USA > Michigan > Ingham County > Leslie > History of the early life and business interests of the village and township of Leslie, Ingham County, Michigan > Part 4
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The first schoolhouse in the township was built in Leslie village in the fall of 1837. It was a frame build- ing and was located near the present site of the Congre- gational Church. It is now used as a part of a car- riage house by J. R. Baggerly. Stillman Rice, a brother of Leonard Rice, was the first teacher. The second teacher was Mrs. Butler, a sister of Mrs. E. K. Grout. Miss Messenger was the next teacher after Mrs. Butler. In 1843 Elizabeth Bugbee taught in District No. 1 and Elizabeth Godfrey in No. 4. The latter district was formed in 1842 in the southwest part of the township.
The first schoolhouse in the village served for many years both for schools and religious meetings. One old resident says: "I remember the schoolhouse distinctly. We spent many exciting afternoons in it, choosing sides for a spelling-down contest. There was a play-house too, built in the woods just west of Mr. Tuttle's residence. There the largest boy or girl was elected father or mother and they had a busy time keeping order in their unruly family." In time the first building gave way to a brick struc- ture which is now used as a chapel by the Congre- gational Church.
Shortly after the Civil War when the town was
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animated by the return of those engaged so long in that deadly strife, there arose an urgent demand for a better school building and more teachers. An acre of ground for the new school building was given by W. J. T. Armstrong on Woodworth street. The contract for building the central part of the present building which stands on the Armstrong site was awarded in 1867 to Woodhouse & Rice, for some- thing over $10,000. The building was finished in 1868. Sept. 9, 1871, this district was organized as a Union Graded School District and has continued so ever since. A wing on the south side was added in 1873 and one on the north side in 1907. The present building has nine rooms and is in excellent repair. The various grade rooms are adorned with beautiful pictures, the gifts of successive classes. The laboratory is one of the most complete in the county and the library of 1900 volumes is not sur- passed by that of any similar school in the state. In 1912, the lots at the south side of the Armstrong site were purchased for a playground and for agri- cultural extension work.
At the death of C. W. Tufts in 1906, he made pro- vision in his will for establishing a township high- school in Leslie township but the bequest never materialized. His library, however, forms the basis of the handsome collection of books mentioned above.
Since the erection of the present building, the fol- lowing men have served as superintendents of the Leslie school: Wellington Carleton, 1868-1869; Thomas C. Taylor, 1869-1870; Elmer D. North, 1870-1871; Charles A. Cook, 1871-1879; Charles K. Perrine, 1879-1880; Henry C. Rankin, 1880-1884; Charles H. Chase, 1884-1886; Alton D. DeWitt,
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1886-1888; Charles E. Bird, 1888-1894; Abraham Knechtel, 1894-1899; Allen F. Rockwell, 1899-1901; Henry C. Rankin, 1901-1902; Clarence Vliet, 1902- 1913.
The teaching force at the present time is as follows: Science, Clarence Vliet; English and History, Flor- ence Galusha; Language, Florence Fisher; Mathe- matics, Adelaide Cushing; Grades 7 and 8, Miss Grace Fisher; Grades 5 and 6, Miss Clara Brown; Grades 3 and 4, Miss Lillian Coe; Grades 1 and 2, Miss Verna Downs; Kindergarten, Miss Lucile Davis. Miss Downs also has charge of the music and draw- ing. The present enrollment is 265.
The first class to graduate from the high school was that of 1873, consisting of three members. Since that time there have been thirty-five classes with two hundred and seventy-six members who have graduated. The 1914 class numbers seven- teen. Ten of these classes with a membership of one hundred and ten have graduated under Mr. Vliet, the present superintendent. Brief sketches of some of the graduates who have become famous in the world will be found under their proper head- ing. At the present time the high school is on the "Approved List" of the University of Michigan, and its graduates are admitted to the University and all the colleges of the state without examination.
