USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > History of Washtenaw County, Michigan : together with sketches of its cities, villages and townships...and biographies of representative citizens : history of Michigan > Part 94
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FIRST CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY.
Wherever he may be, on land or sea, surrounded by every evi- dence of civilization, home and friends, in the deserts or among the forests of the far West, every American citizen remembers the birthday of his country and desires to celebrate it in a becoming manner. In a letter by Ezra Mavnard, of Ann Arbor, to his son William, of Whitesboro, N. Y., he says: " On Monday, July 4, 1825, we are going to celebrate the first Independence day in Ann Arbor. It is to be celebrated in grand style, and I am to take the lead in the public exercises. Four of your sisters are making prep- arations for a grand ball at the Washtenaw Hotel. John and the younger girls are as much engaged to see what will be done as any of them. I am afraid your poor old mother will be left alone in the neighborhood as M -- is president of the singing club and must be there of course." The mother adds a word a day later: " The family returned all tired out-had fine times; everything con- ducted in Massachusetts and New York style. Procession, prayer, reading the declaration, oration and elegant dinner; upward of a hundred people sat down to eat," etc. The subjoined item was written by Ezra Maynard: "The 50th anniversary of Independence was celebrated in as solemn and becoming a manner as I ever saw it anywhere. More than 300 dined at John Allen's. Exercises on the grounds, prayer by Dr. Maynard (himself), Declaration of In- dependence by Col. James Allen, oration by Samuel Dexter, Esq., together with a band of music."
SEMI-CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
On the 24th day of February, 1875, a celebration in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the settlement of Ann Arbor took place in
1
903
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.
·
that city. Fifty years previous two hardy pioneers, John Allen and Walter Rumsey, pierced the trackless wilderness which lay between the country bordering the Huron river and the civilization of the great lakes, and pitched their tents at the very intersection of Hu- ron and First streets in what is now the city of Ann Arbor- although not the first settlement in Washtenaw county-the coun- try in the immediate vicinity of Ypsilanti having been settled over a year before by Major Woodruff, John Bryant, R. M. Stitts and others. These were the primitive settlers of the county seat. They soon after erected the customary log cabins, and with their families were in possession when the next settlers arrived.
In commemoration of this event, at the invitation of the Pio- neer Society of Washtenaw County, the gray-haired men and women, who in a great measure survey life through the loop-holes of the past, with many representatives of generations later, assem- bled in the parlors of the Methodist church.
. Among the most interesting features of the occasion was quite a large collection of articles of various use which had been brought in by some of those in attendance, which are already regarded as curiosities, and ere long will be looked upon as veritable an- tiquities.
In the rear of one of the rooms was noticed a square-shaped, odd-looking instrument, which, on inquiry, was said to be a piano, though it possesses few, if any, features common to these instruments now-a-days. It was brought to Ann Arbor in May, 1827; John Anderson conveyed it from Detroit by an ox team. The teamster was somewhat fearful as to the contents of his box, which "thun- dered so," but was finally prevailed upon to assist in unloading it. It was first set up in the house of Harvey Austin, and is still in the possession of a citizen of Ann Arbor-Mrs. C. A. Chapin, daugh- ter of Hon. James Kingsley.
The Tawas and Pottawatomie Indians frequently danced to its music, and on one occasion one of the chiefs was strenuous in his efforts to exchange half a dozen ponies for the instrument and its fair performer. It was manufactured in New York by John Kear- sing & Son, and purchased for $75. It has only five octaves, and is the first instrument of the kind brought west of Detroit.
Among the pioneers present who experienced the hardships as well as joys of the first few years which followed the settlement of the county seat was Calvin Chipman. He came here in 1824 and assisted in the raising of the first log house, which event happened in June of that same year.
Mr. Chipman called the vote that gave the city its present name under the following circumstances: Mr. Rumsey, who then lived in a log house near the present site of the Episcopal church, had built an arbor close by. Mrs. Rumsey, whose name was Ann, remarked one day to her husband in answer to his observation, "What a beautiful arbor we have! why not call it Ann's arbor?" Mr. Chipman, who was present, in the usual manner of
904
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
deliberative assemblies put the question to vote, and it was unani- mously carried.
INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE.
