USA > Michigan > Grand Traverse County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 33
USA > Michigan > Leelanau County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 33
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More money being needed to complete this county building, which was a court- house, county offices and jail combined, at a special meeting of the board of supervisors held March 7, 1854, in the store of Cowles & Campbell, Old Mission, a further proposi- tion from the firm of Hannah, Lay & Com- pany to advance three hundred dollars for that purpose was accepted.
This first county building, erected in 1854, was destroyed by fire about eight years afterwards, although fortunately nearly all of the records were saved. Soon after this a small wooden structure for a jail was erect- ed on the county grounds, and county offices rented.
A few years after this Hon. D. C. Leach erected a building on the corner of Front and Park streets, provided it with a room for holding court, and with county offices and a fire-proof safe for the deposits of the records. This building was occupied for many years for the county offices and the circuit court.
At the October session of the board of supervisors held in 1882, it was decided to build a 'jail and sheriff's residence of brick during the following year. Work was com- menced and the building was completed and turned over to the county in February, 1884. The building is one of the best of the kind in
the state. It was built at a cost of something over twenty thousand dollars.
About this time the existing contract be- tween the county and Mr. Leach for the use of his building for offices and the court-room having expired, a resolution was passed by the board of supervisors ordering the re- moval of the county offices into the new jail building, and they were removed according- ly and occupied these premises until the erec- tion and completion of the present court- house. A contract was also made not long after this by the board of supervisors with the Patrons of Husbandry, by the terms of which the latter was to erect a building on Cass street suitable for court rooms and rent the same to the county for court purposes for a term of years.
A NEW COURT HOUSE.
The question of a new court-house had been advocated for a number of years and finally at a meeting of the board of supervi- sors, held in January, 1898, a resolution was adopted authorizing the bonding of the coun- ty for the sum of thirty-five thousand dol- lars-thirty thousand to be expended for the erection of a court-house and five thousand dollars for grading the grounds and furnish- ing the building. The question of voting these bonds was submitted to the electors at the April election following, and was carried by a good majority. The bonds sold at a premium and the sum of thirty-five thousand and four hundred dollars was realized from their sale.
At a meeting of the supervisors held soon after the bonds were voted, plans furnished by Rush, Bowman & Rush, architects, of Grand Rapids, were adopted, and the firm
COURT HOUSE, JAIL, AND SHERIFF'S RESIDENCE. .
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was engaged to let the contract and supervise the erection of the building.
The contract was let to J. E. Gibson, of Logansport, Indiana, for the sum of twenty- eight thousand, seven hundred and forty-nine dollars. There had been considerable ques- tion whether the kind of building proposed in the plans could be erected for the sum proposed, and the successful letting of the contract so much inside of the appropriation was an agreeable surprise to many people. But, unfortunately, the building committee .in advertising for bids did not ask for schedule bids and only lump sums were named. This oversight on the part of the committee very soon led to trouble, as the foundation was hardly in before the claims for extras on the part of the contractor had reached some thousands of dollars, which claims were duly approved by the architects. County Clerk Newton, who had charge of the issuing of orders for the payment of the work, upon vouchers approved by the archi- tects and the building committee, did not like the looks of things and refused to issue the orders asked for. The matter became pub-
lic and there was quite a scandal over the matter, involving several persons, and the work came to a stand-still.
At the October meeting of the board of supervisors the matter came up and was thoroughly investigated with the result that the architects were discharged and C. M. Prall appointed to supervise the work. The claim for extras was compromised with the contractor and work resumed. The delay, however, prevented the completion of the building until the following summer. Under the new arrangement the building was com- pleted, exclusive of furnishing, at an expense of about thirty-six thousand dollars.
Since then the grounds have been graded and beautified, and the court-room and offices furnished, until now Grand Traverse county has one of the best and most conveniently arranged court-houses and county offices, with fire-proof vaults, in the northern portion of the lower peninsula. Grand Traverse. county is certainly to be congratulated upon possessing such fine and commodious public buildings as she does.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE CIRCUIT COURT.
