USA > Michigan > Ionia County > Memorials of the Grand River Valley > Part 35
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
1852-Wm. H. Withey, Mayor; Leonard Bement, Record- er; A. Hosford Smith, Clerk; Win. C. Davidson, Marshal; W. D. Foster, Treasurer; Wilder D. Foster, David Caswell, Aaron Dikeman, Silas Hall, Jacob Woodward, Aldermen.
1833-Thomas B. Church, Mayor; John F. Godfroy, Re- corder; P. R. L. Pierce, Clerk; Robert I. Shoemaker, Mar- shal; Charles Shepard, David Caswell, Noyes L. Avery, Eli- phalet H. Turner, Ralph W. Cole, Aldermen.
1854-Wilder D. Foster, Mayor; Ebenezer S. Eggelson, Recorder; P. R. L. Pierce, Clerk; R. I. Shoemaker, Marshal; Charles Shepard, Martin L. Sweet, Benjamin B. Church, Eli- phalet Turner, P. II. Bowman, Aldermen.
1855-Charles Shepard, Mayor; Lovell More, Recorder; P. R. L. Pierce, Clerk; Leonard Covell, Marshal; Edson Ful-
390
MEMORIALS OF THE
ler, Treasurer; Alonzo Platt, Alexander McKenzie, Wm. N. Cook, Wm. K. Wheeler, Philander H. Bowman, Aldermen.
1856 .- John M. Fox, Mayor; Stephen G. Champlin, Re- corder; James Blair, Clerk; Ebenezer Anderson, Treasurer ;. Ira ". Hatch, Marshal; Thomson Sinclair, Harry H. Ives, Geo. W. Allen, James P. Littlefield, Lucius Pattison, Alder- men.
1857-Wm. T. Powers, Mayor; S. G. Champlin, Recorder; Charles B. Benedict, Clerk; Eb. Anderson, Treasurer; D. S. T. Weller, Marshal; Warren P. Mills, II. II. Ives, Amos Rathbun, Jonathan F. Chubb, James N. Davis, John Clancy, Robert Hilton, Ransom C. Luce, Leonard Covell, and Philan- der II. Bowman, Aldermen.
1858-Gilbert M. McCray, Mayor; S. G. Champlin, Re- corder; Charles B. Benedict, Clerk; Francis Vogt, Treasuree; Geo. C. Evans, Marshal; John McConnell, John Almy, Noyes L. Avery, John N. Williams, James N. Davis, John Clancy, Robert Hilton, R. C. Luce, Leonard Covell, Philander II. Bowman, Aldermen.
1839-George K. Johnson, Mayor; Charles P. Calkins, Re- corder; Evert M. Doubleday, Clerk; Adolphus F. Rau, Treas- urer; Leonard Snyder, Marshal; Aldermen -John Clancy, Harry Ives, R. C. Luce, Wm. A. Hyde, Chester S. Morey, John McConnell, John Almy, Noyes L. Avery, John N. Wil- liamson, James N. Davis.
1860-Martin L. Sweet, Mavor; E. M. Doubleday, Clerk; Paul Stickatee, Treasurer; James Cavenangh. Marshal; Alder- men-Charles L. Henderson, Elijah D. Waters, Alfred X. Cary, Leonard Covell, Isaac Turner.
[The aldermen are now elected for two years, so half of the council will be those in the first list last year.]
1861-George II. White, Mayor; John P. Champlin, Re- corder (2 years); Noah Stevens, Treasurer; Charles H. Eaton, Clerk; Leonard Snyder, Marshal; Wm. II. Godfroy, James F. Grove, Henry S. Smith, John T. Elliott, Martinus Ceator, Aldermen, with those elected last year.
1862-Geo. II. White, Mayor; Charles W. Eaton, Clerk; Noah Stevens, Treasurer; Leonard Snyder, Marshal; Israel L.
391
GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
Crittenden, George M. Iluntly, Ransom C. Luce, John R. Long, Newton T. Smith, Aldermen.
1863-Charles C. Comstock, Mayor; Charles P. Calkins, Recorder; Win. A. Powers, Clerk; Noah Stevens, Treasurer; Francis Boxheimer, Marshall; Wm. II. Godfroy, Robert Davidson, Wm. II. Stewart, Alexander Milmine, Thomas Doran, Aldermen.