On the 23d day of April, 1833, an act for the incorporation of the village was passed by the Legislative Council, and approved by the Governor of the Territory. This act made the corporate limits to be all that part of the township of Ann Arbor comprised within the limits of the village plat, laid out and recorded by the propri- etors, John Allen and Elisha W. Rumsey. Under this act the first election was held on the 7th day of July, 1834, at the inn of Chaun- cey S. Goodrich, for the purpose of electing a president, recorder and six trustees. Nathan Thayer and Anson Brown were chosen Judges of Election, and Edward Clark, Clerk. At the election 55 votes were cast.
The first meeting of the council was held July 8, 1834, at which the President, John Allen, and David Page, Edward Mundy, Channcey S. Goodrich, Anson Brown, E. W. Morgan and Chandler Carter, Trustees, were present. After casting lots for the classes as provided in the fourth section of the act to incorporate, the coun- cil proceeded to pass an act for the election of a treasurer, marshal and two assessors annually.
At the second meeting of the council, held Aug. 1, 1834, it was voted the sum of $300 should be raised to meet the expenses of the village for the coming year, $200 of which should be raised on the west side of the Huron river, and $100 on the east.
J. E. Field, who was elected to the office of recorder, but who had not resided in the village or Territory of Michigan one year, resigned the office, and Charles Thayer was elected by the council to fill the vacancy.
The council next turned its attention to the passage of ordi- nances to prevent swine from running at large, relative to dogs, shooting in the village limits, running horses, selling liquor, exhibiting cattle, hogs and other animals, prohibiting carelessness with fire, and other weighty matters that receive the attention of all law-making power.
For some two or three years, more or less, business demanded the attention of the council, and meetings were of frequent occur- rence. After the year 1836, they were held less regularly. On the 30th day of July, 1840, a meeting was held at which several bills were allowed. Among others, one allowing Roswell Parsons one dollar per year " for ringing the bell in the Presbyterian meet- ing-house," for the ensuing year. No record is made on the recorder's books of the purpose for which this bell was rung, but " old settlers " say it was rung at 12 o'clock, noon, and at nine o'clock, P. M., the last hour being considered the orthodox bed- time. The next record reads as follows:
The annual elections for village officers were duly notified for the years 1841 and 1842, according to law, and there were not present each time officers of the Board sufficient to form a quorum, and the elections went by default.
July 10, 1842.
D. T. MCCOLLUM, Recorder.
905
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.
There being no elections held these years named, the officers elected in 1840 held their offices over two years, the next election being on the 3d day of July, 1843, at which time a full Board of Trustees and all other officers were elected.
In 1846 the village charter was amended so the elections should be held in May instead of July each year. In addition to the officers heretofore elected were added three street commissioners, two collectors and an attorney, who were each to be elected at the same time and place as the other officers. Under this act the busi- ness of the village was transacted until the spring of 1851, when a city charter was adopted by the citizens of the village. The last meeting of the village Common Council was held Dec. 5, 1850. The boundaries of the village, under the amended act of 1846, were enlarged and were as follows: "So much of that tract of country situated in the township of Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw, known as the south half of sec. 20, the southwest one-quarter of sec. 21, the west half of sec. 28, and sec. 29, lying south of the railroad, except that part of sec. 28 belonging to Dwight Kellogg, be, and the saine is, hereby constituted a town, corporate by the name of the village of Ann Arbor."
VILLAGE OFFICERS.
From the organization of the village to the repeal of its charter, officers were annually elected with the exception of the years 1841 and 1842, when the elections were permitted to go by default. The following named persons served in the offices and years mentioned:
TRUSTEES.
John Allen, President. 1834
David Page. 1834
Edward Mundy. 1834
Chauncey S. Goodrich 1834
Chauncey S. Goodrich 1843
Anson Brown. 1834
George Sedgwick. 1843
E. W. Morgan 1834
N. R. Ramsdell. 1843
Chester Ingalls 1843
George W. Jewett, President. .1835
William J. Maynard. 1835
Dwight Kellogg. 1835
Samuel Doty. 1835
William S. Maynard, President1836
William R. Thompson. 1836
Chester Ingalls. 1836
Flavius J. B. Crane. 1845
Caleb N. Ormsby. 1836
Caleb N. Ormsby 1845
William S. Maynard, President1837
Volney Chapin 1837
Edward Clark. 1837-40
Daniel W. Kellogg. 1837
Edward R. Everett, President. . 1838
Horace Moore. 1838
James Jones. 1838
George Greenville .. 1848-49
William S. Maynard, President.1839
Caleb B. Thompson. 1848-50
Volney Chapin. 1839
William Finley, President. 1849
Emanuel Mann. .
1849
William C. Vorhees.
