History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 128

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761

USA > Michigan > Kalamazoo County > History of Kalamazoo county, Michigan > Part 128

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).

From this congregation four have entered the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and five that of the Presbyterian Church ; ten have become lawyers, and eight physicians. The one pastor has married 300 couples, and held about 500 funeral services. If the pastor and people have been conservative in their principles and methods of Christian work, abhorring shams and pretenses, they have always been true to temperance and freedom, and intelli- gently interested in the influence and spread of the gospel. A missionary meeting on the first, and a Sabbath-school service on the second Sabbath evening of each month, for the whole congregation, have always been held.

On the 22d of December, 1877, the pastor was suddenly laid aside from his work. The congregation promptly gave him six months for rest, with a continuation of salary. The salary had grown from $400 in 1844, to $1000, in 1877. At the end of six months he was not able to resume his work, and resigned. The resignation was accepted, and, by joint action of the congregation and the Presbytery, he was made pastor emeritus. During the year 1878 the pulpit was supplied by several ministers, and the religious interests of the congregation were carried forward by the session.

In November, 1878, Rev. John D. McCord, from Allegan, and a member of the Presbytery of Kalamazoo, was em- ployed for one year, and entered upon his labors with earn- estness and success. The congregations were well sustained,

************

RES. OF C. P. HALE, RICHLAND, KALAMAZOO CO., MICH.

473

TOWNSHIP OF RICHLAND.

and additions were made to the church. At the close of the year, in November, 1879, he was engaged for another year, and continues in his work. The church is hopeful for the future. The society is out of debt, and the old gospel holds its way among the people. And now, at this writing (Dec. 29, 1879), there is a confident expectation that this church, which has lived and strengthened itself for near half a century, will, in her next half-century work, be enabled (more holy and efficient) to enter upon the mil- lennial period.

The Second Methodist Episcopal Church .- Rev. Wil- liam Daubney may be considered the founder of Meth- odism in this immediate section of country. From the time of his settlement here, in 1835, until his death, in October, 1878, he was active in the performance of his duties as an apostle and leader. His field extended more particularly into Cooper and the western part of this town- ship.

However, it seems that no regular organization of this church was effected here until Feb. 25, 1858, when Rev. S. A. Osborn, after holding a series of meetings in the school-house of District No. 7, formed the West Richland Class of the Prairieville Circuit, Rev. Joseph Jennings, presiding elder.

The members of this organization were Lawrence Keef, Leader; Louisa Keef, Henry Rector, Julia Rector, J. A. Bogardus, Eliza A. Bogardus, J. W. Briggs, Sophronia Briggs, Silas Gould, Aseneth Gould, Franklin Reeve, Fanny A. Reeve, Harmon Meddaugh, Nancy N. Med. daugh, John Simons, Jane Simons, Hetty Green, Sarah Spicer, Cyrus Watkins, George Tolhurst, Eliza Simons, Helen Simons, Maria Dodd, Esther Sweet, Ambrose Ward, J. F. Reeve, Ann M. Reeve, Elizabeth Town, J. W. Sweet, Myron Green, Phebe J. Johnson, Peter Sweet, Lucy J. Wilson, Phebe Sweet, Delos White, Elizabeth White, R. Pearce, Theron Levase, Emily Stewart, Cornelia Divers.

The pastors succeeding Mr. Osborn are named in the order of their succession, as follows : Revs. Luman Gee, J. I Buell, E. H. Day, E. C. Chambers, H. C. Peck, E. Mar- ble, M. I. Smith, Thomas Cleghorn, J. White, E. H. Day, and Shubael P. Hewett, the present pastor, who came in 1877. A parsonage was built in Richland village in 1861, and a church edifice, capable of seating 200 people, and situated upon section 6, was erected in 1866-67. This society numbers 68 members at the present time, and their church property is valued at $3700.

Other Church Organizations .- A class in Methodism, known as the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Rich- land, was formed at about the same time as the Second Church. Their meetings were held in the Knappen school- house, but the organization has ceased to exist.

