Miscellanous on Vasser, Tuscola County, Michigan Copyright © 1998 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. _____________________________________________________________________ LODGES AND SOCIETIES Taken from The History of Tuscola County, Biographical Sketches and Illustrations, H. R. Page Co., Chicago, 1883. Thanks to Bonnie Petee. MASONIC Cass River Lodge, No. 163, F. and A. M., was granted a charter by the Grand Lodge at its session of January, 1865, with J. J. Wilder, W. M.; I. C. Kibbe, S. W.; B. A. Wood, J. W.; H. P. Atwood, secretary. In February the following officers were elected: I. C. Kibbe, W. M.; H. P. Atwood, S. W.; I. Killam, J. W.; J. H. Grinnell, treasurer; W. Lake, Jr., secretary; J. Gould, S. D.; L. F. Hinson, J. D.; P. D. Bush, tyler. Monday evening, February 20, the lodge was duly constituted and the officers installed. The officers in 1883 are as follows: W.M., J. A. Trotter; S. W., J. R. Bancroft; J. W., L. C. Merritt; treasurer, M. L. Gage; secretary, E. A. Bullard; S. D., C. H. Richardson; J. D., Jas. Stewart; stewards, T. H. Lake, E. J. Hovey; tyler, M. P. McHose. A few years after its organization the name of the lodge was changed to Vassar Lodge. The lodge is building a new hall on Pine Street which when completed, will provide it with desirable apartments. ODD FELLOWS Vassar Lodge, No. 264, I. O. O. F., was organized in February, 1876. The charter members were P. D. Irons, H. B. McHose, J. H. Wagner, H. N. Montague, P. L. Varnum, John Clark and A. H. Wilber. Principal officers were: N. G., P. D. Irons; secretary, J. A. Clark; treasurer, H. B. McHose; V. G., J. H. Wagner; present officers: N. G., J. A. Clark; secretary, P. L. Varnum; treasurer, J. H. Wagner; V. G., C. D. Bennett. LIBRARY ASSOCIATION The Vassar Library association was organized in January, 1882, largely through the instrumentality of Mrs. Anna Oakley. A village library has been established which now contains 268 volumes. The officers in 1883 are: President, Horace A. Miller; vice president, P. L. Varnum, secretary, Rev. E. P. Clark; treasurer, Geo. E. Williamson. KNIGHTS OF HONOR Eureka Lodge, N. 869, Knights of Honor, was organized with about eighteen members, in September, 1878. The present dictator is D. G. Whitcomb; reporter, Horace A. Miller; finance reporter, M. P. McHose, medical examiner and treasurer, Dr. L. C. Davis. GOOD TEMPLARS Vassar Lodge of Good Templars, No. 431, was organized in May, 1882. W. C. T., W. E. Clough; W. V. T., Mrs. W. H. Dack; secretary, Mary E. Kesseler; treasurer, Mrs. A. Hartman P. W. C. T., W. H. Dack. The lodge had had a succcessful career thus far, and is a present in a flourishing condition. CHOSEN FRIENDS A lodge of the order of Chosen Friends was organized in March 1883, with twenty-two members. The following were the officer elected; Chief councilor, W. E. Clough; vice councilor, G. W. Laking; secretary, G. R. Wightman; treasurer, J. H. Wagner; medical examiner, Dr. T. A. Cullis; probate, Wm. Kenyon; marshal, John Scott; guard, M. Fogler; warden, John Parker; sentinel, E. Adams. KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABEES Vassar tent, No. 66, Knights of the Maccabees, was organized in December, 1882. Sir Kt. C., Frank L. Fales; S. K. L. C., Horace A. Miller; R. K., H. S. Hadsall; F. K., T. Lane; P. S. Kt.; C., S. A. Lane; prelate, D. C. Atkins. THE POSTOFFICE The Vassar postoffice was established in 1852, and was kept in the store of North & Edmunds. Dr. William Johnson was the first postmaster. The mail was brought from Tuscola, and the carrier's hat was usually the mail bag. Soon after the mail was received regularly from Bridgeport. Dr. Johnson held the office until the election of James Buchanan as president, when a political change of administration resulted in a change of federal office holders, and he was succeeded by B. W. Huston, Jr. Mr. Huston was followed by W. R. Baartlett, Isaac Jameson, Alexander Trotter, and William Lake, Jr. The present postmaster, E. C. Caine, took the office in January 1882. A new postoffice is being erected in the summer of 1883, adjoining the store of John Johnson & Son, on Main street. The business of the office is constantly increasing, and on the lst of July, 1882, was made a third-class office and a separating office from April 1st, 1882. A large amount of mail is thrown into this office by the junction of the two railroads. Pouches are made up here for Bloomfield, Richville, Buena Vista, Watrousville, Caro, Tuscola, Saginaw, East Saginaw, and D. & B. C., East Saginaw and Port Huron agents. Eighty- three lock pouches are received and the same number dispatched every week, besides a number of sacks of paper mail. INCORPORATION The village of Vassar was incorporated under a special law in 1871, and the first village election was held on the tenth day of April in that year. Thirty-six votes were polled, and nearly all the officers elected received the entire vote. The records state that the common council of the village held their first meeting at the office of B. W. Huston, Jr., April 22, 1871. William Johnson was appointed clerk, to fill the vacancy caused by failure of Thomas F. Sawyer to qualify. The first ordinance passed was one restraining horses, cattle, sheep and swine from running at large. At the spring election in 1873, 102 votes were cast. In December, 1874, occurred the death of William Butler, president of the village. Suitable notice of the event was taken by the council. Charles Curtis was elected to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the year. In 1877 the village obtained a new charter under the general laws, and the first election under the new charter was held April 2, of that year. The highest number of votes polled was 176. Under the new charter the number of trustees was increased from four to six. VASSAR VILLAGE OFFICERS YEAR