History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 41

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772

USA > Michigan > Eaton County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 41
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 41

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).

Sept. 27, 1852, fifty dollars was voted, and the board authorized to obtain a site with or without a house, in their discretion ; but nothing appears to have been done, and in September, 1853, it was voted to raise $300 to build a frame house when the board should select a site. There were at this time forty-six children in the district. But nothing was done, and school continued in the McGivren house. The next record shows that in September, 1854, it was voted that the "moving and repairing of the school- house be let to the lowest bidder." The evidence is therefore inferential that the lot was purchased, though there is no record in relation to it except the payment of $149.50 to C. Butler. It was a poor apology for a house, but it was moved upon the rear of the lot, and the records are full of expenses for repairs as long as it was used, till the erection of the brick house in the (now) Sixth Ward in 1867. It then stood unoccupied for four or five years and was almost a ruin when, covered over with tax titles, it was sold for $275.

FAILURE OF UPPER TOWN.

In the first settlement of the place a business centre was established in the vicinity of this house. Near the locality of the mineral well stores and a hotel were established, and several dwellings and a saw-mill were erected. But it could not compete with the locality of the State-house, and soon

fell into decay. Hotel, stores, and mill disappeared ; some of the buildings were moved to other localities and others went to decay, and the " upper town" has long been known only in men's memory. This reverse accounts for the dif- ficulties and delays in securing a school-house, yet they never failed in having six to ten months' school annually till the districts were reunited. A portion of the district which was a forest until about 1860 has now a considerable popula- tion.

SCHOOLS UNDER THE CITY CHARTER.

The village of Lausing was made a city in 1859, but there was no change made in the school districts by the charter. The districts were, largely from local feeling, un- able to unite, and in 1861 the city was made a single dis- trict by the Legislature, with a board of education con- sisting of twelve members. In the election of this board the citizens agreed that the schools should be " kept out of politics." To this end it was arranged that the members should be nominated in union caucus, one-half to be Re- publicans and one-half Democrats. That plan has been since pursued, but it cannot be claimed that anything has been gained thereby. Whoever gets the nomination-per- haps in a packed caucus, as has sometimes been the case- has no legitimate competitor, and the people have practically no choice, but must take the man selected by perhaps less than ten per cent. of the voters. If each party made a nomination the voters would have a choice between at least two candidates, and it would also be a check upon the action of any caucus that might be disposed to nominate an uufit man.

The first board of education consisted of James Turner, Smith Tooker, R. B. Jefferds, S. S. Coryell, A. W. Wil- liams, George F. Strong, Ezra Jones, George W. Peek, Charles W. Butler, James Somerville, Louis Saur, Ephraim Longyear.

No important changes were made in the schools, except perhaps in the employment of a higher grade of teachers. No new buildings were erected till 1867, when the brick house south of Cedar River, containing two rooms, and a similar one in the Fourth Ward, were built. They cost about $3500 each.

THE SCHOOLS GRADED.

Nothing was done towards grading the schools till 1868, when the board took a new departure by providing for a superintendent, the grading of pupils, and establishing a high-school department. The board which took this im- portant step consisted of James Turner, C. W. Butler, J. WV. Barker, Israel Gillett, Robert Barker, S. P. Mead, C. B. Stebbins, S. R. Greene, E. H. Whitney, M. T. Osband, J. W. Holmes, Smith Tooker.

Benjamin R. Gass was elected superintendent at a salary of $1400. In 1870, Mr. Gass resigned, and E. V. W. Brokaw was elected. In 1876, Mr. Brokaw declined a re-election, and was succeeded by Charles A. Sanford, the present incumbent, 1880.

The rapid growth of the city made additional school- room constantly necessary, and in 1868 a frame building with four school-rooms was erected at a cost of about $3000, on a corner of block 81, which the Legislature in 1861

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CITY OF LANSING.

granted to the city for a school-site for nine hundred and ninety-nine years, at a reut of one dollar per annum. The number of children in the city in 1868 was 1357, while there was school-room-including the new house on block 81-for hardly 600.

The schools had been conducted very loosely as regarded rules, and in the reorganization the board adopted rules similar to those of the best schools in other cities. They were, in fact, very nearly a copy of the rules in Adrian. But it created quite an excitement. Leading citizens de- clared that they would defeat any appropriation for the schools the coming year unless the rules were relaxed, and there was danger that they would. Had this occurred the board had decided unanimously to resign. But considerable argument and explanation satisfied most people that the board were right, and the tempest subsided without harm.

