Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Part 90

Author: Beakes, Samuel W. (Samuel Willard), 1861-; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 886

USA > Michigan > Washtenaw County > Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan > Part 90

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St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. The parish of St. Andrew's is the second oldest parish in the state of Michigan, the only parish ante-dating it being St. Paul's parish in Detroit. Richard Cadle. who came as a missionary to Michigan territory in 1824 and founded St. Paul's parish, visited Ann Arbor as early as 1825 or 1826, and in 1827 or 1828 organized a mission church here, the first members being Henry Rumsey, Andrew Cor- nish, Marcus Lane, Samuel Denton, Elisha Bel- cher and Edward Clark. The meeting for the purpose of organization is supposed to have taken place at the house of Mrs. Hannah Clark, the mother of General Edward Clark, and the silver tankard supposed to have been used in the first cucharistic services of the church is now the prop- erty of Mrs. Charles Chapin, a granddaughter of Mrs. Hannah Clark. The exact date of the formation of the new church is unknown, but it is known that by-laws for it were written April 19, 1828. At first lay readers officiated, but in 1830 Rev. Silas W. Freeman was sent as a mis- sionary to Ann Arbor, Dexter and Ypsilanti. He reports having preached in Ann Arbor to a con- gregation of fifty in a brick building which he calls "The Academy." Rev. William N. Lister is believed to have visited the village occasionally before this time. A frame church was conse- crated November 13, 1838. In 1840 it was sold under sheriff's foreclosure for $494.45. but Vol- ney Chapin and Judge Kingsley came forward and paid up the debt. This frame church was unpainted for a long time, but later was painted white with green blinds. It had been used as a

church for several months before it was conse- crated. At first each pewholder furnished his own carpet and cushion for his pew and a candle to light the church for evening service. The church was nearly destroyed by fire in 1841, but the principal damage seemed to have done to the organ. In 1855 a large pipe organ was put in, and continued to be used until 1905, when it was replaced with another organ at a cost of $4,500. The first parsonage was built about 1850, but shortly afterward it was sold. The cornerstone of the present church building was laid June 15, 1868, and the church was consecrated November 10, 1869. The plans for it were drawn by G. W. Lloyd of Detroit, and Dr. Silas H. Douglas was superintendent of construction. The church cost thirty thousand dollars, and Mr. Chauncey H. Miller was the largest individual contributor. In 1879 a chapel was planned, the cornerstone being laid November 28, 1880. In 1880 and 1881 a stone rectory was built adjoining the church. In 1885 Hobart Guild was founded and Harris Hall erected at a cost of thirty thousand dollars; and and an endowment raised for its maintenance suf- ficient to pay the salary of a curator and janitor and maintain a library, besides an endowment of twenty thousand dollars for lectures. In 1892 the church was greatly improved by the building of a new chancel. In 1903 a handsome tower eighty-two feet high was added to the church at a cost of ten thousand, the bequest of Mrs. Love M. Palmer in memory of her husband, Dr. A. B. Palmer, for many years a faithful vestryman. The rectors of the parish have been as follows : 1830-33. Rev. Silas W. Freeman : 1834-5. Rev. J. P. Dorman: 1836-8, Rev. Mr. Marks: 1838- 43. Rev. Francis H. Commins: 1844-50, Rev. Charles Taylor ; 1850-54, filled by Prof. George P. Williams and Rev. Charles Taylor : 1854-61. Rev. David F. Lumsden : 1861-75, Rev. George D. Gillespie : 1875-84. Rev. Wyllys Hall ; 1885- 8. Rev. Samuel Earp : 1880, Rev. Henry Tatlock, who is the present rector.

First Unitarian Church. This church was or- ganized in January, 1867, its first pastor being Rev. Charles H. Brigham, a very able and learned man who served the church until May, 1877. He

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died in Brooklyn, New York, in February, 1879. and was regarded as one of the ablest preachers of the church. T. S. Sanford, Randall Schuyler, George D. Hill, Hiram Arnold, Moses Rogers and Henry K. White were the first trustees of the church : and the first clerk was L. D. Burch. In February. 1867, the Unitarian society began hold- ing meetings in what was then known as the Methodist church, on the corner of Fifth avenue and Ann streets, which building it purchased in March, 1867. After Dr. Brigham's death, Rev. Joseph H. Allen, of Cambridge, Massachusetts. supplied the pulpit until 1878, when the Rev. J. T. Sunderland became pastor of the church. During his pastorate a handsome stone church was built on the corner of State and Huron streets in 1881. and a library was established, and also the La- dies' U'nion and Literary Club, the membership of which is not restricted to ladies of the Unitarian church alone. Rev. Dr. Sunderland continued in charge of the church until 1900 when Joseph H. Crooker became pastor. Dr. Crooker served until 1905. when he resigned. The church is at present without a regular pastor.

