USA > Michigan > Wayne County > Detroit > The city of Detroit, Michigan, 1701-1922, Vol. I > Part 80
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 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86
San Francesco Parish School: 290 Eliot : Sisters of Notre Dame.
PROTESTANT PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS
The St. John's German Evangelical School on Monroe Avenue and Farrar Street was established in the year 1843. A school house was built at the rear in 1845 and for nearly twenty years a school was held here intermittently. St. Mark's German Evangelical School was established January 2, 1884 with twenty- two scholars and was located at the corner of Military Avenue and Dix. St. Matthew's Lutheran School was organized in 1846, on Congress near Russell Street, and a building was erected for the purpose in 1850. Trinty Evangelical Lutheran School was organized in 1850 in the old wooden church on Larned Street between Rivard and Russell Streets. Zion German Reformed Lutheran School was originally organized about 1852, and until 1857 met in a church
787
CITY OF DETROIT
building on Croghan Street near Beaubien. A school house was built on Russell Street in 1861, after the school had been discontinued for four years. Salem Lutheran School, which was located on the south side of Catherine Street be- tween St. Antoine and Hastings, was started in 1864. Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran School was organized in 1866 and was originally located on Ninth Avenue near Orchard Street. Zion Evangelical Lutheran School was established in the fall of 1878 on Welch Avenue in Springwells, St. Paul's Lutheran School, which was located on the corner of Jay Street and Joseph Campau Avenue, was organized in the early '70s. St. Paul's Second German Evangelical School was located on the corner of Seventeenth and Rose Streets and was established in 1873. St. Peter's German Evangelical School, located on Pierce Street near Chene, was established in 1879. This, in brief, is the story of the beginning of Protestant parochial schools in Detroit. Like the Catholic and public schools, the number of them has increased with the growth of the city, until today those in existence are:
Bethania German Evangelical School: Meldrum and Pulford Avenues.
Bethania Evangelical Lutheran School: Mount Elliott and Church Avenues.
Bethlehem School: Mckinstry Avenue between Porter and Christiancy
Christ German Evangelical School: Myrtle and Roosevelt Avenues Christ German Evangelical Lutheran School.
Concordia Lutheran School: Cadillac and Sylvester Avenues.
Concordia School (German Protestants), 8419 Vanderbilt.
Emmaus Lutheran School: Twelfth and Lysander.
Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel School: 3750 Twenty-fifth Street.
Evangelical Lutheran Trinity School: Rivard and Gratiot.
German Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel School: Twenty-fifth between Magnolia and Linden.
German Evangelical Lutheran Bethel School: 5850 Mitchell.
German Evangelical Lutheran Zion School: 4323 Military.
German and English Evangelical Lutheran St. Luke's Parochial School: Field and Kercheval Avenues.
Gethsemane German and English Lutheran School: Twenty-eighth near Buchanan.
Good Hope Evangelical Lutheran School.
Grace Evangelical Lutheran School: Highland and Woodward.
Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran School: Joseph Campau and Illinois.
Holy Trinity Russian Orthodox School: 2427 Meade Avenue.
Hungarian Magyar Reformed Protestant School: 8028 South.
Immanuel Parochial School: Livernois and Vernon.
Immanuel School (German): Pine near Nineteenth.
Peoples (Polish) School: 2929 Yeamans Avenue.
St. James Evangelical Lutheran School: Humboldt and Poplar.
St. John Evangelist School: Sargent and East Grand Boulevard.
St. John's Evangelical Lutheran School: Maybury Grand Avenue and Poplar.
St. John's German Evangelical School: Burdeno and Ford.
St. Luke's German Evangelical School: Harper Avenue.
St. Marcus German Evangelical School: Military Avenue.
St. Matthews German Evangelical Lutheran School: Carleton Avenue.
St. Paul's German Lutheran: Joseph Campau and Jay Streets.
788
CITY OF DETROIT
St. Peter's German Evangelical School: 2281 Pierce. Salem Evangelical Lutheran School: Mack and Chene Street. Stephanus Evangelical School: Chamberlain and Lawndale. Zion's German Evangelical Lutheran School: 4305 Military.