.. 1850
William L. Loomis.
1850
Chauncey S. Goodrich. 1840
J. H. Lund.
1840
Chandler Carter 1834
Horace Church 1843
J. H. Lund.
1843
Olney Hawkins, President.
.1844
George W. Armstrong. 1844
Charles H. Cabell. 1844
George Sedgwick, President. .1845
George Sedgwick, President. . 1847 Hiram Beakes 1847
Charles Tropp
1847
1847
Charles Spoor
George Sedgwick, President. John C. Mundy. .1848
.1848
Cyrus Barkus. . 1839
Volney Chapin, President. 1840
Randall Schuyler.
1840
William R. Thompson, Prest. .1843
90℃
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
RECORDERS.
J. E. Field. 1834
Charles Thayer 1834
E. W. Morgan. 1835-37
Norton R. Ramsdell. 1838
David T. McCollum. 1839-40
Daniel W. Kellogg 1843
Elijah W. Morgan. 1844
Norton R. Ramsdell. 1845
D. S. Hickcox. . 1847
Daniel S. Hickcox. 1848
David S. Hickcox. 1849
William Kinsley . 1850
TREASURERS.
James Kingsley. ..
1834-37
Samuel W. Warner
1838-39
Emanuel Mann. 1847
Moses Rogers. .1848-50
ASSESSORS.
Dwight Kellogg. 1834
William R. Thompson . 1835
Chauncey S. Goodrich 1843
David T. McCollum. 1836
Jas. Gibson. . 1843
C. N. Ormsby. 1837
Jonathan K. Wallace .1844
Chester Ingalls 1838
Flavius J. B. Crane 1844
David A. McCollum. 1839
Hiram J. Beakes 1845
Chester Ingalls. 1839
Chauncey S. Goodrich 1840
COLLECTORS.
Emanuel Mann.
1847
John R. Wilcoxson 1848-49
S. B. McCracken 1847
Moses Rogers 1850
MARSHALS.
David Cavier
1834
Eli Snyder 1843
John Horton 1835
Jeremiah Peek. 1844
Solon Cook. 1836
-
William A. Hatch 1845
P. Slingerland
1837-38
H. K. Stanley. 1847
Stephen Slingerton. 1839
Samuel G. Sutherland 1848-49
Peter Slingerland.
1840
Nelson B. Nye.
1850
STREET COMMISSIONERS.
S. G. Sutherland.
1847
Edward Clark. . 1849
James Weeks.
1847
Charles Cairle.
1849
Moses Rogers.
1847
James Weeks. 1849
Ezra Platt. .
1848
E. G. Mildt. 1850
Howell B. Norton.
1848
Baihew. 1850
Clements Hathaway.
1848
Thomas J. Hoskinson 1850
ATTORNEYS.
Thomas C. Cutler.
1847
- Olney Hawkins. .1849
James M. Walker. 1848
Tracy W. Root. .1850
CITY GOVERNMENT.
After the varying experiences of precinct and village governments, the rapid growth of Ann Arbor required for its proper develop- ment a full and complete city government with all its powers and
-
Volney Chapin. 1845
David A. McCollum. .1840
Ezra Platt. 1844
Leander Stillson. 1840
Elisha Donmee. 1845
907
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.
capabilities; accordingly the village charter was repealed by the Legislature of the State in 1851, and during the same session an act was passed and approved April 4, 1851, incorporating the city of Ann Arbor. The following is the first section of the act:
" The people of the State of Michigan enact: That so much of the township of Ann Arbor, in the county of Washtenaw, as is in- cluded in the following limits, to-wit: All of section 29, and all of those portions of the south half of section 20, the southwest quarter of section 21, and the west half of section 28, which lies southerly and westerly of the north bank of the Huron river, be, and the same is, hereby set off from said township and declared, to be a city by the name of the city of Ann Arbor."
By this charter the city was divided into four wards, with bound- aries as follows: First ward, all that portion of the city lying south of Huron street; Second ward, all that portion lying south of Huron and west of Main street; Third ward, all that portion lying north of Huron and west of Fourth street; Fourth ward, all that portion lying north of Huron and east of Fourth street.
