Story of Curran

We find in Galations 6:7, Whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.

As we look around we see evidence that our forefathers have sowen and as they have sowen so we are reaping the benifites. We now farm the land that they labored to clear with a pick and shovel and perhaps a cross cut saw, an axe and a team of horses. Much sweat and many a calloused hand later a very small tract of land would be ready for farming. At first only enough was cleared to raise enou b to supply their own needs and if any extra they would prompty sell it to nearby camps.

They cut their grain with a craddle and threshed it with a flail until 1899 when Joseph McGreGor of Barton City bought a horse powered threshing machine. In 1918 a farmers Co-operative threshing company was organized. By 1927 privately owned threshing machines were becoming very common.

Curran was settled sometiice in the eighteen eighties and was named after a man by the name of Curran.

Mitchell township received its' name of Dr. D.W. Mitchell who was among the first to settle in the area.

Some of the first settlers were Weidbrauks, LaForges, Fullertons, and Baldwins.

The first wedding to take place was that of Minnie LaForge and HenryFullerton April 1892.

There are several original buildings left. One being occupied until the spring of 1968 by Harry Weidbrauk. A new home has replaced this. This was originally owned by the late Lou Weidbrauk which was Harrys grandfathers brother.

Another original house is that of the Harveys which was built in 1902. Henry Harvey still uses this as his summer home.

The first railroad was a narrow gage which was built in 1887 for hauling pine logs. The railroad through Curren was built in the early nineteen hundreds and was the main track between Oscoda and Comins. About one mile west of Curran was a Y on the Amos Wilson farm and another at Hardy which were used as turn arounds. This railroad was discontinued in about 1925 and the rails taken up in 1927.

The first school was built in Curran in 1888. It was made of logs and was 18x24 Ft. The first teacher was Elde Baldwin who began her first term in her parents home. Another school was built in 1907 four miles from the

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first school and this was callco Cloverdale. Grace (Pattee) Greene was the first teacher. The last school was built in 1949. Lumber for this school was cut from the township park. Ward Small and J.B. Wilcox were the head of the building committee. This was built to be used as a town hall as well as a school. It is now used as a community building.

The first religious gathering was held in 1890 at the school when Daniel latter came from Rene, Michigan. All families attended the service.

The first sermon was preached five or six years earlier when a minister by the name of Van Lou delivered his address to his companion Mr, Nitchell an only listener. Rev. Van Lou and Mitchell had comped near a spring on what is now the Lee LaForge farm on Saturday evening and on Sunday morning delivered his sermon from a maple stump near the spring.

In I910 eighteen ladies formed a ladies aid to earn money to build a Methodist church. This was dedicated Nov. 22, 1919. Rev. C.S. Brown became the minister and served both Glennie and Curran for many years. This church has been sold and has been torn down for salvage. The first wedding to take place in the old Methodist church was that of Fern Crowell and Harold Stengel May 22, 1947, Goldie and J.B. Wilcox were the attendants and Rev. Carl 0. Joy the minister.

The unused Baptist church of Harrisville was given to Curran and they moved and rebuilt it in 1915 and 1916. Sunday school was usually held in the school. The first Wedding to be held in the Baptist church was that of Etta Pearsall and Joseph Weidrbauk which took place May 7, 1922, Their attendants were Genivieve Hayes, Pearl Berner, and Ralph Hoyte, The ministers were Rev. Jashus Roberts of Lansing and Rev. Wm. Byler.

The first P.T.A. was held about 1924.

April 24, 1915 a telephone Co. was organized. In 1927 it extended its' line to Barton City where it was connected with the Harrieville lines.

A Grange was organized about l912 and existed till 1930.

The old Au Sable St. road was the first road over which provisions were taken to camps and the settlement. This road extended from McKinley to Harrisville, The roads which went through the swamps were made of corduroy. By 1927 we had one state road which was M-72.

One of the largest pines to be sawed here measured I7'6" in circumference. It had to be quartered in order to be sawed into lumber.