OTHER DETROIT SCHOOLS
When the automotive industry in Detroit was in its very infancy, there was a demand for skilled mechanies for the manufacture of gasoline motors. The vast expansion of the industry, the almost unbelievable number of men re- quired for its maintenance, have created a steady need for this class of work- men. In 1910 a number of Detroit men saw the opportunity in this situation to establish a school for the training of men for positions in the automobile and parts factories, and for garage and repair work. The school was organized as a corporation with a capital stock of $10,000 and was called the Michigan State Auto School. Beginning with only a few instructors and less than one hundred students, the school has grown until now there are seventy on the school staff and the enrollment has exceeded one thousand. The course of instruction covers a period of from nine to ten weeks and the tuition fee is $150. This fee entitles the student to a life enrollment, so that at any time he may come back and repeat his course, or take additional courses. The Mich- igan State Auto School is now located at 3729 Woodward Avenue. The main building has two floors, as have two other buildings on Selden Avenue, nearby. The instruction in the school is divided into study of the chassis, the motor, ignition, starting and lighting, repairing and review. Special courses are also given in welding, tire repairing, battery repairing and machine shop practice. The president of the institution is Arthur G. Zeller.
Beginning in the early '90s there came into existence in Detroit individual schools for the teaching of music and other accomplishments. There are in Detroit today scores of schools covering a broad scope of subjects. Among the subjects taught and the purposes advanced by these schools may be mentioned the following:
Music, dramatic art, accounting, dress making, millinery, languages, auto- motive trades, mechanics, boxing, toilet art, technical subjects, business sub- jects, chiropractic, osteopathy, English, law, medicine, surgery, religion, citi- zenship, engineering, golf, nursing, arts, health building, singing, salesman- ship, dentistry, motherhood, home training, barbering, navigation, moving picture work, occupational therapy, truck and auto driving, correction of stammering, social work, commerce and finance, and traffic.
CHAPTER XXXI
HISTORY OF THE PRESS
PREDECESSOR OF THE MODERN NEWSPAPER-FIRST NEWSPAPERS IN LONDON AND IN THE UNITED STATES-DETROIT'S FIRST NEWSPAPER-DETROIT GAZETTE- OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF AN EARLY DAY-THE NEWSPAPER GRAVEYARD- THE DETROIT TRIBUNE-THE DETROIT FREE PRESS-FIRST DAILY ISSUE- THE DETROIT NEWS-THE DETROIT JOURNAL-THE DETROIT DAILY TIMES OTHER LIVING DETROIT PUBLICATIONS-PHARMACEUTICAL AND DENTAL- MEDICAL JOURNALISM-LEGAL PUBLICATIONS-RELIGIOUS PUBLICATIONS- GERMAN NEWSPAPERS-OTHER FOREIGN LANGUAGE PUBLICATIONS: FRENCH, POLISH, ITALIAN, BELGIAN, HUNGARIAN, RUSSIAN AND JEWISH-NEWSPAPERS OF WAYNE COUNTY OUTSIDE OF DETROIT.
To the civilization of ancient Rome the nations of the modern world are indebted for the crude idea that has been developed step by step into the daily or weekly newspaper. The Roman "Acta Diurna" were manuscript publications, written or engraved upon wax tablets with an instrument called the stylus. As this method of production was somewhat tedious, the edition was necessarily limited to a few copies, which were displayed in the most public places in the city, in order that the people might acquaint themselves with current events, entertainments at the Coliseum and the political trend of the times. The "Acta Diurna" were not issued at regular intervals, but only upon the occur- rence of some event of more than passing interest. When one appeared, each place where it was posted would be surrounded by people, who listened eagerly while someone read the contents. These "Acta Diurna" were not unlike the bulletins displayed in front of the modern newspaper office.
The first publication really worthy of the name of "newspaper" made its appearance in London in 1622, nearly two centuries after Gutenberg invented the process of printing with type. It was called "The Weekly News from Italie and Germanie". Previous to its appearance the wealthier classes of Europeans had been accustomed to receiving their information of the world's doings through the medium of the weekly "news letter", but this form of manuscript literature was too expensive for any but the very rich. "The Weekly News from Italie and Germanie" was printed upon a clumsy press operated by hand power- the invention of Nathaniel Butler-yet this primitive and imperfect machine occupies a place in history as the progenitor of the complex printing press of the present day. The contents of this first diminutive newspaper consisted mainly of social items and satirical quips until about 1641, when the parlia- mentary reports were published in its columns. This was the first notice ever given by the "press" to political affairs. The first advertisement ever published in a newspaper appeared in this little journal in 1648. It was written in rhyme and was intended to call the attention of the public to the merits of a Belgravia merchant tailor.
