USA > Michigan > Eaton County > The county of Eaton, Michigan : topography, history, art folio and directory of freeholders > Part 8
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Mr. Holt is a Republican and when election day comes is sure to be at the polls and equally sure to cast a straight ballot. When he edited the Vermontville Echo he served for three years in the capacity of village treasurer, recorder, one term and school inspector, two terms. He has been a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen for a number of years, and during his residence at Vermontville, acted as recorder for that organization. He is also a prominent member of the Masonic Lodge at Bellevue.
THE OLIVET OPTIC
Was started in 1887 by Mrs. Stella Warner. During the first year of its issue it was sold to Fred Williams, whose proprietorship lasted but a brief time, and the present owner, Frank N. Green, purchased it. The Optic is a live paper, filled each week with news and sound editorials. It has a good circulation, is independent in politics, but is fearless in defending the moral side of all local questions of interest. The Optic has one of the best equipped offices in the county, from which are printed all the fine work, such as catalogues, programs, invitations, etc., of Olivet College; also the Echo, an illustrated magazine edited by the students of the Col- lege.
Mr. Green was born in Olivet in 1859. He attended the public schools and Olivet College until 1875 when he removed to a farm a few miles east of Olivet. He was on this farm for about eight years when he, returned to the village and purchased the Optic. This paper he con- tinued to manage until November, 1894, when he was elected sheriff of Eaton county. He then placed his paper under the editorship of J. K. Swindt.
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SCHOOLS OF EATON COUNTY.
By Rev. CHARLES McKENNEY, A. M., B. S.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: The author of this sketch wishes to publicly express his obligation to Hon. Frank A. Hooker, Hon. Daniel Strange, and Mr. George W. Sherwood for valuable information from which he has freely quoted.
On January 26, 1887, the last neces- sary step was taken by Congress, and Michigan became a state.
The population of the new state was 87,278, centered mostly in the south- eastern portion. There were but few organized counties and Eaton was joined to Calhoun till 1839, and had in 1837 not to exceed 800 inhabitants.
It was the good fortune of Michigan that the foundation of her school sys- tem should be laid by such wise mast- er-builders as Gen. Isaac E. Crary and Rev. John D. Pierce, both of Marshall. Mr. Pierce was the first to hold the office of Superintendent of Public' In- struction, filling the position for five years, and to him more than any other, is due the credit for whatever worth and excellence our school system pos- sesses. His general plan was to have a free public school in reach of every family, schools for academic training at favorable places in the state and a university for higher education. With some modifications the public school system of Michigan.today is the same as planned by Father Pierce.
The early settlers of Eaton county were mostly from New York and states lying farther east, and brought into the western wilds the love of education which has ever characterized the people of New England and their descendants. They determined that the privations of pioneer life should not rob their child- ren of at least a common school educa- tion, and soon after the scattered elear- ings, each with with its rude fashioned log house, appeared the settlers joined in rolling up the log building which should be the home of the district scchool. In some instances, as in Oneida and Sunfield, a school was kept in a settler's home before the school house was built.
In 1835 the territorial council passed a bill organizing certain townships, one of which was Belleville (Bellevue) in- cluding all of Eaton county. The township now known as Bellevue con- tained about twenty-five families and here the first school in the county was taught by Hepsebeth Hutchinson in 1836. It is fitting that the name of this pioneer teacher should go on rec- ord and should be remembered by the never ending line of educators in Eaton county who, under more favorable con- ditions, shall carry on the work she so faithfully begun.
The Inspector's report for 1886 gives the valuation of school property at $70, the number of children, between five and sixteen, as fifty-six, and the total attendance seventy-two. For ten months school $61 were paid, the rate of wages being 81.50 per week. It is not stated that the teacher " boarded 'round " Lut we may safely conclude that the blessed experience was hers. Gradually settlers began to locate in the other parts of the county, and in 1887 schools were taught in Eaton Rap- ids and Hamlio, though the townships were not then organized. A glance at table 1 will show how rapidly pioneers pushed into all parts of the county, and how the school teacher, the pioneer of education and culture, was alroad in the land to train the children who grew 22- as plentiful and robust as the peach- blow potatoes"which [ the settlers planted between the roots of beech and
oak stumps. Benton and Windsor were the last townships to support schools, but in 1848 schools were taught in every township in the county.