The foregoing boundaries of the wards and the limits of the city remained unchanged until 1861, when the charter was amended so as to admit much other territory in the corporate limits. Section 1 of the amended charter read as follows: "That so much of the township of Ann Arbor as is included in the following limits (in- cluding the present city of Ann Arbor), to-wit: The south three- fourths of section 20; the south three-fourths of the west three- fourths of section 21; the west three-fourths of section 28; entire section 29; the north half of section 32, and the west three-fourths of the north half of section 33, in township 2 south, of range 6 east ; and also so much of the east half of the southeast quarter of section 21, and of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 28, as lies west of the easterly bank of the Huron river, and north of the south line of the Territorial road crossing said river on or near the line be- tween said sections, be, and the same is, hereby set off from said township, and declared to be a city by the name of the city of Ann Arbor."
By this act the city was divided up into five wards. The first ward comprised all that portion of the city lying south of Huron street and east of Fourth street. The second ward, all south of Huron and west of Fourth streets. The third ward. all north of Huron street and south of River Huron, and west of Fourth street. The fourth ward, all north of Huron street and south of River Hu- ron, and east of Fourth street. The fifth ward, all northeast of the River Huron. The charter permitted the common council to alter the boundaries of the wards if by them thought expedient for the public good.
Again, in 1867, the charter was amended, the limits of the city remaining the same, but the city was divided into six wards. The first ward was to embrace all that portion of the city lying south of Huron street, east of Main street and the Ann Arbor and Lodi
908
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
plank road, and west of State street, and the Pittsfield road, or State street as continued. The second ward, all south of Huron street and west of Main street and the Ann Arbor and Lodi plank road. The third ward, all north of Huron street and south of the River Huron, and west of Fourth street, extending to the river. The fourth ward, all north of Huron street, and of the line of Huron street as extended to the city limits, and south of the river and east of Fourth street. The fifth ward, all northeast of the river. The sixth ward, all south of Huron street as extended east of city limits, and east of State street and the Pittsfield road, or State street as extended.
From what we can learn of the city government, it appears to have been constantly growing in the confidence and respect of the public, and its offices have generally been filled with honorable gentlemen.
The following is the list of officers from 1851 to 1880, inclusive:
MAYORS.
George Sedgwick. 1851-52
Oliver M. Martin. 1866-67
Edwin B. Fremain.
1853-54
Christian Eberbach. 1868
James Kingsley. . 1855
Alfred H. Partridge. .1869
William S. Maynard 1856-57
William D. Harriman
Philip Bach. . 1858
Silas H. Douglass. .1870
Robert J. Barry 1859-60
Hiram F. Beakes 1873-74
John F. Miller. 1861
Edward D. Kinne. . 1875-76
Charles Spoor 1862
-
Densmore Cramer 1877
Ebenezer Wells.
1863-64
Willard B. Smith 1877-79
William S. Maynard. 1865
-
John Kapp 1880
RECORDERS.
Henry W. Welles. 1851-52
1853
Zina P. King. 1867-68
William Levitt
.1854
Nelson B. Nye 1855-57
Charles H. Manly 1870
Robert J. Barry. 1858
1859
Leonhard Grunner 1872
Daniel D. Twitchell. 1860
Adam D. Seyler. 1873
Stephen N. Webster 1861
William A. Lovejoy. 1874-75
Edward P. Pitkin. 1862
Charles J. Kintner 1876
Nelson B. Cole 1863
Adam D. Seyler. 1877
Charles A. Chapin
1864
William A. Clark. 1878-79
Densmore Cramer.
1865
William W. Douglass 1880
.
Claudius B. Grant. . 1866
Charles N. Fox.
Edward D. Kinne 1869
Stephen M. Webster 1871
Norval E. Welch.
1871-72
909
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.
SUPERVISORS.
John C. Mundy 1851
John A. Wells. 1852
James McMahon. 1869
John C. Mundy 1853
Marvin V. K. Jones. 1869
Edwin Lawrence 1854
Patrick O'Hearn. 1870-71
John C. Mundy
1855
Horace Carpenter 1870
Edwin Lawrence.
1856
David T. McCullom. 1871
James McMahon. 1857
Charles Tripp. 1858
Alonzo A. Gregory 1872
James H. Morris
1859
Richard Beahan.
1860-61
James H. Morris
1862-63
Patrick O'Hearn
1874
Richard Beahan.
1864
Benjamin Brown. 1874-75
James McMahon. 1865
Anton Eisele. 1875
Samuel Grisson.
1866-68
Alonzo A. Gregory. 1876-78
Philip Winegar 1867
Sumner Hicks. 1867-68
Alonzo A. Gregory.
1880
George H. Rhodes. 1880
MARSHALS.