Zion Lutheran Church. The Zion Lutheran church was organized July 16, 1875. with Rev. H. F. Belser as pastor, and in a few weeks one hundred and sixty-nine members were upon the church rolls. The Congregational church at the corner of Fifth avenue and Washington streets was purchased at a cost of four thousand three hundred dollars, and two hundred dollars was immediately expended in remodeling the building. The first deacons were William Merkle. Philip Lohr and Christian Mack: and the first trustees were: Adam D. Seyler, Christian Hoffstetter, Frederick Schmid. Louis Schleicher, Conrad Schneider and Frederick Hutzel. Rev. Mr. Bel- ser continued pastor until 1800 and was suc- ceeded by Rev. Max Hein, who remained until 1895. In that year Rev. Alexander Nicklas, the present pastor. succeeded in charge of the church. The present church building was erected on the site of the old church in 1894. at a cost of twenty thousand dollars. The church occupies a lot six- ty-five feet on Washington street by ninety-eight feet on Fifth avenue. Its tower is one hundred

and forty-five feet high. An excellent school building has been erected in recent years.

Second Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1850 a second Methodist church was organized in Ann Arbor and was located on the Fifth ward. Preach- ing continued in this church until 1859, when it was disbanded. During this period the following ministers supplied this church: Rev. Manasseh Hickey, Rev. Robert Bird, Rev. Andrew Bell, Rev. Edmund W. Borden, Rev. W. Benson, Rev. Ira Donaldson and Rev. George Taylor.

Germon Methodist Episcopal Church. The German Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1846 on the southwest corner of Division and Liberty streets. The church society had been or- ganized for several years previous to this, and the first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Sethelmeyer, and the first trustees were Daniel Allmendinger and John Ungemach. The society continued to oc- cupy their church on the corner of Division and Liberty streets until 1895. when the building was sold to the Seventh Day Adventists, and a new church erected on the corner of West Jefferson and Fourth streets.

African Methodist Episcopal Church. The first pastor of the African Methodist Episcopal church in Ann Arbor was the Rev. J. W. Brooks, and a church was organized in 1871 with sixteen mem- bers. A church was built on the corner of Fourth avenue and Beakes street in 1877. The present pastor is the Rev. Cassius Crosby.

Second Baptist Church. The Second Baptist church is located on the southwest corner of Beakes street and Fifth avenue, and has been in existence for a number of years. The present pastor is the Rev. Walter R. Davis.

Bethlehem Church. This church was organ- ized by Rev. F. Schmid, who was its pastor from 1832 to 1871. The first church building was built in 1833 on land donated by Daniel F. All- mendinger, on what is now known as Jackson avenue, west of the city limits where the German cemetery is now located. This first church cost

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two hundred and fifty dollars and thirty-two cents. In 1844 a brick church was built on West Wash- ington street at a cost of one thousand eight hun- dred and twenty dollars. This church was en- larged in 1863. The present church building on South Fourth avenue was erected in 1895 at a cost of twenty-five thousand dollars. Richard E. Raseman, of Detroit, was the architect and F. WV. Glasford the contractor. The building com- mittee consisted of Rev. J. Neumann, Titus F. Hutzel, John Meyer, John Koch, Theodore Brue- gel, Charles Leismer and John Schenk. Rev. Mr. Schmid was succeeded in 1871 by Rev. Mr. Reuter, who remained six years. Rev. John Neu- mann was the next pastor and he continued in the work until 1902, when he resigned to go to De- troit. Rev. S. John, the present pastor, was in- stalled October 11. 1903. Although the church organization has now ( 1906) been in existence for seventy-four years, the church has had but four pastors.

Trinity Lutheran Church. This church was organized April 2, 1893, at Newberry Hall, the sermon being preached by Rev. S. B. Barritz, D. D., secretary of the Board of Home Missions. A week later the church bought the Chapin prop- erty on the corner of Fifth avenue and Williams street for four thousand dollars, and moved the residence on the Williams street side of the lot to be used as a parsonage. The building of a new church was at once commenced. The church was organized with forty members. The first pas- tor was the Rev. W. L. Tedrow, who continued to give his efforts to building up the church until 1903. He was succeeded by the Rev. E. E. Neibel, the present pastor . The first elders of the church were E. H. Mensel and F. H. Brown, and the first deacons were C. E. Newcomer and F. H. Belser.