The limitations of pioneer life were well reflected in the school facilities of that early day. School house architect- ure had not reached the classical per- iod. One common type prevalied. The school house was usually made of un- hewn logs with the bark still adhering. The crevises were stopped by fitting in split sticks and mud. Long shakes, split from ash or oak, covered the roof; the windows were few and small and the door turned on wooden hinges. A huge stick chimney often relieved the monotony of outline at one end. Knot- holes in the logs often became the homes of yellow jackets and bees and not unfrequently snakes would be seen coiled on a projecting end enjoying a sun-bath till the recess or noon hour literally verified the prophecy that the seed of the woman shall bruise the ser- pent's head.
The exterior of the building was pro- phetic of what was to be found within. Rude logs formed the walls; planks hewn from logs with an ax made the floor. Soon, however, sawmills were started in the county and the ax-hewn planks gave way to the product of the mills. A huge fire place filled one end of the room and baked to a crisp those who sat near it while those farther away were shaking with the chill. On the sides, and at one end of the room, desks were made against the wall by boring holes into the logs, and driving in pegs on which boards were fastened. In front of these rude desks were benches made by splitting a log in halves and inserting legs under the convex side. The pupils while using these desks sat with their backs to the teacher and when classes were called they right- about-faced by lifting their feet over the benches on which they sat. In this position only did they have backs to their seats and they were formed by the sharp edges of the desk.
Books, whose names long since ceased to be heard in school circles, were stud- ied by the barefoot lads and lassies of fifty years ago. Mitchel's. geography, Adams' arithmetic, McGuffy's readers Webster's and Townsend's spellers were the most common, and the atties of mod- ern houses contain mutilated copies of these books that puzzled while they developed the brains of the children of the 40's. But while these books were common they by no means exhausted the list, for " uninformity of textbooks" was much farther away then than to- day. As a rule each child studied the + books which chanced to be in use in the place whence he came, be the place New York, Massachusetts, Pennsyl- vania, Ohio, or Canada. Few branches were taught, and the three R's, "readin', writin' and 'rithmetic " with spelling, claimed almost the sole attention. Grammar was rarely studied and not till very recently did history, civil gov- ernment, and physiology find a place in the district school curriculum. In very many instances the teachers were poorly qualified and methods were of the shake-roof and ash-bench order and yet, in the rude log school houses, pour- ing over these ill-constructed books, guided, and often misguided, by the teachers, sat the boys and girls who, as men and women, kave shaped the destiny, made the honorable present
and made possible the more honorable future of Eaton county.
Educational enthusiasm which now finds vent in so many ways had its chief outlet in early days in the spell- ing school. Of the spelling school, Hon. Daniel Strange writes the follow- ing: " The spelling school was an im- portant and frequent institution in Onedia for a quarter of a century. I have known a crew of young men to capture a pair of wild steers, never before yoked, and hitching them to a sled, push and pull them to the middle of the road, and with a whoop and hur- rah, go merrily off to spelling school. If the sled tipped over or became en- tangled among the stumps there were enough on hand to right all again, and he was a luckless wight who failed to catch the sled when the steers again started on the run. Of course the more orthodox and satisfactory way was with a staid yoke of oxen and a long sleigh, with the box half filled with straw, but without other seats, the boys and girls sitting closely huddled, while practicing the spelling of such intricate words as 'necessary,' 'separ- ate,' ete.
"You ask after the value of the spell- ing school. It was inestimable. It was the most important social institution of the day. It was there I found my wife. In an educational sense its price was above rubies. I knew a young man fitting for a spelling contest, who be- gan spelling on Sunday morning, and with different members of the family to pronounce words to him, he spelled till ten o'clock at night without miss- ing a word. But he failed to win the contest, for though he had mastered four spelling books be had not learned all the words in the Geography. One who learned to spell at these contests has recently written a treatise of 200,- 000 words, and assures me that in writ- ing the whole he consulted the diction- ary for the spelling of but one word."