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In 1926 saw the last big clean up of the hard woods which was on the Kruttlin farm and was done by Harpe Hayes.

The first township hall was built in 1913 and was used until the new school was build in 1949. the first town meeting was in 1890. L.D. Dorr was supervisor, Frank Sells Treasurer, and James LaForge clerk.

Algers and Smith Co. lumbered in 1868 and started the first farm in the township.

Curran can boast several locations for their post offices. John Fullerton was the first postmaster then there was a batchlor by the name of Speary and the LaForges. Then came a second post office which was located on the Burley property. The callens were postmaster and then Everett Burley. The present post office has been in what has been the location of Curran for many years. The first to man this was Mrs. Verna (Bob) Link then Mrs. Art Flynn, Mrs Ward Small and at present Phyllis Crowell.

There have been several burial grounds as in earlier days not always was there registered cemeteries. There is known to be a couple children buried on the Earl Greene farm at least two just north of the old Methodist church and as many on the Harry DeJarlias property. There is another plot on the Herb Trader farm where Mr. and Mrs. John Fullerton, Filo Hensey and the Berrys and several children are. About a dozen in all. The existing cememtery is called Maple grove. The first person to be buried in this cemetery was Lloyd Freer son of W. M. S. Freer. this was Aug. 30, 1909. In the shade of the lane of evergreens rests the late Ernest Hard who planted the tree there. James LaForge was born in 1848 and is probably the oldest person buried in this cemetery.

Which is better the blind Pigs that we used to exist or the present?

A lease to erect a fire tower was granted by Lillian Bryne July 17, 1924. Ralph Reeves manned the tower till 1932 when Gib Lince went on and manned it till Bruno Antzak who went on in 1946 and he manned it through 1952 and the last regular to man it was Bill Bell. Ralph Reeves was promoted to Fire Warden when he left the tower and worked out of Lincoln. This tower was sold to Terns Steel Co. in 1964. Now planes are used for fire protection in place of towers.

The last piece of property to be homesteaded was that of Bill Henseys. This was in 1938.

Our oldest settler still living is Mrs. Wm. Notestine. She was eighty-nine April 25, 1968. Talk about nature in the raw Mrs. Notestine can tell you many a tale that can make your hair curl without a curling iron. Her parents the George Biggers and Mr. and Mrs. Notestine and children

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three moved from Kansas in March 1910. They brought with them their household goods and a team of horses. They were shipped by rail at the same time they came. Upon asking if they brought any machinery she replied no but sure could have used some that we had in Kansas. They soon learned that getting a garden in at the break of spring didnt work in our cold Michigan Climate like in did in Kansas/ Four more children came to bless this home after coming to Curran.

Indians roamed the area at one time and from time to time arrows and other indian tools are still found.

Curran as we know it was a wooded area in 1902 when the Increase Mather family came here. Their daughter Jane Hensey LaForge still lives in Curran with her daughter Wanda. A little bird has told me that she is 83 years young.

In early days building and quilting bees were regular events. Today we still hold quilting bees every week all winter. This is the day when we catch up on news such as discussing politics and especially the grandchildren. Also this is the days for buying and selling thinfs we no longer have use for. Alonga with this we end up each time with many a sore finger from picking them so many times. There are still an oacassional building bee too. The most recent and much appreciated bee was in July 1959 to help J.B. and Goldie Wilcox build their new home as they both were nursin broken or cut off bones.

A barber shop can be boasted of at one time run by Albert Shanner.

A store built on the west side of the road which burned around 1927. The Albert Shanner family owned this in 1911 and sold it around 1920 to Art Flynn. He sold to Joe Heaton in 1921 or 1922. Art Ballard came along and found the store burning but it was too far gone to save. Those were the days when we didnt have fire trucks to zoom in to save the building so homes were ofen burned.

