USA > Michigan > Montcalm County > History of Montcalm County, Michigan its people, industries and institutions...with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families Volume I > Part 28
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The inhabitants in district No. 1, which at that time comprised the north- west portion of the town, made a bee, and with their united effort a school house of logs, twenty-two by twenty-four feet, was soon erected on the north part of the land owned by James Edgar. Mary Hull, the daughter of
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Hiram Hull, who settled in the township the year previous, taught the first school here. She also taught several other terms, and subsequently died of consumption.
In district No. 2 the school house, which the people also built, was of a more primitive pattern. It was made of logs, but the roof was covered with bark, and the floor across the road from the site now occupied by the school house in this district. The first term was taught by Pearly Galleo, who had come to the township a short time previous. She taught three months, and in default of money sufficient to pay her pittance for these services, she received a calico dress bought for her by the director of the district at Greenville. She returned to her former home in Ohio.
The following are the names of the scholars who composed this school : Clara Galleo, Elizabeth Taylor, Phebe Butler, Samuel J. Youngman, Ells- worth Galleo, Uriah E. Struker.
School district No. 3 was set off by the school board on the 7th of March, 1858. It at this time included the southeast quarter of the township but no action was taken by the inhabitants to organize, and no school was opened here until some years after. These school districts have all been rearranged from time to time.
CRYSTAL SCHOOLS.
In the fall of 1856 a school meeting was called at the house of Ephraim Hatfield, and after some preliminaries he was chosen director. There is no record of this meeting, and the persons elected to fill the other offices of the district are not now known. A vote to build a school house prevailed, and it was decided to build it on the northwest corner of the southeast quarter of section 34. This land at this time was owned by James Beck, from whom it was leased. The people were not taxed, but members assembled and built a house of logs about twenty feet square, with two windows, a fireplace, and a door in the side.
In the fall the first term of school was commenced by Maria Lindsay. She taught three months, and received two dollars and a half per week and boarded around in the district. The school was not large, numbering about twelve at most. Miss Lindsay subsequently taught one term in Gratiot county. and was married to Henry Gee. They settled in the village of Crystal, where she died and where Mr. Gee resided for a long time. The following summer Anna Richardson, whose parents were early settlers of Bloomer, taught one term in this house.
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The first school in the northern part of the township was taught by Eveline Roop, whose parents were residents of Bloomer township. A log cabin had been nearly completed by a man who had pre-empted the south- west quarter of the northwest quarter of section 1. It stood on the rise near the line of the section, just north of the little stream that crosses the road near by. Another term was taught in this cabin by Maria Ward. Previous to this time John W. Smith and the inhabitants of this neighborhood met and laid up the body of a log house near the road on the north part of sec- tion 29. but as the county school here was abandoned and the children of this district who were large enough attended school in the Burke district. A school was opened here, however, in about two years.
DAY SCHOOLS.
In the spring of 1866 the school board formed the northwest quarter of the township into a school district. The first school meeting was held at the house of II. E. W. Palmer, he being chosen director, and Samuel Butts. moderator; Marcellus Palmer, assessor. The first school was taught by Mrs. II. E. W. Palmer in an unoccupied room of her dwelling. Arrangements were made to build a log school house, but the motion was reconsidered by a vote of the district, and it was decided to erect a frame one, which was accordingly done. The second term, however, was taught by Lodema Pal- mer in the log house of Samuel Butts, before the school house was com- pleted. She became the wife of E. M. Mallett. The second school was taught in the northeastern part of the township; but, as the inhabitants mostly soon after moved away, the district formation was dropped. The fractional school district at Stanton was next perfected.
DOUGLASS SCHOOLS.
On the 17th of September, 1863, the first school meeting of Douglass convened at the school house, which was at this time in process of building, on section 9. This township, it will be remembered, yet formed a part of Pine, and the school house had been built through the direction of the school board of that township. At the meeting referred to two new settlers who had just reached the town that day were present, S. L. Smith and Aaron Hunt. The latter was elected director, the former assessor, and Benajah Persens, moderator. S. L. Smith was subsequently elected director, and served nine years.
