History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 99

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 99
USA > Michigan > Ingham County > History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan > Part 99

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).

In the fall of 1860 a few of the young men of the place organized a new band, engaging Charles T. Hall, of the old band, as teacher. They kept together for some time, and played well for that day. Their first membership was as follows : 1st E-Flat Cornet, Charles T. Hall, teacher and leader ; 2d E-Flat Cornet, Egbert G. Williams; 1st B-Flat Cornet, Clark Titus; 2d B-Flat Cornet, George Munson ; 1st E-Flat Alto, Homer Cornell ; 2d E-Flat Alto, Henry Dunton ; B-Flat Baritone, George Granger ; B-Flat Bass, John Ranney ; E-Flat Tuba, James Baughman ; Bass Drum, Brad Rose.

The Charlotte Cornet Band was organized in the spring of 1864, with R. C. Jones, Jeader ; B-Flat Cornet, Pitt M. Higby ; E-Flat Alto, A. H. Kesler; B-Flat Baritone, Charles Cook ; B-Flat Bass, L. O. Smith ; E-Flat Tuba, Charles T. Hall ; Bass Drum, James Baughman. July 7, 1865, a subscription of $412 was raised for the purchase of a new set of instruments, the members of the band paying twenty dollars each.

Aug. 22, 1865, the " Charlotte Cornet Band Associa- tion" was formed, with E. Shepherd, President ; E. T. Church, Secretary, and P. M. Higby, Treasurer. . The members of the association were citizens who had paid five dollars or more each on the above-mentioned subscription. This organization came to an end about 1873.

July 16, 1874, thirteen of the most enterprising young men of the place met in room No. 20, at the Sherwood

House, for the purpose of organizing a cornet band. It was ascertained that they could have the use of the old Charlotte Cornet Band instruments, but, wishing to organ- ize a larger band than that had been, it was decided to pur- chase six new instruments in addition. II. A. Blackmer was elected secretary. D. W. Shuler, D. P. Whitmore, and Frank Spaulding were chosen a committee to draft by-laws, and the meeting adjourned until Monday evening, July 20th. On the latter date the members met at the same place to complete the organization. The committee on by-laws reported, and the by-laws were adopted. David P. Whit- more was elected president, Rollin C. Jones, leader. Four second-hand instruments were purchased from the Lansing Band, and two new ones from Boston. Mr. Jones was the only member of the organization who had ever played a horn or who could read music, and at the first lesson, given by him Aug. 13, 1874, there was an amount of fun which can only be understood by those who have had some ex- perience in the same direction.

The band was then fully organized with the following officers : R. C. Jones, Leader ; D. P. Whitmore, President ; D. W. Shuler, Vice-President ; H. A. Blackmer, Secretary and Treasurer. The instruments were distributed as fol- lows: 1st E-Flat Cornet, R. C. Jones ; 2d E-Flat Cornet, E. L. Harmon ; 3d E-Flat Cornet, D. P. Whitmore ; 1st B-Flat Cornet, D. W. Shuler ; 2d B-Flat Cornet, H. A. Blackmer ; Solo Alto, Charles W. Sherman ; 1st Alto, W. C. Harmon ; 2d Alto, J. Willie Saunders; 1st B-Flat Tenor, H. L. Shepherd ; 2d B-Flat Tenor, Joe W. Mus- grave ; B-Flat Baritone, George W. Fowler ; B-Flat Bass, W. H. Marple ; E-Flat Tuba, Frank Spaulding ; E-Flat Tuba, Andy H. Sleater ; Snare Drum, Charles Scofield ; Bass Drum, Gon L. Stewart.

Some of the members never mastered the first octave in the scale of C; others succeeded " thus far, but no farther ;" some learned easily, but manifested no disposition to work up their parts, and soon dropped out. The result was that in one year's time twenty young men had made the attempt to become players, failed, and stepped back to give room for others.

In May, 1876, the citizens raised a subscription to aid the band in procuring uniforms, and R. C. Jones was sent to New York to select and purchase them. Uniforms were purchased for sixteen men; they were made to order, were very fine, and were the first ever owned by a band in Charlotte. In May, 1876, D. W. Shuler was elected drum-major, being the first who was elected for, or acted with, a band belonging in the place.