The Wesleyan Methodist Society, of which Samuel Boyles, Horace Coppins, Isaac Gay, David Carpenter, David Reynolds, R. Crosby, George W. Townsend, Nathan Howson, Robert O. Carpenter, Henry Deline, George W. Wood, Loren Francisco, and U. Upjohn were members, was organized at quite an early day, and regularly incor- porated as, the First Wesleyan Methodist Society of Rich- land, March 10, 1867. At one time it was an active and

thriving organization, and meetings were held in the old church edifice of the Presbyterian Society ; but this too has disbanded.

The Richland Sabbath-School .- The first organization formed among the early settlers of Gull Prairie was the Sabbath-school. During the autumn and winter of 1830, the few families then living upon the prairie were accus- tomed to meet in the small log house of John B. Barnes, situated on the east side of the road, a little east of where the barn now stands, on the place now owned by A. A. Bissell. They organized themselves into a Sabbath-school, with Orville Barnes as superintendent and teacher. The organization has been kept up from that day to the present time, and from that small beginning has grown our Sabbath- school of to-day connected with the Presbyterian Church. In 1831 it was held at the house of Cornelius Northrop, and reorganized, with Deacon Simeon Mills as superintend- ent. After the erection of the first church building it was held there, with Deacon Isaac Briggs as superintendent, who held the office for three years. He was succeeded by Rockwell May, one year ; and he by Loyal H. Jones, two years ; Simeon Mills, two years ; Lorien Mills, four years ; Simeon Mills, two years; Alfred Nevins, two years ; E. N. Peck, one year; Edwin Mason, two years; E. R. Mil- ler, six years ; Milton Bradley, two years ; E. R. Miller, five years ; Ira Hoyt, three years; James Kirkland, one year ; Milton Bradley, three years ; G. E. Read, five years ; Wm. Doolittle, one year; G. E. Read, two years, the present superintendent. The school now numbers about 300 upon the roll, with an average attendance of 160 each Sabbath, and is divided into 19 classes. The present offi- cers of the Sunday-school are E. R. Miller, President ; Marvin Barrett, Vice-President; W. E. Barrett, Secretary and Treasurer; Mrs. Lucy Knappen, Librarian ; G. E. Read, Superintendent ; Samuel M. Brown, Assistant Su- perintendent ; W. E. Barrett, Chorister. The teachers are Deacon Edwin Mason, Deacon E. N. Peck, Rev. J. D. McCord, E. R. Miller, B. F. Doolittle, Geo. H. Ball, Mrs. W. H. Little, Mrs. W. L. Curtis, Mrs. F. H. Read, Mrs. Jerome Ward, Mrs. Kate Peake, Misses Sarah A. Bradley, Mary E. Peake, Jennie Parker, Sophia Humphrey, Carrie Barnes, E. B. Barnes, Ella Jackson, Addie Buell. In connection with the school, a Sunday-school concert on the second Sabbath of the month has been maintained for nearly forty years, and has become a very interesting aux- iliary of the school. At the time this school was organized there were but four Sabbath-schools in the State, and none west of Ann Arbor. Other schools are now maintained in the town. One at the Methodist Episcopal church, in the northwest part of the town, organized in the old log school-house in that district over twenty years ago. This has been sustained with a great degree of interest, and out of it has grown the present church located there. During the summer months schools are sustained in many of the school districts of the town. During the past season five schools were held, besides the two at the churches. Our township Sunday-school organization dates back to 1870. Its present officers are John M. Barrett, Presi- dent ; E. N. Peck, Vice-President; Albert Little, Secre- tary ; and Eli Firth, Treasurer. The meetings are held

474

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

quarterly, in different parts of the town. The Sunday- school has contributed in a great measure to make the town what it is to-day.

The Baptist Bell .- In the winter of 1841 and '42 the subject of a church-bell was agitated.