It is fitting that tribute should be paid to two men at least who did yeoman service for the Leslie school in its early history. S. O. Russell, that sturdy pio- neer, was very active in the struggle to build the new building. With his own hands he set out the avenue of maples that leads up to the building from the street. Professor C. A. Cook on the teaching side
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first established a high standard of scholarship among the student body and urged young men to greater effort and a wider sphere in life. To both of these men the Leslie school is greatly indebted.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The economy of the Methodist Church in its organ- ization is peculiarly adapted to pioneer work. Hence we find as early as 1830 that Eastern Michigan had been assigned to the supervision of North Ohio Con- ference, Detroit District, and Ann Arbor Circuit. Leslie received a small share of the work done in this large circuit.
In June, 1837, the First Methodist Society of Les- lie was organized with thirteen members, viz .; Hen- ry Meeker and wife, Benjamin Davis and wife, Dr. Valorous Meeker and wife, S. O. Russell and wife, James Royston and wife, Benjamin Meeker and wife, and Denzil P. Rice. S. O. Russell was the first class leader. Washington Jackson and Brother Sullivan served as pastors. At this time the name of the circuit was changed to Ingham and the Conference to Ingham. The meetings were first held at the residence of Benjamin Davis one mile west of the village. Afterwards they were held in the school- house. In 1838 the following members were added to the church: Josiah Rice, Laura Rice, Flavel J. Butler, Florella Butler, Richard Davis, Susan Caton, Washington Scovil, Ephraim Wortman, Anna Wort- man, Susan Kirby, Laura A. Rice, Alba Blake, Catherine Blake, Nancy Carson, Laura Filkins, Louis A. Ravelin, Wm. Vredenburg, Betsey Vredenburg, Mary J. Carson, John Hawkins, Nancy Hawkins, Samuel Vredenburg, Henry D. Rice, Clarissa Dunsha,
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Van Ransaler Polar, Bathsheba Rice, John Parish and Edna Rice.
About 1848 the first society in Bunker Hill on Felt Plains was organized and attached to Leslie. Ingham Circuit at this time embraced Leslie, Mason, Okemos, Bunker Hill, Dansville, Stockbridge and some schoolhouse appointments. A. L. Crittenden, pastor, lived in Mason where the circuit owned a par- sonage. He remained two years and preached once in two weeks at each of the places mentioned above. Hiram Law was presiding elder.
In 1856 a Union church was built in which both Baptists and Methodists worshipped until 1868. Then the Methodists rented a hall until they built a church of their own which was completed in 1870. In 1866 Rev. Burton S. Mills, a local preacher from Lansing, was employed by Rev. C. C. Olds, Presiding Elder, to supply the charge. He was the first res- ident pastor in this church which consisted at that time of Leslie, Felt Plains, and a schoolhouse appoint- ment. In 1867 a great revival was held and one hundred new members joined the church. Pastor Mills remained two years and was greatly beloved. The pastors since that time have been as follows:
1869, A. A. Rolfe; 1872, H. D. Jordan; 1873, J. Gulick; 1876, N. L. Brockway; 1878, W. J. Swift; 1880, Louis De Lamatar; 1883, Charles A. Jacokes; 1885, Geo. W. Tuthill; 1887, James Webster; 1892, Lewis M. Edmonds; 1894, Cyrus A. Varnum: 1897, Albert Smith; 1899, Warren W. Lamport; 1907, R. Bert Cilley.
As auxiliaries to the church work there are at present a Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, Home Missionary Society, two children missionary
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societies and an Epworth League. The Sunday School has an average attendance of 89 and E. C. Chapman is superintendent. The membership of the church is 200.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
The First Baptist Church of Leslie was organized on April 12, 1839, with the following members:
Mahlon Covert, Sally Covert, Lewis Reynolds, Laura Reynolds, Martha J. Ives, Mariah Hazleton, Harriet Barden, and Elijah K. Grout.