For want of school-room the board were compelled for some years to rent rooms in the third story of stores, in the basements of churches, and in houses built for residences. In 1870 a frame house with two rooms was built on Larch Street, north of Michigan Avenne, at a cost of about $3500. The citizens do not point it out to visitors as a specimen of architectural beauty. In 1872 an addition of two rooms was made to the house on block 81, at an expense of over $1000.

In 1871 the board decided to establish a kindergarten school, a thing that had not been done in any publie school in the State. An addition was made to the rear of the Second Ward house for a room, at a cost of about $900, and a lady sent abroad for training as a teacher. She had over sixty pupils. It was found necessary considerably to modify the German system. Only one teacher could be employed where there should be three. The expense for apparatus was heavy, and after a trial of two years the experiment was abandoned.

Until 1874 no permanent debt had been created. In that year the city voted to issue bonds for $50,000 to erect a house on block SI. This was completed in 1875, and - speaks for itself." The only criticism upon the interior is in the small amount of room considering the expense, and upon the exterior in its superabundance of ornamentation. The building on the corner of the block was sold for $1025 and moved away, so that the amount of school-room was not largely increased by the new building. Schools were still continued in the basements of two churches.

No full showing of the expense of this building has ever been made, but it is supposed to be (including the building and other expenses growing out of its erection) not less than $75,000.

In 1876 the house in the First Ward-ereeted in 1851- was pronounced unsafe, and the city voted $4000 for re- building. This action was carried out, but at an expense of nearly $7000.

The rapid increase of population has necessarily made school taxes heavy, and yet the public interest is such that the people have almost invariably voted all the taxes the board have asked for. The bonded debt is $48,000, at eight per cent. interest, and the bonds are worth ten per cent. premium. The value of school property is estimated at $120,000. The number of sittings in all the houses is

1414, which, in practice, is hardly sufficient for 1000 pupils, while the number enrolled Sept. 1, 1880, was 1232. The number of school age in the city is 2271. About 200 children are taught in the Catholic and other parochial and private schools. About sixty foreign pupils were in attend- ance in 1879. The library contains nearly 1000 well- selected volumes, and an educational museum is about to be established.

MICHIGAN FEMALE COLLEGE.#

In connection with the public schools of Lansing it is but just to the truth of history to mention the Female College, established by the Misses Rogers in 1855, and sustained by their indomitable energy for fourteen years. These ladies had $8500, their private means. This, with about $10,000 from the citizens of Lansing and vicinity, --- part of which was in the nature of scholarships, and was thus refunded,-and nearly $2060 from Hon. Zachariah Chandler and Eber Ward, enabled them to erect a large four- story building in the northwestern part of the city, twenty aeres of land for that purpose being donated by H. H. Smith and J. W. Collins. The institution was opened in this building in 1858, the school till then having been kept in a rented building. It was conducted with marked suc- cess till 1869, when, upon the decease of the oldest of the Rogers sisters, it was suspended. The property was after- wards sold to the Odd-Fellows, who expended $30,000 on an addition to the building for an educational and benevo- lent institution in connection with the order. But that project was not carried out, and the premises are now rented by the Odd-Fellows to the State for a school for the blind.

During the existence of the college about 1000 young ladies received instruction and fifty were graduated after a full college course.

RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS.+

The earliest religious teaching in the township of Lan- sing was in the first settled neighborhood in the south and southwest parts. As early as 1840 several clergymen of the Methodist, and perhaps other denominations, had visited the scattered settlements and preached an occasional sermon. Among the earliest preachers was the Rev. Ilenry Lester, who preached in the north neighborhood as early as 1844. He was a Protestant Methodist, and was never regularly employed as a minister in the township or village.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

The first sermon preached within the limits of the city of Lansing is said to have been by Rev. Lewis Coburn, who is now a resident of the city. Mr. Coburn is of the Meth- odist Episcopal denomination, and delivered his first dis- course in the log dwelling of Joab Page some time in 1845. In 1846 a class was formed at the house of Esquire Page, with the following members : Joab Page, Abigail Page, Orselia Pease, Eliza Ann Lester. In September, 1847,

* Prepared by C. B. Stebbins.

+ The history of the two Methodist Episcopal and the two Preshy- terian churches has been mostly taken from the columns of the Lan- sing Republican, for which it was furnished by persons connected with the churches named.

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HISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Elvira Elliott and William S. Calkins joined the class. The first class-leader was Joab Page.