Mr. Stephen Cummings (then a merchant of Richland, in company with Simon Howe) proposed to the citizens that if they would pledge upon a subscription paper a cer- tain number of barrels of flour he could obtain a bell for them. A paper was circulated ; the amount was secured. Mr. Cummings took the paper East with him in the spring of 1842 to Mr. Meneely, of Troy, N. Y. But he found that while Mr. Meneely was willing to furnish the good people of Richland with a bell, he was not willing to accept the subscription paper payable in flour after harvest, and take the risk of getting his pay. Here was a dilemma. It would not do for Mr. Cummings to disappoint his Richland friends. Mr. Meneely would not sell the bell and take the subscription paper, but he would sell the bell to Mr. Cum- mings and take his pay in flour, and Cummings might look to the subscription paper, which he recommended to be as good as wheat. The arrangement was made ; Mr. Cum- mings bought the bell, and was to pay for it in flour. In due time the bell came, and was placed in the belfry of the Presbyterian church amid great rejoicing of the people. Arrangements were made to have the bell rung for meeting, for funerals, and at five o'clock in the morning, nine A.M., twelve M. and nine P.M. It proved to be a bell of excel- lent tone, weighing some 800 pounds, and was the largest bell in Western Michigan. But the wheat crop proved to be a poor harvest. Many were late in threshing, and winter set in early before the flour was all delivered; and, like all such papers, some of it was found to be unavailable, and some of the flour that went forward was sent so late that it did not reach its destination until spring.

In the mean time, Mr. Cummings had failed, and in June, 1843, left for Wisconsin, and Mr. Meneely had received only a part of his pay. The Richland Society were in pos- session of the bell, and it was sending forth its joyful notes at early morn, at noon, and at evening. Thus matters rested until May, 1845. During the winter previous M. Eldred, Jr., who had for nearly fifteen years been a prominent citi- zen of Richland, bought the mill property at Gull Creek, as it was then called, and moved his stock of goods therein, sold his real estate, resigned his office of postmaster in favor of Elijah N. Bissell, with the understanding that the office should be kept at Mr. Bissell's house (where A. A. Bissell now resides), and had secured an office at Yorkville town- ship as postmaster, with the evident design of making Yorkville the centre of business for the surrounding country. But the bell called the people together at Richland and not at Yorkville. Mr. Eldred, knowing that Mr. Meneely had not received his pay, informed him that the people of Rich- . land would give up the bell. One evening in May rumor said Mr. Eldred was coming the next morning to take down the bell. The trustees were called together, and one of the number was sent to Yorkville early in the morning to learn if there was any foundation for the report. He found it only too true. Mr. Eldred and his men were ready to start for Gull Prairie.

Before Mr. Eldred reached Gull Prairie, word had gone out, and quite a number of people had collected. Mr. Eldred told them that he had an order to take the bell down and ship it to Jackson. They responded that he could not take the bell. Mr. Eldred walked over to the church ; finding the door locked, he threw himself against it with such force as to open it. Finding himself closely followed, he sprang up the ladder into the belfry. No sooner had he reached the top than the ladder was taken down, and at the same time the bell was rung as it was never rung before. Soon men and boys were seen coming in hot haste from all parts of the prairie. Mr. Eldred, becoming satisfied that it would be fruitless to attempt to obtain the bell, concluded that the better part of valor was to retreat, and he was allowed to come down. Shortly after correspondence was held with Mr. Meneely and the difficulty was amicably settled. Upon the erection of the present church, in 1859, the bell was taken and placed upon the new building, where it has done duty ever since.

In 1877, after thirty-five years of faithful service, it was observed that its tone had failed. On examination it was found that it had commenced to crack. The crack was cut out, but its rich tone was gone forever, and, like so many of our early pioneers whom it has tolled to their last resting- place, it will soon have to give place to another.

EDUCATIONAL.

Public Schools .- The people who began a settlement upon Gull Prairie in 1830, true to their teachings and the principles inculcated by a New England ancestry, estab- lished schools, churches, and kindred associations at an early day.