Across the road is a store which still stands and is unoccupied at present. This was first owned by Art Thiboult then Solomon Bros. and operated by Clarence King, Art Flynn, Ward Small, Bruno Antzak, Frank Garrison, Carl Tomlinson, August Schmidt and last David Doaks.

We think of cars and planes as most likely things to bring tradgey to our communities but trains and horses did too. Recalled by several that Lloyd Freer and Jack Dual were both killed while loading logs on the train. Sadie Carroll perhaps 3 or 4 was killed by a train in Curran as the story goes they uncuppled two box cars to let the schoold children pass through but this young lady was loosing her boot in the mud and had

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stooped to put it on and thinking all had passed they backed up to recupple and crushed her. A horse run away took the life of David Jacques, step father of Louis Jaccues. The cold weather can be said to have taken the life of a baby whose parents were coming in a sleigh to a sale at the Schlonagers who had sold their farm, It being very cold the baby was wrapped too tightly and when they got to the sale found it had smothered,

Louis Jakkie built a home in Curran around 1914. He took many pictures of the area. He tanned hides and made his own caps, jackets and rugs. Later he bought a forty arce tract of land north of Curran and started to build what he called a castle. During this time he deeded it to the Boy Scouts. They held meetings there. Some Boy scout artistry can still be seen in the building.

When I first came to Curran to live Art Ballard lived in the Jakkie house and well I remember their beautiful bull dog. Art drove the Curran school bus to Fairview for many years and one could set their clocks by him.

The LaForce families came from Canada in 1890 and settled in the area. The late Bert LaForge was born at Daimon (now a ghost town) in 1886.

Chalmer Thorpe bought their farm around 1917 and eventuallly moved here and farmed till they passed away. They owned registere gurnseys. Martha was township treasurer for many years.

Three brothers Morris, Lou and Henry Weidbrauk settled here. In about 1887 Henry came with a covered wegon drawn by a team of mules. He cost his wife and Sam and Lou by train. They came from Ottertail City Minnesota. They were blessed with seven more children after coming here.

In 1914 Lou son of Henry Weidbrauk hired Bill Hoskins of Flynn Valley to help him build a house. A very stately house to be sure with nine foot ceilings. In 1915 Elesta Yoder daughter of Amos Yoder became his bride. Eleste and Mrs. Notestine recalled how they took turns with others sitting up all night at what was called "Wakes" and strange as it ma+y seen none of the deceased ever got up and walked away. Elesta and Lou were parents of four children. The two boys served in World War II. Floyd served five years. Ned gave his life fighting in France.

Two brothers Ben and Amos Yoder came from Nappanee Indiana. Amos was the father of four children. The Yoders had several Angora goats and as goats go were playful and liked to get on top of buildings.

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Silas Roth came sometime between 1915 and 1920. He moved a one story house to its present location and added a second story. This was not a company house as many were. He also built-all. the out buildings.

Johnnie Engleheart came in about 1918. He run stock in the hills east of Curran. Later he had a saw mill which he run with steam engine.

Mr. and Mrs Ernest Hard came from Ohio in the twenties. He was thought of as a musician. He enjoyed fiddling for dances. He wrote many lyrics. One he had published was "Aint I Got A Wonderful Dad." The late Mrs. I.M. Wilcox of Flynn valley helped him compose the music for this song.

The John Pattee family first lived in a log house but later built a new house which still stands and their son Merton still lives in it.

Our abstract shows that the Amos Wilson femily was granted a deed Dec. 4,1920. First entry on this abstract was US to Frances Palms Assignee. US patent Nov. 10, 1864. They lived in an old company house till 1939 when they built a new house. Amos knew the hard way how to clear land and by honest to goodness sweat cleared 65 acres.

Just for the records we today can be most happy as Herb Trader recalls how it was not uncommon to move in a house and wake up in the night to find the bedbugs had long before moved in and if you wanted any peace of mind you had better set some gas or kerosene and go to work. The Chas. Trader family came to Curran from Caro April 11, 1904. They built the house that their son Herb now lives in. Herbs son Kenneth is carrying on the farming.