The "London Courant", the first daily morning newspaper ever published,
789
790
CITY OF DETROIT
was established in 1709. It consisted of a single sheet and its contents were principally translations from foreign journals. With the inauguration of the daily newspaper, the press gained rapidly in popularity and importance and the "Courant" was not long without its competitors. By 1760 over seven million copies of daily newspapers were sold annually in England.
IN THE UNITED STATES
A small quarto sheet, called the "Boston Public Occurrences," was estab- lished in 1690 and was the first newspaper in the United States. Subsequently it was suppressed by the Massachusetts colonial authorities on account of its radical utterances. Next came the "Boston News-Letter," which was started in 1704 by John Campbell, then postmaster at Boston. In 1721 James Franklin established the "New England Courant" and conducted it for five or six years, when it was suspended for want of adequate support. Soon after this paper was suspended, Benjamin Franklin founded the "Pennsylvania Gazette" at Philadelphia and published it as a weekly until 1765, when it was merged with the "North American." The "Evening Post," of New York City, was founded in 1801 and is still published.
West of the Alleghany Mountains, the first newspaper was the "Pittsburgh Gazette," the initial number of which was issued on July 17, 1786 by Joseph Hall and John Scull. On August 11, 1787, John Bradford published the first number of the "Kentucky Gazette" at Lexington. William Maxwell began the publication of "The Centinel of the Northwest Territory" at Cincinnati in November, 1793. This was the first paper northwest of the Ohio River. About three years later Edward Freeman purchased the outfit, changed the name to "Freeman's Journal," and removed the publication office to Chillicothe, then a town of more importance than Cincinnati.
Probably the first newspapers to be read by the people of Detroit were those published in Canada. In the districts of Canada where the French were in control, no printing of any kind was permitted, but the English were more liberal in their views. The "Halifax Gazette" began its career March 23, 1752, and soon after the close of the French and Indian war the "Quebec Gazette" was started. The first number was dated June 21, 1764, and was printed partly in French and partly in English. "The Pittsburgh Common- wealth," published from 1805 until 1809, paid special attention to news from Detroit, both to keep their eastern subscribers informed about their relatives in the West and to encourage emigration to the new country.
DETROIT'S FIRST NEWSPAPER
The news of the day was first circulated in Detroit by notices left at the doors of those who could afford such service. News of events reached Detroit many days, and sometimes weeks, after they occurred and even then was a much garbled story. Late in the Eighteenth Century the town crier rang his bell in the narrow streets of the village or summoned a crowd by drum-beats to listen to his latest announcement. Thomas Williams was one of these town criers. Meeting-time at old Ste. Anne's Church was a favorite hour for the dissemination of news. Theophilus Mettez, printer of religious books and afterward a news publisher, cried aloud the story of the day after services in the church, made announcements of local character and otherwise notified the people of past and coming events of interest.
James E. Seripps
William E. Quinby
William H. Brearley
Richard S. Willis
OLD PORTRAITS OF PROMINENT DETROIT MEN
793
CITY OF DETROIT
In the year 1809 occurred one of the most important events of early Detroit. This was the introduction of the first printing press. Fr. Gabriel Richard, the priest of Ste. Anne's, purchased a press, type and other materials for printing in Baltimore and had them conveyed to Detroit. It is not probable that he retained the ownership of this property very long, although it is very certain that he was, in some way, deeply interested in it for years. If he retained ownership, he leased its possession to James M. Miller. The latter had come to Detroit from New York State and later returned there and died at Ithaca in 1838.
There were a number of small articles, such as tax receipts and blanks of that nature, printed immediately upon the arrival of the press, but the first thing of importance to be printed was "The Child's Spelling Book, or Michigan Instructor." This was a small speller containing twelve pages and was issued August 1, 1809. "The Michigan Essay, or Impartial Observer" was issued August 31, 1809. Only one issue of this paper has ever been found and it is not known for certain whether there were any other issues. From this time forward various books were printed on this press, mostly of a religious character, and nearly all of the Catholic faith and in the French language. A. Coxshawe had charge of the press in 1811 and 1812. During the War of 1812 several proclamations and the capitulation of Governor Hull were printed on it. The Cass Code, issued in 1816, was printed by Theophilus Mettez, who was in charge of the press and had been for some time, although he was uneducated and unable to sign his own name: legal documents executed by him were signed with a cross.