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No arrangements for a school were made until the next spring, when Mr. Hunt canvassed the township and found it practicable, the settlers sub- scribing one dollar per scholar for the purpose of employing a teacher. As there were but seven pupils in the district the sum was not large. Eliza- beth Aldrich was engaged to teach, for which the district agreed to pay one dollar and fifty cents per week, board not included. The pupils' names were Margaret Aldrich, Phoebe Smith, Byron Smith, Albert Hunt, Cor- nelius Hart, Ida Whitmore and Agnes Whitmore. Miss Aldrich, at the time she taught this school, was sixteen years of age. She taught three months, the parents in the district making up by subscription the necessary fund. She was also employed to teach the next school here, wages being increased to two dollars and fifty cents per week. She subsequently became the wife of C. V. Kilborn. The next school was opened in district No. 2, a log school house being built there in 1868. It stood on the northwest quarter of sec- tion 13, and was later used as a dwelling house. The first term was taught by Vina Cory. This building was used until 1876, when a new one was erected. The school building in district No. I was built in 1878.
EUREKA SCHOOLS.
On September 14. 1850, the township of Eureka organized districts 4 And 5. No. 4 was ordained to contain the south half of section 27, the south half of 28. the south half of 29. the south half of 30, the whole of sec- tions 31, 32, 33 and 34, and the west half of 35. No. 5 contained sections 21 and 22. the north halves of 27, 28, 29 and 30, and the south halves of 19 and 20.
EVERGREEN SCHOOLS.
On the 23d of October, 1856, Ira Ryder, in compliance with a resolu- tion passed at the first school meeting in Evergreen, addressed a letter to William Phinesey, commanding him to notify the qualified electors inter- ested that the board had formed a school district to be known as school dis- triet No. 1, and to inchide sections 19, 20, 21, 28, 29. 30, 31, 32 and 33. The first meeting of the district was appointed to be held at the house of Robert Bennett, on the 9th of November, 1856. There were then five voters in the district, as appears from the return letter, which asserts that the fol- lowing named parties were personally notified of said meeting: Ira Ryder, William Morgan. Charles Richardson, Robert Bennett and William Phin-
(20)
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esey. At the meeting held in accordance with this notice, it was unani- mously resolved to have a three-months' school by a female teacher. Another meeting was held on the 22d of November, and the site selected upon which stands the school house. In accordance with a vote of the district, a neat framed school house, which cost one hundred and seventy-five dollars, was erected by Charles H. Randall. Upon its completion, Maria White was employed as teacher, her school numbering six scholars, representing three families. Their names were Louisa Morgan, Harriffa Morgan, Theodore Phinesey, John Phinesey. Hattie Bennett and David Bennett. She received one dollar and fifty cents per week, which for her services amounted to six dollars from each family.
Miss White subsequently became the wife of Nathan Heath, and lived in Roland. The next school in this district was taught by Mary Callaghan, who taught a number of terms in succession. She became the wife of James Donavan, and lived in Bloomer.
School district No. 2 was formed some years later, and inchided the territory in the vicinity of Mud lake. The inhabitants at once erected a log school house, and the district has continued with slight changes to the pres- ent time. The southeastern part of the township was formed into a frac- tional school district with the adjoining towns in an early day.
FAIRPLAIN SCHOOLS.
In the summer of 1847 the citizens of the northwest part of the town- ship decided to organize a school, and in accordance with this resolution they met and built a small cabin of boards, on the southwest quarter of section 5. opposite the place now occupied by a school house on section 7. and Alice Wilcox, whose people lived in Eureka, was secured as a teacher. She afterwards became the wife of Myron Burley. As has been said, the building was a little frame structure, and stood on the corner of the south- west quarter of section 5, where it was used a number of terms. But con- tinued additions to the school soon rendered a larger room necessary, and a neat frame building was erected on the same site. the old one being torn down.