Church of Christ. The Church of Christ, after- ward called the Memorial Church, of the Chris- tian denomination, was dedicated October 9, 1891. It is situated on South University aventte and has had a congregation of active workers. Among its pastors have been Rev. Dr. Young, Rev. William M. Forrest, Rev. Thomas W. Grafton, Rev.

James A. Canby and Rev. A. C. Graves, the pres- ent pastor.

The Seventh Day Adventist Church. This church has had a congregation in Aun Arbor for some years. About 1895 they purchased the church on the corner of Division and Liberty streets, of the German Methodist Episcopal So- ciety, which they occupied until 1902, when they sold it to Dr. Clingman. The church building was torn down by Dr. Clingman and a residence erected in its place. The society at once erected a new church on Prospect street. They have a small but devout congregation.

SCHOOL OF MUSIC.

The University School of Music is located at Ann Arbor. It is the outgrowth of a school estab- lished by Professor Cady who was succeeded in his work by Professor A. A. Stanley, the present head of the School of Music; but it was not un- til Professor Stanley took charge that the school assumed proportions. The School of Music build- ing was erected in 1893 and dedicated on Novem- ber 30th of that year at a cost, with fixtures, of about fifteen thousand dollars. The money to build it was raised by subscription through the efforts of Moses Seabolt and Henry S. Dean. The first president was A. L. Noble. The school has grown steadily in the number of pupils and has had on its faculty a number of distinguished mu- sicians.

BANKS.

Ann Arbor at present ( 1905) has four banks, the First National Bank, the Ann Arbor Savings Bank, the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank, and the State Savings Bank, with a fifth bank in pro- cess of organization, to be known as the German- American Bank.

The First National Bank was organized July I, 1863, with a capital stock of seventy-five thou- sand dollars, which was taken by fifty-five citi- zens of Ann Arbor. This bank was the first na- tional bank to be organized in the state of Michi- gan, and was the twenty-second national bank to be organized in the United States. At the first

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meeting of the stockholders, Volney Chapin was elected president ; Dr. Eben Wells, vice president and Charles H. Richmond, cashier. At the end of the first quarter, September 30. 1863. the bank had on deposit $46.804.12. On July 1. 1865. the capital stock was increased to $100,ooo, and on July 1. 1866, to $125,000. On July 1. 1869. the capital stock was still further increased, this time to $150,000. In 1882 the bank was reorganized with a capital stock of $100,000. The bank was run in the Hangsterfer block on the corner of Alain and Washington streets, for three years : and the present bank building was erected in 1866 at a cost of $10.700 on ground that cost $5,000. Volney Chapin was succeeded as president of the bank in 1865 by Ebenezer Wells, who was suc- ceeded as vice president by Philip Bach. J. W. Knight succeeded Charles H. Richmond as cash- ier in 1866. Dr. Wells died in 1882 and was suc- ceeded by Charles H. Richmond. Mr. Richmond was succeeded in 1895 by Judge E. D. Kinne, the present president of the bank. Harrison Soule was made vice president in 1895. and still holds that position. J. W. Knight remained as cashier until 1883. when he resigned and was suc- ceeded as cashier by Sidney W. Clarkson, the present cashier.

The Ann Arbor Savings Bank was organized in the spring of 1869 in the office of Judge Thomas M. Cooley in the old law building on the campus. There were present at this meeting : Judge T. M. Cooley, Dr. R. S. Smith, Harvey Cornwell, Christian Eberbach, William Dougal. E. W. Morgan, Daniel Hiscock, W. Wines, Christian Mack and W. D. Harriman. All of these ten men who organized the bank are dead, with the exception of Judge Harriman. There were sixty-nine stockholders originally, of whom eleven survive ( 1906), and seven of these eleven stockholders surviving still retain their stock in the bank. At the time of the organization of the bank, the banks of Ann Arbor were the First Na- tional Bank and the private banks of Miller & Webster and Donald McIntyre. The new bank prospered and flourished from the start and had phenominal growth ; and in the proportion of its capital to its surplus, it ranks as the first bank in Michigan and the nineteenth in the United States.

The first president of the bank was Dr. Ransome S. Smith, who was a retired physician from cen- tral New York and had bought what was then known as the Judge Fletcher farm, his residence being the present home of the nurses of the Homeopathie Hospital. Dr. Smith was succeeded by Judge Thomas M. Cooley, who was succeeded by Christian Mack who remained president until his death in 1904. The present president is Charles E. Hiscock, who has been with the bank in various positions since he was a boy. The first cashier of the bank was Schuyler Grant, who was succeeded in 1876 by Charles E. Hiscock who served as cashier until 1904, when he became president. He was succeeded by Michael J. Fritz, the present cashier, who had served for many years as assistant cashier.

The Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank was or- ganized in April, 1883. Reuben Kempf was the first president and still retains that position. W. A. Tolchard was cashier until May. 1888, when he was succeeded by Frederick H. Belser, who is the present cashier. There have been more changes in vice presidents, who have been Harvey Cornwell. Edward Duffy, Charles E. Greene and William C. Stevens. Of the original board of directors Reuben Kempf. D. F. Schairer, William C. Stevens, Ambrose Kearney and Dr. W. F. Breakey are yet on the board. The bank have rebuilt their banking building. Their growth is indicated by the following figures : Deposits : January 1, 1884. $76,411.70: 1889. $147.191.56; 1894. $267.160.33: 1899. $468.359.38: 1904, $796.706.43: 1906. $882,097.80. Surplus, Jan- uary I, 1884. $626.39: 1889, $6.574.10: 1894. $25.900.86: 1899, $33.192.27 : 1904. $56.984.21 ; 1906. $67.489.70. Besides accumulating this surplus they have paid the stockholders in divi- dends $88,000. The capital stock is $50,000.

The State Savings Bank was incorporated No- vember 18. 1892, with a capital stock of $50.000. Its surplus and undivided profits now amount to $46,131.31. It built in 1903 one of the prettiest bank buildings in the state. A. L. Noble was its first president. J. W. Booth succeeded him. Robert Philips was the first cashier and remained until 1897. President Booth for some time per- formed part of the duties of cashier, John Walz,

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Jr., being assistant cashier. Mr. Walz was made cashier in 1903.

The German-American Bank expect to begin business with Charles W. Gill, president, and Ed- ward L. Seyler, cashier.

There are now ( 1906) in Ann Arbor, nine bak- eries, four banks, eighteen barbers, four billiard halls, thirteen boarding houses, two brewers, nine blacksmiths, seventeen dentists, ten druggists, three florists, thirty-six fraternities, forty-one grocers, eight hotels, three private hospitals, four- teen laundries, eight livery stables, thirty-five manufacturers, seven photographers, five printers, eight restaurants, thirty-seven saloons and fifty- seven stores of various kinds.

FACTORIES.

The business of the Ann Arbor Organ Com- pany was first established in 1872 by Daniel F. Allmendinger. The company was first incorpo- rated January 1. 1889, with a capital of $12,000 paid in by twelve stockholders. Its capital stock has since been increased to $100,000. In nine months in 1888 seventy-five organs had been built and twelve men were employed. The busi- ness has since grown until it now has an output of three hundred organs and fifty pianos a month. The officers are: Fred Schmid, president; G. Luick, vice president ; and J. C. Henderson, secre- tary-treasurer-manager. They manufacture the Ann Arbor organ and the Henderson piano.

The Michigan Furniture Company was estab- lished in 1866 as the Keck Furniture Company, and was incorporated as the Michigan Furniture Company in 1884. Judge William D. Harriman has been president from the beginning of the company. Paul Snauble has for years been its manager. Since its organization as the Michigan Furniture Company it has never missed paying a dividend. Its factory has been enlarged and it gives employment to a large number of men.

The Michigan Milling Company was incorpo- rated in April, 1900, with a capital stock of two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars. Its officers are : H. S. Dean, president : W. C. Stev- ens, vice president : D. Frank Allmendinger, sec-

retary-treasurer ; and Nelson J. Kyer, manager. The company was a merger of all the milling in- terests in Ann Arbor, including the Central Mill, which had been operated by Allmendinger & Sny- der : the City Mills, which had been operated by Swathel, Kyer and Peterson ; and the Argo Mills, which were owned by Henry S. Dean, Sedgwick Dean, Major W. C. Stevens and Allmendinger & Snyder. The Argo Mills were burned early in 1904. The milling company then erected an electric power plant on the site of the burned mills, but this they sold together with their water rights, to a company engaged in developing power on the Huron river, for one hundred and thirty- five thousand dollars. The Argo Mills were known for many years as the Sinclair Mills. The Michigan Milling Company also owns the Delhi Mills and a number of elevators along the line of the Ann Arbor Railroad.

In the 1900 census it was reported that there were 231 manufacturing establishments in Ann Arbor with a capital stock of $1.304.694, employ- ing 1,181 workmen, and paying $462.181 per year for wages.

The assessed valuation of Ann Arbor in 1900 per capita was $690.40, the largest assessed valut- ation per capita in any city in the state except Detroit.

CHAPTER XX.