The first term of circuit court was held in the house of Thomas Cutler, then standing on the corner of Front and Union streets on the ground now occupied by the E. Wilhelm block, by Judge George Martin, of the eighth circuit, to which this county then belonged. It was opened on the 27th of July, 1853. Ebenezer Gould was appointed prosecuting attorney by the court. A. S. Wadsworth was foreman and Dr. D. C. Goodale clerk of the first grand jury. Of the entire twenty- four members comprising this jury only one, Thomas A. Hitchcock, is now living. At this term of court Robert Mclellan, of Pen- insula, was admitted to the bar.
The first trial by jury of which we have any record was that of James E. Scott, for murder. It was commenced August 24, 1855, and ended the day following, the jury finding him guilty of murder in the second degree. He was sentenced to imprisonment in the state prison for fifteen years.
Not long after this Grand Traverse be- came a part of the ninth circuit, of which Hon. Flavius J. Littlejohn was the judge. The legislature of 1865 organized the thir- teenth circuit, embracing all the territory west of the meridian line from the south line
of Mason county north to the straits of Mackinaw, including Cheboygan county. Of this new circuit Hon. Jonathan G. Ramsdell was elected the first judge, which position he held until 1875, when he was superseded by Hon. Reuben Hatch, now of Grand Rapids, then of the law firm of Pratt, Hatch & Da- vis, Traverse City, who served one term. Judge Ramsdell was again elected in 1881, and again in 1887, holding the office until January 1, 1894. In April, 1893, Roscoe L. Corbett, of Charlevoix county, was elected, taking possession of the office Janu- ary 1, 1894, which he held until November 6, 1898, when he was most unfortunately shot, while on a hunting expedition in the Upper Peninsula. In April, 1899, Frederick W. Mayne, of Charleviox, was elected, and now holds the position.
From time to time, since the organization of the thirteenth judicial district, new cir- cuits have been formed and territory de- tached until now the thirteenth circuit em- braces only the counties of Grand Traverse, Antrim, Charleviox and Leelanaw, and the chances are, considering the rapid growth in population, that it will be still further re- duced at no very distant day.
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CENTRAL SCHOOL BUILDING, TRAVERSE CITY
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CHAPTER XV.
TRAVERSE CITY SCHOOLS.
The first school in Traverse City was taught by Miss Helen Goodale, now Mrs. T. A. Hitchcock, daughter of Dr. D. C. Goodale. This was in 1853, before the or- ganization of a school district. For her services Miss Goodale was to receive the munificent sum of one dollar a week and the cost of her board. The amount was to be paid by private subscription, and Mr. Lay, in behalf of Hannah, Lay & Company, agreed to make up any deficiency in the amount raised.
A log building erected in 1851, near the present corner of Front and Wellington streets by John B. Spencer for use in logging operations, either for a stable or a dwelling, was the only available building to be had and was fitted up for a school room. As has been stated, this was in 1853, about a year before a school district was organized. From a contribution from Mrs. Hitchcock to the Eagle regarding this school, published in 1896, we make the following extracts :
"As there was no organized school dis- trict, it was simply hire a teacher and have a school, supported by subscription. Thus mine was never a part of the Michigan school system. A certificate was not needed, but I had one, and it may interest young as- pirants to know that a printed certificate re- 16
ceived from the board of examiners and signed by the principal of the Scammon pub- lic school of West Madison street, Chicago, entitled me to legally teach in Illinois."
After mentioning the securing of a schoolhouse and its fitting up by Mr. Lay, the writer continues: "In a few days the room was ready, and one bright sunny morn- ing I started to find my school. It seems that we never did have so many genial, de- lightful days as that summer."
Arriving at the bank of the Boardman and finding that the only provision for cross- ing the stream, on the opposite bank of which was the schoolhouse, was by means of a boom constructed of sticks of timbers span- ning the stream, she was assisted to cross on this boom by a then young man employed at the saw-mill, the late Judge Henry D. Campbell, who made it a point while the term of school lasted to be on hand to assist the young teacher in crossing the stream on the boom. Reaching the opposite side of the river, she took the path leading to the school building, and says :
"That path along the bank of the river, wandering away from every sound, the hush of the forests ending only on the shores of the Great Lakes, out and in and around the wide oaks, which grouped into high hedge-
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ways that rose to the branches of the tall Norway pines. Long aisles, decorated here and there with oak screen of leaf-bowers, formed a frontage close to the bank, under which the river ran so swiftly still. Beyond and between the pines on Squaw Peninsula glistened glimpses of the bay. I suddenly came to a little space green with wild grass, enclosed with the oaken hedge, save on the north, its front opened revealing the river, smoothly rounding the bare sand bar, then tossing, rolling and foaming into the placid bay, reaching off and off to the everywhere green unbroken forest.