1864-Charles C. Comstock, Mayor; George W. Thayer, Clerk; J. Frederick Baris, Treasurer; Henry Bremer, Mar- shal; Julius Houseman, George C. Fitch, R. C. Luce, Lowell Hall, Geo. R. Pierce, Aldermen.
1865-Wilder D. Foster, Mayor; John T. Miller, Recorder; Buel II. Babcock, Marshall; J. F. Baars, Treasurer; Edwin Baxter, Clerk; Wm. Riordan, David P. Clay, Edward Mohl (to fill vacancy), Simeon L. Baldwin, Franklin B. Day, Isaac Turner (to fill vacancy), Charles G. Brinsmaid, Aldermen.
1866-W. D. Foster, Mayor; Buel II. Babcock, Marshal; Robert Wilson, Clerk; Jolm F. Baars, Treasurer; Julius Houseman. Benton C. Saunders, R. C. Luce, Joseph Tomp- kins, Francillo Hall, Aldermen.
1867-John H. Champlin, Mayor; Birney G. Hoyt, Re- corder; J. F. Barrs, Treasurer; Benj. F. Sliter, Clerk; Eben- ezer Anderson, Marshal; Dennis W. Bryan, Simeon L. Bald- win, Harry II. Ives, William Widdecomb, Adolphus L. Skinner, Alderman.
1868-Moses V. Aldrich, Mayor; Miles S. Adams, Mar- shal; Charles W. Warrell, Clerk; J. F. Baars, Treasurer; Julius Houseman, Benton C. Saunders, Ransom C. Luce, Isaac Turner, Chester S. Morey, Aldermen.
1869-Moses V. Aldrich, Mayor; Birney Hoyt, Recorder; Allen P. Collar, Marshal; Charles Warrell, Clerk; James D. Lyon, Treasurer; Thomas Smith, Harry H. Ives, Simeon L. Baldwin, Alexander Milmine, Thomas Doran, Aldermen.
1870-Moses V. Aldrich, Mayor; John F. Baars, Treasu- rer: Charles Warrell, Clerk; Allen P. Collar, Marshal; John S. Farr, Henry Spring, Wm. Greulich, Adolph Leitelt, Daniel E. Little, Aldermen.
1871-Leonard II. Randall, Mayor; G. Chase Godwin, Re-
392
MEMORIALS OF THE
corder; Charles Warrell, Clerk (2 years); J. F. Baars, Treasu- rer; A. P. Collar, Marshal; John Grady, Thomas Smith, Hen- ry Miller,t Geo. G. Stiekatee, John A. S. Verdier, Peter Gran- ger, John Dale,t James R. Lameraux,+ David Lemon, Alex- ander Milmine, Thomas Thomas Doran, Aldermen.
[The three marked with a + were for one year.]
1872-Julins Houseman, Mayor; J. F. Baars, Treasurer; James Lyon, Marshal; Dennis W. Bryan, John Kendall, Sim- eon L. Baldwin, Adolph Leitelt, Robert W. Woodcock, John French, Samuel O. Dishman, William II. Powers, Alder- men.
1873-P. R. L. Pierce, Mayor; J. F. Baars, Treasurer; C. W. Warrell, Clerk; John Grady, Thomas Smith, George G. Stiekatee, Jolın S. Verdier, Ichabod L. Quimby, Frederich J. Little. Alex. Milmine, Peter Weirich, Aldermen; Thomas Doran, Marshal.
1874-Julius Houseman, Mayor; J. F. Baars, Treasurer; Thomas Doran, Marshal; Patrick O'Niel, John Kendall, Wm. B. Remington, Frederick Leitelt, B. C. Sanders, John French, Samnel O. Dishman, Alfred Crawford.
1875-P. R. L. Pierce, Mayor; Charles W. Warrell, Clerk; Leonard H. Randall, Treasurer; Thomas Doran, Marshal: John Grady, Charles W. Caukin, Lewis W. Heath, Charles A. Hilton, Samuel A. Hogeboom; Isaiah Stewart, Alexander Milmine, Peter Weirich, Aldermen.