In April, 1847, the Rev. Orrin Whitmore visited Lan- sing, and on the 11th of the month preached a sermon in, probably, the first frame building erected in North Lansing, which was an addition to Esquire Page's log house. This building was used for a variety of purposes,-as a dwell- ing, boarding-house, hotel, church ; as a business-office by the State commissioners appointed to locate the Capitol ; and as a court-room by Mr. Page, who was the first justice of the peace officiating in the village, or, at least, living within its limits. It was also the common rendezvous of the land speculators who visited this region, and was altogether a busy place. At the before-mentioned meeting there were about sixty persons convened, and a tin horn was used to call the people together. The audience was mostly composed of men. This was the first regular Sun- day service held in Lansing. A small society had been previously organized to the north of this point, and occa- sional meetings held, but it was soon dissolved.

Lansing was situated between the Lyons and Mapleton Circuits, which were called "four weeks' circuits." On the Lyons Circuit the preachers werc Rev. F. A. Blades, now of Detroit, and Rev. William C. Comfort, since deceased. On the Mapleton Circuit they were Rev. S. Bessey, now of Grand Rapids, and Rev. Orrin Whitmore, now of Grand Blanc, Genesce Co., Mich.

The Grand River district, which covered the Grand River Valley, and extended as far cast as Flint and Pontiac, included these circuits. In 1846, Rev. Larmon Chatfield (since deceased) was presiding elder of the Grand River district, and resided at Portland, in Ionia County.

Rev. William C. Comfort continued to preach in Lansing until the meeting of the Annual Conference at Ypsilanti in September, 1847, when Rev. James Shaw was appointed presiding elder of the district and located in Lansing. He officiated as chaplain to the State Senate in the session of 1848. Rev. F. A. Blades labored in Lansing from 1847 until the Annual Conference of 1848, when Rev. Ransom R. Richards was stationed there. Mr. Richards also offi- ciated as chaplain to the Senate in 1849. Rev. George Bradley, of Lyons, was presiding clder in 1849.

In 1848 the following-named members were added to the society : Porter Lathrop, Sr., Emily Lathrop, Elihu Elwood, Harriet Elwood, David A. Miller, Jane Miller, Lucy Calkins, George Lathrop, William A. Dryer, Betsey II. Dryer, Almira Dryer, A. R. Bartlett, Orange Keeler, Charlotte Kecler, Joseph H. Kilbourne, Mary A. Lathrop. David A. Miller was appointed class-leader.

The first Quarterly-Meeting Conference was held at Lan- sing on the 18th of November, 1848. Rev. George Bradley, presiding elder, occupied the chair, and Rev. R. R. Richards was secretary. Joab Page read a report upon the condition of the Sunday-school, of which A. R. Bart- lett was superintendent, from which it appeared that there were twelve teachers, twenty-six scholars, and fifty volumes in the library.

At this meeting Joab Page, William S. Calkins, E. F. Thompson, and Joseph H. Kilbourne were appointed stew- ards. Joab Page was made recording steward. A collec-

tion amounting to five dollars and eighty-eight cents was taken, of which thirty-eight cents was paid for communion wine, two dollars and fifty cents to the presiding elder, and three dollars to Rev. R. R. Richards.

A Presbyterian society had been organized in Lansing, in December, 1847, and there being no regular house of worship the two organizations, by mutual agreement, oceu- pied the school-house together, the Presbyterians making use of it in the forenoon of Sunday, and the Methodists in the afternoon. There was a warehouse in the place be- longing to James Seymour, which stood southcast of the Franklin House, and in the latter part of 1848 the two societies converted this structure into a chapel, which they occupied alternately for about two years. It was thirty by fifty feet in dimensions. The fitting up of this building was under the superintendence of James Turner (since deceased) and Hiram H. Smith, now of the city of Jackson, Mich. The new chapel was made ready for services in the winter of 1849-50, and was considered something remarkable for these days.

Rev. R. R. Richards, after serving for six months, re- signed on account of ill health, and Rev. Orrin Whitmore was appointed to the vacancy. At that time there was an annual missionary appropriation of $300, which was divided equally between these two pastors.

At the Annual Conference of 1849, Rev. George Bradley was reappointed presiding elder and Rev. Resin Sapp pastor of the Lausing society. During the year ending Aug. 15, 1849, the Lansing church raised $184.77, which was disbursed as follows : To Rev. George Bradley, $10; Rev. R. R. Richards, $96.57 ; Rev. O. Whitmore, $78.20. During the same period twenty dollars were raised for the benefit of the Sabbath-school library.

On the 2d of September, 1850, the Rev. R. Sapp pre- sented the following account : For preaching, $232 ; travel- ing expenses, $22 ; table expenses and fuel, $150; house rent, $50; total, $464. Of this sum the society was only able to raise $136.08, but the Legislature appropriated $150 for his services as chaplain, which made up the total paid him to $286.08.