The Joe Shafer family came from Hillsdale area in 1915. He raised registered gurnseys. His wife Merty taught school in the area to help pay for their farm,

I wonder who it was that stood on the side line when the Frank Brothers family unloaded their goods at what is known clay cut? They seemed to be trying to pick which they wanted for their boy friends. Mrs. Brothers was postmaster of the Hardy post office after it was moved to what is now the Nolan property.

About 1925 a tract of land on crooked lake was bought by the township for a park. Mr. Heaton was an ardent promoter for buying this land as he foreseen the time when land would be bought up and there would be no public places available for neighbors to enjoy picnicing, fishing or swimming. Joe Heaton and John Engleheart built the pavilion that still stands. The material for this was taken from logs salvaged from a tornado that went south and west of Curran. In 1936 or 1937 Heaton and Hugh Nolan took logs

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from Crooked lake which were in perfect condition. How long they had been there is unknown.

The Hugh Nolan family originally from Oregon moved to the farm west of Curran where Hardy postoffice was last situated.

Jim Monroe had a hotel for a short time. It is now a home owned by Mrs. Reynolds of the Rocky R Ranch.

Art Flynns built their log house at the junction of M-65 and M-72 in 1933. They started a small store and gas station there.

After leaving Flynn Valley for a number of years Fred Phetteplace came back to Curran and cut logs for a house in 1933 and built in 1934. His son Fredie Ray and family still live in the house (removed for new 1968). Visiting they recalled about Buck Frye and son who lived in the hills east of Curran and seldom came to town but when they did their mode of travel was by pony and cart.

The Kingsley family was recalled by the fact that he always walked down the road at night with a lantern at his back rather than c.t his side liko a person normally would.

Joe Kruttlin came from Switzerland to the United States in 1902 and the Emil Kruttlin family came in 1906. They had one child when they came but she passed away in Detroit. There were six more childron and one adopted son came to bless this home after ccming to this country. They were very prosperous farmers. Mrs. Kruttlin was very active in the Methodist church and was a member of the local school board for thirty years.

I waited for our Fla. folks to come home to find out a bit about Hardy. Etta Weidbrauks folks took care of the postoffice when it was located on the Hardy grade. Their names were Albert and Nellie Pearsall. This was in either 1918 or 1919. Before that Phil Rose had it at Grass lake. At the time the Pearsalls had it Chuck Meyers also had a store there. It was then taken to the Nolan property where the Brothers had it till it was discontinued.

Again going to our abstract I find the first entry on the Downing property was Nov. 10, 1864 and recorded Sept. 28, 1875. This was United States to Frances Palms, The Downings received their deed in Oct. 1909 but came here from South Bend Indiana to live in 1912. They had six children and Mr. Loud was under the impression that they would all be coming so built what use called a double company house according to Carl Downing. Only three came with them. Mr. Downing can well be remembered as a lover to graft trees. Not being satisfied just seeing apples grow he would take different varieties and graft them on different trees. One tree has

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at least seven varieties on it. He also took small branches and bonded them together to make natural bonds at the crotch to keep them from splitting apart.

Now it wouldn't be quite right if I didn't tell a story about the writer. ---- Can you imagine now days going out and buying a store for sixty dollars? Well that is what J.B. and yours truly did back in Aug, 1940. We bought the stock and equipment all for sixty dollars of Art Flyn. One article of stock was three mustard plastors which we kept for several years and finally got tired of inventorying and heaved them. The gas was not included in the sixty dollars as that was charged with the Shell Gas Co. of Alpena, and dog me we didn't have the sixty dollars to pay for our purchase. This was also a cream testing stetion for Seidel Cream Company of Bay City. This also was the start of our cattle raising as we also purchased a jersey cow of them and believe it or not her name was Goldie. I well remember a remark by J.B. out to uncle Gene Crowells ecying "No I mean the other cow." This being such good name for a cow we named another one Goldie too. She was just as ornery as her name sake and when J.B. threw a stick at her one time when she had gotten out it hit the fence instead of Goldie and in turn it bounded back and cut a gash just over his eye. I had just finished repairing the damages when Lyman Sutton of Flynn Valley came in the store and asked what had happened and my reply was that we had had a fight and that I had got the best of him. Fred Phottoplace can verify this as Sutton promptly went up there and told the tale.

