LODGES AND SOCIETIES Page 51-53
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. Kebbe, W. M; H. P Atwood, S. W.; I. Killam, J. W. : 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 officer 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
Vass 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. W. Wilber.
Principal officers were: N. G., P. D. Iron; 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., D. C. 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.
KNIGHT OF HONOR
Eureka
Lodge, No. 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, D. 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., H. H. Dack.
The lodge has had a successful career thus far, and is at 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 officers elected: Chief councilor, W. E. Clough; vice councilor, G. W.
Laking; secretary, G. R. Wightman; treasurer, J. H. Wagner; medical examiner, D.
T. A. Cullis probate Wm. Kenyon. Marshal, John Scott; guard, M. Fogler; warden,
John Parker; sentinel, E. Adams.
KNIGHTS OF THE MACCABRES
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. Kr.; 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 Bartlett, Isaac Jameson, Alexander Totter
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 1st
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 her for Bloomfield, Richville, Buena Vista,
Watrousville, Caro, Tuscola, Saginaw, East Saginaw, and D. & B. C., East
Saginaw and Port Huron agents. Eight-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. Sutabel notice of the
event was taken president of the village. Suitabel
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
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 Morgan L. Gage 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 Nation 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 & C., 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 follows:
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 had
been felt for some years 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
lots are already graced with handsome and enduring family monuments; graceful
winding drives, sloping banks of green award, 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 built around the entire
tract. 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, are 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.