At the Annual Conference in September, 1850, Rev. David Burns was appointed presiding elder, and Rev. Orrin Whitmore to the Lansing charge.

On the 2d of March, 1851, James Turner and wife, and several others, united with the Methodist Church, and on" the same day Hiram H. Smith and wife joined the Pres- byterian Church. At the Annual Conference in 1851 the appointments for the Grand Rapids district for presiding elder and pastor of the Lansing church for 1850 were con- tinued another year.

Early in 1852 the society erected a parsonage (now occupied by Mrs. Paddock ) at a cost of $547.18.

At the Annual Conference of 1852, Rev. Larmon Chat- field was appointed to Lansing, and Rev. Burns continued as presiding elder of the district.

On the last Wednesday of December, 1852, the Presby- terians dedicated their new church on Washington Avenue, and the Methodists came into sole possession of the chapel in North Lansing. In 1854 the chapel building was pur- chased by the society of Mr. Seymour at a cost of $100,

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CITY OF LANSING.

which was contributed by James Turner, William Johnson, Charles Fox, William S. Calkins, Richard Elliott, Edmund Parmelee, William A. Dryer, G. D. Lathrop, and Michael Bloomberg.

In September, 1853, the Conference appointed Rev. E. House to the Lansing charge, and continued Rev. Burns as presiding elder.

On the 9th of January, 1854, the society was reorgan- ized on account of the removal from the place of Jolin Jennings, Joab Page, David II. Miller, William Widden, and Joseph H. Kilbourne. Charles Fox, William John- son, John T. Irish, William S. Calkins, William A. Dryer, and James Turner were appointed trustees.

The first rental of pews in the church took place on the 12th of May, 1854, at which the prices realized ranged from one to five dollars. At the Annual Conference in 1854, Rev. H. Penfield was appointed presiding elder, and Rev. Park S. Donaldson assigned to Lansing. Both of these gentlemen served for two years. At the Annual Conference of 1856 a new district, the Lansing district, was formed, of which Rev. II. Law was appointed presid- ing elder, and Rev. William Mahon was appointed to the Lansing charge.

The Annual Conference for this district for 1857 was held at Lansing on the 16th of September. Rev. H. Law was reappointed presiding elder, and Revs. William Brock- way and Nelson L. Brockway were assigned to Lansing. The former was sent to Lansing to organize a eentral church, but the time had not arrived to consummate the plan, and Rev. N. L. Brockway only remained.

At the Conference of 1858, which met at Kalamazoo, the presiding elder was continued for another year, and Rev. N. Abbott was assigned to Lansing.

In 1860 the Conference appointed Rev. Geo. Bradley presiding elder, and Rev. D. D. Gillette was sent to Lan- sing. These were reappointed for another year in 1861. In 1862, Rev. H. Hall was appointed presiding elder, and Rev. Jeremiah Boynton was assigned to Lansing. In 1863, Rev. Hall was reappointed and Rev. David Burns sent to Lansing, and these were continued in their places in 1864. In 1865, Rev. Ilall was continued another year, Rev. H. II. Parker was stationed at Lansing for six months, and Rev. H. F. Spencer for the remainder of the year. In 1866, Rev. J. Jennings was appointed presiding elder, and continued until his death, some nine months later, when Rev. C. C. Olds was appointed to the vacancy. Rev. Spencer was continued at Lansing. In 1868, Rev. Olds was reappointed presiding elder, and Rev. W. W. Baldwin was assigned to North Lansing.

In 1868 the society commenced the erection of a new church edifice on the corner of Franklin and Centre Streets, which was completed in 1870 at a total cost of $10,000.

The basement was finished and dedicated Jan. 14, 1869, Rev. E. O. Ilaven, of Ann Arbor, preaching the sermon. Rev. George Taylor preached in the evening. Upon the completion of the house, June 19, 1870, under the charge of Rev. Noah Fassett, the Rev. J. M. Reid, of Chicago, preached the dedication sermon, and Rev. J. M. Fuller, of Lowell, officiated in the evening.

In 1875 extensive alterations and repairs were made, and 22

the edifice was rededicated on the 5th of December, in that year, President Joslyn, of Albion College, conducting the exercises.

The presiding elders for the district since 1868 have been Rev. C. C. Olds, 1869-70 ; Rev. Wm. II .- Perkins, 1870-71; Rev. Noah Fassett, 1871-75; Rev. F. B. Bangs, 1876-78 ; Rev. T. H. Jacokes, 1879-80. The pastors at North Lansing since 1870 have been Rev. Noah Fassett, 1870-71 ; Rev. F. B. Bangs, 1872-73 ; Rev. Wm. Rice, 1874 (resigned before his year expired, and Rev. Nelson Reasoner was appointed in his place) ; Rev. A. A. Rolfe, 1876-77; Rev. G. C. Draper, 1878-79; Rev. C. C. Olds, 1880.