July 27, 1880, the band was incorporated under the State law, changing its name to the " Charlotte City Band." The officers and incorporators of said association were the following : L. H. Shepherd, President ; Frank Spaulding, Vice-President ; A. H. Bretz, Secretary and Treasurer ; R. C. Jones, Musical Director ; Charles E. Baughman, Leader ; E. L. Harmon, J. C. File, Floyd J. Bowman, Charles E. K. Baxter, G. H. Yerrington, C. W. Harring- ton, C. E. Barnes, M. W. Muuson, F. G. Smith, Frank Spaulding. The musicians were : First E-Flat Cornet, C. E. Baughman ; Second E-Flat Cornet, Elza Ogden ; Piccolo, Hobert Davis ; Solo B-Flat Cornet, R. C. Jones; First B-Flat

39S

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Cornet, L. H. Shepherd ; Second B-Flat Cornet, F. J. Bow- man ; Solo Alto, E. L. Harmon ; First Alto, G. II. Yer- rington ; Second Alto, J. C. File ; First B. Flat Tenor, A. H. Bretz; Second B-Flat Tenor, F. G. Smith ; B-Flat Bass, Pliny A. Durant ; E-Flat Tuba, Frank Spaulding; E-Flat Tuba, M. W. Munson ; Snare Drum, G. A. Parks; Bass Drum, Cortez E. Barnes ; Cymbals, Elmer Dalson ; Drum- Major, C. E. K. Baxter.

But very few towns of the size of Charlotte can claim bands of equal excellence with this, and but a small pro- portion of all the bands in the country will stand an equal test with this in points of morality, order, and strict atten- tion to business.

CHARLOTTE CEMETERY ASSOCIATION.#

After the necessary preliminary steps had been taken, a cem- etery association was formed in Charlotte, Sept. 3, 1867, and the following officers were elected : Alvan D. Shaw, Pres- ident; E. A. Foote, Clerk ; E. S. Lacey, Treasurer; James O'Neil, Sexton. Grounds were purchased and laid out in 1868, and the name " Maple Hill Cemetery" was adopted. In 1869 the location was changed slightly, the name being retained. The grounds, comprising forty acres, were deeded to private parties, in trust for the cemetery company, but the latter finally acquired the title. The cemetery is located a mile and a half northeast of the business portion of the city, and occupies a commanding and picturesque location. A portion of the land only has been laid out. Many trans- fers have been made to this from the old cemetery, and lots are being purchased by numerous country residents. The present sexton is A. H. Allen, and the officers of the asso- ciation are : E. T. Church, President ; L. B. Brockett, Sec- retary ; C. L. Pratt, Treasurer.

SCHOOLS.

On the 3d of May, 1841, was formed what was known as school district No. 10 of the townships of Carmel and Eaton ; it included sections 11, 12, 13, 14, the north half of 23, and the north half of 24, in Carmel, and the west half of 7, the west half of 18, and the north west quarter of 19, in Eaton. The first meeting of the voters in the district was held May 22, 1841. Martin E. Andrew was chosen moderator, lIannibal G. Rice assessor, and Simeon Harding director. The board met May 31st to take into consideration the subject of building a school-house, etc. Instead of concluding to build it was resolved to put in order the house which then stood on lot 7, block 19, in the village, and have a three months' school that year. The

building mentioned had been erected in 1837 or 1838, and was the second house built on the prairie, the first having been put up but the day previous, and soon occupied by Stephen Davis and family. The building used for a school- house stood on the edge of what is now the Robinson grove, on the north side of Lawrance Avenue, and was a small log structure. It contained one window, which was a single pane of glass high and three wide. To prepare it for a school-room boards were nailed against the inside of the walls, and long seats were arranged to face the walls. The director, on the first day of June, 1841, according to instructions from the board, hired Jane Gallery to teach the school for three months, at the rate of $1.25 per week, to commence June 14th, on condition that she procured a certificate from the inspectors of the township of Eaton. It appears that she was successful, for the school was opened in her charge. Miss Gallery was a sister of James Gallery, of Eaton Rapids.

The board met Aug. 2, 1841, and voted to raise, by tax on the property of the district, the sum of $100, for the purpose of building a school-house, to be located on lot 6, in block 16. It was to be eighteen by twenty-six feet in dimensions, ten feet high, built of "blocks" (hewed logs), be covered with oak shingles, have four suitable windows, and one door. This building was erected by William Stod- dard, and was not completed until May 1, 1842. Its total cost, together with the site, a stove, pipe, etc., was $172.25, but instead of building it on the ground first proposed, the location was changed to lots 23 and 26,1 in block 24.