Joseph Godfrey 1851-52
Oliver M. Martin. 1865
Roger Mathews .. 1853-57
Dudley J. Loomis. 1866
Oliver M. Martin. 1858
Nathan H. Pierce. 1867
Stephen Webster. 1859
George W. Efner 1868
Jerome B. Garrison 1860
Nathan Pierce. 1869
Oliver M. Martin.
1861-63
Ambrose V. Robison. 1870
TREASURERS AND COLLECTORS.
Peter Slingerland. .1851-52
Alonzo Healy. 1853-55
David Heming. 1856
Peter Slingerland 1857
Frederick Sorg. 1869
Charles Spoor .. 1858
Eli D. Manly. 1869
Lewis C. Risdon. 1859
John Schumaker 1870-71
Orange Webster. . 1860
1861
Eli S. Manley. 1870
Dorr Kellogg.
1862
Luke Coyle 1871
Asher A. Terry 1863
Elias J. Johnson 1864
John Keck. 1872
Oscar G. Spafford. 1865
Nelson R. Hill.
1872
Eli S. Manly
1872
STREET COMMISSIONERS.
Emanuel G. Wildt 1851
George H. Ford 1852-53
Emanuel G. Wildt. 1854-55
Gilbert Shattuck. 1856
Frederick Weidenman 1857
George H. Ford 1858
Joseph Best. 1859
Richard J. C. Dillon. 1860
John Vanduhadden. 1861-2
John Galt. 1863
George W. Goodhue 1864
Frederick Girbach.
1865
John Weitbrecht.
1866
Charles H. Manly 1866
John Harris.
1867
George H. Ford .. 1868
Morris S. Gregg. 1868-69
John C. Mott .. 1868
Erastus N. Gilbert. 1870
Horace A. Moore
Richard C. Dillon 1864
Conrad Krapf. 1872-80
Conrad Krapf. 1859-66
J. Austin Scott. 1872
Anton Eisele. .1873
George H. Rhodes 1873
Randall Schuyler. 1876-79
Richard Beahan 1868
Robert P. Leonard. 1869-71
Charles S. McOmber 1871
910
HISTORY OF WASHTENAW COUNTY.
ALDERMEN.
William C. Vorhees. 1851
William S. Maynard. 1851
Alonzo Healy. . . 1851
Elijah W. Morgan 1851
Emanuel Mann .
1852
Alonzo Healy 1852
Philip Bach. 1853
Edgar M. Gregory. 1853-55
Charles Spoor 1854
Charles Tripp
1854
Lewis Fritz.
1855
Lewis R. Buckley
1855
Henry D. Bennett 1856
Peter Slingerland 1856
Lewis Fritz. .1857
Richard Hooper 1857
Andrew J. Sutherland. 1858
Daniel Hiscock 1858
William McCreary
1859
H. Schlack.
1859
Jacob Weil. 1859
Thomas Earle. 1859
Richard Hooper 1859-60
Elihu B. Pond.
1859
William A. Hatch. 1859
Ransom S. Smith 1860
Jacob Weil ...
1860
William H Besimer. 1860
William McCreary 1861
William S. Maynard. 1861-62
Lewis Fritz. 1861
Nelson B. Nye. 1861
Warren Jackson.
1861
Martin H. Cowles 1861-62
John T. Swathel
1861
R. S. Smith
1862
John Horner
1862
Jeremiah Peek. 1862
Michael Deraney. 1862
George H. Rhodes 1862
Charles B. Thompson 1863
J. S. Henderson. .
1863
Christian Schumaker. 1863-64
George W. Smith 1863
Lumon R. Slawson. 1863
James B. Gott ..
1864
Nehemiah P. Parsons
1864
Frederick A. Horn. 1864
George H. Rhodes.
1864
C. B Thompson.
1865
Bradley F. Granger
1865
L. R. Slawson. . 1865
A. Weidenman
1866
Olvey Hawkins 1866
J. A. Voltz.
1866
James B. Gott. 1866
George H. Rhodes
.1866
J. W. Lawson.
1867
J. F. Henderson
1867-69
-
G. F. Lutz.
1867
William H. Besimer 1867-69
George W. Smith. 1867
Frederick Horn 1867
Isaac Dunn ..
1867
Ransom S. Smith 1867-69
Edwin Wilder 1867-68
Frederick Schmidt 1868
George F. Lutz. 1868
Emanuel F. Hall 1868
Stephen Webster
1868
George H. Rhodes. 1868
Elias J. Johnson 1869
Alpheus Roys. 1869
Jeremiah Peek. .1867-71
George W. Smith 1869
Charles A. Chapin
1869
Charles B. Besimer
1869
Charles B. Porter
1867-72
George D. Hill.