The following graphic account of the old-time spelling sebool is from the pen of Mr. Geo. W. Sherwood, who is well known throughout the county as a be- liever in the spelling school, and as a dangerous antagonist in the lists:
"What a multitude of reminiscenses crowd thick and fast upon the memory - as we contemplate the 'old-time spell- ing school.' Looming up in our men- tal vision stands the old log school house with its stick chimney, its long writing desk next to the wall, with oblong windows running parallel there- with, the big benches and the little benches, the long birchen whip on a couple of nails, just back of the teach- er's desk in handy reach on short no- tice, and off in one corner that most dreaded and mortifying seat, 'the dunce block,' and last but not least the old-fashioned schoolmaster, with goose- quill pen over his left ear, rule in hand, pacing back and forth the room with all the assumed dignity of a country judge. All these old-time relics in pan- oramic view come up before me as I ruminate on this subject-relies of the long ago that this rising generation know but very little about. Being myself a student in those days, well do I remember with what joy and glad- ness every scholar hailed the announce- ment from the teacher that 'on Friday evening we will have a spelling school,' accompanied with the remark that the adjoining districts would probably 'catch on' and be out in force, and that
we had better be prepared for them. With what renewed energy would the industrious scholar betake himself to the old 'elementary' in looking up. all the hard words, if in so doing he might perchance be able to 'take down' the whole school.
"Night after night he may be seen by the dim light of his hickory torch pouring over his spelling book until he becomes fully satisfied there is no word in that book he can- not spell. Again what a, thrill of joy vibrates his every nerve as he contem- plates the possibility of his being chosen by one of the captains in the coming contest, to sit beside the modest and fascinating blue-eyed Mary Jane, the prettiest girl in school, and thereby be afforded a most golden opportunity to engage her company home after school is out, much to the chagrin of that 'other fellow,' his most hated rival. But to my subject-the old-fashioned spelling school in Eaton County. It may not be amiss to mention right here, for the benefit of those who may never have attended one, the 'modus oper- andi' of an old-fashioned spelling school, which consists simply in ex- tending a general invitation to meet at a certain time and place for a friendly contest in spelling. Having convened, the first thing in order is to elect a moderator, whose duty it is to keep tally of all the words lost and gained on either side, and, in conjunction with the teacher, to settle all difficulties that may arise in the contest. Next [in order is the election of two captains, whose duty it is to choose sides; they generally draw cuts for first choice. Having chosen all that care to spell, the contest is now ready to commence. If any teachers are present from ad- joining districts, out of courtesy they are generally invited to take part in pronouncing words. After spending about an hour in this exercise the teacher calls a halt and requests the moderator to report, which of course plainly shows which side has gained the victory. A recess of fifteen min- utes is now taken, when the 'decks are cleared' for the final contest in 'spell- ing down.' Now is the time the aver- age scholar feels a slight shock to his nervous system. Confidence, or lack of it, now plainly asserts itself. Having taken their places the teacher com- mences by pronouncing the first word of that old familiar lesson, 'ail-to be in trouble,-and the trouble com- mences. One after another they go down like shocks of corn before the wind until there are but two left stand- ing. The cross-firing now becomes fast and furious, and the feeling runs high as it is observed that one of these be- longs to a neighboring district and is considered a champion of that school, while the other is of ourown home school, and from the merry twinkle of his eye is plain to be seen that he feels himself master of the situation, and has 'come to stay.' A word finally strikes the former like a thunderbolt, when all eyes are centered on him as he hesi- tates, not knowing whether to say 'ion' or 'eon.' It is a critical moment, on which hangs possible victory or sure defeat. . He finally guesses, and guesses correctly; his friends breathe a sigh of relief and the battle goes on. Back and forth the words fly in quick succession, when another one strikes ... the champion 'amidship' and down he goes all in a heap, and thus ends the contest in favor of the home school.
"It is with much regret that I learn on careful inquiry that for the last fif- teen or twenty years the old-fashioned spelling school in the majority of dis- tricts in this county has been most sadly neglected. This is very lamenta- ble, for nothing is of more importance in writing than good spelling. Poor penmanehip may be excused, but poor spelling, in this age of free schools, never."
It is of interest in the light of Mr. Sherwood's closing lines to know that the Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion is endeavoring to revive the inter- est in spelling by stimulating contests somewhat of the nature of the spelling school of early days.
Another educational institution, fruitful of unmeasured good, was the singing school. It gave play to social impulses, besides cultivating an art which added cheer to the home and in- terest and power to religious gather- ings. During the winter months a singing teacher would organize schools in adjoining districts, to be held on different nights, thus occupying each night of the week Merry loads of young people from one distriet would visit another and in not a few instances. Fires of love were kindled then that burn on warmly yet. The following sketch of the old time singing school is from the pen of Mr. Strange:
"If the spelling school was golden the singing school was solid silver, not yet demonetized. James Bailey, father of E. H. Bailey of Charlotte, taught our first singing schools. A great hulky lad of seven, I was sent along as escort to my elder sister. I remember well his quaint English accent as he counted wan, tu; wan, tu, sing. I learned 'do' was on the added line, 'mi' on the first line, 'sol' upon the second line and so on for the eight notes. Imagine my surprise to learn later that 'do'wason the second line. I mastered this key with some courage, but when the following week 'do' took another skip, I refused to follow, and would sing only when the music was in my two keys.