"In this space stood the cabin, its closed door giving it that silent, deserted appear- ance harmonizing so well with the unbroken silence of the oasis.
"Entering my school room, I admired the clean, artistic finish of the thin, light, un- painted desk, continuous around the west and south sides of the room, and built to the log wall. Its supports were neat square sticks, slanting from the desk to the wall. Two long, neat benches were seats, not very convenient, but there was little need for fac- ing the desk, because we had but two win- dows, one of which was over the teacher's desk and against the door. A good box stove and one or two chairs completed the furni- ture. Our text books were from Canada, Vermont, New York, Illinois, Wisconsin, and a few had been used in Mackinaw and on the Beaver Islands, I suppose, for some of my scholars had lived in the two latter places.
"My scholars numbered twenty-one, as I now recall them. Nine nice, neat girls, and twelve sturdy boys; happy, interested chil- dren, some of them delighted with the nov- elty of the school in the woods, others with
the privilege of a school in their new home. The irresistible impulse of a few to suddenly jump and exclaim : 'Is this really a school?' I never could suppress, nor did I try very much, when convinced that it was a mere exuberance of joy. Read, spell and write twice a day. The studies were geography, grammar, arithmetic, and history, too, I think. Six full hours a day, and five full days a week."
In perusing the recital of Mrs. Hitch- cock and comparing the conditions with those existing today, one cannot help but remark the wisdom and careful thought which prompted the early settlers to provide intellectual training for the rising generation of that period, and it may be said that that was the beginning of the establishment of an educational system which has become sec- ond to none in the state, aside from the col- leges.
After the close of the first term in the log schoolhouse in the fall, Miss Goodale went to Chicago, where she spent the winter in study. Returning the following spring she was again employed to teach in the log schoolhouse, and was allowed the munificent advance in salary of fifty cents a week.
After the abandonment of the humble log building, and previous to the erection of a new building for the purpose, school was kept in the boarding-house of Hannah, Lay & Company, a building that stood near the corner of Union and Bay streets, but which was torn down and removed about a year ago.
Previous to 1854 there was no legal or- ganization of a school district, but on May II, 1854, school district No. I was formed, and on the 17th of the same month the first district meeting was held in the
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store of Hannah, Lay & Company, and the following officers chosen: Moderator, Al- vin Smith; director, David C. Goodale; as- sessor, Thomas Cutler.
Miss Goodale afterwards became Mrs. Thomas A. Hitchcock, and she has lived to see her little log schoolhouse-where many happy and toilsome hours were spent, and where the foundations were laid for careers of honor and usefulness-swept away by the onward march of improvement. She is with us today, and is an esteemed matron, re- siding with her husband and family on a farm just west of the thriving city which oc- cupies the locality where the scenes of her youthful labors is still a pleasant memory.
The first real schoolhouse in Traverse City was erected in 1856, at a cost of two hundred and fifty dollars, and it occupied the corner on Park and State streets where now stands Park Place hotel annex. The same building now stands on the corner of Union and State streets, but has been changed and added to until it now would not be recog- nized as the one-time seat of learning for the youth of the city. The new; schoolhouse answered the purpose for which it was erected for several years, and not only for that but as a place for holding religious serv- ices and Sunday schools as well, but the steady growth in population and improve- ment of the city soon demanded increased facilities for the instruction of the children.
In 1869 another and more modern school building was erected near the first, at a cost of twelve hundred dollars, and these two, with the addition of some other rented rooms, answered the purposes of the district until the first Union school building was erected where the Central building now stands, in 1877. This was built of wood, at
a cost, including the furniture, of seven thou- sand dollars. It has since been torn down and removed.
