History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 66

Author: Edwin Orin Wood
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Federal publishingcompany
Number of Pages: 861

USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 66

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building on the south side, the lower portion of which was used as a store. In 1864 two brick ward school houses were built, one on each side of the river, and in September, 1878, it was voted to expend three thousand dollars in constructing new ones. The number of children enrolled in the district in 1879 was about seven hundred. The superintendent for 1878-79 was George E. Cochrane, who was employed at a salary of one thousand dollars. The expenses of the district for that year were about five thousand five hundred eighty dollars. The following officers composed the district board: Modera- tor, Dexter Horton; director, Charles H. Turner; assessor, Josiah Buckbee; other trustees, A. W. Riker, J. E. Bussey and B. F. Stone.

Fenton, as the second center of population in the county, early pro- vided its young people with the advantages of a high school training. Its present superintendent of school is E. E. Cody and the principal is Miss Helen L. Wood. The village schools have a corps of fifteen teachers, in- cluding special instructors of music, drawing and penmanship. A. P. Ingra- ham is president of the board of education, M. B. Smith, E. A. Philips, C. J. Campbell. L. E. Decker and C. J. Philips being the members of the board.

On August 25, 1869, a new building was dedicated for the Fenton Seminary, an institution conducted by the Baptist denomination in Michi- gan. It was founded as a preparatory school for Kalamazoo College, and at its inception a two-story frame building was sufficiently large in which to conduct the school. In the new building the school had for its first principal Mr. Wedge, Prof. C. Van Dorn being for a number of years in charge. The building stood upon a site donated by David L. Latourette in the northwest part of the village. It was a four-story stone structure built at a cost of thirty thousand dollars. In 1878-79 the number of pupils in attendance was about thirty.

In 1868 the first steps were taken which resulted in the organization of the Trinity Schools at Fenton, founded by Episcopalians. The idea was to establish a seminary, or high school, for boys, which should "afford facilities for a thorough English and classical education, and probably a special course for any young men who may be looking forward to the ministry"; also "a school of like grade for girls, which shall present an extensive course of in- struction, combining the useful and ornamental branches usually taught in the schools of the highest order." The institution was incorporated, Sep- tember 14, 1868, under the name of "Trinity Schools." In 1872 the trustees were Right Rev. Samuel A. McCoskry, bishop of the diocese; James Burten- shaw and William N. Carpenter, of Detroit; C. H. Turner, B. K. Dibble, F. H. Wright and Rev. O. E. Fuller, of Fenton. The building for boys was

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erected first and given the name of Latimer Hall. It stood on a tract of five acres of ground in the western part of the village, was built of brick and was forty by forty-six feet in dimensions, with four floors. It was formally opened and dedicated November 14, 1872, the dedicatory address being de- livered by Rev. T. C. Pitkin, D. D., of St. Paul's church of Detroit. The girls' school, "Ridley Hall," was not then completed, but on that occasion a considerable amount of money was subscribed by other parishes. The walls of the building (which was the same in size as Latimer Hall) had been put up at the same time with the latter, but it was not until the fall and winter of 1875 that the work was carried forward to completion, or so far as they were ever completed. But one wing of each building as provided in the plans was erected. Ridley Hall occupied a beautiful location in the eastern part of the village, on a lot containing one and one-half acres. It was opened in charge of Ezra Bauder, of Virginia, during the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Applegate, the successor to Rev. O. E. Fuller. The former, while in charge of the affairs of the parish at Fenton, devoted the greater part of his time to the schools. Contributions had been forwarded from Pennsylvania and other states, but the venture finally, after a few years of struggle against fate, was necessarily discontinued and the buildings were sold on a mort- gage.

OTHER SCHOOLS AND EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

Among other village schools of importance previous to 1880 was the public school at Flushing, district No. 2, which included the village. It was organized as a union district before 1866. In 1871 was erected a two-story brick school house at a cost of five thousand dollars. The village of Flush- ing has given great attention to its schools, at this time A. E. Ransom being president of the board of education, M. D. Phelps, secretary, and Dr. Joseph Schiedler, E. T. Mercer and D. E. Rhodes, members of the board; W. E. Parker, superintendent, and Z. W. Storrs, principal of the high school. There are employed six teachers, exclusive of the principal.

The Clio schools, district No. 7, Vienna township, are under a board of education, of which George Lacure is president; B. S. Jennings, secretary ; Hugh McCormick, J. R. Field and E. L. Powers, members of the board. W. D. White is superintendent of schools; Mabel Goodfellow, principal, and in addition there are employed seven other instructors, including special teachers of music and drawing.