Calvin Straight and wife united with the church May 11, 1839, and on the same date application was made for admission to the River Raisin Baptist As- sociation. Elijah Grout was ordained as a minister Feb. 16, 1841, and became the first pastor of the church. He continued as pastor until 1847. The pastors since have been as follows:
1847, F. Freeman; 1849, David Hendee; 1852, H. B. Fuller; 1861, Elijah K. Grout; 1866, Rev. Vro- man; 1867, John Dunham; 1868, John B. Kemp; 1870, W. C. Gunn; 1871, W. C. Archer, W. Gregory; 1872, H. C. Gallup; 1877, H. S. Bower; 1879, John Heritage; 1883, A. M. Buck; 1885, J. W. Ainsworth; 1887, W. H. Mills; 1890, F. M. Iams; 1891, H. A. McConnell; 1894, H. K. Wilbur; 1897, J. C. Robillard; 1899, R. H. Monroe; 1903, John O. Vince; 1907, M. J. Holtsclaw; 1909, Leslie Bower; 1910, W. J. Cop- sey. Rev. McConnell supplies the pulpit at present.
The early meetings of the church were held in the schoolhouse. In 1856 it was voted to make an effort to build a meeting-house and a frame structure was commenced which was completed two years later.
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William Taylor had the contract for the building of the church. He was assisted by Lorenzo Whitney, Mr. Hoag and others. This building was after- wards veneered with brick in 1887 and is the present church edifice. In 1871 a parsonage on Race street was constructed at a cost of $2000. During the pastorate of Rev. Vince a pipe organ was installed in the church. The present church membership is 140. The Sunday School has an average attendance of 89 and A. C. Lake is the superintendent.
At the time of the building of the Baptist Church, Mrs. Romina Haynes and Mrs. P. Rolfe, organized a Ladies' Sewing Society to assist in furnishing the church. There were 13 charter members: Mrs. Abbie Haynes, Henriette Taylor, Mary Woodworth, Lucinda Rolfe, Romina Haynes, Sally Ann Sitts, Susan Robinson, Emily Gibbs, Idris Grout, Mary Russell, Celia Adams, Ellen Adams, and Catherine Weeks. They employed the time at their meetings in sewing, knitting, and embroidery. They sewed for individuals, bought material for garments, and sold them at the stores. They also bought calico pieces and made quilts. In time the society was able to buy the sash and glass for the windows in the new church which they also painted. On Novem- ber 26 they appointed a committee to select and pur- chase the articles which were required for the fur- nishing of the edifice.
FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
The Free Will Baptist Church was organized in 1873 with about 35 members. The organization of the church was due principally to the Rev. Wil-
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liam Gray. A frame chapel was built in the sum- mer of 1874. It was situated near the sight of the first schoolhouse on the corner of Bellevue and Arm- strong streets.
The pastors of the church were:
William Gray, J. S. Manning, Milo Coldron, J. F. Bolles, F. R. Randall, C. S. Bisby and Rev. Van Warmer in the order named. In 1880 the church had a membership of 80. The society was disbanded in 1890 and the building sold to Mr. Bickhart who moved it to Mill street where it was later destroyed by fire.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
A Congregational Church was organized in the village of Leslie with eight members on Feb. 12, 1843, by Rev. Marcus Harrison, pastor of the church in Jackson. The members were: Henry Fiske and wife, William Huntoon and wife, Benjamin Bing- man and wife, Kendrick Leach and wife and Eliz- abeth Bugbee. Meetings were held once a month by Mr. Harrison and Rev. Thomas E. Emerson for eight months. At the end of this time the organiza- tion was dissolved.