This was not, however, considered a favorable site for a school house. and the ground now occupied was selected and the school house moved from its old location to the new, where it was subsequently burned, after which the one now standing was built. A little later. in the same summer, a board
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shanty was erected near the site now occupied by the school house on sec- tion 2, and Caroline Wilcox taught in this building.
Early in the spring of 1848 John and Gibson Fargo, brothers, built the first substantial school house in the township. The lumber for it came from Greenville. Caroline Wilcox also taught the first school in this building. It was important in the early affairs of the township as being the place of holding all the elections and political meetings of note, as well as being a place of worship for the various religious denominations, who were endeav- oring to establish their respective societies in the township. It was known for many years, from a liberal coat of red paint which it received, as the "Red School House." It stood on land owned by Joseph Russell, on the west line of section 20. about eighty rods north of the quarter post, and was destroyed by fire in January, 1861. Jacob King was the first male teacher in the township. He taught in this building during the winter of 1848-49. James Snow, who taught the first school in the winter of 1849-50, later moved to Grand Rapids. Sarah Jane Rasmussen was among the early teachers, and her sister, Mary, who also taught. married and removed to New York.
It will be seen. therefore, that previous to the organization of town 9 north, range 7 west, there had been several terms of school taught and sev- eral districts formed while it was yet a part of the township of Montcalm, which at that time really included the whole county. But when the board met at the house of Roswell Dudley, on the zoth of April. 1850, they made some slight changes in the boundaries of these districts and numbered them "according to the time in which they were formed." Thins district No. I included sections 5. 7, 8. and district No. 2 included sections 17. 18. 19, 20, 20. 30. These districts were first set off by the county school board in 1847, and the first schools were taught as before stated. At this first meet- ing of the school board of Fairplain a petition. signed by Freeman A. Decker, Oliver Decker. Edward Decker, Jesse Decker, Joseph Decker, Ebe- nezer Salyer and Luther R. Jenks, was presented, and in compliance with it the board formed district No. 3. the limits of which, as with the others. have been since considerably changed, although the body of the district occupies about the same relative position.
During the first year (1850) of the organization of the township the primary school fund for all the schools amounted to eighteen dollars and thirty-six cents, and was divided among the several districts as follows : District No. I received $9.18: district No. 2 received $5.78; district No. 3
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received $3.40. On May 5, 1851, the school board met at what was then known as the "Red School House." in district No. 2, and examined teachers. Catherine Satterlee received a certificate, and on November 8 James Snow also received one. District No. 5 was formed on April 10, 1852. at which time it comprised sections 24, 25. 26. 34, 35 and 36. Notice was forwarded to William Clark. instructing him to call the first district meeting at his house, April 17, 1852. Among the early teachers also were Misses P. . 1. Root. Rosetta Jenks and Rachel King.
FERRIS SCHOOLS.
The first school in Ferris was taught at the center of the township in a log school house which stood on the southwest quarter of section 15. This house had three windows and a Dutch fireplace in one end. The seats were made without backs, of planks, into which legs were driven. Sticks driven into the walls, on which boards were laid, served as desks. The first school was taught by Esther Ann Hare, in the summer of 1857. She received one dollar per week and boarded herself. There were but three families in the district. Miss Hare taught but one term here. The next school house was built in district No. 1. It was a neat frame buildings, which cost about four hundred and seventy-five dollars. The lumber of which it was built came from Hubbardston and Alma. Margaret Luscombe was the first teacher in this building. She afterwards married and lived in Estella.