COMMUNICATION WITH THE WORLD.
· At first Grand Rapids was isolated, being itself an ad- vance post of civilization. In summer the people did not par- tienlarly feel their loneliness, as they had free communication by water. At an early day, steamboats were put on the river below, and pole boats plied above. Stages run on the road or trail from Battle Creek, and at a later day from Kalamazoo. These stages were not coaches, but mere covered wagons. At the opening of the plank road to Kalamazoo, coaches replaced the Inmbering wagons. That road was felt to be a great thing for the place, though those who invested in it sunk all their capital. In winter the place for commercial purposes was practically " bottled-up." The first railroad was the De-
393
GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
troit & Milwaukee, which dates from 1853. Since then, com- munication has been opened in all directions.
IIer railroads now (1876) are the D. & M., the Chicago & Lake Michigan, Grand Rapids & Indiana, G. R. & Newaygo, Lake Shore & Michigan Southern, and Michigan Central; affording eight different ways of approaching or leaving the city, in addition to the steam navigation of the river. It should have been mentioned in place, that for a few years be- fore the D. & M. railroad was made, small steamers plied above the Rapids to Lyons, and a line of stage wagons. These were then withdrawn.
Grand Rapids, which in 1850 was a kind of advanced picket on the frontier of civilization, has become a central city; for a part of the State metropolitan, with every facil- ity for communication with the outside world that it can desire.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
As in many other new places, the people at first built and acted in utter disregard of danger from fire. The place had 2,000 inhabitants before it had a fire engine of any kind, or any fire organization. If a building got on fire, it burned down, of course. About 1848, the first fire companies were started. Two engines of small capacity were procured, one manned by boys. Some sad warnings that these were insufficient, caused others to be procured. Still, the spirit of economy rendered these inefficient. Much time would be lost in getting the en- gines into play, and then, in many parts of the city, the water supply was lacking.
In 1823, the people and anthorities became thoroughly sen- sible that something more efficient must be done. The water- works were provided for, and there was about this time a thor- ongh re-organization of the fire department. Now, with our paid men always ready, our water everywhere, and with the " Little General " at the head, we have little fears from fire. The new organization and water-works, costly as they have been, and are, have been found to be a good investment. Per- haps no city has a better fire organization.
394
MEMORIALS OF THE
OLD RESIDENTS' ASSOCIATIONS.
The isolation from general society, the privations and hard- ships of pioneer life, and the carly community of thought and feeling, engendered a strong fraternal feeling among the early settlers. As, one by one, they pass over the Dark River, to be seen no more, the spirits of the survivors are drawn into closer alliance. Dear, doubly dear, are the associates of early days. As a token of their mutual interest, and to perpetuate the spirit of fraternity, the old residents have banded themselves into associations, that meet in the spirit of true fraternity, talk over the days " lang syne," living over again the years that are past. Associations of this kind are at Grand Rapids, Grand Haven, Ionia, Lowell and Rockford. The present work is an out- growth of these fraternal unions; undertaken under their an- spices, and carried on under their patronage. The following, expressive of the spirit of the fraternity, was read at their fes- tival at Grand Rapids, Feb. 8th, 1876:
MYTHIC JOE'S ADDRESS.
BY F. EVERETT.
I wonder if I am the person, And the region around is the same, That it was forty years in past time When first to this valley I came. I hardly can think I'm the same one ; For he did not walk y ch a cane ; His beard was not grizzled, as mine is ; I've been changed for another, 'tis plain. I should not be known by my mother,
Should she look through the starlight of heaven.
For the son, who, dark-eyed and lightsome, Came here in the year thirty-seven.
I came with my blue-eyed Mary ;- (O was she not beautiful, then !) To hew out a home in this valley, Away from all civilized men.
We had personal reasons for coming; That is, my Mary and 1 :- We had loved ; run away, and got married; Her father was mad ; that is why
We chose to go into the wild-woods, To give him a time to get over
His wrath, that his daughter had fooled him, And slyly cloped with her lover.
I laughed at'his rage ; I had got her ! I now think he was not to blame,
Time often will alter opinion :- My danghter has played me the same.