Along with Mrs. Hulda Notestine as our oldest old timer we have Jane Zeusey LaForce, Grace Greene, Carrie LaForge, Everett Burley, Herb Trader, Fred Phetteplace, Herry DeJarlias, Mina Atherton and Naman Stamen. Pardon if your name isn't listed as an old timer as these are all eighty or over.

The following served in World War One. Glen Conrad, Ira Doremire, Atlas Doremire, William Weidbrauk, Herbert Harvey, John Hensey, Glenn Reeves, Emmerson Reeves, Silas Roth, Vernon Downing and Merton Pattee.

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Some of the people that have or still do live here.

Will Hanson, Hat Hoyte, Don Smith, Ben Yoder, Amos Yoder, John Pattee, sons Merton and Rollie, Chas Trader son Herb, Joe Kruttlin, Emil Kruttlin, Ward Small, Frank Reeves, sons Ralph, Glen, and Emmerson, Jack McKay, Bill Hensey, Berrys, Ed Rolph, Speary, Art Flynn, Jim Monroe, Louis Jakkie, Henry Maroon, Everett Arno, Harry JeJarlias, son Harry, Art Ballard, McCollum, Henry Pletchers, Perry Morman, Sock Dormire, Sanborns, L.R. Dorr, John Fullerton, Ace Atherton, sons Sam, Frank, Bill, and Gene, Bill Kibbler, Wm. Notestine, Geo. Bigger, Chas. Rupp, Littletons, Amos Wilson, Bill Hawes, Dave Schlonager, Albert Downing, son Carl, Joe Shafer, Siles Roth, Norman Jacques, David Jacques, Morris Weidbrauk, Lou Weidbrauk, Henry Weidbrauk, sons, Sam, Lou, Joe, Walt, Bill and Ben, Geo Johnson, Earl Hemstreet, Allens, Thorpes, DeLisles, Bill Carroll, Increase Mathers, Geo. Mccormick, Kingsleys, Albert Shanner, Bob Link, Bill Lane, Holberts, Jim LaForge, sons Bert Ed., Tom and Howard, Goetzs, Motleys, Kenneth Moore, Wandel Moore, Voile Hensey, Geo. Waechter, Frank Brothers, Fred Phetteplace, Emil Goussey, Frank McCellan, son Jim, Mason Mooney, Judd Orr, Geo. Reeves, Gailbraiths, Ab. Palmer, son Lester, Frank Kaiser, Joe Heaton, Joe Harvey, Blomers, Eugene Martin, Steve Evans, Steve Skobler, John Engleheart, Lemons, Auguest, Meyers, Geo. Hayes, Earl Greene, Harry Bugg, sons, Lisle, Edward, Everett, and Harry Jr., Everett Burley, Bill Callen, Bill Connor, Gib Lince, Art Thibault, Clarence King, Jay Lovesey, Ernest Hard, Henry Tatro, Owen Trumble, Jack Dual, Ad. Baldwin, Henry Baldwin, and Ed Baldwin, Fred Mohrs, Smothers, and Bill Ceciles, Bruno Antzaks.

I am aware that I have missed names no doubt.

Dates and places may not be exactly correct but are as near as we could get as I visited with the many neighbors. In most instances I have said about as it has been very hard to remember exact dates.

Written for Michigan week program May 19, 1968 and given at the evening services at the Curran Nethodist church.

          by Goldie P. (Crowell) Wilcox.
         

Presented to Ten Buck Club on November 15, 1969.