On the second Saturday in April. 1857, the board of school inspectors met to examine candidates wishing to teach. But, as no candidates appeared. the board procceded to lay out the township in school districts, commencing with the northeast part of the township. The boundaries then laid out bear but little resemblance to those of today, and have been so frequently changed and were of such duration that they were scarcely recognized. On the 9th of October, following ( 1857), a second meeting was held, at which time a report to the township treasurer shows that there were then twenty-two pupils in district No. 5. which corresponded with district No. I of the present day, which is the central district of the township. The money voted for school purposes was twenty-two dollars, with six dollars for incidental expenses. The only books mentioned were "Webster's Dictionaries." On the 7th of November the first candidate appeared before the school board in the person of Maribee Macomber, to whom a certificate was granted. . At the meeting of the board in 1858 the town clerk was ordered to inform Perry T. Bailey that school district No. 3 had been formed, and that the first meet-
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ing would be held at his house on the 27th of November, 1858. The returns show that Mr. Bailey notified the following persons, according to law : James Tislue, Henry Grim, Hezekiah Davis, Myron Austin. Ashel Buck, Richard Bailey, Levi Camburn and William Davis. At the meeting of the board Esther Hare received a certificate to teach. The first meeting in school district No. 1, in the northeastern part of the township, was at the house of Micajah Douglas, January 1. 1858. The letter calling this meeting was directed to Peter Schlappie, and the returns show there were then in the district A. Conner, M. Douglas, E. Sherman. S. Burtch, Lawson Sherman, Henry Ferris, Gilbert Ferris and John Rank. These were the first schools in the township.
HOME SCHOOLS.
No school was taught in Home until the spring of 1865, when the people in the south part of the township met and organized a school district. and built a small log house on the southeast part of section 28, and employed Orlando Evans as teacher. He was a nephew of Josiah Fair, with whom he resided at the time. Later he resided in Stanton. The next summer a site for another school house was selected one and one-half miles east of the first. A house was erected, in which a school was opened by Mrs. James Brown, whose husband taught at the same time in the cabin before referred to. The first frame school house was built on the east line of section 30. in district No. 3.
MAPLE VALLEY SCHOOLS.
The first school district was set off by the school board of Pierson in the fall of r860. It comprised the northwest quarter of the township. The first school meeting was held at the house of E. J. Blanding, on section 7. He was elected director. Clayton Wood. moderator. and James Ferguson, assessor. No school was taught during the winter. In the following spring a log cabin, eighteen by twenty-four feet, was built on the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 7. on land owned by Howland Soules. Elizabeth Parker, who became the wife of Peter Taylor, taught the first school, which lasted three months. She had seven pupils from the families of James and Jacob Ferguson. Charles Parker and Clayton Wood. She received three dollars per week, and boarded around with the patrons of the school. A grand Fourth of July celebration was gotten up during this sum- mer, at which Charles Parker and E. J. Blanding orated, while their families were the interested audience. This was the only district formed previous to
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the organization of Maple Valley. The next district formed comprised the central portions of the township.
The school in the village of Coral was first taught in a little frame building which stood on the south side of the railroad. But the rapid growth of the village rendered this impossible to accommodate the pupils. Accord- ingly, the question of building a new house was agitated, and culminated in calling a meeting, at which a building committee of five citizens was appointed and three thousand dollars was voted to build a house, which was completed in 1873. and cost between three and four thousand dollars.
MONTCALM SCHOOLS.
April 15. 1848, the school inspectors of Montcalm township formed in that town certain school districts. of which districts 1. 2, 3 and 6 were embraced in town 9 north, range & west, as follows: No. 1 contained sec- tions 4. 9, 15 and 16, and all of section 10, except the northeast quarter : No. 2 contained sections 1. 2. 3 and 11, and the northeast quarter of section ro; No. 3 included sections 12, 13. 14. 23 and 24; No. 6 comprised sections 5, 6. 7. 8. 17, 18. the north half of 19, and the north half of 20.
PINE SCHOOLS.
The first school in Pine was taught by Jennie Lang. in an unoccupied room of David Hart's house, in the summer of 1858. Miss Lang received one dollar and fifty cents per week. The term lasted three months. This was the first school house in the township. It stood just east of the site later occupied by the residence of Zenas Briggs. Mattie Brown taught the first school here. in the fall of 1863.
REYNOLDS SCHOOLS.