From 1853 to 1861 the growth of the town was slow, and the number of children of school age had reached one hundred and twenty-two, of which forty-eight were in attendance at school. The school during that summer was taught by Miss Belle Hannah, sister of Hon. Perry Hannah. Various teachers followed until the winter of 1868-9, when Professor Young had charge. There were one hundred and seventy-five names enrolled, and the school census showed two hundred and seventy in the district.
In the fall of 1873, under Judge Rob- erts, who was principal, the enrollment had increased to two hundred and twelve. In 1880 Mr. Roberts was succeeded by S. G. Burkhead, who retired in 1884. At this time there were seven school buildings, all wood, and twelve teachers, besides a principal, and the school census showed the number of chil- dren to be eight hundred and sixty-eight, though the number in attendance was much less. The school board at that time was composed of C. J. Kneeland, director; E. P. Wilhelm, assessor; Perry Hannah, modera- tor; George E. Steele and E. L. Sprague.
In the foregoing sketch of the public schools of Traverse City many interesting facts and incidents have been omitted. Enough has been given to enable the reader to have a fair idea of the progress of educa- tion up to 1884, at which time Prof. Charles T. Grawn was engaged as superintendent,; which position he filled most successfully for thirteen years, when he resigned to accept a position as superintendent of the State Normal School at Mt. Pleasant. During these thirteen years rapid and substantial
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advancement was made in the efficacy of the public schools.
Prof. C. H. Horn, who had as principal of the high school for several years shown himself an efficient and successful teacher, succeeded Mr. Grawn as superintendent, which position he held for three years.
Prof. I. B. Gilbert, formerly of St. John's public schools, followed Mr. Horn as superintendent, commencing his work at the opening of the schools in the fall of 1902. Mr. Gilbert has proved himself a worthy suc- cessor of our most successful superintend- ents, and is recognized as one of the most able educators of the state.
In 1886 the plan which had prevailed up to that time of building school buildings of wood was abandoned for the more sub- stantial brick and stone, built after the most modern style of architecture, and with due regard for heat and ventilation. The Cen- tral building, a large portion of which is oc- cupied by the high school, is located upon a beautiful square bounded by Pine, Seventh, Eighth and Wadsworth streets, and is one of the most complete for the purpose in Michigan. The main building was erected in 1886 at a cost of twenty-eight thousand dollars. In 1893 a four-room addition was built on the east end of this building, at a cost of ten thousand eight hundred and forty-five dollars. Since then the increased demand for room has made it necessary to erect a similar addition on the west side.
In 1892 a new six-room building was erected on Boardman avenue, between Web- ster and East Eighth streets, and another of similar design on Elmwood avenue, between Second and Randolph streets. The cost of these two buildings aggregated twenty-five
thousand, five hundred dollars. Since then four-room additions have been made to each of these buildings.
In 1895 an eight-room building was erected in the east part of the city, known as the Oak Park school. It will not be long be- ยท fore additional room will be required, and a site for a building in the south part of town has already been secured by the board of ed- ucation.
In addition to the four brick buildings mentioned above, the city has four wood buildings, each having a capacity of about thirty pupils, which are located as follows : South Side primary, on Union street; the Boon school, in the Boonville addition ; State street primary, and another on Elmwood avenue. At present the two latter are not in use, but are held for emergencies. There are altogether fifty-three school rooms : eight in the Oak Park building, ten each in the Elm- wood and Boardman avenue buildings, twen- ty-one in the Central and one each in the four-wood buildings. The total value of the buildings and grounds, at a conservative esti- mate, is placed at one hundred and forty thousand dollars.
The school census taken in September, 1902, showed two thousand seven hundred and fifty-two persons of school age. The total enrollment of pupils in all branches and grades of the public schools of the city on January 20, 1903, was one thousand nine hundred and ninety-four. The number of teachers, including the superintendent, for the school year 1902-3 is fifty-three-two more than for the previous year. There was paid for teachers' salaries for the year 1901-2, twenty-two thousand three hundred and eighty-eight dollars and sixty-six cents.
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The total annual expense of the public schools of the city is now in excess of fifty thousand dollars.
ST. FRANCIS SCHOOL.
