| Home | Sports | Community | Arts/Theater | Business | Economy - Local | The Scene |
| History | Health/Fitness | Contests | ||||
The Garber farm originally included 67 acres which now houses Garber High School and Cramer Junior High school. Heritage House is currently owned by the Essexville-Hampton Board of education and is available for tours. (Pure Michigan Photo) GARBERS RECALLED: John & Melissa Were Essexville School, Community Pioneers
December 13, 2014
Leave a Comment
|
||||||||||
| Printer Friendly Story View |
John and Melissa Garber, whose name lives on as an outstanding high school, were the foundation and pillars of education and culture in the Essexville-Hampton Township community during its early days.
"The family homestead of John and Melissa is still standing at 305 Pine Street in Essexville, where it is maintained by the Heritage House Foundation," recalls Marv Kusmierz of Bay-Journal.com, adding:
"This family home, erected on John's farm in 1874, is an excellent representation of family living during the late 19th century, and is open to the public on Sundays during the summer months."
An 1891 history of Bay County states: "One the successful farmers of Hampton Township, Bay County, was born in Schuylkill County, Pa., in 1838, and there passed his boyhood and youth, taking such opportunities for education as he could find in the common schools of his neighborhood. He fully improved all the advantages thus attainable, and in his native home grew up to an intelligent and vigorous young manhood.
"At the age of twenty-two, young Garber left his native State and removed to Ohio, where he spent some time and then came to Michigan. His first location here was in Genesee County, where he remained for two years, being there engaged in the manufacture of shingles. At the expiration of that time he removed to Midland County, where he remained until 1871, and during his residence there met with serious misfortunes, as a destructive fire swept away all his possessions."
Patricia A. Ankney, in her book "Chalkboard to Computer: The Essexville-Hampton Story," (2001), relates: "Melissa Garber was very active in church, school and community affairs." She was a charter member of the Congregational Church and the first female member of the Essexville School Board in the 1890s.
"She felt that music and culture were important enough to arrange for the first piano to be brought to the area. Sunday afternoon "musicals" were often held in their parlor. The boys played in 'The Little Dutch Band.'"
John B. and Melissa Garber had seven sons and one daughter, viz.: Jesse B., William, Thomas, Harry J., Frederick R., Mabel H., Otto and Clyde.
William Garber was a shingle packer and became a journeyman. He was a leader of the first Essex Brass Band, widely known in the lumber days. He married Ada Webster, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William C. Webster, a Civil War veteran who was employed at the Hall Mill, as a saw filer, a highly skilled trade in lumber days.
Bay-Journal commented: "Bill Garber's interest had always been with boats and water. He was never away from the water long, for it was his happiness. In those days the river was busy with tugs, lumber barges and logs. It was said that Bill could instantly name each boat on the river by its whistle. It was even said he could identify each upcoming steamer by the smoke pattern long before its hull appeared. (Of course in those days Paul Bunyan was still living.)
"His interest in boats made his selection as manager of the new formed Bay City Boating and Fishing Club (later Saginaw Bay Yacht Club) in 1894 a natural. He began a term of service, which end in his retirement in 1945 -- some 50 years of service. The first clubhouse was located at the foot of Scheurmann Street. It was later moved on the ice to the present site of the SBYC."
###
| Printer Friendly Story View |
|
|
Dave Rogers |
|
|
|
Printer-Friendly Story View
0200 Nd: 04-15-2024 d 4 cpr 1
12/31/2020 P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm
SPONSORED LINKS
12/31/2020 drop ads P3v3-0200-Ad.cfm