Davison is abreast of other Genesee county villages in educational in-

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terests, and its board of education names George P. Hill as president; Archie Forsythe, as secretary, and M. F. Downer, James H. Baxter and George Pot- ter as members of the board. C. L. Mccullough is superintendent and Cecil Krapt, principal. These are assisted by six teachers, including one in man- ual training.

The Linden schools, district No. 3, Fenton township, have Robert Brad- ley for president ; Fred Judson, for secretary, and A. L. Stahle, Merritt John- son and Claud C. Hyatt for members of its board of education. A. J. Flint is superintendent, and Zoa Spencer and five assistants comprise the faculty.

In Montrose, E. E. Corwin is president; E. A. Walker, secretary; J. G. Faner, N. L. McCormick and Dr. J. M. Galbraith, trustees, comprise the board of education. T. C. Sutton is principal of the high school and has four assistants.

Mt. Morris consolidated school, with S. V. Johnson, president; Doctor Graham, Fred Lindsey, A. A. Bray and William Woolfitt, trustees, forming its board of education, is one of the high-standing institutions of the county. William J. Maginn is principal of the high school, apparently by life tenure, and has four teachers as assistants.

The Otisville schools are under the supervision of a board composed of George W. Lee, president; C. W. Phipps and Peter D. Clark, members. E. A. Branch is superintendent and Mary E. Stang is principal, assisted by three other teachers.

The Grand Blanc consolidated school, at Grand Blanc, has for its board of education Dr. Thomas Farmer, president; Charles Baker, secretary ; George Coggins, Willis J. Perry and Thomas Penny, trustees. James Smith is principal of the high school and there are three assistant instructors.

The Gaines village school is under the board composed of George W. Arms, president; F. W. McCann, George W. Chase, George Judson and N. E. Preston, trustees. A. W. Hackney is principal of the high school and has three assistants.

The village of Goodrich, Atlas township, has for its board of education Warren Green, president; Fred Sharland, secretary; Ephraim Pierson, George Putnam and Dr. A. S. Wheelock, trustees. E. P. Mears, former principal, has resigned, leaving at the present time a vacancy in the princi- palship. The board employs four teachers.

Swartz Creek's board of education is made up of C. I. Brimley, presi- dent; H. R. Richardson, Lee Parker, H. B. Freeman and Frank Ruby, members. W. E. Hamilton is principal and has two assistants.

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In addition to the public schools of the county, two business schools, under private management, are doing good work in the city of Flint. They are the Flint-Bliss Business College, South Saginaw street, Flint, O. E. Knott, proprietor, and W. A. Cooley, principal; and the Baker Business Uni- versity, corner of Kearsley and Harrison streets; president, Eldon E. Baker.

Hurley Hospital Training School for Nurses, Anna M. Schill, superin- tendent, is a branch of that institution.

The County Normal School, with its headquarters in the city of Flint, is intended to give to the young men and women of the county who desire to fit themselves for the vocation of teaching an opportunity for normal school work without the expense of attending a state school. A large num- ber of these young people are taking advantage of this class. The graduat- ing class of 1908 numbered twelve; in 1909 it numbered sixteen; in 1910, sixteen; in 1911, sixteen; in 1912, fourteen; in 1913, twenty; in 1914, twenty-two; in 1915, twenty-one, and in 1916, twenty.

.The board of the County Normal School consists of the state superin- : tendent of public instruction, ex-officio, Superintendent A. N. Cody, of Flint, and Commissioner J. L. Riegle, of Flint. Miss Florence Colling is the present principal.

"Religion, Morality and Knowledge being necessary to good govern- ment and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

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PUBLIC LIBRARY, FLINT.

STEVENSON SCHOOL, FLINT.

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CHAPTER XX.

BOOKS AND LIBRARIES.

Carlyle says, "In books lies the soul of the whole past time; the articu- late, audible voice of the past, when the bodily and material substance of it has altogether vanished like a dream." Any victim of the commonplace worries of life, stepping into the cool, harmonious silence of a well-kept reading room finds himself banished from the heat of the business world. Here he may convene with old sages and philosophers, or, for variety, brush elbows with kings and emperors. In this, perhaps, lies the reason for the general feeling that a good library is worthy of reverence. The residents of this county have never been inattentive to the inborn desire to read print ..

