USA > Michigan > Calhoun County > History of Calhoun county, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests, Volume I > Part 40
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A night school is held during the winter season. Although the first season is just completed, much interest has been shown, as indicated by an enrollment of five hundred.
The four thousand grade pupils under the charge of one hundred and twenty regular and nine special teachers are accommodated in thirteen ward buildings, varying in size from two to sixteen rooms. As new ones are added, they are as carefully planned and fitted for the work required as is the high school building. As Battle Creek is an industrial city, particular attention is given to manual training, not, as yet from a vocational view point; but the knife, bench work and mechanical drawing which embody principles underlying all trades and art work.
Specialists have charge of music, drawing, domestic art and science, and physical training.
All the seventh and eighth grades in the city are in one building. The work follows the departmental plan with a corps of fourteen teachers.
There is an ungraded department and a department for pupils re- tarded on account of illness, defective eyesight, hearing or adenoids.
Health is guarded by making conditions as sanitary as possible. The most approved systems of lighting, heating, ventilation, drinking fountains; by frequent disinfecting of the buildings, daily disinfecting of pencils, frequent out-of-door recesses, the grounds being fitted with many play ground devices.
While a plan of medical inspection is not yet perfected, a visiting nurse who gives time regularly each week does much in the way of examining children and advising teachers and parents in regard to cases needing attention. The sanitarium cares for many whose parents are unable to meet extra expenses.
To encourage habits of thrift, pupils are encouraged to start savings accounts. $2,999 were deposited during the school year, 1911.
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One of, if not the most useful adjuncts to school work is the library, which was made possible by two public spirited men : Henry B. Denman and Charles Willard. It is the most beautiful structure in the city. It contains 30,000 volumes. It is used by the general publie; yet its first purpose is for the public school pupils and books for their needs are first selected, they use it constantly and the tables in both reading and reference rooms are completely surrounded by them between ses- sions and Saturdays.
The offices of the superintendent and school board and teachers' as- sembly room are also in the library building.
What is true of the library is true of the museum. It does not contain a collection of simply curious, unusual things, but the speci- mens are such as will aid in the various branches of work, which, sup- plementing the hundreds of lantern slides make it a valuable asset.
That teachers and parents may co-operate for the betterment of the schools, a parent-teachers' association has tended to bring good results. Meetings at which topics of mutual interests are discussed are held.
Since 1899, free text-books and supplies of every kind have been furnished by the board of education. All supplies are free to resi- dent pupils: non-residents are required to pay a small rental for the use of books. There are one hundred fifty non-residents, not only from the surrounding country but from Iceland, Switzerland, South America, India and several other foreign countries.
The first class to graduate, 1869, consisted of two members; the class of 1911 had seventy-eight. One thousand and twenty-nine have completed the four years course, and since 1877, when the graduates were first admitted to the University of Michigan a goodly number enter that institution each year.
The system of supervision provides for a professionally trained teacher in each special subject and a principal for each building. The full control of affairs is in charge of the board of education, consisting of six members, and a superintendent. Supt. W. G. Coburn has been in Battle Creek seventeen years. To the united efforts of board, superin- tendent, a large body of efficient teachers, loyally supported by liberal- minded patrons is due the reputation for a high standard of scholar- ship which the schools have earned.
Although not a village in this part of Michigan had so little capital at the start as Battle Creek, she now spends $135,000 annually for the educaton of her children, and will increase that amount as time demands it; for the cause that is the "glory of the past, the pride of the present, the hope of the future."
THE BATTLE CREEK PRESS
By George B. Willard
Battle Creek and vicinity possessing as it has almost continuously from its earliest history, a practically pure American population, not all of them American horn, but thoroughly American in ideas of living and progressiveness, has ever been a staunch supporter of the public
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press, and though from lack of population and the vicissitudes of its sturdy settlers some of its earliest publications succumbed for want of patronage, it is probably today, the strongest supporter of news- papers of any city of its population in the state, having four daily newspapers to its credit, all apparently well supported, while most of its contemporary cities are struggling along with one, and in rare cases two.
