, thirteen miles distant. Between him and the Paw Paw River on the south there was no settler, and on the east his nearest neighbor was Philo Herron, living three and a half miles away. When Mr. Scott fin- ished the construction of his log cabin he had only 18 cents in cash at his command, "but," says he, " I never borrowed any trouble, never went hungry, and never had any com- plaint to make touching the general character of my expe- rience. I have always kept up a stout heart and so have prospered." In that heavily-timbered region roads were luxuries and exceedingly difficult of attainment. Mr. Scott's journeys on foot were easily made over Indian trails, but traveling by wagon was a different affair. Then he had to cut his way before him, and cutting out a road was a tedious business. Still, it was necessary to do that or stop at home, and stopping at home when mill or market were necessaries was not to be thought of. Paw Paw was the market and mill point, and tramping over the weari- some way on foot, with grist on back, was a common task, while it was not unfrequently a dangerous one, especially as the only bridge over the Paw Paw was a fallen tree, and across it the trip was sometimes necessarily made after dark.

Joseph Cox, of Monroe Co., N. Y., came also in 1843, and became a settler upon 160 acres in section 22, entered previously by his father. In 1849, Cox joined the gold- seekers and set out for California, but, dying en route, his bones were left to bleach upon the Plains.

Upon section 12, in 1843, James C. and Eben Armstrong were the pioneers, and with their cheering presence encour- aged the little band of struggling settlers. James died in the town. Eben is now a resident of Bloomingdale. Daniel Relyea located upon section 2 in 1843, but died there in the following year.

The year 1844 brought Isaac Spaulding as a settler. He was a pioneer in Lenawee County in 1834, and ten years :, afterwards located land on section 21, in Waverly. For a

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HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

year he divided his time between clearing his land and working in Breedsville at his trade as a tanner. In 1845 he settled permanently upon his Waverly land, and remov- ing subsequently to section 16, he lived there until Novem- ber, 1879, when his home was destroyed by fire. When Mr. Spaulding built his first house in Waverly he had to draw his lumber from Brush Creek, and having in the journey to go around streams over which there were no bridges, the trip to the saw-mill and back covered fully thirty miles. Besides all that, he had to cut out the road in many places, and taken altogether the task was a severe one. The deer injured his wheat crops so much that he built about his wheat-field a rail-fence eight feet high, which was the admiration of his brother settlers.

Peter T. Valleau, familiarly known as Uncle Peter, was a settler in 1844, upon section 22. He was an eccentric old gentleman, with many kindly traits, and passed his de- clining years at the home of his son Theodore, upon section 2, where the latter located in 1858. In 1844, also, John Reed joined the army of settlers, and where he then located, upon section 24, he still lives.

Hubbard Westcott and T. W. Thayer came in 1845. Westcott settled on section 21, but moved subsequently to Tecumseh, where he died. Thayer lived with his father in Bloomingdale until 1845, when he married Polly, a sister of Elisha Marble (a settler in Waverly in 1843), and located a farm upon section 1, in Waverly, which is still his home.

Reuben Mather, one of Waverly's early settlers, occu- pies a farm originally settled in 1848 by Charles Rogers, who died on the place in 1854.

Orlando H. Newcomb, a comer to Waverly in 1850, moved with his father to Almena in 1836, settled after- wards in Bloomingdale, where he engaged in milling with Mallory Myers, and in 1850 settled upon section 12, in Waverly, where he died in 1873, and where his widow still resides. O. M. Alger, who moved from Ohio to Michigan in 1846, lived on Prairie Ronde a year, and then settled in Antwerp, whence in 1851 he migrated to Waverly. He died in 1876, leaving a widow, who, with her son, lives on the old homestead on section 3.

The year 1852 brought quite a number of settlers, promi- nent among whom were George Carr, O. A. Breck, the Shaw and Rogers families, and J. L. Fox. Carr, a New Yorker, made his home upon section 23, where he had bought some wild land of E. O. Briggs. His sons, William H. and Jacob, now live on the farm settled by their father, whose present home is on section 27.

Joseph Rogers, a bachelor, and William, his brother, a man of family, came from Wayne County, and bought a farm on section 27. There William died in 1878, and there Joseph is still a resident. J. L. Fox came from Kent Co., Mich., and selected a home on section 15, where he has since remained. From Wayne Co., Mich., came Rich- mond and W. B. Shaw. The former lived a while upon section 21, and then moved out of the town. The latter yet lives on section 22, where he located in 1852.