Oct. 4, 1841, the number of children in the district be- tween five and seventeen years of age was twenty-one, and two were in attendance who were over seventeen. The books then in use in the school were Olney's Geography, Kirkham's Grammar, and Cobb & Webster's Spelling-Book. The term lasted four months. The census of the district, as taken Oct. 12, 1841, includes the names of the follow- ing pupils : Leroy Shepherd, Elisha Shepherd, Emeline Shepherd, Eveline Shepherd, James Shepherd, Annette Shepherd, Melvina Rice, Amanda Rice, Loretta Hopkins, Emily Harding, Emma Stoddard, Allen Campbell, Marion Davis, Oscar Davis, Oran Davis, Mary Davis, Martha Davis, Harriet Merrill, Leroy Worden, Sarah Worden, Harriet Worden, Andrew Worden.

On the 23d of December, 1841, David Darwin Hughes, more familiarly known as " Dave" Hughes, was hired to teach the school for three months, at the rate of ten dollars per month, and was the first male teacher employed. He was afterwards admitted to practice as a lawyer, and is now one of the best-known members of the bar in the North- west. Ile had come to Charlotte from Bellevue in 1841, and acted as deputy for some of the county officers. He was also employed as a clerk by Hiram Shepherd. His successor as teacher of the school at Charlotte was Mary Fisher, who was employed March 12, 1842, and taught for seven months, at the rate of one dollar and fifty cents per week. Miss Nancy Sweet took charge of the school at

. At a meeting of the township board of Eaton township, held at Charlotte, April 4, 1845, it was ordered that William Southworth be a committee to purchase the south half of block 28 in the village, jointly with the township of Carinel, to be used as a publie burial-ground by the two townships, provided Carmel would pay half and the expense to Eaton township should not be more than $30. Carmel township about the same time approprinted funds towards purchasing, laying out, and fencing the cemetery, and it was at once bought and laid out. The Eaton township share was not entirely paid for until two years later, the cost to that township heiog $33.15. The ground was fenced in 1851. This is what is now known as the "old cemetery " at Charlotte, all right to it having been relinquished to the village, or city, by the respective townships.

+ So it is stated in the record of the district, which the writer dis- covered in the office of the elerk of Carmel township, and from this record the facts thus far given are all takeo, as well as some of these following.

399

CITY OF CHARLOTTE.

the same wages, Nov. 2, 1842. Mary A. Landers was her successor, and began May 11, 1843, receiving the very liberal wages of one dollar and eight cents per week.

Among the additional pupils in September, 1843, were Eleanor Worden, Jefferson Carpenter, Rolla Carpenter, Cordelia Andrew, Clarissa Richards, Mary F. Williams, Albemarle Williams, Homer Ells, Dennis Eddy, Cornelia Eddy.

In 1843-44 the district became fractional district No. 1, of Carmel, and fractional district No. 2, of Eaton. In 1852 the old school-house was sold to J. S. Opt for eighteen dollars and fifty cents, and a brick building erected at a cost of $250. In 1854 the academy building was rented for a dollar a week, and district school was also held in that. At a meeting of the board in September, 1854, it was resolved to raise $700 to purchase a site and build a new school-house. The site chosen for the same was lots 21 and 22 in block 22. The building was to be thirty by forty-one feet on the ground, have stone foundation, and be twelve and a half feet between floor and ceiling. The price paid for the lots was seventy-five dollars; they were purebased of Harvey Williams, the deed for the same being dated Feb. 5, 1855. The building was erected by Thomas Curry, whose bid for doing the work was $695. The building is still in use in the fourth ward of Charlotte, while the first brick school-house erected was subsequently condemned, and is now in use as a shop.

William Johnston, Esq., who started and published the famous Eaton Bugle, besides being a printer, was an editor, a teacher, a lawyer, a political stump-speaker by occupation, and an Irishman by descent. "He was called Printer Johnston, to distinguish him from Iron Johnson and Wooden Johnson (N. A.), here on the prairie, Rhode Island Johnson and Quarter-Post Johnson, out in Carmel, and Taylor Johnson, who came here some years later." " Printer Johnston" established a high school here in 1845 or 1846, and was himself the teacher. Mr. Foote writes of the institution and its associations as follows :

"Tha Eaton Bugle reverhcrated its notes over the prairie and through the forest from the back end of a little wooden building fronting the public square, and standing just east of the office of the register of deeds. In the front room of this building was kept the Charlotte high school. The two sensations each week were the coming out of the Bugle, well spiced with local squibs, puffs, lampoons, and home-made poetry, and the gathering of the villagers in the school- room to hear the declamations of the hoys, and particularly the com- positions of the girls. These compositions usually furnished food for mirth and wrath during a whole week.