No one thing except natural environment, is of more vital necessity in the upbuilding of a town than a live, energetic and conscientiously conducted newspaper, and Battle Creek was but in its swaddling clothes when its first newspaper was born, for our historians say its first log house arrived in 1831; its first frame dwelling in 1837; but its first newspaper arrived one year before the first brick dwelling was erected in 1846, for the year previous, 1845, Leonard Stillson was sent to Rochester, New York, by some of the enterprising citizens of the village to purchase the needed supplies to found a weekly newspaper. Equally if not more important than the supplies he secured, was his capture of a young printer, Walter W. Woolnough, one blessed with the true spirit of journalism, and who was destined from that time on until his death in 1904, to be a valuable worker in the field of newspaperdom of his adopted city. Thus the Western Citizen and Battle Creek Champion made its first bow in July, 1845, under their joint manage- ment. It was Democratic in politics and lasted a year and a month when Mr. Woolnough and E. Dougherty took the plant over, changed the name of the paper to the Michigan Tribune, and its politics to the Whig persnasion, it surviving until February, 1848.
The following summer the Liberty Press, a state publication of the anti-slavery organization, suspended at Ann Arbor and through the instrumentality of Erastus Hussey, its editor and publisher was removed to Battle Creek and its publication continned by Messrs. Woolnongh & Dougherty, Mr. Hussey retaining the editorship and man- agement. Against mueh bitter opposition and difficulty it was continued for about a year, when the plant was destroyed by fire in the summer of 1849, after which for a short time they continued its publication at Marshall but were finally forced to abandon it.
Then the eity was without a paper until October, 1851, when Gannt & Burton established the Battle Creek Journal, a weekly Whig paper, selling it in the February following, to Mr. Woolnough who conducted it until 1863 (its politics became Republican with the birth of that party) when it was purchased by Chas. E. Grffith, who in November, 1867, sold it to George Willard, who later on associated with his son- in-law, Chas. D. Brewer, established the Battle Creek Daily Journal, July 2, 1872, still continuing the weekly. Mr. Brewer later on retired because of ill health and some years later his son, Geo. B. Willard and E. W. Moore, another son-in-law, became associated in its publication, succeeding to the full ownership following the death of Hon. George Willard, in 1901, and continuing its publication until June 1, 1908, when it was sold by them to Messrs. A. D. Welton and A. E. Mckinnon, the former editor-in-chief and the latter formerly circulation manager of the Detroit Free Press, a stock company being formed to take over the paper, with the above gentlemen as its editor and manager re-
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speetively. The price paid was $50,000 cash down, so it will be seen that the newspaper field had improved in seope and importance in the forty-one years in which it had remained under the management of the one family, the "good-will" forming fully two-thirds of the sum mentioned. The new management also purchased the Sunday Record, owned by Chas. E. Moore, and this was merged with the daily as the Sunday Record-Journal.
On June 1, 1909, the Journal passed into the hands of Eugene R. Cole and Vietor Polachek, who continued its publication until June, 1911, when it passed into the hands of William Thompson, its present owner. During the Cole-Polaehek regime, the old weekly was dis- continued, the name Record was dropped from the Sunday edition and the Daily Journal, is a continuous publieation seven days in the week, the Sunday issue, however, appearing as a morning instead of an evening edition.
But the Journal has not been alone in the field all these years since 1851, for in 1857 The Jeffersonian (the name denotes its polities) was established by Wm. S. Pease, who soon after was rewarded with the postmastership under Buchanan, and the paper passed into the hands of John C. Gentzler, who eondueted it but a short time when it was discontinued.
Then in February, 1868, Pease & Lewis established the Constitutional Union which survived a little over two years and upon its foundation Alfred B. Tozer, a graduate of the Journal staff, an able story writer as well as able newspaper man, founded the Michigan Tribune, which he sold the following August to C. N. Pease and Lyman Reade, who in turn sold their interests to Messrs. W. W. Woolnough and W. H. Bordine in 1871, Mr. Woolnongh holding the editorship and manage- ment. They conducted it as a Democrat paper until September, 1877, when they sold out to Charles E. Barnes, another Journal graduate, and George W. Buekley.