Orson A. Breck was a young bachelor when he came from Wayne Co., N. Y., to Waverly in 1852, and took quarters with his uncle, Isaac Spaulding, with whom he lived

two years. In 1854, young Breck married a daughter of Samuel Rogers (living with his sons on section 27), who died in Waverly in 1873, aged eighty-seven. Previous to his marriage Breck had entered land on section 17, where he now lives. When he made a settlement there, in 1854, he was the first inhabitant of what was soon afterwards or- ganized as school district No. 8. Following Breck into that district the settlers were Benjamin Smith, Zeri Skin- ner, B. G. Stanley, John McKnight, and others.

The voters in Waverly in 1852 numbered about 30, and included the following : Reuben J. Myers, Merlin M. Myers, Theodore W. Valleau, Almon B. Covey, O. H. Newcomb, Henry Whelpley, Dr. Babbitt, Philo Herron, Daniel Brown, N. H. Whitford, John Scott, Benijah Davis, Isaac Spalding, Hubbard Westcott, Charles Rogers, Ephraim Butterfield, Young, Jonah Austin, Jasper Austin, George Austin, James Armstrong, William Murch, Orra Brown, Cyrenus Brown, Isaac Brown, John Smith, Edwin Smith, George P. Smith, Loren Hurlbut, Rezin Bell, Ebenezer Arm- strong, and L. W. Thayer.

The year 1854 was enlivened by what is still remem- bered as the famous "School-House War," which sprang from the incidents attendant upon the organization of school district No. 8, and efforts to fix upon a permanent location for the school-house. Upon the first discussion touching the school-house site there appeared to be con- flicting opinions, some wanting it in one place and some in another ; but the party headed by Benjamin Smith car- ried the day, and decreed that the school-house should be built upon Smith's place, near the big swamp. Smith was, however, so ridiculed for wanting the school-house located in a swamp that he pressed for a change of site, and agreed to have it built on Joseph Skinner's farm, to the north; but insisted subsequently that the district should make a road through Skinner's farm for the convenience of his (Smith's) children, so that in going to school they might make a short cut of it. This the district declined to do, whereupon Smith gathered his party, and revoking the decision which placed the site on Skinner's farm, effected another change, whereby the location was fixed upon Breck's farm. To this move Smith's wife raised her voice in emphatic protest and declared that "that school-house shouldn't stand one inch upon Breck's farm" if she could help it. Smith being therefore directed by his good dame to see to it promptly, and " keep that school-house away from Breck's," called his henchmen in council and ordered another change of base, the Smith party, it may be well to observe, possessing a ruling majority in the district. A fourth site was accord- ingly selected upon Bailey Stanley's farm, a little south of the saw-mill, and for the first time in the course of the con- troversy active measures were taken towards the erection of a building. Indeed, the frame was raised, and everybody supposed, of course, that trouble was at an end, and that the district was at last to have a school-house. Unhappily, the people reckoned without their host. About the time of the completion of the frame Bailey Stanley fell out with Benjamin Smith, and most positively declared that the school-house should not stand upon his land, for he would never execute a deed. Appealed to by the community, he remained firmly obstinate, and so there was nothing to

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TOWNSHIP OF WAVERLY.

do but to take the frame down, look for another location, and trust to Providence. The fifth attempt to locate the school permanently, resulted in a complete success, and thus far it has been allowed to remain undisturbed upon its present site, north of Jones' saw-mill.

During the progress of the conflict a great deal of bad blood was generated, and party feeling ran high upon the questions of " Smith" and "anti-Smith." So fierce was the faction fever that at one stage the anti-Smithites would raid the fences of the Smithites at night, and turn cattle into the growing crops, while in turn the Smithites would retaliate with similar measures, and as a cap to the climax, personal discussion over the matter not infrequently led to personal fistic encounters, although most reports agree in saying that no blood was shed.