"The Michigan Essay, or Impartial Observer," as stated before, was the first newspaper ever issued in Detroit. But one number of this paper has ever been found and it was designated as Volume I, Number 1, and was printed and published by James M. Miller. It was dated August 31, 1809, was 914 by 16 inches in size, of four pages, each of which contained four columns of matter. Silas Farmer, who discovered a copy of the paper in Worcester, Massachusetts, wrote as follows regarding the make-up:
"The title is not in French, and instead of being printed mainly in that language, but one and a half columns out of the sixteen are in French-not one-tenth of the paper. The make-up consists of articles from the London Morning Chronicle, Liverpool Aurora, New York Spectator, Pittsburgh Com- monwealth, Boston Mirror, and items credited to Baltimore and Dutch papers. There are also extracts from Young's 'Night Thoughts' and from Ossian; three short poems on Evening, Happiness, and Futurity; a communication on Manu- facturers, and short prose articles on Politeness, Early Rising, and Husbandry. The information from Europe is from four to five months old, and that from various parts of the United States was new from four to six weeks before its publication in the Essay. There are no local items of any sort whatever, and of course no telegraphic or market news, and but one advertisement-that of St. Anne's School. In the only article at all of the nature of an editorial, 'the publie are respectfully informed that the Essay will be conducted with the utmost impartiality; that it will not espouse any political party, but fairly and candidly communicate whatever may be deemed worthy of information, whether foreign, domestic or local'; and 'gentlemen of talents are invited to contribute to our columns whatever they suppose will be acceptable and bene-
794
CITY OF DETROIT
ficial to the public, yet always remembering that nothing of a controversial nature will be admissable'."
The price of the "Essay" was advertised to be "$5 a year to city subscribers, $4.50 by mail to residents of Upper Canada and Michigan, and $4 to more distant subscribers." Advertisements were quoted at fifty cents for the first insertion and thereafter twenty-five cents for each insertion, for a stipulated amount of space.
It is probable that just one, and not more than three, issues of this paper were ever published. No record has ever been found to contradict this.
THE DETROIT GAZETTE
Probably the first among the more important publications in the newspaper field of Detroit, but which are now defunct, was the "Detroit Gazette." This paper was started by John P. Sheldon, who formed a partnership with Ebenezer Reed known as Sheldon & Reed, at the suggestion of Lewis Cass. The first number of the "Gazette" was issued July 25, 1817. The sheet was democratic in color. The print measured 91/2 by 161/2 inches, with a four column make-up, and the type used was very poor, evidently of second-hand nature. The body of the paper was printed in English, with a reproduction of a few of the more important articles in French upon the back page. The paper was first printed in the old Seek House, near Wayne Street, then described as being "on Attwater Street, a few rods above the public wharf." The way of the carly newspaper in Detroit was surely an uncertain one. The "Gazette" had more than its share of troubles. An editorial of July 14, 1820, stated:
"We have in the City of Detroit 82 subscribers; at River Raisin, 17; in other parts of the Territory, 19; total, 118 subscribers in Michigan Territory; 2 subscribers in Upper Canada, and 32 in different parts of the Union. Total subscribers, 152. Not one of the advertisements have been paid for, and only 90 subscribers have paid for the paper."
That this lamentable condition was not corrected is shown by a subsequent editorial, October 1, 1829:
"Our subscription list in Michigan bears no proportion to the number of subscribers we have in other states. Foreign subscribers pay in advance, while those in Michigan pay or never pay, as it may chance to suit their fancy. Some- times we get a pig or a load of pumpkins from them, and once in a great while there is a man of mettle who pays cash for his paper."
The price of the paper was reduced from $4 to $3 for city subscribers, in an effort to bring in the delinquents. In July, 1828, the "Gazette" was leased to H. L. Ball for a term of nine years, but Sheldon continued in his place as editor. Sheldon was a fearless editor and did not hesitate to speak his mind through his editorial columns. There arose, in 1829, a case in which he chastised the Supreme Court, which is one of the most interesting stories of carly Detroit journalism. One John Reed was brought to trial in the Wayne County Circuit Court on the charge of larceny. Reed made a peremptory challenge against an objectionable juror and caused him to be removed. Nevertheless he was convicted. Then, in January, 1829, the Supreme Court granted him a new trial upon a technicality resulting from this challenge. The editor of the "Gazette" immediately began a series of articles in criticism of the action of the Supreme Court, with the result that he was arrested and fined $100 for
795
CITY OF DETROIT
contempt of court. Edmund A. Brush and Eurotas P. Hastings offered to pay his fine, but Sheldon declined and was locked up.