In 1861 the Rev. Edwin W. Shaw, a member of the Southern Michigan Association, visited Leslie. He moved here with his family in October, 1861, and labored until April, 1865. On April 9, 1865, the fol- lowing persons constituted the First Congregational Church of Leslie: Mrs. Sarah Tufts, Mrs. Elizabeth Barlow, Rev. Edwin W. Shaw, Mrs. Mary Wheaton, William F. Huntoon, Mrs. Clarissa Huntoon, Mrs. Amanda Shaw, Mrs. Phoebe Perrine, Mrs. Mary Woodworth, Nelson B. Slocum, Edward M. Craig and
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Mrs. Agnes Slocum. Rev. Thomas Jones of Olivet and Rev. Marshall Tingley of Sioux City, Iowa, assisted at the organization. William F. Huntoon was chosen deacon and E. W. Shaw church clerk. The organization took place in the schoolhouse at Leslie. In October, 1868, the old brick schoolhouse was purchased by the society and converted into a chapel. It was dedicated Jan. 3, 1869, by Rev. W. B. Williams of Charlotte and is still in use as a part of the church property. In 1869 Mr. Shaw resigned the pastorate and Rev. J. W. Allen began his labors which continued until 1875. In 1869 a parsonage was purchased for the use of the pastor of the church and a permanent organization was effected in August of the same year. The present church edifice was dedicated in 1884. Great credit should be given Rev. W. C. Allen who was pastor at that time for urging the work to completion. The pastors since the establishment of the church have been as follows:
1869, J. W. Allen; 1875, William Mulder; 1878, John Visscher; 1879, A. E. Ross; 1881, James L. Watts; 1882, Rev. Wilkinson, J. M. Smith; 1883, W. C. Allen; 1887, F. M. Coddington; 1890, F. W. Bush; 1892, C. M. Arthur; 1894, J. J. Stealey; 1896, John Claflin ; 1908, W. C. Allen.
The present membership of the church is 78. The Sunday School has an average attendance of 50. J. R. Baggerly is the superintendent.
THE SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
The Seventh Day Adventist Church was organ- ized in 1877 with the following charter members:
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Wm. B. Irwin, Mary Irwin, A. J. Richmond, Nellie Richmond, Wm. Barden, Harriet Barden, Martha Pasco, Betsey Shaw, Elizabeth Page, Char- lotte Chapman, Edson Hazelton, Wm. J. Stone and Lucy Stone. The present church building was built in 1883. The present church membership is 14.
ST. MARY'S CATHOLIC CHURCH
St. Mary's Catholic Church of Leslie was estab- lished in 1882 by Rev. Fr. Buysse of Jackson. Meetings were held in Union Hall until the church was completed. At first there were about thirty regular communicants but owing to death and re- movals this has been reduced to twenty-one at the present time.
Leslie about 1870.
Leslie Boys Worthy of Special Mention
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LESLIE BOYS WORTHY OF SPECIAL MENTION
Homer Reed
Homer Reed, son of Thomas Hitchcock Reed and Mary Wilcox Reed, was born in Rives township, August 26, 1847. In 1854 his father moved to Les- lie and engaged in business with H. T. Allen and later with R. L. Covert until his death in 1866.
The early education of Homer Reed was under the guidance of James Blackmore in the old brick district schoolhouse of Leslie. Of Mr. Blackmore and his early school life Mr. Reed says: "The fig- ure of James Blackmore stands out prominently as a teacher well equipped to meet the rough conditions encountered in the public school of that day where in one room a teacher was obliged to teach seventy- five pupils in all branches from A BC to algebra. Mrs. William Taylor was also one of my teachers in the brick schoolhouse. She was a most gifted and accomplished instructor who made study a labor of love."
Mr. Reed graduated from the University of Mich- igan in 1872. In 1873 he located in Kansas City where he still resides. He studied and practiced law for awhile and later adopted real estate loaning as a business which he still prosecutes under the name of the "Homer Reed Investment Company." He was postmaster of Kansas City under Cleveland. He was a charter member of the Humane society, is somewhat of a writer on economics and sociology, and is an enthusiast on peony culture, having over 200 varieties-the finest collection in the middle west.
In 1879 Mr. Reed married Laura Coates, daughter
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of one of the prominent pioneer families of Kansas City. They have six children.