"The editor seldom spared the rod in his paper, and wherever among bis lady pupils he discovered a talent for irony or sarcasm he carefully developed and fostered it, even at the expanse of the young men, from whose ranks subjects for dissection were generally chosen. Yet everything hitter or malevolent was carefully pruned away. These girls loved to take a shining mark for their arrows, and the best looking, best dressed, and mnost pretentious of the young men was the most likely to find himself shot full of them. This drew in visitors, gave might to the pen, and kept the attention of the little community nervously fixed upon education, and especially upon the importance of learning how to write, which seemed to be an art of self-defense more necessary than boxing. This naturally culminated in a school exhibition, which drew in all there was of the surrounding country for ten miles away, and nearly filled the court-house. Many even came down from the Vermont colony. This compliment was in dua time returned by Mr. Johnston taking his entire school one winter evening up to Vermontville to attend sn exhibition there.

"From this germ of a school finally sprouted and took root tha ambitious project of organizing a joint stock company and incorpor- ating the Charlotte Academy. Not only here, hut in all the adjoin- ing townships, stock was liberally subscribed. Mr. McComb, a land- owner, donated the academy ground and the bell. Mr. Nathan A. Johnson was the fortunate bidder who got the job of putting up this academy and of collecting the subscription for his pay. The work was commenced about 1846, and for years was patiently prosecuted hy Mr. Johnson alone. I remember of hearing of his starting to slide off the roof while shingling, and as he got to the eaves and was shout shooting over there happened to be a solitary staging-pole sticking up about four feet away, against which ha fortunately placed one foot and stopped bis progress.

"When Printer Johnston suspended bis Bugle, and went back to Ohio to reside, the academy enterprise languished, the subscription got cold, and Nat found academy building up-hill work, much more so than sliding down that roof. Just then people commenced finding fault because he was so slow in finishing the academy. I have a rec- ollection of going down to that building one cold forenoon during the winter of 1848 and 1849, after it was roofed and sided up. I ra- member of climbing in, with no plank to walk upon, and of seaing windows boarded up with long boards to save spoiling the lumber. Joists, sleepers, and studding were all bare. There were just hoards enough for the work-bench to stand upon in the middle of the lower room. All was silent save a long shaving hitched to a sliver by the side of a crevice, streaming and fluttering in the wind. There, all alone, sat the academy builder, Johnson, upon the work-bench by the side of bis empty nail-box, his coat on and buttoned up to the chin, his purple hand clinching the bandle of bis hammer. I couldn't see much sunshine in his countenance, and, qui sorry to say, he found some fault because they were so slow in paying up their subscriptions. He had been dunning away at them for weeks without raising a dol- lar. 'Not a board,' said he, ' not a nail, not a sash nor pane of glass, nothing to do anything with, and those d- d fools all the whila grumbling because I don't finish off this academy !' This was Wooden Johnson. Printer Johnston, the instigator of what led to this, had deserted us and gone back to Ohio.

"Somewhere about 1850 the academy was finished ; hy what means I never learned. Several professors were at different times inveigled in there to teach, and found it up-hill work in collecting their tuition. Professor Wallace stood it as long as he could, and then went to rail- roading out West and got killed. Professor Loring and his wife taught a few pupils, and boarded themselves frugally in a small room up-stairs in the academy, until they starved out and went to farming over in Eaton, where the professor soon died. Professor Ingham, who seemed expressly constituted for such usage, browsed in this field of thorns and thistles until the organization of the Union School gave him a salary. He subsequently hecame a newspaper editor in Ne- braska.

" The academy has been finished. The underpinning in tima tumbled out on the south side, letting under the hogs to rest and squeal there, and letting in gusts of southwest wind to whistle up through the cracks of the shrunken floor while pupils, with shawls and overcoats on, were shivering over their studies. The building leaned to the south, like a doughface during the years of slavery. It used to shake so during high winds that pupils in the upper story would rush out and come tumbling pell-mell down the steep, narrow stairs at the risk of all their necks. Boys, during the long vacations, used to throw stones through all of the windows," but more particu- Jarly through the front ones, and when, during schoul hours, for the purpose of severa and secluded study, they took their books and climbed up into the belfry, they would pass the time in removing the long, thin slats from the belfry hlinds and sending them sailing down upon the wind into neighboring fields and gardens.

* When wera hoys not crazed with glee at the opportunity to break windows in some deserted or vacant building ? The writer has dis- tinct recollections of passing some of the happiest moments of his hoyhood in throwing stones through the windows of a deserted hotel. The crash of broken glass is sweet music to the ears of the average American youth, and the dexterity acquired by him in throwing with perfect accuracy is surprising. Where is the man in whose mind tender memories will not ba awakened when he reads of the window- breaking experiences of the boys in the days of old ?