In June, 1860, the school board elected at the first town meeting met and divided the township into six school districts. District No. 1 contained sections 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. and the north half of sections 17 and 18. No. 2 contained section 16, the south half of 17 and 18, sections 19, 20, 21. and the north half of 28, 29 and 30. No. 3 contained the south half of sections 28. 29. 30. the east half of sections 32 and all of section 33. No. 4 con- tained sections 25. 26. 27, 34. 35 and 36. No. 5 contained sections 13, 14, 15, 22, 23 and 24. No. 6 contained sections 1, 2. 3. 10, 11 and 12.
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RICHLAND SCHOOLS.
After the organization of the township the board met and divided it into school districts. There were at the time, however, scarcely pupils enough for one district. and but one therefore organized. This was at the center of the township. The few families in the south part attended school in Ferris, sometimes walking several miles for that purpose. The people of district No. 1 met at the house of Joshua Painter in the spring of 1869 and elected the necessary officers and resolved to have three months school. Joshua Painter, being appointed director, employed John Henry as teacher, who fulfilled his engagement and taught in a little unoccupied log house which had been built on the farm of Rufus Saunders. In the fall the log house on the east side of the road and on the northeast corner of section 21 was erected. This was the first school house in the township, and the first school in it was taught by Anna Woodard.
SIDNEY SCHOOLS.
The first school of Sidney was taught in 1858, in a log school house which stood on the north line of the southeast quarter of section 20, on land later owned by Jera B. Grover. It was taught by Martha Newberry, whose parents live in Montcalm. The school consisted of but seven pupils, who represented three families. Their names are as follow: Orange Noah, Ruth Noah, Abbie Noah, Richard Vaness, Nelson Vaness, Nancy Vaness and Helen Vaness. Miss Newberry received one dollar and a quarter per week. She subsequently married Lute Griffith, and lived in Montcalm town- ship. The next school was built at Sidney Center, and the first term in it was taught by Nancy Lyons in 1862. She afterwards married William Kelly and removed to Clam lake.
WINFIELD SCHOOLS.
District No. 1, of Winfield, was formed in the fall of 1860, and the contract to build a school house was taken by Henry Macomber, who at once prepared logs for that purpose. The building, however, was not completed until the fall of the following year. This house was made of well-hewn logs, from which it received the name of "Blackhouse,"a term applied to it until it was superseded by a frame building some years later. It was well furnished with board desks and seats, and soon became the place of holding
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political and religious meetings of all parties and sects, and really answered as town house, church and school house for the whole township.
Miss Swarthout, who subsequently became the wife of Henry Clark, and was later a resident of Mecosta county, is believed to have taught the first school. In the year 1862 there were but two regularly formed school districts in the township. District No. I contained the greater part of the northeastern quarter, and district No. 2 the northwestern quarter. The south half had been divided by the school board, but the inhabitants, being few and scattering, had taken no steps towards permanent organization.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
After the county had been entirely settled and school districts had been laid out, the school system began to take on more permanent form. This began first in the township supervision ; later this work came under a county head. The first office created in the county to be the head of the educational systems in the county was the county superintendent of schools. The county superintendent of schools was selected by the board of examiners and this came out of the inspectors from cach township. At this early date the board of examiners consisted of a secretary and two others appointed by the board of supervisors for their term of two years. In the beginning of the school systems there was no county system for township inspection, the superin- tendent having the power to license the teachers and carry on the general supervision of his township.
The office of county commissioner of schools, which is the present head of the school system in the county, began in 1889. The first to serve under this system was J. E. McCloskey, who held the office for a period of four years. Mr. McCloskey is now superintendent of the Howard City schools, a position which he has held for twelve years. A. N. Demorey succeeded Mr. McCloskey, and also held the office for a period of four years. The present incumbent. Eugene D. Straight, has held this office for eighteen years, which alone speaks for the worth of this man and the judgment he has exercised in his official capacity. Mr. Straight has taken the school system at the point left off by his predecessors, and through the earnest endeavors and the support of the education-loving people of the county. raised the schools to the present pinnacle which they hold. There are still two examiners, who serve for a period of two years, and are appointed by the supervisors. The commissioner of schools. however, is an elective office of four years and carries with it a salary of one thousand five hundred dol-
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