Lucius Lyon, a well known government land surveyor, and afterwards one of the first two senators elected to the U. S. senate from the new state of Michigan, had purchased of Mr. Christopher Bair, one of the early settlers on the west side of the prairie, the E. ½ of the N. W. ¼ of Sec. 19, and had also become the owner of the E. ½ of the S. W. ¼ of Sec. 18. in this township, and through his agent, Dr. David E. Brown, proceeded to lay out a village, embracing the whole of the last description, and a tier of lots on the north end of the first one. Stephen Vickery, surveyor, Dr. Brown, in honor of the Indian agent and explorer in the north-west, Henry R. Schoolcraft, a friend of Lyon's named it Schoolcraft. The survey of the village was finished on the day I arrived here. The inhabitants of the village on that day consisted of the inmates of the log store and dwelling above mentioned, namely, Thaddeus and Eliza Smith and their children Henry P., aged 5 years, and Helen, aged six weeks; Mary A. Parker, sister of Mrs. Smith, who came in the summer preceding, J. A. Smith, and a young man from New Hampshire, Edwin M. Fogg, a cabinet maker, who built a shop, occupied for many years for the purpose for which it was built, and afterwards for a dwelling, and recently known as the Strew house. The frame of this shop was also raised the day I arrived. Such was the genesis, birth, and first year of the village of Schoolcraft. It is said that the postscript of a lady's letter is usually longer than the body of it. On the contrary, the preface of this article has been longer than all that will follow it. I could not make it shorter and tell you clearly how the village got born. And here I am strongly tempted to leave it. The program which I indicated at starting frightens me. In a brief continuation, however, I will say that in the following winter I purchased the interest of Thaddeus Smith in the concern and took his place as a member of the firm of Smith, Huston & Co.—that on the arrival for permanent settlement here of James Smith, a settlement and dissolution of the firm was made, Huston taking the property at Bronson, and a new firm formed at Schoolcraft, consisting of James and J. A. Smith and myself, under the firm name of J. and J. A. Smith & Co., which continued in business until January 1, 1836. When I arrived in Schoolcraft, the old firm had commenced the framing of the timbers for a large hotel, which was finished the next summer by the new firm, and Mr. Johnson Patrick was installed as landlord. His administration of affairs was not a success. After about two years occupancy he left the hotel, which was soon after taken by Mr. John Dix, from Cavendish, Vt., and it became a popular and profitable hostelry till he left it at the close of the year 1837. In the summer of 1833, J. and J. A. Smith & Co. built and occupied a very convenient store-house on the south-west corner of Center and Eliza streets which was occupied by James Smith after the dissolution of the firm. So far I have related, briefly as I could, the history of the transactions of these parties, because I could not give an account of the origin and early history of the village otherwise, as they were the origin and main factors in most that was done in the village for some years. I had intended to go farther, and give some of the leading events in the history of the village, mentioning some of the most noted persons who settled not only in the village, but on the prairies—Prairie Ronde and Gourdneck—with some of their characteristics, enlivened with anecdote and story. But this article is already too long for the occasion, and I am appalled at the difficulties of what I had undertaken. At the great age of 89 years, with many infirmities, I find it difficult and painful to remember and compose and write for any considerable time. With the exception of my three sisters, Mrs. Pamela S. Thomas, who came in 1833, Mrs. Lephia O. Brown who came in 1834, and Mrs. Sally E. Dix, who came in 1835, I know of but a single person, man or woman who came to the village or either prairie as early as the latter date, and who had reached maturity at that time, who is now living. The exception is Abner Burson. And the exceptions are very few of those who came before 1840. I know of but one or two, Justin Cooper, of this village being one.
Ladies, excuse me for what I have so imperfectly done as well as for what I have not done at all.
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF THE EARLY PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF SCHOOLCRAFT.
BY PAMELA S. THOMAS.
Read by Miss Ella Thomas.
I have been asked to tell something of the pioneer schools in Schoolcraft; not that I can relate anything of much interest, or of great importance; but because I taught the first public school in this village, in the year 1834, in a small building erected for that purpose on "The public square," now "The park." I had some 25 or 30 pupils. Those recently from New England were well advanced in the studies then taught in district schools, while others, whose parents had lived on the frontier, had never seen the inside of a school room and were unable to read at 10 and 12 years of age; yet their progress was astonishingly rapid.
Sickness in the autumn was so general that it necessitated the closing of the school. As I returned to my home in Vermont in November and was not again in Schoolcraft until the fall of 1839, I can say little of the schools during those five years. I was told of the small school house on "The Common," having been moved off and used for other purposes, that schools had been taught in different rooms, sometimes as private schools; for the Yankee settlers appreciated the advantage of education for their children. Many new settlers had moved here, and some of the frontiersmen had gone farther west.
There were more than 100 scholars in this district at that time, 1839, and a two-story school house had been built on the corner of Grand and Eliza streets, containing two rooms, one on each floor. This was the district schoolhouse, that we all remember and is now used as a barn by Mr. Buss.
On my arrival I was hired to teach in the lower room, and a Mr. Towers in the upper. It is scarcely necessary to say, the present admirable plan of grading schools was then unknown, and these rooms were to be filled, pupils going to the teacher preferred. However, it was expected the gentleman would teach the older scholars in the upper room, while I took the little folks; yet several young ladies chose to go in the lower room. As it was the custom for pupils to study independently, going through the arithmetic, etc., by themselves, it made little difference in which room their studies were pursued, provided their teacher was competent to render assistance when asked for. My room soon became too full for the pupils to be accommodated, and the director obliged several to go into the upper room.
But few of the scholars of 1834 were among the 60 or 70 in attendance. A few were in Mr. Towers' room. Others, in whom I had felt an interest, had moved to newer regions,probablychanged from propably in original growing up with little schooling, although endowed with bright intellects. H. P. Smith is the only one, of those earlier pupils, now living in this village. And, indeed, I know of but one or two left on this side of "The Better Land." I can name several of the scholars of 1839, James H. Bates and his three brothers—all passed from earth but himself; six children of James Smith, only two of whom are living, Hannah Kirby, her brother and sisters; H. P. Smith and sister, Helen, etc.