June 19, 1880, Mr. Barnes sold his interest to Mr. Buckley, who later took E. A. Onderdonk into partnership and the paper was later sold to Joseph Saunders, who discontinued the Tribune and started the Daily Republican. The plant was later severely damaged by fire, and the paper was abandoned.
On August 3, 1884, Messrs. Barnes and Eugene Glass started the Sunday Morning Call, which in June, 1886, was sold to the Call Printing Company, representing the Knights of Labor, who added a daily the Evening Call, born June 28, 1886. Mr. Barnes was made president of the company and editor-in-chief of the paper, but resigned to go to Lansing as labor commissioner, February, 1887. The paper suspended after about four years existence. On his return from Lansing in 1891, Mr. Barnes started the Michigan Patriot, a weekly paper devoted to propagating the People's party principles, which was continued about a year, when it was sold to parties who removed the plant to Calumet. Michigan.
In April, 1881, The Commoner, a Greenback paper, was brought here from Massachusetts and published by Messrs. Hull and Robinson as a weekly, but survived only a few months. Mr. Hull, the editor. then
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started the Battle Creek Citizen, also a weekly, which was continued until 1884.
The Battle Creek News, D. J. Westfall, proprietor. J. W. Bryce, city editor, had but a few months existence following its hirth, October 19, 1894.
The Daily News, started in December, 1898, by D. Z. Curtis, as a morning paper, lasted only until the following February, because there seemed no room for it at that time.
The second daily paper to obtain a permanent foothold in Battle Creek was the Nightly Moon. It was started in 1878 as a morning paper by Martin E. Brown (who had served at the case on the old Michigan Tribune under Mr. Woolnough), and Dennis E. Alward, who had some experience at the news end of the business and the paper at first was an adjunct to the Detroit Evening News. It was soon changed from a morning paper to an evening paper, at which time the name changed from nightly to Daily Moon, and Mr. Brown purchased the interest of his partner. Brown continued the Moon and enlarged it from time to time, until from about "postal card size," as it was quoted by an ex- change of those days, it grew and grew until it became full size and is a permanent fixture in the city's excellent galaxy of newspapers, still under Brown's sole ownership. After it had gotten a foothold, that old pioneer of journalism, Hon. Walter W. Woolnough, assumed charge of the editorial columns, and continued in the position up to within a few years of his death.
A. B. Tozer once more entered the newspaper field here, by establish- ing the Sunday Record, February 6, 1898, but sold out in October following to Eugene R. Cole, under whose management it continued for seven years, when Chas. E. Moore was taken in as a partner, the latter purchasing Mr. Cole's interest in July 1906, afterward selling to the Journal Publishing Company as mentioned elsewhere.
Jos. L. Cox, first inventor of the Duplex Press, ex-mayor of the city, and a former newspaper man of Indiana, fresh from Lansing, where he had held the office of labor commissioner under Pingree, launched the Morning Enquirer July 21, 1900, and made a live, bright paper out of it, but it was an uphill fight with limited capital, and Mr. Cox, knowing the field of inventions promised more lucrative returns, together with his brother, Paul F. Cox, who was associated with him, sold the paper to Dr. Chas. W. Green and Eugene R. Cole, July 30, 1906. About a year later Chas. W. Post bought Mr. Cole's interest, and Mr. Green assumed the management for another year, when the control of the paper passed into the hands of Mr. Post, who organized the Enquirer Publishing Company, which has since greatly increased the mechanical facilities of the paper, enlarged the official staff and launched the Evening News, under the management of the Evening News Publishing Company, making four daily papers now in the field and all a credit to the city, to which may be added one small weekly, The Worker's Herald, a Socialist paper, started in the fall of 1911, under the local editorship of Levant C. Rogers.
Good Government, a weekly, was started by Chas. R. Mains, March 1, 1900, but had only a brief existence.
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On October 18, the same year, The Social-Democrat was launched by the Socialists and Union Labor people, with Ed. II. Ellis, as editor, but it was soon discontinued.
Some twenty one or two years ago Henry S. Rees, scarcely of age, started a small paper called the Morning Star in connection with his small job printing plant, but he soon sold out his plant and the paper was dropped.