The membership record of this church shows considera- ble variation ; beginning with six members in 1847, it in- creased to 140 in ten years, and to 280 in twenty years. A division of the society has reduced its maximum member- ship, and in 1879 it was 113. The greatest number of probationers was 108, in 1868. The membership of the Sunday school began with 26 in 1848, reached 300 in 1862, 424 in 1868, and in 1879 was 78. The number of volumes in the Sabbath-school library was 50 in 1848, 650 in 1854, 1200 in 1860, and 150 reported in 1879.

Central Methodist Episcopal Church .- It- having been determined to divide the old Methodist Episcopal Church of North Lansing and establish a new organization in a more central location, a subscription paper was put in cir- culation on the last day of February, 1859, for the purpose of raising funds to erect a church edifice. The project proved successful, and the new building was so far com- pleted that the basement was occupied in August, 1862. The whole structure was completed at a cost of $15,000, and dedicated on the 4th of February, 1863. It is known as the Central Methodist Episcopal Church of Lansing.

Upon the completion of their new house of worship the society were in debt to the amount of $4200, the payment of which was provided for. Until the year 1869 the two Methodist societies were under the control of joint trustees, and the annual reports were known as those of the Lansing charge.

Since 1868 the pastors of the Central Church have been as follows: 1868-69, Rev. W. H. Perrine; 1870-72, Rev. J. W. Robinson ; 1873, Rev. Isaac Taylor ; 1874, Rev. A. A. Knappen ; 1875-76, Rev. E. Cooley, Jr .; 1877, Rev. L. H. Pearce; 1878-80, Rev. H. M. Joy.

The membership beginning with 1869 was 187. In 1874 it had increased to 300; in 1879 it was 270. The Sabbath-school membership has varied from 165 to 250. The present number is 211. Number of volumes in library in 1879, 320.

German Methodist Episcopal .*- The first efforts to es. tablish a German Methodist Episcopal Church in Lansing were made on the 13th of September, 1853, by the Rev. Jacob Krebiel, who was then in the ministry at Ann Arbor. In the face of many and serious diffienlties a society with eleven members was organized on the 25th of March, 1854. The membership had increased in the following September to twenty.

# From information furnished by Rev. C. Treuschel.

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IIISTORY OF INGHAM COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

At a session of the Cincinnati Conference, held Sept. 25, 1854, Lansing appeared on the list as a mission, and the Rev. Jacob Krebiel was appointed to the charge. He re- mained two years.

Previous to this the society had decided to build a church, and it was erected during Mr. Krebiel's ministra- tion. Among the early members were J. G. Boese, J. Strobel, and H. Seiberlick. Some of these are still living, and have for many years held various offices of trust in the church.

The labors of the different ministers stationed here were not confined to Lansing, but extended throughout the sur- rounding country, and with such a measure of success that churches were organized at many places visited by them, most of which are now in a flourishing condition. They visited and preached at Delhi, Okemos, Alaiedon, De Witt, Riley, St. Johns, and other places.

The following list gives the names of ministers who have been stationed in Lansing from 1854 to 1880 : 1854- 56, Jacob Krebiel; 1856-57, H. Krill; 1857-59, J. Jahrans; 1859-60, II. Maentz; 1860-62, D. Meier; 1862-63, A. Helmker; 1863-65, G. Bertram; 1865-67, A. Meyer ; 1867-68, J. Braun; 1868-60, J. Bertram ; 1869-72, C. F. Heitmeyer ; 1872-74, C. A. Militzer ; 1874-77, W. Andre; 1877-80, C. Treusehel.

As the eireuit extended and increased in membership the work became too great for one man, and from 1865 to 1872 the preacher in charge was provided with an assistant. The names of the assistants during that time were H. Buddenbaum, W. Müller, II. Pullman, G. Weiler, and F. L. Wagler. Through their united efforts the member- ship increased so rapidly that it was at length determined to separate Delhi, Alaiedon, and Okemos from Lansing, and form a new cireuit, which was named the Delhi Cir- cuit. During the next four years the Lansing Cireuit com- prised Lansing, in Ingham County, and De Witt, Riley, and St. Johns, in Clinton County. In 1877 Lansing was made a station, and De Witt, Riley, and St. Johns consti- tuted a circuit.

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History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 41

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co. Number of Pages: 772

Author: Durant, Samuel W. cn
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia : D.W. Ensign & Co.
Number of Pages: 772