In 1853, Eli Bush, of Ohio, came with his family, in company with the family of Henry Kingsbury, and made a settlement on section 2, where he now lives. While building his cabin he lived with S. N. Root, who had come a short time previously, and located upon section 1, his present home. Kingsbury stopped a short time only before removing to Lawton. Even at that late day, the region in which Mr. Bush settled was a forest wild, although he had neighbors moderately near at hand. C. W. Gilman, now living near Mr. Bush, although a late comer in Waverly, was one of the early residents of Antwerp, in which his father was one of the pioneer advance-guard.

John Merchant, now living in Waverly, upon section 15, where he located in 1854, was one of the pioneers of Hills- dale County. Jacob Hungerford was a settler in Cass County in 1837, and now lives upon section 26, in Waverly. L. W. Simmons came in 1858, and occupied a place earlier owned by Jesse V. Stevens, now a resident on section 13, while among other prominent early settlers may be men- tioned Charles Stanley, A. G. Dayton, S. L. Abernethy, F. M. and P. T. Streator, H. H. Jennings, C. W. Butter- field, T. L. Niles, and F. W. Dibble.

The first burial-ground was laid out in the fall of 1857, north of Jones' saw-mill. The first burial in the inclosure was that of Charles Rogers, whose body was taken up from the Rogers farm and transferred, as were also, soon after, the bodies of others previously interred in family grounds. In 1858 the cemetery on section 23 was laid out, the two grounds named being now the only ones in the town- ship.

The pioneer saw-mill was built by William Heald, in 1861, on section 16. This mill-now carried on by S. H. Jones-and the one owned by S. W. Fisk are the only mills of any kind in Waverly.

The swamp known as the " Huckleberry Marsh" did not invite settlements to its neighborhood at a very early date, but in 1854 the neighborhood west of the school section began to receive population, although the growth thereof was exceedingly slow. Latterly there have been indica- tions of speedy efforts looking to the reclamation of the swamp lands in the southwest, and as a result of the suc- cess of such a move, the town must gain considerable valu- able land which is now almost worthless.

But few wolf stories are told by Waverly's early settlers, but it is related that William Murch, while traveling to

Breedsville, encountered a pack of wolves, and taking to a tree, was kept there a prisoner all night in a driving snow- storm. Fearful that he might fall asleep, and thus fall down into the jaws of the hungry beasts, he bound himself firmly to the tree with his handkerchief, which, luckily, kept him safc, for he did fall asleep, and might have fallen to his death had he not been bound.

Mill conveniences to a majority of the early settlers were easily accessible at Paw Paw, and so they were better off than many neighboring townships.

The number of voters in Waverly in 1842 was but 13. In 1849, there was an increase to 27; in 1852, to 30; in 1856, to 73; and in 1861, to 134. In 1869 the town enjoyed its greatest prosperity as to population, and had then 315 voters. At this time (January, 1880) the voters number 250.

The first frame house built in Waverly was erected in 1846, by J. C. Armstrong, and is now occupied as the resi- dence of Nelson Armstrong. Mr. Armstrong, who, it may be observed, was the pioneer carpenter of the town, built also the first frame barn.

TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION AND LIST OF OFFICERS.

When Van Buren County was divided into seven towns, under the act approved March 11, 1837, Clinch township (one of the seven) embraced the territory now included within Waverly, Almena, Bloomingdale, and Pine Grove. In 1842 the town was divided into two equal parts, that on the west being called Waverly (including the present towns of Bloomingdale and Waverly), and that on the east Almena. F. C. Annable, of Almena, then a member of the Legislature, presented the petition for the division, and named both towns, christening Waverly in honor of the novelist Sir Walter Scott, whom he much admired.

The first meeting of the electors of Waverly after the division, was held April 4, 1842, when the aggregate vote was but 13. In 1845, Waverly was divided, the northern half being set off as Bloomingdale, while the southern por- tion retained the old name.

Subjoined is a list of those elected as supervisor, clerk, treasurer, and justice of the peace since 1842 :

1842 .- Supervisor, M. H. Myers; Clerk, W. H. H. Myers; Treasurer, W. H. H. Myers; Justices of the Peace, Ashbel Herron, Isaac Brown, A. B. Covey, M. H. Myers.

1843 .- Supervisor, M. H. Myers ; Clerk; W. H. H. Myers; Treasurer, W. H. H. Myers ; Justice of the Peace, Harviland Thayer. 1844 .- Supervisor, W. H. H. Myers ; Clerk, M. H. Myers; Treasurer, M. H. Myers; Justice of the Peace, A. B. Covey.