I now have a house that is painted : And a farm, whose acres are wide; And Ilook on my cattle and bank-book With a little of something like pride ; My daughter plays on her piano ; And I sit in that parlor of mine,
My gray-haired Mary beside me,
And think of the days lang syne,
When our home was a little Jog cabin, Surrounded by wide-spreading woods; When our land, our steers, and a kettle Were the sum of our earthly goods. We extemporized chairs and a ta le : (Of chairs we scarce needed but one,) And bright was the fire in cur cabin, When the day's hard labor was done. " Hard labor!" Lord bless you! 'twas fun then To pitch into a big maple tree ;
To see it tremble and totter. And fall, in obeisance to me.
'Twas fun, too, when done with my chop- ping, And the shadows of evening appear, To shoulder my rifle, and bring home A noble big turkey or deer.
I said, that now we have music At home in eur parlor fair ; But then the music of nature Was free in the woodland air. The frogs were peeping in concert; The loensts were trilling their song:
The katy-dids seraped on their fiddles: And the owls hooted mellow and strong. We enjoyed the wolf's hoarse howling, As through the forest it rung; The soul-moving notes of the robin. And the song that the whippoorwill sung.
The music of Nature was cheering, Enjoyed by Mary and me. As we sat outside of our cabin Beneath a tall linden tree.
We welcome now in our parlor, Young company, gay and fair; And the gray-haired friends of old-time Have a heart-whole welcome there.
395
GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
We meet :- that is, veteran gray-beards; Talk polities, religion and stocks, The prospects of wheat or lumber ; Our cattle, our horses or flocks, We talk of the coming election, And try to be wise or gay ; But I tell you, the mind has been wander- ing To scenes of an earlier day. Recollection will master the'present, With all its excitement and strife : And we are soon in the midst of our stories of old-time pioneer life. One tells of his hunting adventures; Another his pipe will fill, And recount his patient endurance In the dreadful journey to mill. One tells of fording the river, With the anchor-ice running free ; Another remembers his shivering All night in a wolf-circled tree. One tells of his adventure by moonlight ; That a bear in his pig-pen he spied : And how, after some desperate fighting. The poacher surrendered his hide. But longest we are wont to linger, Most dearly we love to hear, When the stories come up, revealing The soul of the old pioneer ; When man hailed man as a brother ; And was ready his little to share ; When each woman was recognized sister ; And each for his neighbor bad care. The glorious logging bee parties !-
llard work a holiday spree, For the fair at the honse were arranging For an evening of heartiest glee. From the region aronnd all had gathered ; The logging was first to be done ; And then came the washing and supper, And the evening of rollicking fun. Ellis was there with his fiddle; And the music he gave was prime ; Men danced in their frocks and stogas, In defiance of rule and time. The dance had an inspiration Unfelt at cotillion or ball ; For intensified soul was in it. One spirit was moving us all. Our children are much more graceful, But little they know. perchance, Of the soul-felt. real enjoyment, When Nature inspires the dance. To find where unfettered nature The most inspirits and cheers. You must enter the rustic log-cabins Of the woodland pioneers.
Now we meet, are correct in deportment. Our airs have been learned in the schools; And we are politely observant Of etiquette's stringent rules. We are gentlemen now, and ladies, Repressing our warmest desires ;
We are studying, watching and trying To learn what fashion requires. We run into elignes and coteries ; We are anxious to keep our place, Cold art Las supplanted nature, And soul has conceded to grace. But, poncer brother or sister. Reviewing the bygone years, Having lived in Nature and fashion, Say, which the most lovely appears? In the days when neighbor was brother And heart gave society tone, Our world was indeed a small one : But that little world was our ownl. Then etiquette did not rule us ; We had no aristocracy then,
Heart-whole was our social enjoyment, For we met as women and men. Warm sympathy bound us together, And one in another believed, W'e rejoiced when another was happy, And grieved when another was grieved.
Yet think not, although we were happy, We were content this state should abide ; We then on our hopes were living, As now we are living on pride. For the future we had an ideal ; Both fancy and hope had play ; What then was anticipation, Is realization to-day.