The early settlers of Genesee county were of a high intellectuality. They came largely from New York state and, being mostly descendants of the Puritans of New England, they brought with them the love of learning that characterized their New England and New York ancestry. Mayhew's re- port on the schools of Michigan, quoted by Hon. D. W. Leach in a com- munication to the National Era in 1851, is authority for the statement that of four thousand six hundred and five whites in the county of Genesee in 1847, over twenty-one years old, there was only one who could not read and write. Among a people of such a high standard of literacy it must be as- sumed that books were demanded.

In one of the earliest records of the town of Flint, we find a list of the names of library books received of Jonathan Lamb, of Ann Arbor, bought July 26, 1843, belonging to the several school districts of the town of Flint. The list was as follows: "Treatise on Domestic Economy," "Universal His- tory" (four sets), "Letters on Astronomy," "The Useful Arts" (two sets), "Science and the Arts of Industry," "Education and Knowledge," "The Sea- sons-Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn," "The Farmer's Companion," "Lives of Eminent Men" (three sets), "Paley's Natural Theology" (two sets), "Great Events by Great Historians," "The Fireside Friend," "Life of Columbus," "Story of the Constitution," "Knowledge Under Difficulties" (two sets), "Columbus and Vespucius," "Historic Tales for Youth," "Juve- nile Budget Opened," "Scenes in Nature," "Means and Ends," "Country

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Rambles," "Pleasures of Taste," "Things by Their Right Name," "Juvenile Budget Re-Opened," "Balboa, Cortes, Pizarro," "The Child's Friend," "Pic- tures of Early Life," "Lucy's Conversations," "Lucy's Stories," "Lucy at the Seaside," "Lucy at Study," "Lucy at the Mountains," "Lucy at Play," "Rollo Learning to Talk," "Rollo Learning to Read," "Rollo at School," "Rollo at Vacation," "Rollo at Play," "Rollo at Work," "Rollo's Museum," "Rollo's Philosophy, Sky," "Rollo's Philosophy, Fire," "Rollo's Philosophy, Water," "Rollo's Philosophy, Air," Rollo's Travels," "Rollo's Correspond- ence," "Rollo's Experiments," Hayward's Physiology," "The Teacher's Man- ual," "Combe on the Constitution of Man," "Willard's United States,' "Hitchcock's Geology," "Spurzheim on Education," "The Americans in Their Moral, etc., Relations," "Lectures to Ladies," "Slate and Blackboard Exer- cises," "Teacher Taught," "Wayland's Moral Science," "Wayland's Politi- cal Economy," "Philosophy of Human Life,"

These books were under the control of the board of school inspectors of the town, then composed of R. D. Lamond, George W. Fish and Henry C. Walker, and on April 19, 1844, the board adopted certain "rules for the regulation of the township library."

Under these rules the several school district directors could draw from the library books according to the proportion to which the district was entitled and loan them to families of the district, not more than one at a time to a family, to be retained only two weeks and then returned.

On August 14, 1843, James McAllester, director of district No. I, com- prising the present city south of the river, drew twenty-nine of these books, from which it would appear that his territory contained about three-sevenths of the families in one town. The books were to be returned in three months.

John L. Gage, director of school district No. 5, drew out ten volumes, August 24, 1843, and Asahel Curtis, director of district No. 6, drew seven books, October 16, 1843. Benjamin Boomer, district No. 3, drew ten vol- lumes, December 3, 1843. On April 2, 1844, Isaiah Merriman, director of district No. I, drew thirty-four volumes, or practically half of the entire library of seventy-one volumes. On July 6, 1844, J. T. Peck, director of district No. 10, drew three books. In this manner the books circulated among the several districts. John Hiller, director of district No. 6, Mr. Chase, of district No. 8, appear from time to time as having received from H. C. Walker their quota of the library.

In 1844 the library evidently received another invoice of books, for we now find, "Lives of Female Sovereigns," "History of China," "History of Insects," "Tales of American History," "Swiss Family Robinson," "Thatcher's

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Indian Traits," "The Poor Rich Man and The Rich Poor Man," "Tales of the American Revolution," "Lockhart's Napoleon," "Abercrombie on the Intellectual Powers," "Adventures in Africa," "Montgomery's Lectures on General Literature," "Brewster's Life of Newton," "Russel's History of Palestine."