IIISTORY OF YPSILANTI CITY.

As has previously been seen Ypsilanti was platted in 1825 after the Detroit & Chicago road had been surveyed past the old French trading post, and Woodruff's Grove had been sidetracked. Early in 1829 the new village of Ypsilanti is thus described in a letter written by a Canadian traveler, which appeared in the Western Emi- grant that year :

"This is a new and flourishing village situated on the south bank of the Huron river. This place possesses some advantages over its con- temporaries. One in particular I will mention. The United States have laid out a road from De-

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troit to Chicago which passes immediately through it. This is partly finished by the Government from Detroit twenty miles west of this place."

In 1837 Ypsilanti contained one hundred and twenty-one houses. In 1838 it contained a bank. a banking association, two churches-Presbyte- rian and Methodist- a flouring mill with two run of stone, two saw-mills, a woolen factory, card- ing machine, iron foundry, a druggist, eight or ten stores, five lawyers and four physicians. The population was estimated at about one thousand.

The village was incorporated June 29, 1832, and on September 3d of that year an election was held at the shop of John Bryan, which resulted in the election of John Gilbert as the first village president, E. M. Skinner as recorder, Ario Par- dee as treasurer, and Abel Millington, Mark Norris, Thomas R. Brown, James Vanderbilt and Walter B. Hewitt as trustees. On March 9. 1841. the village was divided into two wards, the first ward taking in all that part of the village east of the Huron river and the second ward all that part west of the river. On April 1, 1844, one ward set itself off from the village and shortly afterward was organized into a village called East Ypsilanti. This rupture had been caused by a belief on the part of the people of the east side that the west side was getting many more improvements than the taxes paid on the west side warranted, but when the proposition came up to incorporate the City of Ypsilanti the people of the east side were among its most ardent sup- porters. The city was incorporated on February 4. 1858, and Chauncey Joslyn, afterward Judge Joslyn, was elected the first mayor of Ypsilanti. John McCready was elected city clerk, and Ben- jamin Clark treasurer. The first council was composed of Aldermen James M. Chidester, Isaac Crane, Dr. Parmenio Davis. Philip Edington, David Edwards, Philo Ferrier, Benjamin Follett, Robert Lambie, Charles Stuck and A. S. Welch. Martello Warner was made city marshal, Thomas Ninde city attorney. Charles H. Tisdale city au- ditor, and Dr. C. F. Ashley health officer. The first city ordinance passed was to prevent ani- mals running at large. The second ordinance related to the building of sidewalks, and the third was relative to the proper observance of the

first day of the week, and the fourth was for the purpose of taxing dogs. The council quickly re- solved that the new city should raise $1,675 in taxes, besides the amount necessary to pay the city's share of the township indebtedness. The total expenditures for the first year, however, were $5.760.63. A new city hall was built near the Cross Street bridge, and the land and the council house, as it was called, cost $1.345.80. The city's share of the indebtedness of Ypsilanti township was $735-57. The indebtedness of Ypsi- lanti village which the city paid was $158.47, and the indebtedness of the village of East Ypsilanti, which the city also paid. was $347.61. The other expenditures of the city included $1.376.35 upon the streets, $302.50 for salaries, $311.32 for lamp posts and gas, and $128 for a fire department.

The first meeting of the council is deserving of more than mere passing attention. It was called to order by A. H. Ballard, the last village presi- dent of Ypsilanti, who summoned the Hon. Chauncey Joslyn, mayor-elect, to the chair. After a roll call the meeting was opened by prayer by the Rev. Mr. Patterson, followed by a stately in- augural address by Chauncey Joslyn. The coun- cil from its first meeting decided that its meetings should be public and agreed to pay the Ypsilanti Sentinel a dollar a column for the publication of its proceedings.

The records of the city can be examined only with difficulty. Many of them have been washed out of existence. In the year 1874 some one en- tered the office of the city clerk, gathered together the council proceedings together with justice dockets and other important record books, placed them in a bag, and dumped them into the Huron river. Here they remained for several weeks be- fore being discovered. The water had washed the ink from many of the pages and the writing on other pages can be but dimly discerned, while on still other pages where Arnold's ink had been used, the writing was blacker and more distinct than ever. It is believed that this act of vandal- ism was solely for the purpose of destroying rec- ords of convictions in the justice dockets, the party doing it not distinguishing between justice dockets, which he wished to destroy, and the

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council proceedings, in which he had no interest.

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Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Part 90

Author: Beakes, Samuel W. (Samuel Willard), 1861-; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago : The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 886

Author: Beakes, Samuel W. (Samuel Willard), 1861-; S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago : The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 886