This completes, so far as we are able to learn or recall, the list of Battle Creek's newspapers but in addition, the city has been and still is the center of other publictions, devoted to religion, poultry, animal pets and others.
So long ago as 1862, Nathaniel Potter started the Albion and. Battle Creek News, which was more of a literary production than a newspaper, and survived but a short time.
Battle Creek was for many years the publication headquarters of the Seventh Day Adventists, who commenced the publication of the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, a religious journal, in 1835, together with the Youth's Instructor and in 1866 the Health Reformer, now Good Health. The two former were published also in several foreign lang- nages, mostly circulated abroad. Their large publication business was removed to Washington, following the destruction of the plant by fire some years ago, but Good Health, edited by Dr. J. H. Kellogg, head of the sanitarium, is still published here, improved and embellished, and has a wide cirenlation in the United States as well as a large list in other English speaking countries. It is published by the Good Health Publish- ing Company.
During 1873-74, a Spiritualist paper, Our Age, was published here by Mr. Waisbrooker, a well-known author and journalist.
February 1, 1857, Fred H. Gray established the Game Fanciers Journal, a monthly magazine, devoted to that one department of poultry breeding. He sold the business to George S. Barnes in 1888, who had with Win. A. Cady launched the Michigan Poultry Breeder in January, 1881. Mr. Barnes purchased the interest of his partner in the Poultry Breeder and still continues publishing both monthlies.
Engene T. Glass launched the Dog Fancier in 1891. a monthly maga- zine devoted exclusively to "Man's best friend," and has made it a thorough success.
Eugene R. Cole, some eight years ago, established Dogdom, a second magazine devoted to dogs, placed it on an excellent footing and after- ward purchased another magazine of the same nature, Doglover's Maga- zine, formerly published at Philadelphia, and removed it here, so that the city has three excellent magazines devoted to canine news, and all doing a most prosperous business.
The Rural Advocate, devoted to the interest of the farm and country life, was started in 1905, by J. II. Brown and J. W. Gordon, and con- ducted until July, 1908, when it was merged with The True American, a monthly paper, devoted to Prohibition principles, with Wm. A. Taylor as its editor and publisher, who disposed of it to Detroit parties, and it was merged with other Prohibition publications.
The Pilgrim Publishing Company ereeted a handsome building in
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this city in 1897, and installed a most complete plant for the publication of the Pilgrim Magazine, but, though they gathered a fine staff of editors and artists under the editorship of the able Willis J. Abbott, the maga- zine failed to make good financially, and after being removed to Detroit for publication, it was sold to St. Louis parties, who removed it to that city, where it was finally discontinued.
THE EARLY BAR OF BATTLE CREEK
By Charles E. Thomas
The territory known as Calhoun county for judicial purposes was connected in 1829 and made a part of St. Joseph county, and in 1831 was changed over to Kalamazoo county. In 1832 the present county was formed and named Calhoun county with a single township of Marshall, and was organized as a county for judicial purposes March 6, 1833. Honorable W. A. Fleteher of Detroit was the first judge. His district was composed of all the counties of the state outside of Wayne. The first court was named to be held in Calhoun county, November 1, 1833, but for want of an organization of sheriff, clerk, etc., was not held until May, 1834.
('ephus Smith of Battle Creek was made prosecuting attorney of Calhoun county in 1835, and no doubt was the first attorney that settled in what is now known as the city.
In that year John Mechem, who then resided in Bedford township and afterwards moved to Battle Creek, took a census and gives the names of all the male voters then living in the territory comprising the city, and the total we found to be fourteen. Among the names was Cephus Smith. Old residents such as Alonzo Noble and Dr. Edward Cox used to speak quite highly of Mr. Smith as a eitizen and attorney.
Among others named in this census of John Mechem was Moses Hall and Polydore Hudson. Both these men were subsequent justices of the peace of good ability; drew up conveyances; performed mar- riage services; and gave advice to their neighbors and practiced in the justice eourts. They were not probably ever admitted to the bar, but performed and acted as attorneys in the new settlement.