"Do you askthe value of the pioneer singing school? 'By their fruits ye shall know them.' Previous to the singing school we had in our neighbor- bood two singers, my aunt Sally and a negro. When a hymn was read, they would consult together and he would whistle a tune half through, in a whis- per, to see if it would fit. If it did not fit, he would try another until one in the right meter was found, when she would lead the tune and he would fol- low at a respectable distance. Young people were present but not one of them could sing. After the course of lessons by Mr. Bailey, a choir was or- ganized that would do credit to any country church today. Our first chor- ister has since led the choirs in many villages and cities; our second has led a church choir in Lansing, and our third led the chappel singing at a Michigan college for three full years.
"One who had no instruction in music, beyond the Eaton county singing schools of thirty and forty years ago, has written sacred music which has met the approval of criticts, and though the harmony is somewhat erratic, the wonder is, as Josh Billings said of woman's preaching and a dog s walking on two legs, that he could do it at all." The writer, from actual acquaintance with the singing schools of twenty-five years ago, can endorse Mr. Strange's
RES. OF JAMES BAUGHMAN, CHARLOTTE.
HOKNEK'S WOOLEN MILL, EATON RAPIDS.
S. T. GREEN, IMPLEMENTS, CHARLOTTE.
RES. OF D. D. VAN ALLEN, HAMLIN TWP. PORTRAITS AND OLD RESIDENCE OF MR. AND MRS. WM. B. VAN ALLEN ..
SCHOOL BLDG., GRAND LEDGE, IST WARD.
Hoover Profilo
OLD MAID'S BLOCK, CHARLOTTE.
CASH FOR WOOL
SUNFIELD ELEVATOR, SUNFIELD.
RES. OF REV. W. B. WILLIAMS, CHARLOTTE.
SCHOOL BLDG., GRAND LEDGE, 2ND WARD.
DISTRICT NO. 8, WALTON TWP.
EATON RAPIDS CITY SCHOOLS."
MICHIGAN STATE BANK, EATON RAPIDS.
RES. OF SETH KETCHAM, CHARLOTTE.
OTTO MER. PROPERTY OF W. B. OTTO, BENTON TOWNSHIP.
OTTO MER is located in Benton Township, four miles north-east of Charlotte, and is the property of W. B. Otto. He began the breeding and raising of thoroughbred Perchron horses in 1880 and his first horse, the Noble Victor together with four brood mares, were secured from M. W. Dunham, of Wayne, Il1. From this time on he purchased quite frequently horses of this breed. The purchase price of Altino was $1,900.00. This horse was popularly known as Eaton County's favorite. Altino was sold in 1887 but his place was soon filled by Favoria, a $2000.00 stallion. The purchase at this time of the imported Constante and of the two famous black mares, Edith and Lauretta, was the laying of the foundation of his herd of beautiful black Perchrons. These three Perchrons are widely known as breeders of prize winners and among their productions may be mentioned the first pure bred black Perchron ever foaled in Eaton county-the greatest prize winner in the state of Michigan-the black beauty, Prince DeConde and the wonderful mare, Pride of Benton, noted as the first pure bred filly ever foaled in this county and she has also distinguished herself as a prize winner.
The accompanying illustration of this herd of Black Perchrons shows Constante, a horse of 1900 pounds weight, who is known as a winner of first premiums at state and county fairs; Prince DeConde whose reputation as a magnificent animal has gone far beyond the limits of his county; Royal Star; a close follower in fame of his half brother, Prince DeConde; John L. Sullivan, a four year old who is justly classed with the rest of this noble herd; Edith, a three year old filly of excellent quality; and the black filly called Beauty, a three year old; and last but not least, the greatest prize winning mare of the state, the famous Edith with her filly colt Bessie at her side.