Thus we find that during the winter of 1831-32, Rev. William Jones taught a small class, which met for instruc- tion at his own house, which was situated upon section 15. Among his pupils were Marsh Giddings, William P. Gid- dings, and the sons and daughters of other pioneers who lived in his immediate vicinity.

In the winter of 1832-33, Isaac Briggs taught school in a small log house built for the purpose, which was situ- ated just north of the present residence of Robert Bennett. The following summer Miss Celestia Barnes, daughter of Tillotson Barnes, now Mrs. A. S. Parker, taught in the same building. Still later, during the same summer, Miss Mary White began teaching. The schools last mentioned were in charge of the first board of school inspectors, viz. : Henry White, Isaac Briggs, and Lovell Moore.

During the winter of 1836-37, Lester Barnes taught a select school in a small log house, which was built upon the northwest quarter of section 14, or the village plat of Ge- loster. Among his pupils were William Doolittle, Alvin and Melzer P. Barnes, and Joseph Elliott, a young Potta- wattomie Indian. A brother of Governor Epaphroditus Ransom also taught a select school in a building situated near the southwest corner of section 14, within the present village limits. The building was afterwards used as a cooper-shop and burnt in 1843.

As yet no school districts had been regularly organized. The school inspectors previously mentioned were elected in 1833, but none succeeded them until 1837, when, at the

475

TOWNSHIP OF RICHLAND.

spring election of the latter year, Mitchell Hinsdill, Wil- liam Logan, and George Torrey were chosen inspectors. On the 10th of May, 1837, they held a meeting at the tavern of Timothy Mills, and organized five school districts, de- scribing their boundaries as follows :

" District No. 1 .- Beginning at the northeast corner of the town- ship ; thence south on the east line of the township two and one-quarter miles; thence west parallel with the section lines to the middle of sec- tion 15; thence south to the centre of said section; thence west to the west line of said section ; thence north to the north line of the township ; thence east to the place of beginning.

" District No. 2 .- Beginning at the northeast corner of section 4; thence south on the section line to the quarter post on the east line of section 16; thence west on the quarter line to the west line of the township; thence north on the west township line to the northwest corner of the township ; thence east to place of beginning.

" District No. 3 .- Beginning on the east and west quarter line, in section 16, eighty rods east of the west line of said section ; thence south parallel with the section line to the south line of the township ; thence west on the township line to the southwest corner of the town- ship ; thence north on the township line to the quarter post on the west side of section 18 ; thence east on quarter line to place of begin- ning.

" District No. 4 .- Beginning in the centre of section 15; thence south on the quarter line to the south line of said section ; thence east on the section line eighty rods; thence south parallel with the section line to the south line of section 27; thence east on the section line to the northeast corner of section 35; thence south on section line to the south line of the township; thence west on the township line to a stake eighty rods east of the southwest corner of section 33; thence north parallel with the section line to the east and west quarter line, running through section 16; thence east on said quarter line to the place of beginning.

" District No. 5 .- Beginning on the east line of the township, eighty rods south of the northeast corner of section 13; thence south on the township line to the southeast corner of the township; thence west on the township line to the southwest corner of section 36; thence north on the section line to the northwest corner of said section ; thence west on the section line to a stake standing eighty rods west of the southwest corner of section 26; thence north parallel with sec- tion line to the south line of section 15; thence west on said line eighty rods; thence north three-fourths of a mile ; thence east paral- lel with section line to the east line of the township, or place of be- ginning."

Small framed school-houses were soon after erected in districts 1, 2, and 5.

In 1842 the amount of public money received for school purposes was $25.60, which was apportioned as follows : to District 1, $12.16 ; to District 5, $13.44. The amount received the following year was $43.26, of which District 1 received $12.80, District 2, $8.46, and District 5, $22.

The names of early teachers are not mentioned in the records until 1844. On the 4th of May of the latter year, Miss Mary Barnes received a certificate to teach a primary school. Miss Emily S. Ellis received a certificate August 31st, and also Alfred Nevins, November 2d, of the same year.