Norman W. Haire
Norman W. Haire was born in Jackson county, Mich., Feb. 24, 1855. He obtained his early educa- tion at the Annis district school, the Leslie high school, and the Ann Arbor high school where he graduated in June, 1876. He graduated from the University of Michigan with the degree of A. B. in 1880, and with the degree of LL.B. in 1885. He was admitted to the bar in 1885, settled at Rock- land, Mich., was elected prosecuting attorney, 1886, and held the office until 1891 when he was appointed by Governor Winans as judge of the new 32d Circuit. In the fall of 1892 he was elected to fill out the term and was re-elected in 1893 and 1899 and again in 1905 without opposition. Soon after his election in 1905 he resigned to take charge as General Manager of the Bigelow Mines-Osceola, Tamarack, Isle Royal, Ahmeek-and the Lake Superior Smelting Co. In 1909 he resigned from this position since which time he has been manager of mines in Utah and New Mexico although contin- uing to reside in Hancock, Michigan.
Judge Haire was married July 3, 1880, to Miss Lydia Moore of Leslie. They have two children.
Charles W. Tufts
Charles W. Tufts was born in 1856. He was the son of George A. Tufts and Sarah Pettys. He grad- uated from the Leslie high school in 1876 and en- tered the University of Michigan in the same year, graduating in 1880 with the degrees of A. B. and
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M. A. He began teaching at once in Sheboygan, Wis., and afterwards became principal of the Kalamazoo high school and of the township high school at Ot- tawa, Ill. He remained in Ottawa until 1887 when he went to Germany and studied at Berlin and Leip- sic. On his return to this country he located in Grand Rapids and, in company with a classmate, opened a law and real estate office. While there he built two hundred dwelling houses and the apart- ment house known as the Wellington. In 1901 he removed to Detroit and formed a partnership with W. W. Hannan, under the firm name of Hannan & Tufts. This firm built the Madison, Pasadena and other well-known apartment houses in that city. At the dissolution of this. partnership Mr. Tufts undertook the building of the finest structure he had ever planned, The Charlevoix, in Detroit, and had made plans for erecting a yet larger building in Brooklyn. He died in 1906 after a short illness, from uraemic poisoning.
Mr. Tufts was married Sept. 18, 1877, to Gertrude Clapp. He had one adopted daughter, Lura Brown.
Mr. Tufts was greatly interested in the village of Leslie. For several years he wrote a weekly letter to the Local-Republican in which there was much philosophy of life and evidence of the cultural priv- ileges he had enjoyed in his University and foreign study. For several years he gave the graduating classes beautiful class pins. He also gave town im- provement prizes, prizes for the final debates in the Lyceum, and prizes for personal hygiene in the grades. At his death his will made provision for the founding and support of a township high school in Leslie township. His library and pictures
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were to go to this school. This library at present forms the basis of the excellent library in the public school. It is said that when a child, he visited the only library in Leslie, consisting of a few worn books in Burchard's store. The need of a library for the com- munity use was so evident to him that he exclaimed : "Leslie shall have a library when I am a man if I buy it myself!" The provision in his will was the evident outgrowth of the childish resolve.
Had Charles W. Tufts lived, the bequest in his will of $10,000 in cash and $1000 a year for twenty years for the proposed township high school would have been but a modest beginning for the many helpful plans he had in mind for his native place. That the proposed school has not been built because, in the final settlement of the estate, its shrunken values would not permit the fulfillment of the bequest is simply indicative that no one could direct his intri- cate affairs so well as the master himself. Had he lived, all his plans and more would have been realized.
