HISTORY OF TUSCOLA COUNTY

VILLAGE OFFICERS.

YEAR PRESIDENT. RECORDER. TREASURER ASSESSOR
1871 H. P. Atwood S. C. Armstrong A. M. Judd. Henry Church.
1872 H. P. Atwood Thomas A. Mills E. W. Gerrish A. M. Judd.
1873 F. A. Goodell J. J. Weale Avril Harris A. M. Judd.
1874 A. M. Judd Wm. L Rogers Henry S. Johnson H. S. Lee
1875 C. C. Stoddard Henry G. Chapin Henry S. Johnson Tiffany Nettleton
1876 Wm. M. Rogers Henry G. Chapin Henry S. Johnson C. Montague Sr.
1877 Wm. M. Rogers J. H. Cummings Gilbert Johnso W. L. Rogers
1878 C. P. Black W. C. Buchanan Marcus C. Robb J. W. Spencer
1879 Wm. M. Rogers W. C. Buchanan Marcus C. Robb J. W. Spencer
1880 John F. Wilmot Manly C. Dodge John D. Knight Marcus C. Robb
1881 F. H. Thomas Manly C. Dodge Gilbert Johnston John D. Knight
1882 John Staley Jr. Fred D. Aplin Gilbert Johnston W. L. Rogers
1883 J. W. Spencer F. C. Townsend Gilbert Johnston J. R. Gillespie

TRUSTEES

1871.- C. P. Black, J. P. Hoyt, G. W. Howell, S. P. Sherman, W. Balch, G. S. Gage, C. Montague and A. P. Cooper.

1872.- C. P. Black, J. P. Hoyt, D. Kinyon, A. Reynick, J. Riley, Charles Montague, J. N. Mertz and T. Nettleton.

1873.- G. Johnson, Charles W. Husted, William McPhail, A. W. Ale, J. N. Mertz, J. H. West, M. M. Cross and S. S. Utter.

1874.- John M. Boyd, Alexander Reynick, James Howell, John Riley, William M. Rogers, John Kelley, Charles Montague and William E. Sherman.

1875.- Charles Montague,, Jr., Alexander Reynick, Hubbard L. Lee, D. C. Bush, Jonathan Sprague, Samuel Strickland, John M. Boyd and Lonson Wilcox.

1876.- J. Sprague, Alexander Reynick, James W. Spencer, Charles Montague, D. S. Stevens, F. W. Norton and F. Pool.

1877.- Charles Montague, Alexander Reynick, J W. Spencer, John F. Wilmot, William Thompson, Frederick Pol, C. G. Slayton and H. G. Chapin.

1878.- G. W. Howell, Charles Montague, W. K. Wheat, Sabin Gibbs, Alexander P. Cooper, S. F. Chase, John D. Knight and William Thompson.

1879.- George W. Howell, Alexander Reynick, Alonzo Washburn,

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Solon P. Spafford, Frederick Pool, George T. Alexander, George Van Winkle and Tiffany Nettleton.

1880.- George W. Howell, H. P. Atwood, Charles Montague, W. K. Wheat, S. F. Chase, John Staley, Jr., Augustus L. Keiff and Morgan A. Jones.

1881.- A. P. Cooper, George W. Howell, A. C. Parsons, S. P. Spafford, R. J. Parkhurst, John F. Palmer, N. M. Richardson and H. P. Atwood.

1882.- C. O. Thomas, C. H. Van Wagoner, S. P. Spafford. L. Wilcox, A. Reynick, D. S. Stevens, H. N. Montague and John F. Palmer.

1883.- George W. Howell, Frederick W. Oesterle, John H Knickerbock, John N. Mertz, John Wagoner, John F. Seeley and Horace N. Montague.

FIRST FIRE.

The first fire of any importance that visited the village of Caro, broke out about 4 o’clock in the morning of Friday, June 29, 1871, and was described as follows: “The fire was first discovered by Mr. David Hemorick livery and stage agent. He noticed a smoke issuing from the engine room attached to the building of Mr. E. Belmer, but supposed they were firing up for the day. He finished his business with the stage, returned to the barn and hitched up a team, and when riding past the second time, discovered that the engine house was in flames. The buildings destroyed were all the property of Mr. E. Belmer, who was absent from home at the time, and consisted of a wagon and blacksmith shop, the back end of which was used as a woolen-mill, and directly back of this was the engine house and a few feet from this a good sized barn. On the west side of the shop was Mr. Belmer’s new building, occupied by the marble works, D. C. Bush, clothing merchant, and the second story by F. A. Leasia, tailor. By the time a sufficient number had arrived, the flames had made such rapid progress that the saving of the shop was considered an impossibility. The house on the west side, and about thirty feet from the shop, required immediate attention, and was saved by hard work. And in saving this the Advertiser office and all the upper portion of State Street, consisting of eight or ten business places, were saved. The marble shop was about ten feet from the burning building, and time was only had to clear the burning building, when the flames drove those at work away. The contents of the store and tailor shop were all saved, also the window and a portion of the glass front.

“The engine had been in use the previous day, and was closed up about 6 o’clock in the evening. Everything was made secure, as was supposed, and an examination of the vicinity at 10 o’clock that evening revealed nothing unusual. It is supposed by those acquainted with the premises, and the construction of the engine, that a coal dropped out and set fire to the wooden frame on which the engine was standing, before the engine was closed and burned slowly until the next morning.

“The loss falls heavily on Mr. Belmer, as the property destroyed had been accumulated by years of hard labor, and was not insured. His loss in buildings and tools is estimated at $4,000. His house and household goods were mostly saved, yet damaged somewhat.

“The carding machine was the property of Mr. Robert E. Miller, and was brought here from Lapeer last winter. His loss will amount to about $1,000. No insurance.

“The marble works lost in building and stock about $1,000. Tools all saved.

“Messrs. Quick and Smith lost all their accounts, and a set of carpenter and joiner tools. The other tools in the shop belonged to Mr. Belmer. Their loss was not more than $150.”