There were many others, all of which show excellent judgment in the selection. The library now numbered one hundred thirty-nine volumes and district No. I (Flint village) was entitled to draw sixty-six volumes. The library grew in 1845 and district No. 2, comprising the present city north of the river, drew, by William Thayer, director, twenty-five volumes in Novem- ber, 1845, showing the population of the north side to be about two-fifths of that on the south side. In the winter of 1845-6 the library had grown to two hundred fifty volumes and in quality showed discriminating literary taste in selection, history, philosophy, biography, travels and literature making the bulk of the library.

In the list of directors, 1846, who drew books for their districts, are the names of Charles Johnson, district No. 8; Randal Calvin, of No. 6; R. J. Gilmore, of No. 4; Willard Eddy, of No. 1; Jacob Plass, of No. 7; John Delbridge, of No. 9; S. Stone, of No. 6; Jesse J. Beasley, of No. 8, and N. Dodge, of No. 2.

In 1847 the library had grown to about three hundred fifty volumes, and we find H. J. Higgins, director of No. 1; Jonathan Cudney, of No. 3; Rosal Stanard, of No. 4; William Milton, of No. 7; Elias J. Bump, of No. 16; Ira Stanard, of No. 4; Cephas Carpenter, of No. 6; J. L. Martin, of No. 16; Horace L. Donelson, of No. 8; Nelson Norton, of No. 10, and R. J. Artkin, of No. 16.

The library still grew and there appear in the list, the "Life and Times of Patrick Henry," as well as of Marion, Lafayette, Boon, Black Hawk, Paul Jones, Wayne and John Eliot ; the "Sketch Book," Prescott's "Mexico," "Heroes of the Revolution," Stephen's "Central America," Gibbon's "Rome," Rollin's "Ancient History," and other books of high standard.

In the years from 1849 to 1858 the library appears to have been actively circulated and to have grown by purchase from time to time to about five hundred volumes. It was rich in Americana, travels, history, morals and philosophy. If the character of the books they read may be taken as an index of the intellectuality of the people of Genesee county in those days, it must be conceded that the standard was a high one, as compared with the commonly circulated works of our library of 1916. The list of books se-

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lected March 5, 1850, by Levi Walker, director of district No. I (Flint City), and returned June 1, 1850, is in point. They were "Josephus," "Use- ful Arts," "Washington and His Generals," "Philosophy of Human Life," "The World and Its Inhabitants," "Famous Men of Ancient Times," "Fa- mous Indians," "Agricultural Chemistry," "Curiosities of Human Nature," "History of Switzerland," "Constitutional Jurisprudence of the United States," Edgewood's "Moral Tales," Belknap's "American Biography" (two volumes ), Goldsmith's "Rome," Turner's "Sacred History," "Painters and Sculptors," "Miscellanies," "Life of Alexander the Great," "Live and Let Live," "Original Tales," "The American Poultry Book," "The Flower Bas- ket," "The Floweret," "The Ornament Discovered," "Lucy on the Moun- tains," "Display and Poetical Remains," "Fairy Tales," Pailey's "Grave," "Washington," "Columbus," Pailey's "Anecdotes," "Love to Run After Children."

Alonzo Torry, on May 19, 1851, selected for district No. 3, "History of Greece," D'Aubiquqe's "Reformation," "History of the Indians," "Great Events by Great Historians," "The World and Its Inhabitants," "Josephus." Markham's "History of France," "Knowledge Under Difficulties," "Patrick Henry,";"Life of Columbus," "Famous Men of Ancient Times," "Past, Present and Future," "The Pillars of Hercules," "Famous Indians."

FLINT SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTE.

One of the earliest of the societies for culture in Genesee county was the Flint Scientific Institute, composed of a group of persons who desired improvement in scientific knowledge and felt the need of books which they could not individually command. They associated to form a library of books exclusively on scientific subjects. The leader in this movement seems to have been F. H. Rankin, at whose office a society was organized in Febru- ary, 1853. In March, 1854, a course of lectures was planned, also a series of weekly meetings for the discussion of stated subjects. These were of wide range, but mainly of a geographical nature.

While these studies were being pursued, the field of discussion was enlarged, May 15, 1855, by the adoption of a resolution offered by Mr. Rankin, by which section B was established to meet weekly on another even- ing, distinct from that devoted to scientific discussion, for the purpose of considering subjects of a wider range, including history, literature and art. These meetings were carried on simultaneously with the others, with much interest in the animated discussion of a variety of subjects. At the same

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time the work of collecting materials for the museum was pushed forward until the accumulation became embarrassing and called out a resolution adopted June 22, 1855: "Resolved that the institute meet in a committee of the whole on Saturday evening next at six o'clock, and each consecutive evening except Sundays at the same hour, for the purpose of arranging and cataloguing the museum."