Perhaps some of our civilized moderns Will turn up their noses in secorn, At our shouting from cabin to cabin ; " A baby ! A baby is born !" That we all must go over and see it, And feast our fond eyes with the sight ; That we talked all day of the baby. And dreamed of the baby at night ; That baby not onrs, but a neighbor's; So short of these times did we come, When babies are out of the fashion, And not welcomed, even at home; But then each new soul had a welcome; In demonstrative style it was given, And we greeted a soul now-born As not from New York, but Heaven.
We mean to be social and feeling, And genial with man to-day, But, with joy and with sorrow familiar, We can't give the spirit its play. A funeral cortege is passing ; "fis little for that we care; This bearing one off to be buried Is an every-day. common affair ;
Twas not so, as you well may remember, We felt, when a spirit had fied ; There was sadness and doleful heart-sink- ing When we learned that a settler was dead ; From far and from near all gathered, Each countenance elouded with gloom, Subdued was the voice's expression In view of the opening tomb. With heart-felt sorrow we buried The form that had yield. d its breath, And sadly we turned ns homeward. V'erawed by the presence of death.
With our bays we ride in a phacton ; That is, my Mary and I, Some say prosperity puffs ns, That our notions are getting too high, But I like my bays and phaeton ; Who don't? I would like to know.
Myself, my girls and my Mary Delight in a little of show. But still we have not forgotten That. ere fashion had come this way, A sled drawn by Bright and Brindle, For us was a turnout gay. With them we went on a visit, Or to meeting. when a preacher came; This was nothing our pride to humble, For our neighbors af did the same. My coat and my pants were seedy. Mary's dress was the worse for wear: We had no fine clothes for our children, But little for these did we care; Content, with but hunble ambition, We were willing our life to begin, Well off as the rest, we were happy- Madam Grundy had not yet come in.
396
MEMORIALS OF THE
But she came, as is always her eustom, And she opened our back-woods eyes; Iler mission was that of the serpent To the settlers in Paradise.
We saw that our homes were outlandish : And she made every one of us feel
That we were barbarian rusties- In everything ungenteel,
The romance from life was taken; It lost all its primitive cheer ;
To be was no more our ambition.
The struggle was now to appear.
And here then began the hard labor, The charm of life faded away ;
Thus far we had worked for a living, Henceforth we must live for display.
My Mary and I can do it,
And we would not like to spare,
For the sake of primeval enjoyment, These many new sources of care.
If our object was just to be happy, We would live as the animals do-
Social, loving, unthinking, Simple and ignorant, too.
Now, Mary and I have a notion We would not be happy again ;
That great is'the power of Mrs. Grundy For developing women and men.
We came to the woods as we found them, The struggle of life to begin ;
-
Contented and happy while striving A home and a fortune to win.
We have seen the forest reeeding, Farms and cities have taken its place ;
Seen Nature give place to culture, And all wear a different face.
And we hope that we have expanded As fortune has given us chance ;
That mental and moral improvement Keeps pace with the region's advance
But still we will look back with pleasure ;
To-night we will not be wise. We'll think not of present or future, Or of time, how quickly it flies ;
We have met to enjoy and live over The days when our pleasures were few,
To foster the spirit fraternal, And the ties of past years to renew.
One by one our voices are failing'; There is a summons that's waiting us all ;
One by one our friends have responded ; Who next will respond to the call ?
'Tis the wish of myself and my Mary, That as long as exi tence shall last, With mind and with fortune expanded, We may eling to the soul of the past. That over our final departure A halo of light may appear,
That our record of life may be stainless, And our graves be bedewed by a tear.
SCHOOLS IN GRAND RAPIDS.
At first, the few settlers at what is now the city, availed themselves of the Mission School. Who first started any other school is so much in doubt and dispute that it will be passed by as unsettled. It is by some of the old residents confidently as- serted that the first school, other than the Mission School. was taught by Sophia Page, daughter of Dea. Page, near where stands the Morton House. Her married name is Bacon. A school by Reed's Lake was started in the winter of 1834, by two young girls, Euphemia Davis, daughter of Ezekiel Davis, and Sophia Reed, daughter of Lewis Reed. This school, for the families immediately around there, was in the upper part of a log house; and was maintained by those girls for the most of a year. This Miss Davis is now the wife of Dr. Jewett, a missionary in India, among the Telegoos. Sophia Reed, as the wife of Dixon Davis, died Nov. 1863, leaving a large family.