1845 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, E. Marble; Treasurer, Rezin Bell; Justice of the Peace, Isaac Brown. 1846 .- Supervisor, Joseph Cox ; Clerk, Isaac Brown; Treasurer, E. Marble; Justice of the Peace, Lorin Hulbert.

1847 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, M. H. Myers; Treasurer, E. Armstrong; Justice of the Peace, Philo Herron. 1848 .- Supervisor, Isaac Brown; Clerk, M. H. Myers; Treasurer, E. Armstrong; Justice of the Peace, William Murch.

1849 .- Supervisor, Wm. Murch; Clerk, M. M. Myers; Treasurer, E. Armstrong; Justice of the Peace, George P. Smith. 1850 .- Supervisor, E. Armstrong ; Clerk, E. A. Smith; Treasurer, J. C. Armstrong; Justice of the Peace, A. A. Holly. 1851 .- Supervisor, William Murch ; Clerk, Isaac Brown; Treasurer, George P. Smith ; Justice of the Peace, Philo Herron.

1852 .- Supervisor, William Murch ; Clerk, E. A. Smith; Treasurer, George P. Smith; Justice of the Peace, L. W. Thayer.

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HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

1853 .- Supervisor, George P. Smith ; Clerk, J. L. Fox ; Treasurer, Rezin Bell; Justice of the Peace, G. W. Glidden.

1854 .- Supervisor, George P. Smith ; Clerk, J. L. Fox; Treasurer, William Murch; Justice of the Peace, H. Kingsbury.

*1855 .- Supervisor, William Murch; Clerk, M. M. Myers; Treasurer, O. H. Newcomb; Justice of the Peace, H. Caldwell. 1856 .- Supervisor, H. Caldwell ; Clerk, Josiah Hopkins; Treasurer, O. H. Newcomb; Justice of the Peace, E. Decker. 1857 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, Josiah Hopkins; Treasurer, O. H. Newcomb; Justice of the Peace, Amos Wood. 1858 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, Josiah Hopkins ; Treasurer, A. B. Covey ; Justice of the Peace, N. A. Whitford. 1859 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers ; Clerk, Josiah Hopkins; Treasurer, N. A. Whitford ; Justice of the Peace, Zeri Skinner.

1860 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, J. L. Fox ; Treasurer, N. A. Whitford ; Justice of the Peace, B. J. Stanley.

1861 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers ; Clerk, D. H. Smith; Treasurer, N. A. Whitford; Justice of the Peace, G. W. Glidden.

1862 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers; Clerk, D. H. Smith ; Treasurer, A. Niles ; Justice of the Peace, William Murch.

1863 .- Supervisor, D. H. Smith ; Clerk, J. Hopkins; Treasurer, A. Niles ; Justice of the Peace, B. J. Stanley.

1864 .- Supervisor, D. H. Smith; Clerk, P. T. Streator; Treasurer, A. Niles; Justice of the Peace, J. E. Showerman.

1865 .- Supervisor, R. J. Myers ; Clerk, P. T. Streator; Treasurer, J. E. Showerman ; Justice of the Peace, L. Hurlbut.

1866 .- Supervisor, C. W. Butterfield ; Clerk, E. D. Nash ; Treasurer, A. Niles; Justice of the Peace, George Edgell. 1867 .- Supervisor, C. W. Butterfield ; Clerk, G. H. Bennett; Treas- urer, A. Niles; Justice of the Peace, S. Randall. 1868 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator; Clerk, G. H. Bennett ; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, Cyrus Smith.

1869 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator ; Clerk, William D. Lane; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, C. W. Whipple.

1870 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator ; Clerk, William D. Lane; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, George Edgell.

1871 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator ; Clerk, William D. Lane; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, M. J. Blakeman. 1872 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator ; Clerk, William D. Lane; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, William M. Green.

1873 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator; Clerk, William D. Lane ; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, H. H. Skinner.

1874 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator; Clerk, O. A. Breck ; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, George Edgel.

1875 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator ; Clerk, William D. Lane ; Treasurer, R. Mather; Justice of the Peace, C. A. Fox.