Those licensed as teachers in 1845 were Miss Helen Carroll, Miss Mary Davis, Mrs. Alta Hawley, Gilbert E. Read, Miss E. Peck, William Doolittle, and Morgan Curtis.

The condition of the school at this period is shown by the following statement, taken from the school inspector's annual report : District No. 1, 43 scholars, $12.04 received; No. 2, 20 scholars, $5.60 received; No. 5, 53 scholars, $14.84 received. District No. 3 was then in existence, but not entitled to public money.

Other early teachers are mentioned by years, as follows :

1846 .- Miss Isabella McVean, Miss Emeline J. Wilcox, Miss E. M. Nevins, Gilbert E. Read, Eleazer Jackson, Jr., Miss Laura C. Eldridge.

1847 .- Miss Emma J. Whitford, Miss Martha L. Reed, Mrs. Cornelia E. M. Little, Miss R. C. Cole, Miss T. Shepard, Miss Esther S. Fairbanks, Samuel M. Peck, Newton J. Nevins, James Walker.

1848 .- Miss Laura T. Mason, Miss A. D. Brown, Wm. H. Hurlbut, Miss S. M. Dalson, Joseph W. Bancroft, John M. Nevins.

1849 .- Miss Laura T. Mason, Miss Mary J. Forbes, Miss Ellen Little, Miss Mary A. Daniels, Byron Gregory, and James M. Spen- cer.

1850 .- Miss Sarah Nevins, Miss Caroline Powers, Mrs. Adelia Clark, Miss Catharine Seymour, Ashman Knappen, and Isaiah Martin.

1851 .- Mrs. Martha D. Prentiss, Misses Loisa Stanley, Angeline Pendleton, S. Wells, Sophronia Bingham, Orpha L. Simons, George Otis, Z. W. Mills, A. P. Mills.

1852 .- Misses Lydia Green, Emeline E. Curtis, Ellen Little, Harriet Johnson, Catherine M. Hill, Mary R. Otis, Charlotte A. Goodrich, and Messrs. George A. Porter, John W. Wood- hull, Henry White.

1853 .- Marietta Densmore, James Forbes, Caroline E. Hawley, Eliza Osborne, Ellen L. Peck, Margaret E. Wheelock, Andrew P. Mills, O. W. Munsell, O. F. Seeley, Uretta Dexter, Isabella Deming.

1854 .- Matilda Woodward, Helen M. Tisdale, Helen Wells, Elizabeth Hawley, Angeline Pendleton, Julia H. Briggs.

1855 .- Harriet Crosby, Maria Hale, Elizabeth Nash, Helen Hale, Chloe Pool, Mr. L. A. Stewart, Eveline Fisher, Cynthia Barber.

1856 .- Emily Langdon, Isabella Deming, Betsey Coe, Mary Andrews, Olive Nichols, Mary E. Clark, Charles Atwood, Henry White, Samuel Langdon, Henrietta Innes, Mr. A. G. Thompson.

1857 .- Misses Jane Daniels, J. C. Brown, Jenny M. Reall, R. B. Lovell, Harriet Crosby, E. Fisher, E. A. Travis, N. Cahill, Mr. George Reeves, and Lyman Thompson.

School money to the amount of $135 83 was apportioned among the districts from No. 1 to No. 6, inclusive, in 1848.

The apportionment for 1852 was as follows : District No. 1, 39 scholars, $1560; No. 2, 60 scholars, $24; No. 3, 29 scholars, $11.60 ; No. 4, 38 scholars, $15.20 ; No. 5, 84 scholars, $33.60; No. 6, 23 scholars, $9.20 ; No. 7, 23 scholars, $9.20.

The following statistics are taken from the inspector's annual report for the year 1860 :

District No. 1, 36 scholars, $16.56; No. 2, 51 scholars, $23.46; No. 3, 48 scholars, $22.08; No. 4, 26 scholars, $11.96; No. 5, 114 scholars, $52.44 ; No. 6, 37 scholars, $17.02; No. 7, 27 scholars, $12.42; No. 8, 47 scholars, $21.62; No. 9, 21 scholars, $9.62.