400

HISTORY OF EATON COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

" What dividends the stockholders received upon their subscriptions I have never learned. The stock was cheaply bought up by the few. The old academy has been sold and moved upon a front lot, and turned into the Peninsular boarding-honse. The entire ground has been cut up into city lots, and the academy is probably finished."

A graded or high school, familiarly known as a Union school, was organized in Charlotte, Oct. 3, 1859, when Henry Robinson and Joseph Musgrave were chosen trustees for one year, Thomas Curtis and Wolcott B. Williams for two years, and J. Q. A. Sessions and Joseph Sessions for three years. The trustees met on the evening of October 14th, and elected Henry Robinson moderator, J. Q. A. Sessions director, and Joseph Musgrave assessor. The old Charlotte Academy was rented by the board for a high-school building. The school-children of the village were assigned to three departments,-the primary, occupy- ing the west brick school-house; the intermediate, occu- pying the east brick school-house; and the high school, with quarters in the academy building. The first term began Oct. 31, 1859, and one hundred and twenty-five pupils were in attendance the first weck, with Oscar S. Ingham (formerly principal of the academy) as principal, Miss M. A. Delaney in the intermediate department, and Miss S. A. Brown in the primary.

It was not long until the old buildings were found to be inadequate to their uses, and on the 10th of September, 1866, it was voted to raise $10,000 to erect a eentral building thirty by sixty feet, two stories high, with wings. The sum voted was subsequently increased to about $14,000, and the north part of the present edifice, intended as a central building, was erected. The plan was then changed some- what, and the south part was built at an outlay of about 85000, thus making the total cost of the building nearly 820,000. The total value of the school property in the city at present is estimated at $25,000. A new school- house was built in the Second Ward about 1868, and one in the Third Ward about 1875, both of brick. Miss Julia A. King, who has for some time been principal of the Char- lotte schools, is recognized as one of the leading educators in the State, and under her management the school has arrived at a high degree of perfection.

The following items are from the report of the school inspectors for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879 :

Children in distriet between five and twenty

years of age ..

790

Allendance during year ..

724

Days school taught during yenr.

195

Volumes in district library.

150

No. of school-houses (all brick).

No. of pupils who can be seated

615

Value of school property ..

$25,000

No. Teachers employed (all female). 16

Wages paid same

$6,148.25

Money on hand, Sept. 1, 1879.

905.71

Total expenditures for year, including samo

13,162.58

RELIGIOUS.

METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHI.

The first Methodist preacher who held services in the old township of Carmel was Rev. Peter Featherstone, a native of England, who emigrated to Canada in 1833. In 1837 he removed to Michigan and located at Plymouth, Wayne Co. In 1838 he became a resident of Marshall, Calhoun Co., and in the spring of 1840, after his marriage

in January, he came to Eaton County. He received his first license from Rev. E. H. Pilcher, June 26, 1841. He was accustomed to go on foot to Chester village to preach, deliver two or three sermons, and return the same day. In January, 1843, he made a pedestrian trip to Canada after his nephews, and from the effects of his journey never recovered. His death occurred Feb. 14, 1845. Among others who were early pastors at Charlotte were Revs. Larmon Chatfield, who was here in 1854; Mr. Crittenden, and Isaac Bennett.

Feb. 28, 1849, Rev. J. F. Collins, preacher in charge of Eaton Cirenit, appointed the following persons as trustees of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Charlotte: Vincent Lee, Osmyn Childs, Henry Robinson, William Johnson, John F. Terrill, George P. Merrill, Isaac Turner, G. B. Griffin, and Joseph Gridley. The brick church owned by this society was dedicated Saturday, April 23, 1859, the dedication sermon being preached by Rev. M. A. Daugh- erty, of Marshall. In the winter of 1874-75 a large addi- tion was built on the rear of the church, and the main building was also reseated, recarpeted, and frescoed. The value of the church is at present estimated at $7000, and of the parsonage, which was built about 1868-70, at $2000. Money has been subscribed to nearly a sufficient amount to build a tower to the church, which work it is proposed shall soon be accomplished.

In the fall of 1879 the membership of this church, as reported to the Conference, was 222. The present pastor is Rev. William Doust, who took charge in September, 1878. The Sunday-school has a membership of about 300, with an average attendance of about 225. Its superintendent is A. P. Green. The number of volumes in the library of the Sunday-school is 400.

First Congregational Church .- From the records of this church, which was originally organized on the west line of the township of Carmel, is taken the following account of the organization :

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Ingham and Eaton counties, Michigan, Part 99

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