PRESIDENT CLERK TREASURER ASSESSOR 1871 Townsend North Thos. F. Sawyer Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1872 Townsend North Wm. Johnson Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1873 Wm. Lake, Jr. Wm. Johnson Morgan L. Gage Joseph Selden 1874 Wm. Butler Wm. Johnson Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1875 James Graham Wm. Johnson Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1876 James Graham Wm. Johnson Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1877 J. G. Selden Jas. A. Trotter Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1878 J. G. Selden Jas. A. Trotter Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1879 James Graham Jas. A. Trotter Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1880 Jeff. J. Wilder Jas. A. Trotter Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1881 Ed. C. Caine Henry A. Hadsall Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1882 Frank L. Fales Henry A. Hadsall Morgan L. Gage Henry A. Brockway 1883 John W. Brainard Henry A. Hadsall Orange G. Emerson Henry A. Brockway THE OPERA HOUSE The Vassar Opera-house is a building highly creditable to this flourishing village. The building is situated on the corner of Main and Pine Streets, and was erected by R. W. & F. Miller in 1879, at a cost of $7,500. The auditorium is reached by an easy flight of stairs from Main Street, and the house will seat 750 persons, about equally divided between the parquette and gallery. The exterior of the building is very pleasing, the red brick showing off well, and the interior is not only cozy and comfortable, but decorated in a manner that reflects much credit upon the proprietor and the artist. The property is now owned by Frank Miller, his brother, having retired from a proprietary interest in 1881. VASSAR BANKS The First National bank of Vassar is the successor of T. North & Son. The business was first established in 1875 by Mr. North, who associated with him Bostwick Noble, of Lowell, Mich. The following year Mr. North purchased Mr. Noble's interest. In 1878 he built a handsome brick building in which the bank is now located. In 1882 Mr. North took his only son Frank into partnership, and the firm name of T. North & Son was adopted. The business was continued by this firm until the summer of 1883 when the organization of the First National Bank took place. The organization was completed in June, and the first currency issued early in August. The capital stock is $50,000. Directors: Townsend North, D. G. Slafter, B. W. Huston, Justin Wentworth, Frank North, George Williamson, and R. C. Burtis. Officers of the board were elected as follows; President, Hon. Townsend North; vice-president, Hon D. G. Slafter; cashier, Frank North. The Vassar Exchange Bank is one of the thrifty business institutions of the village of Vassar. It is conducted under the firm name of I .Gibbard & Co., the proprietors being Isaac Gibbard, of Rochester, N. Y., and C. C. Curtis, of Vassar. Mr. Curtis is cashier and has the general management of the business. It was established in February, 1882, and is located in the Opera-house Block. THE PROFESSIONS The professions are represented in Vassar as folllows: Three legal firms, Huston & Hadsall, Frank L. Fales, and E. H. Taylor, prosecuting attorney. Seven physicians, L. C. Davis & T. A. Cullis, H. M. Leach, Wm. Johnson, H.A. Brockway, J. B. Lewis, allopathic, and J. R. Nunn, homeopathic. Two dentists, E. J. Hovey and L. G. Dean. RIVERSIDE CEMETERY This beautiful city of the dead is one of the delightful and interesting points about the village of Vassar. Among the inhabitants of the village are a considerable number, well advanced in years. As the years roll by, members of these families are laying aside life's burdens, and are borne to their last resting place. The place of their sepulcher possesses a solemn and sacred interest to those who are left behind. It has been felt for some years that the township burying grounds did not meet the requirements of the village, and steps were taken toward securing a more desirable place. In 1879 a stock company was formed, and a tract of land containing thirty-eight acres, located on the river bank a short distance below the village was purchased. A large sum of money has been expended in clearing the ground, laying out drives and fitting it for the purpose intended. The location is very desirable, and the improvements that have been made indicate a spirit of refinement and enterprise on the part of the people of the village. Many of the lost are already graced with handsome and enduring family monuments; graceful winding drives, sloping banks of greensward, and carefully tended graves give promise of surpassing beauty in time to come. RECREATION PARK This park is owned by the Vassar Driving Park Association, and was started in 1881. It is situated on River Street, about half a mile from the business center of town, has a good half-mile track, and abundance of room for other purposes, the grounds containing twenty acres. Last year the track was graded and rolled, the grounds thoroughly drained, the stumps taken out, most of the land inside and outside the track plowed, leveled and seeded down, and a high, tight board fence build around the entire track. The work of improving the place has been continued, and the association now have a delightful park and an excellent track. A large sum of money is being expended the present season, and the County Agricultural Society having arranged to hold their fairs here, and providing the necessary facilities. It is now proposed to increase the capital stock to $5,000. The present directors are L. C. Merritt, S. Blackmore, E. H. Taylor, J. P. Blackmore, J. A. Trotter, C. D. Bennett, James McConnell. The officers are President, E. H. Taylor; secretary, James A. Trotter; treasurer, L. C. Merritt. dz