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view of their importance. Modern methods in music select the few who may have special talent, and pass by the many of average musical ability, with the result that we have a few cultured singers, while the art that most of all adds to the home and to the social and religious gatherings is closed to the many. A revival of popular in- struction in musie would be a blessing. A history of education in Eaton county should not fail to mention the Lyceum and Debating societies which, in many parts of the county, played no insignificant part in the training of young men in extemporaneous speak- ing. In some districts these clubs were maintained winter after winter with no less of interest and zeal. The school house was the place of meeting and was often packed to its utmost, sleigh loads of visitors from adjacent districts often helping to swell the throng.
The questions debated did not vary much from year to year, and every winter the pros and cons of capital pun- ishment, and the relative greatness of sword and pen were rested. The argu- ments of the veterans in debate came to be well known, yet seldom were tiresome, while each winter brought out some young knight ambitious to win his spurs in this verbal tourna- ment. These societies served a good purpose. They developed social and intellectual life, and some of the most popular orators of Eiton county began their carreer as speakers in the debat- ing societies.
It has been a matter of congratulation and pride to the citizens of Eaton county that almost from the earliest settlement there have been within her borders institutions that afforded oppor- tunities for at least academic education. The colony which settled Vermont- ville, before leaving Vermont, had drawn up articles of agreement stating the purposes for which they were seek- ing homes in the West. The sixth arti- cle reads: " And we do also agree that for the benefit of our children and the rising generation, we will endeavor as far as possible, to carry with us and perpetuate among us the same literary privileges that we enjoy here." Amid all the hardships of pioneer life, they ceased not to remember the vow made in far off Vermont, and in 1813 began to carry it into effect by organizing the Vermontville Academical Associa- tion, which was incorporated in 1843 with nine trustees and a capital stock $10,000. A building was erected before the incorporation of the Association, and in the winter of '44 and '45 the academy was opened with Rev. W. U. Benedict, the pastor of the Congrega- tional church, as teacher. The higher English branches and Latin were taught. The academy building still stands, serving as chapel to the Con- gregational church.
The academy was a beacon light of learning in the new land and attracked to itself students from not only the immediate vicinity, but from even re- moter p'ares. For twenty years or more, the academy was sustained, but as colleges sprung up in southern Mich- igan, and union schools were organ- ized in every considerable village, the demand for it ceased and in the later sixties it was merged into the Vermont ville Union Schools.
But it had not lived in vain. It left an enduring impress upon Vermont- ville society and its influence was wide spread and gave vitality to the lives of many who are filling responsible posi- tions with ability that only thorough training can give.
William Johnson established a high school in Charlotte in 1845 or 1846, and was himself the teacher. Mr. Foot writes of the institution and its asso- ciations as follows:
"From this germ of a school finally sprouted and took root the ambitious project of organizing a joint stock com- pany and incorporating the Charlotte academy. Not only here, but in all of the adjoining townships, stock was lib- erally subscribed. Mr. McComb, a land owner, donated the academy ground and a bell. Mr. Nathan A. Johnson was the fortunate bidder who got the job of putting up this academy, and of collecting the subscription for his pay. The work was commenced
about 1846, and for years was patiently prosecuted by Mr. Johnson alone. I remember of his starting to slide off the roof while shingling, and as he got to the eaves and was about shooting over, there happened to be a solitary staging pole about four feet away, against which he fortunately placed one foot and stopped his progress.
When Printer Johnson suspended his Bugle and went back to Ohio to reside, the academy enterprise languished, the subscription got cold, and Nathan found academy building up hill work, much more so than sliding down that roof. Just then people commenced finding fault because he was so slow in finishing the academy. I have a recol- lection of going down to that building one cold forenoon during the winter of 1848 and 1849, after it was roofed and sided up. I remember of climbing in, with no plank to walk upon, and of see- ing windows borded up with long boards to save spoiling the lumber. Joists, sleepers and stud ling were all bare. There were just boards enough for the work bench to stand upon in the middle of the lower room, All was silent save a long shaven hitched to a sliver by the side of a crevice, stream- ing and fluttering in the wind. There, all alone, sat the academy builder, Johnson, upon the work bench beside his empty nail box, his coat on and buttoned up to the chin, his purple hand clinging to the handle of his ham- mer. I couldn't see much sunshine in his countenance, and am sorry to say he found some fault because they were so slow in paying up their subserip- tions. He had been dunning away at them for weeks without raising a dol- lar. 'Not a board,' said he, 'not a nail, not a sash nor a pane of glass, and those d-d fools all the while grumb- ling because I don't finish off this acad- emy!" This was Wooden Johnson. Printer Johnson, the instigator of what led to this, had deserted us and gone back to Ohio.
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