The next year a school house was built (probably the first in the Valley), and a young man named Francis Prescott, taught during the winter. This Mr. Prescott came out as a carpenter and land-looker; while here, married a lady who was assisting Mr. Slater in the Mission School; returned to
397
GRAND RIVER VALLEY.
New York, where he studied theology, and became a Baptist preacher. In 1854, he returned to Grand Rapids as pastor of the Baptist Church, which post he very acceptably filled for several years. He afterwards went to Laphamville-now Rockford-where he died of apoplexy, Jan. 7th, 1864, aged fifty years. He was a man of most sterling qualities, of good ability, and a very useful preacher.
Attention was very early given to higher education; and for many years the high schools eclipsed the others. The first High School was started by Mr. Henry Seymour (see bio- graphical article). A charter for a academy was procured and his school became the Academy. Mr. Seymour was suc- ceeded for about two years, by Addison Ballard. Mr. Ballard resigned to enter the ministry. In the fall of 1846, Mr. Bal- lard was succeeded in the Academy by Franklin Everett. Mr. Ballard was a man of fine culture, a gentleman and scholar. IIe is at present a popular Doctor of Divinity; has been a professor in colleges the greater part of the time. Mr. Everett was at first assisted by his wife and Thomas Cumming (afterwards acting Governor of Nebraska). Mr. E. and his wife kept up the school twenty-six years. There has been no other academic school which has had any permanency. The reason is, the Union School had an academic character, and being nearly free, rendered private schools nearly impossible. Of the temporary schools, those of Mrs. Janes and Mr. Cock are spoken of in the sketch of Grand Rapids in 1846. That was particularly the time of private schools, the Union School not having been started, and the common schools slighted. A. few years later a charter for a college at Grand Rapids was obtained, and under the charter an academic school was started with the Rev. Mr. Taylor as principal, with an able corps of assistants. The school lasted but two or three years. A few years after, the Rev. Mr. Staples opened a female seminary which he maintained for a few years with much credit to him- self. He gave it up for the ministry.
In 1848, a movement was started to organize a union school. A Mr. Marsh, a man of great ability, was teaching one of the district schools. The result of the movement be-
398
MEMORIALS OF THE
gun by him was, that the two districts east of the river were united. and a stone building three stories high, capable of ac- commodating 300 scholars, was erected in 1849, and opened in November. It was a plain building, just west of the present central school-house.
The school was opened under the charge of a Mr. Johnson from Western New York, assisted by Miss Hollister (now Mrs. Wm. M. Ferry, of Grand Haven); Miss Webster (now Mrs. John Ball, of Grand Rapids); Miss Hinsdill (now Mrs. Jones. of Denver), and Miss White (now Mrs. Whipple, of Grand Rapids).
Mr. Johnson, though an able, and otherwise successful teacher. failed to satisfy himself at Grand Rapids, and left at the end of the first term. He was succeeded by the Rev. J. Ballard. who had charge for three years. He was succeeded by Profes- sor Edward W. Cheesbro, who was in charge several years. He was a man exceedingly devoted to his work. He was stricken down in his school-room; and with intellect wasted to nothing. died in about two years, Jan. 31st, 1862, aged 43. The inscrip- tion on his monument in Oak Hill Cemetery, most justly char- acterizes him. This monument is the tribute of his pupils:
" His was a teacher's heart, With zeal that never tired; And thousand souls beat higher, By his single soul inspired."
Prof. Danforth, with Prof. Strong as academic teacher, suc- ceeded Cheesbro. Upon the retirement of Prof. D., Prof. Strong succeeded to the superintendency with Prof. Daniels as chief of the academic department. They have since changed places.
In the meantime, the school has been growing. The stone building was found to be insufficient, and ward school-houses were built for the younger scholars.
In 1853, a nnion school was established on the west side, and the Rev. J. Ballard was placed in charge.
By special act, the whole city was made one school district. under the control of a Board of Education. The Union
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.