By the exertions of Rev. Fr. Ziegler the first Catholic school was established in Traverse City. He applied to the Sisters of St. Dominic in New York, who in answer to his petition sent six Sisters from their con- vent to establish a branch house in Traverse City. They arrived in the summer of 1887, and opened a school on the east side of Union street, between Eighth and Ninth streets. The building, which was used also for a convent, was purchased by Rev. Fr. Zeigler from his own purse at a cost of one
thousand dollars, and furnished by the peo- ple at a cost of six hundred dollars. After the present convent building was erected the school was transferred to it, and when, the present church was built the parish school was transferred to the old church building.
Rev. Fr. Bauer commenced the construc- tion of the present fine eight-room parochial school building on Cass street, south of the church, in June, 1893, and it was completed the following September, at a cost of eight thousand three hundred and fifty-eight dol- lars and sixty-six cents, and opened soon aft- erwards with an attendance of one hundred and fifty children. Since then the number has increased until at the present there are nearly three hundred enrolled.
CHAPTER XVI.
TRAVERSE CITY CHURCH HISTORY.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The First Congregational church of Traverse City was organized February 2, 1863, the way having been prepared for its existence by the American Home Missionary Society, which was giving its protecting care to and keeping a watchful eye over the new communities.
Through the liberality of this society Rev. J. H. Crum and Rev. Leroy Warren, two young ordained ministers from the Ob- erlin Theological College, were sent into the wilds of the Grand Traverse region to pre-
pare the early pioneers for a formal church organization. Mr. Crum remained at Trav- erse City and Mr. Warren was sent to Elk Rapids.
For three months Rev. Crum labored arduously, preaching in the little schoolhouse on the corner of Park and State streets, where the annex to Park Place now stands, which was at that time the only place for religious gatherings in the town, and doing pastoral visitations. At the expiration of this time a council of Congregational minis- ters in the region was called for the review- ing of the articles of faith, covenant and by-
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laws, as selected and framed by Mr. Crum, which upon investigation proved perfectly satisfactory, and the council proceeded to the services of public organization.
About fifty persons were present on the morning of the organization. The services were conducted by Rev. George Bailey, of Benzonia. At two o'clock in the afternoon the little audience again assembled and lis- tened to the sermon by Rev. George Thomp- son, of Benzonia. After the sermon the following named persons assented to the articles of faith and covenant: Rev. J. H. Crum and wife, Leroy C. Blood and Mrs. Fanny E. Blood, Amos and Mrs. Cecelia Hill, Elvin L. Sprague, Mrs. Marie Grant, Mrs. Mary E. Sprague and Mrs. Caroline McLeod. Rev. Leroy Warren, of Elk Rap- ids, further assisted in the services and in the administration of the Lord's supper. The officers chosen were Elvin L. Sprague, dea- con, and L. C. Blood, clerk. The church received its main support the first year from its foster parent, the Home Missionary So- ciety.
Rev. Crum remained here a little over four years, when he resigned and Rev. R. Hatch, his successor, was called from Ben- zonia. The membership of the church had increased at this time from ten to twenty- five, and it was agreed to raise the minister's salary from six hundred dollars to eight hun- dred. Rev. Hatch entered into the work with his every energy, oftentimes overtax- ing his strength with his zealousness. His efforts were not confined entirely to pastoral visitation and preaching, but he was anxious , for the church people to have a religious home, and with this end in view made a he- roic struggle to obtain one for them. The main part of the present building is the one
built under Mr. Hatch's supervision. Since then its many additions have not added to its architectural beauty. Preparations are now being made by the church society to re- place this whole structure with a larger and much more imposing church building which will doubtless be accomplished at no distant day.
Mr. Hatch made application to the Con- gregational Union for aid and received such encouragement as to warrant the commence- ment of the project and on April 5, 1867, the building was begun, but it was only com- pleted by repeated struggles and urgent re- quests for more money from the people. Rev. Hatch himself drove many a nail in the structure and worked on it until he was completely tired out physically. At length the earnest prayers of the congregation were answered, and on January 12, 1868, the First Congregational church of Traverse City was dedicated. The pastor was assisted in the exercises by Rev. Draper, of the First Meth- odist Episcopal church, and Rev. Leroy War- ren, of Elk Rapids. On August 7, 1871, a fine Troy bell, the first church bell in town, was hung in the tower of the church at a cost of six hundred dollars.
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