Seven years later the number of districts, number of scholars in each, and the amount of school moneys appor- tioned, were reported as follows :

District No. 1, 50 scholars, $39.56; No. 2, 51 scholars, $40.35 ; No. 3, 63 scholars, $49.84; No. 4, 30 scholars, $23.73 ; No. 5, 110 scholars, $87.02; No. 6, 33 scholars, $26.11; No. 7, 42 scholars, $33.23; No. 8, 66 scholars, $52.21; No. 9, 31 scholars, $24.53; No. 10, 45 scholars, $35.60; No. 11, 5 scholars, $3.96.

The present condition of public schools in the township is best shown by the following statistics, taken from the annual report of the township board of education for the year ending Sept. 1, 1879 :

Number of districts (whole, 7; fractional, 4) 11 Children of school age residing in the township .. 391 Children attending school during year 368 Frame school-houses 11

476

HISTORY OF KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

Seating capacity of school-houses

416 $5625

Value of school property.

Male teachers employed during year.

Female teachers employed during year.

Months taught by male teachers 11

63ł

Months taught by female teachers Paid male teachers

Paid female teachers.

Total resources

$475.60 $1507.50 $3408.51

Prairie Seminary .*- The first chartered institution of learning in Richland, and among the first in the Territory, was the " Richland Academy," authorized by an act of the Legislative Council in 1833. The trustees named in the act were Caleb Eldred, Samuel Brown, Asa Jones, Samuel Woodruff, and John F. Gilkey, who were authorized to hold property as such trustees to an amount not exceeding $20,000.

According to the best information, the school contem- plated by this act was not put in operation. But the peo- ple of the township, who were a remarkably intelligent community, were not content to give up the project, and after discussing the matter more or less for many years, a new attempt was made to establish an institution of a higher grade than the common and select schools of the time.

In 1849, when commissioners were appointed to locate the State Normal School, the people of Richland pledged over $7000 and a fine site for the institution ; but the bid of Ypsilanti overbalanced this, and the township failed in the project.

In 1853 the subject of establishing a high school or seminary was again agitated, and the matter finally culmi- nated in the organization of a stock company, which issued stock in shares of $25 each. The principal persons who took stock in the enterprise were J. F. Gilkey, Morgan Curtis, Horace M. Peck, Rev. Milton Bradley, E. R. Mil- ler, Alfred Nevins, C. W. Calkins, Gilbert E. Read, Wm. C. Sabin, D. H. Daniels, R. H. Warn, Stillman Jackson, Deacon Samuel Brown, C. B. Brown, Ira Hoyt, Samuel T. Brown, Josiah Buell, Ira Peake, A. S. Parker, Henry Knappen, Henry Little. The seven first named constituted the first board of trustees.

A substantial two-story frame structure, 40 by 60 feet in dimensions, was erected in 1854, on a piece of ground containing one and a half acres purchased of Elnathan Jud- son, situated on the south 40 acres of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 14, about sixty rods north of the centre of the present village of Richland. David H. Daniels was the contractor. The amount originally ex- pended for ground and buildings was about $2500.

The building was completed and opened for school pur- poses in April, 1855. The school during the first term was in charge of Miss Mary E. Hills, of Amherst, Mass., and a graduate of the celebrated Mount Holyoke Seminary for young ladies at South Hadley, Mass.

In September following the institution was opened with a full corps of teachers,-John T. Miller, a graduate of Yale, being principal and Miss Hill preceptress. Mr. Mil- ler continued at the head of the school for one year, when he gave up teaching and entered upon the practice of law

at Grand Rapids, Mich. Miss Hill continued teaching in the school for a period of three years, about one-half of the time as principal.

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 Kalamazoo county, Michigan, Part 128

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott Number of Pages: 761

Author: Durant, Samuel W. comp
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Philadelphia. Everts & Abbott
Number of Pages: 761