On the same day Sheldon was committed to jail, March 5th, a public "indignation meeting" was held at the old Mansion House, on Jefferson Avenue near Cass. Resolutions condemning the arrest of Sheldon were passed and a committee was appointed to collect funds to pay the fine, the amount from each person not to be over 121/2 cents. Detroit citizens hastened to prepare some sort of testimonial to their heroic editor and a public dinner, to be held at the jail on the site of the present down town library, was planned. On May 7, 1829, nearly three hundred persons filled the jail and the banquet was attended by speeches, songs and cheers.
For nine days Sheldon remained imprisoned, during which time he composed several articles for his paper on the Wayne County jail. On the 14th of March he was escorted from the jail to the Mansion House and, after luncheon, left for his Oakland County home. On April 23d following he resigned from the editorial management of the "Gazette" and was succeeded by Ebenezer Reed.
The last number of the "Gazette" appeared April 22, 1830, and was followed four days later by a fire which destroyed the entire plant. A printer named Ulysses G. Smith was imprisoned for having committed the offense. Promises of renewing the paper were made, but were never kept, and so passed the first serious newspaper venture in Detroit.
OTHER PUBLICATIONS OF AN EARLY DAY
"The Michigan Herald," of whig tendencies, was published by Henry Chipman and Joseph Seymour as a weekly. The first number was issued May 10, 1825, and the last April 30, 1829.
"The Herald of Literature and Science," a small quarto monthly, was first issued May 14, 1831, by the Detroit Debating Society and continued for three or four numbers.
"The Michigan State Register," a semi-monthly publication, of historical nature, was first issued July 1, 1836, by G. L. Whitney and George Corselius. The last known issue was No. 13 of February 1, 1837.
"The Detroit Evening Spectator and Literary Gazette" was published by B. Kingsbury and G. P. Burnham, two Boston men, and printed by G. L. Whitney. The first number was issued October 20, 1836, and the last in the late spring of 1838.
"The Spy in Michigan," a weekly whig paper, was published by Morgan Bates, edited by E. M. McGraw, and printed by Harsha & Bates. The first number came out June 12, 1837, and ran continuously until November 13, 1838, when it was abandoned for a time. In 1839 it was revived and published for about a year before it finally expired.
"The Detroit Morning Post," which might have been styled an intermittent daily, was established by the firm of Kingsbury & Burnham, and the first issue was sold on the streets of Detroit in July, 1837. In 1838 J. M. Berger was the proprietor of the paper and B. Kingsbury, Jr., editor. In December of this year, G. R. Griswold became editor and proprietor and associated with him was Kingsbury. In January, 1839, the paper was consolidated with "The Craftsman of Michigan," which latter publication had been started in May, 1838, by E. J. Roberts as a weekly. The consolidated paper was called "The Morning Post and Craftsman," and was issued by Kingsbury & Roberts until
796
CITY OF DETROIT
June, 1839, when the name was changed to "The Evening Post and Craftsman." In the autumn of 1839 it suspended for about two months and was afterwards revived and published for an interval in 1840.
"The Michigan Observer" was first issued June 17, 1837, under the editorial management of Rev. Warren Isham. It was a weekly publication, devoted to religious and kindred topies. It was discontinued after the issue of June 22, 1839.
"The Day Book," a daily penny sheet, was published by William Harsha in 1838. Only a few numbers were ever issued.
"The Michigan Agriculturist," under the editorial management of H. H. Snelling, was first issued in October or November, 1838, and was continued until January S, 1839.
"The Mirror of the Lakes" was the ornate title of a literary and society paper published by H. H. Snelling for a time in 1839.
Another of the ephemeral publications of the day was "The Spirit of '76" or "Theller's Daily Republican Advocate." This was both a daily and weekly publication, first issued August 17, 1839. H. H. Snelling was the publisher and Dr. E. A. Theller was the editor. This paper was devoted to the cause of the patriots and the editor was at one time imprisoned during the Patriot war. In the autum of 1840 the publication of the sheet was abandoned.
"The Washingtonian," organ of the State Temperance Society, was origin- ally published at Jackson, then at Marshall, and finally at Detroit. The first issue in Detroit was dated March 12, 1842. It survived about one year.
An antislavery sheet, called "The Detroit Times," was published from May to November, 1842, by Warren Isham.
"The Constitutional Democrat" was first issued on May 25, 1842, as a semi-weekly by Currier, Briggs & Company, with E. D. Ellis as editor. After October 1, 1842, it was issued but onee each week and in 1844 it was changed to a daily. This paper was merged with "The American Citizen" in 1845, which latter paper had been a weekly, devoted to the free-soilers. The merged publications continued until the late spring of 1847.
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.