Tolman W. Hall does not appear in the first census although he came to Battle Creek in July, 1834, the year previous. It is well known that he returned to Vermont on a visit soon after his coming to Michigan and no doubt was away at the time that Mr. Meehem took his census. He was an associate judge (sometimes called side judge) of Calhoun county in 1836. He was never in active practice although admitted to the bar. He was several terms mayor of the eity of Battle Creek, held the office of justice of the peace and postmaster and other positions of trust. He died on July 3, 1890. He was a man of good judicial training, honest and upright, and up to the time of his death he had his full mental faculties, and although advanced in years, he was considered up to the time of his death, the best posted man in Battle Creek as to its early history and of its landmarks. He was the one to whom all looked for information and early dates.
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Abner C. Campbell came to Battle Creek as early as 1839 and enjoyed a good practice and was known throughout the state. He helped organize the several townships and was quite active in politics. Hle was a member of the National Democratic Convention that nomi- nated James Buchanan for president. He died shortly after attending the convention. Among his students were Myron II. Joy and L. H. Stewart. Afterwards Mr. Stewart became a partner and was a partner at the time of his death.
Myron H. Joy was a good office lawyer. He was reliable and honest and his clients could depend upon the opinions that he gave them. He was the first city attorney of Battle Creek.
At an early date Benjamin F. Graves came to Battle Creek from Monroe county, New York, and practiced law until elected to the Circuit Bench in 1837. He was known more as an office lawyer and obtained a great reputation both on the cirenit and on the supreme court. He was nine years on the circuit court bench and was ex-officio a member of the supreme court until January 1, 1858, when the present supreme court was organized. His district composed the counties of Calhoun, Kalamazoo, Van Buren and Barry. He was promoted and made a member of the supreme court January 1, 1868, and held the position until 1881, being twice chief justice of the state. He was known as one of the Big Four on that bench, being given the same standing as was given to Cooley, Walker and Campbell. His decisions are upheld and quoted throughout the United States. After retiring from the supreme court he resided several years at Battle Creek and then re- moved to Detroit where he died. To his praise it can be said that he was a great aid to the young attorney. Ile for a long time had the best law library in town and his office was often sought by the young attorneys in looking up their cases. Notwithstanding, he was a very cautions man, he would watch the young lawyer that was looking over his books and find what points he was looking for and would then go to some book containing notations of his own and throw the searcher light upon the subject. This was often done without a question being asked. A brief could quickly be made. This assistance that he rendered was always known to be reliable. At the time he went on the circuit the methods of practice of the law was different than at the present day. Attorneys territory covered the circuit. His appointments for court would cover every month of the year and the most of the bar of the district usually followed him around the circuit. On starting out for the count seat of Hastings or Kalamazoo or Paw Paw, he would pack up a large number of books that he knew he would need. Following him along, not horseback as in the Lincoln times but by railroad and stage, the attorneys would cover the whole territory. As a conse- ' quence the attorneys from the whole district became thoroughly ac- quainted with each other. Their practice was not confined to any local- ity. At that time it would be expected to find in Calhoun county such men as Judge David Johnson and Fidus Livermore of Jackson; and Nathaniel Balch and others of Kalamazoo; Martin S. Brackett of Bellevue; Isaac Holbrook of Hastings; and many others of local repu- tation. From Battle Creek there would be found Dibble, Joy, Emerson, . ol. 1-22
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Rhines aud Sherman; Hughes and Wooley, Brown and Judge Noyes of Marshall, who each followed the circuit with the circuit judge to the several counties mentioned. Their territory was not confined to Cal- houn county.
L. D. Dibble came to Battle Creek from Central New York sometime in the year 1845. He at once obtained a good practice and at one time was a partner of Judge Graves. He was of a most pleasing ad- dress and a good jury lawyer. To him Calhoun county owes the building of the Peninsular railroad, now Grand Trunk. He quit the practice of law to build this road and after it was sold to the Grand Trunk he resumed the practice of law. On account of his health removed to Texas, returning to Battle Creek a year or two before his death. His old clients always spoke of him with the greatest praise and we hear them, even to this day, quote L. D. Dibble from time to time. Among his students was Nelson E. Sherman. He was full of life and energy, very brilliant and built himself up quite a practice. He died at an early age respected by all. He held the office of city and county prose- cuting attorney and other offices of trust.
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