On October 24, 1855, the executive committee, in a report setting forth the importance of some better arrangement for the increase and preservation of the museum, recommended the appointment of curators to take charge of the arrangement of the specimens in their respective branches, as follows :

Botany and entomology, Doctor Clarke; mineralogy, M. B. Beals; osteo- logy and comparative anatomy, Doctor Stewart; reptiles and conchology, Doctor Miles; ornithology, C. L. Avery; paleontology, C. E. McAlester ; ichthyology, E. Dodge; archaeology, J. B. Clark ; miscellaneous, G. Andrews. These several curators reported from time to time the condition and needs of their respective departments.

On July 4, 1855, an entertainment was given by the ladies for the pecuniary benefit of the institute, the net proceeds of which were one hun- dred thirteen dollars sixty-three cents. This was the first of many entertain- ments subsequently given by the ladies of Flint and Genesee county, to whom much credit is due for material aid in sustaining the enterprise. With the funds thus obtained at this time valuable additions were made to the library, including a subscription to Professor Agassiz's great work, "Contributions to the Natural History of the United States." On January 2, 1856, a com- mittee was appointed to inquire into the feasibility of publishing a history of Genesee county. The plan was to combine with an account of the settle- ment a full description of the physical geography and natural history in all its departments. Many of the materials were at hand and probably the project might have been attempted but that a thorough geological survey of the state, including this county, seemed to be a desirable preliminary. Ac- cordingly a committee was appointed, consisting of Doctor Miles, Mr. Ran- kin, Mr. Beals and the president, who proceeded to bring the subject to the attention of the Legislature by means of petitions circulated in all parts of the state and also by correspondence and personal interviews with many persons of influence. The project undoubtedly had an important influence in securing by legislative action the geological survey of 1859-69 by Profes- sor Winchell. Doctor Miles was appointed his assistant, having charge of the zoological department. His preliminary report, containing a very full list of the animals, birds, reptiles and shells found in the state, was pub-

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lished in the first volume of Professor Winchell's report. This appointment was a deserved and gratifying compliment to the doctor and through his sub- sequent appointment to a professorship in the State Agricultural College, opened an avenue to his life's work in a congenial field which he most suc- cessfully cultivated.

With the inroads made by the Civil War upon its limited membership, it may well be conceived that after the war the most that could be hoped for was to keep the organization alive and preserve its material for future use. This was done, but the incubus of the war was upon every civil enterprise and it was hard for a time to do anything more. However, an effort was made and, after much canvassing, encouragement was received by assurance of support, to attempt a new start. For this purpose a spacious hall was taken in an unfinished condition on a lease for a term of years. Considerable expense was incurred in finishing and furnishing the room. The collection was moved with much labor and the new hall was dedicated to science with an address from President Angell, of the State University. But disappoint- ment was again encountered, for while many were prompt and ready to meet their engagements, others neglected and declined to redeem their pledges and, deeming it unfair and useless to tax the generous friends of the in- stitute further, it was decided to cancel the indebtedness by a transfer in trust to the union school district of the city of Flint. In the document of conveyance it is set forth that it is received "upon trust to preserve and maintain the library and cabinet of specimens of said scientific institute in a suitable room or rooms in the high-school building or some other suitable building, and to cause the same to be and remain forever free to the in- habitants of said city of Flint for examination and inspection at all proper times."

This transfer was made on January 5, 1877, and thus the valuable cabinet illustrating the natural history of the county and state, the result of years of labor and care in its collection and preservation, was lodged in a safe place, where it could be made directly available in illustrating the teach- ings of science, not only to the pupils of the high school, but to all who might wish to avail themselves of its advantages under proper restrictions. The tall glass cases of shells, fossils, minerals, botanical specimens, etc., are still a part of the laboratory equipment of the Central high school. The new "public library" in those days was small enough to find easy accommo- dation in one of the recitation rooms. The presence, moreover, within the school walls of really fascinating classics made a tempting pasture, so 'tis said, for students who preferred browsing therein to doing their algebra.

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History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I, Part 66

Author: Edwin Orin Wood Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Federal publishingcompany Number of Pages: 861

Author: Edwin Orin Wood
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Federal publishingcompany
Number of Pages: 861