1869
Joshua G. Leland
1870
Emanuel Mann 1870
Adam D. Seyler
1870
Godfrey Fauth. 1870
George H Rhodes.
1870
William D. Holmes
1870
Frederick Sorg.
1871
John N Gott 1871
Oscar Spafford. 1871
Ammirah Hammond 1871
W. D. Smith.
1871
Joshua G. Leland
1872
George F. Lutz 1872
John B. Dow. 1872
Elijah W. Morgan 1872
Moses Rogers.
1872-74
Moses Seabolt.
1872
Wellington D. Smith
1872
Sillich Wood. 1873
John G. Grossman 1873
William H. McIntyre. 1873
William Deubel
1873
George HI. Rhodes
1873
Charles B. Porter 1873
Franklin Cate. 1874
Christian Schmidt. 1874
Warren E. Walker
1874
Moses Seabolt ..
1874
Wellington D. Smith 1874
John Ferndon. 1875
Anson D. Besimer. 1875
Charles J. Gardner. 1875
Alexander McDonald. 1875
Roswell R. Bishop 1875
Zina P. King. 1875
Franklin Cate 1876
Christian Schmidt 1876
Nelson J. Kyer
1876
Moses Rogers
1876
Frank Ortman
1876-77
Alonzo M. Doty
1876
-
John Clancy 1865
E. Lesner.
1865
911
ANN ARBOR TOWNSHIP.
Phineas S. Page 1876
John Feroon 1879
James B. Gott.
1877
Anson D. Besimer.
1879
Anson D. Besimer
1877
Daniel J. Ross. 1879
H. E. H. Bowers
1877
Thomas J. Keech
1879
Alexander McDonald. 1877
Leverett B. Kellogg 1879
Jonathan Sprague. 1877
Azariah F. Martin. 1879
Peter Woodruff 1877
John W. Thompson 1880
Isaac C. Hawley 1878
Herman Hutzel. 1880
Herman Hutzel 1878
Herman Kitteridge 1880
Aaron B. De Forest 1878
Warren Tremain.
1878
Charles A. Mathewson 1880
Charles A. Mathewson 1878
Charles S. McOmber. 1880
Henry A. Hill
.1878
Michael Fleming. 1880
SOLDIERS' MONUMENT AT ANN ARBOR.
When the thrilling news flashed over the wires, on that eventful morning of April 12, 1861, that the South had directed its soldier chivalry to fire on that feeble band of United States soldiers sta- tioned at Fort Sumter; when, with beating hearts and flashing eye, the loyal people awaited the command of their brave and noble President to give the order to crush out and utterly exterminate this rebellious uprising, none were more patriotic and ready to up- hold the standard of a free Republic than the brave citizens of the Fifth ward; and when Abraham Lincoln issued that memorable call for 75,000 men for a three-months service, out of the 140 voters in the Fifth ward, 75 nobly responded and shouldered the musket, leaving wife, mother, home, and all, with a hasty kiss, and a hearty " God bless you," and on to the Southern battle-fields, where many, very many, laid down their precious lives in grim defense of their country's honor. Some were buried on the field where the fatal minie-ball had pierced and made ghastly the quivering flesh; others were left to lie where they fell; others were tenderly placed in rude pine boxes, and forwarded to their friends in the loyal North. Of this latter number, some 25 peacefully and calmly await the resurrection day in the Fifth Ward cemetery.
In 1870, the mothers, wives, sisters, and numerous friends of these loyal dead, thought it would be but a feeble tribute on their part to contribute something to keep forever in remembrance the manly and heroic deeds that had been performed through that long and memorable conflict. A Ladies' Decorative Society was there- fore formed, and on May 30 of each succeeding year, the society scattered beautiful flowers and fresh garlands over the graves of their deceased friends. Month after month rolled by, and by dif- ferent methods a considerable sum of money was collected by those noble women, until enough was secured to erect a suitable monu- ment to the fallen heroes. The monument was purchased, and on May 30, 1874, was unveiled to the view of the large assemblage in attendance. Appropriate ceremonies were held, and all dispersed to their homes, feeling that the Ladies' Decorative Society deserved the thanks of the whole people for their generous and benevolent labors in the cause of Freedom. The monument is of Amherst
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