Horace H. Rackham
Horace H. Rackham was born in Harrison town- ship, Macomb Co., Michigan, on June 27, 1858. He is the son of Simon Rackham and Ann Rackham. His parents became residents of Leslie township in 1874. As a boy Mr. Rackham attended the dis- trict school taught by Joseph Compton, and entered the Leslie high school in 1877. At this time Prof. C. A. Cook was principal and Norman W. Haire his assistant. He graduated from the high school in 1878 and through the advice of Professor Cook and Mr. Haire decided to study law. He accordingly entered
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the office of a practicing attorney in Detroit and on June 5, 1884, was admitted to the bar in the Wayne County Circuit Court, and on Nov. 18, 1898, to the District Court of the United States for the East- ern District of Michigan.
Since his admission to the bar Mr. Rackham has led a busy professional life. He has never entered into politics.
In 1903 Mr. Rackham assisted in the formation of the Ford Motor Company of Detroit and has shared in the prosperity of all connected with that great automobile concern. Although at the present time he has ceased the active practice of his profession, his many business interests require a large share of his time.
On Nov. 11, 1886, Mr. Rackham was married to Mary A. Horton, of Fenton, Mich. They have no children.
Edward Boyle
Edward Boyle was born in Leslie March 5, 1863. He graduated from the Leslie high school in 1883. He spent one year at Olivet College and four years at Ann Arbor where he graduated with the degree of A. B. in 1888. After graduation he taught in Mich- igan City, Ind., for five years as principal of the high school, and then as superintendent of the city schools for six years. He then studied law in the Kent College of law in Chicago and graduated in 1893. Since that time he has been a member of the law firm of Boyle, Mott & Haight, and Secretary and Treasurer of the firm of Abraham Baldwin. Mr. Boyle is also Commissioner and Chairman of a Drain- age and Levee District in Illinois, comprising about
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10,000 acres which has recently been brought under cultivation.
Arthur J. Tuttle
Arthur J. Tuttle was born in Leslie township Nov. 8, 1868. His grandfather, John J. Tuttle, was one of the pioneers of Leslie. He graduated from the Leslie high school in 1888, and in 1892 from the lit- erary department of the University of Michigan with the degree of A. B. In 1895 he graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan with the degree of LL. B. In 1896 he commenced to prac- tice law in Leslie and in 1898 was elected prosecuting attorney of Ingham County. Two years later he established a law office in Lansing under the firm name of Tuttle, McArthur & Dunnebeck. He has served two terms as state senator, from 1906- 10. In 1911 he was appointed U. S. District Attor- ney for the Eastern District of Michigan and in August, 1912, was appointed District Judge for the same district, which office he now holds.
Judge Tuttle was married March 11, 1903, to Jessie B. Stewart who died August 24, 1912. He has two daughters, Ruth and Esther.
Business Interests
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EARLY BUSINESS INTERESTS OF LESLIE
Stave Factory
The stave factory of A. J. Bailey & Son was estab- lished in 1868, and did a thriving business for many years. A cooperage was also owned and operated by the same firm. About 2,000,000 staves were manufactured annually. The yard and mill were opposite the Michigan Central depot. This firm went out of business in 1895.
Tannery
Andrew and Emory Hahn established a tannery soon after their arrival in 1860 and continued in bus- iness for several years. This tannery was near the present home of Mr. Hocking.
Mills
Two saw-mills were built upon Huntoon creek in early times. The one was called the Upper Mill and was built by Woodworth, Dwight & Co., in the summer of 1836. It was about twenty rods east of Bailey's stave mill. The other called the Lower Mill was owned by Henry Meeker and was on Mill street. It was later run by Jonathan Shaw and Rice Bros., but was finally dismantled. About 1850 S. O. Russell erected a steam mill at the corner of Belle- vue and Spring streets, which was operated for eight years. In 1867 a saw-mill was built by E. Oldman and L. G. Becker, on the east side of Huntoon Creek east of the M. E. Church. It was burned after run- ning for ten years, but was rebuilt by Dean Tylor.
The first grist mill had about the same location as the Meeker saw-mill. It was built in 1838 by David
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Dwight. William Spears completed the mill and put it in running order. Dell Haines was the next owner. At the time it was burned it was owned by Henry Hawley.
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