1876 .- Supervisor, P. T. Streator; Clerk, S. E. Qua; Treasurer, B. Smith ; Justice of the Peace, A. Nixon. 1877 .-- Supervisor, P. T. Streator; Clerk, W. D. Lane; Treasurer, A. J. Rich ; Justice of the Peace, M. J. Blakeman. 1878 .- Supervisor, M. J. Blakeman ; Clerk, O. S. Rodenbaugh ; Treasurer, D. Dillon ; Justice of the Peace, Geo. Edgel. 1879 .- Supervisor, M. J. Blakeman; Clerk, O. S. Rodenbaugh ;

Treasurer, D. Dillon ; Justice of the Peace, Chas. A. Fox.

Waverly's population in 1874 was 1104, and in 1879 its assessed valuation was $347,625.

POST-OFFICES.

The post-office of Glendale was originally known as Lemont, having been so named in 1868, by Bailey Stanley, after a hymn-book tune of which he was exceedingly fond. William D. Lane was appointed the first postmaster in 1868, and in connection with the post-office he kept a store south of Jones' saw-mill. His successor in 1875 was Orson A. Breck, who resigned in 1878, and was succeeded by Oscar Rodenbaugh, the present incumbent. During Lane's term the name of the office was changed to Glen- dale because there happened to be in Ottawa County a post- office known as Lamont, and frequent miscarriages of mail resulted. Mail service to and from Glendale is now per- formed twice a week between that office and Paw Paw by

way of Waverly post-office. The latter office, originally established in Waverly township, was in 1874 transferred to Almena. its present location.

RELIGIOUS.

Waverly has not, nor has it ever had, a church building within its limits, and at this time has but one religious organization, viz., a Methodist Episcopal class. A Free- Will Baptist Church was organized in the town as early as 1843, but although still known as the Waverly Church, its place of worship is in Almena township, where a church was built in 1866. A Methodist Episcopal class was organized in Waverly in 1842, and worship was at first held in the town-line school-house on section 2. Other places were subsequently used for services, but after a time the class became much reduced in membership and was merged into the class now called the Glendale class. This latter was organized in 1858 as the Waverly class at the Spaulding school-house, and contained among its members Mr. and Mrs. Decker and their three daughters, Mr. and Mrs. O. A. Breck, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Spaulding, Bailey Stanley and wife, Mrs. Sarah Mcknight, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin Smith, Joseph Skinner, and Henry Manee and wife. Of the foregoing, the only ones now members are Mrs. McKnight and Isaac Spaulding.

Elder Caldwell, of Breedsville, who organized the class, had previously conducted spirited revival meetings in Wa- verly, and subsequent to the organization preached one year. Bailey Stanley was the first class-leader. The pas- tor following Elder Caldwell was Rev. Mr. Tuttle, and after him came Rev. Charles Fisher, who is again, after an ab- sence of eighteen years, serving the church as pastor. A removal of the place of worship to the Breck school-house, the present location, led to a change of name to that of " Glendale class."

This class, which was at first in the Kalamazoo district, was subsequently changed to the Niles district, and later returned to the Kalamazoo district, in which it now is. Since 1858 worship has been enjoyed pretty regularly once every two weeks. The membership is now about 20. The class-leader is Lucius Rogers.

EDUCATIONAL.

The children of Waverly's earliest pioneers gathered the rudiments of learning in a school-house located just north of what is now the line between Bloomingdale and Wa- verly. The first public school-house in Waverly as it now stands was built in 1844. The town-line school already spoken of was taught in 1838, and had then eight scholars, with W. H. H. Myers for its teacher. The second teacher was Sarah, a sister of Mr. Myers. The school report for the year ending Sept. 30, 1879, showed the con- dition of Waverly's public schools to be as follows :

Number of districts (whole, 5; fractional, 3) 8

" children of school age. 420

Average attendance. 365

Value of school property ... $3300

Amount of teachers' wages. $1270

The school directors for 1879 were M. J. Harmon, N. Merchant, W. W. Scott, P. Bummell, C. E. Ritson, G. Spencer, M. Anton, R. J. Myers.

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History of Berrien and Van Buren counties, Michigan. With biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 137

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 821

Author: D.W. Ensign & Co. pub; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885; Johnson, Crisfield
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia, D. W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 821