Carl Church's biography, Charlotte, Eaton County, Michigan

************************************************

Copyright.  All rights reserved.

http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm

http://usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm

************************************************



SUBJECT: Carl T. CHURCH
SUBMITTER: Jan Sedore
EMAIL: am0773@a1access.net
DATE: Mar 19, 1999
SURNAMES: CHURCH, TITUS, BOUTON
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL ALBUM
Page 191
CARL T. CHURCH

Carl T. Church, President of the Merchants' National Bank, of Charlotte,
has been prominent in the history and affairs of Eaton County for a period
of nearly forty years. In every good work of a public nature during that
time, in both city and county, his name is inseparably connected, and in
numerous cases his personality is stamped upon it. His natural talent was
a financier and adviser, together with his broad and progressive public
spirit, have been potent in the development of this locality, and are still
largely directing the forces which enhance its welfare. Mr Church comes
from one of the pioneer families of Ohio. He was born in Sencca County,
of that State, January 26, 1835. His parents were Earl and Calena (Titus)
Church. His mother was a daughter of Curtis Titus, and was born in February
1808, in Connecticut. She was a type of the noble self-sacrificing women
who having capacity and endurance were such important factors in settling
up the great Northwestern Territory in the first part of this century.
To her constant care and activity in their behalf her family owed much
in the way of comfort and happiness in their pioneer home. She was an expert
in the use of the spinning wheel, and while the meals were being cooked
before the fire in a huge open fireplace her hands were spinning the yarn
to clothe the family.

The father was born January 28, 1798, in Saratoga County, in the State
of New York, and married June 14, 1827. He resided in Castile, Genesee
County, until 1833, when he removed with his wife and three children, to
the primeval wilds of Ohio. After a short residence in Huron County he
located among the pioneers of Seneca County, buying a tract of Government
land in Adams Township. His first work was to erect a log cabin for the
shelter of his family, which was the regulation pioneer abode of the times,
with a chimney of earth and sticks, the fireplace occupying the greater
part of one end of the house, and logs six feet long being burned in it.
It was in such a humble abode, and surrounded by the earliest pioneer environments,
that the subject of this sketch was born. The surrounding country was a
mere wilderness, with but few evidences of civilization, there being no
railroads in that section for many years after, the lake ports being the
nearest markets. The father was a man of superior mental caliber, who had
been well educated, and his services were sought as a pioneer teacher in
Seneca County. In the month of August 1849, death rounded out his life,
and the community was deprived of an honored citizen who left behind him
a record unblemished, and the memory of an upright man who had been true
in all the relations that he had sustained toward others. He and his worthy
wife were parents of eight children, viz.: Daniel W., Lucinda, John C.,
Earl T., Eleanor, Harvey W., Anna and Charles C., our subject being the
fourth.

During his youth Earl T. worked on the farm in the summer and attended
school in the winter, his first instruction being received in a school
taught by his father. After his father's death he made his home with his
uncle, by whom he was employed as a farm laborer until he was seventeen
years old. At that time he entered the mercantile world as a clerk in a
store at Fremont, in his native State. A year following he gave up that
position and decided to try his fortune in the Golden State, but while
on his way was taken sick at St. Joseph, Missouri and was compelled to
abandon the trip further. Returning to Ohio, he remained a short time and
in the fall of 1854 cast in his lot with Michigan, and has ever since been
a resident of Charlotte. Upon arriving here his time was employed in various
kinds of work, clerical and otherwise, besides a course of study in the
academy and serving as clerk in the office of County Register of Deeds
for three years.

In 1858 Mr. Church embarked for himself in business, and a continuous chain
of active business life follows that venture to the present hour. He opened
a small grocery store which he stocked with goods amounting in value to
$300, selling a part of his home lot in part payment, while owing at the
same time $400 in a mortgage upon his home. His capacity and integrity
as developed drew to him the best people of village and country, and from
that time until 1881 he gave his principal attention to the details of
his business, and became locally celebrated for the purity of the goods
he sold and his careful attention to the wholesome wants of his customers.
Upon this question of absolute integrity in the details of his business
relations, he was always noted. Never would he permit even the smallest
value to be paid for poor goods in his store when he knew it, preferring
rather, when necessary, to destroy them and suffer the loss himself. He
was a natural enemy to adulterations in goods as well as in character,
and people soon learned that it was not necessary to question the purity
of goods or accuracy of accounts when dealing in his store. Since 1881
he has remained with the business only as a silent partner, but it is yet
one of the largest and finest establishments of the kind in Eaton County.

In December 1884, Mr. Church was requested by a few of the stockholders
of the Merchants' National Bank to interest himself with them, as his ability
and experience were needed in the counsels of that corporation. His consent
was obtained, and in May 1886, he assumed the active management of this
prosperous institution, and has continued as President and manager since
that time. His executive ability, careful and conservative movements, with
good judgment added, have nowhere been better evinced than in his connection
with this bank in the responsible position he occupies as its presiding
officer, as under his careful and skillful guidance it has become one of
the foremost monetary institutions in this part of the State, its prosperity
resting on a sound and healthy basis, and enjoying the full confidence
of its depositors and all who have dealings with it.

But President Church does not lose the spirit of his first love, as he
finds time for recreation in looking after farm work, in the midst of his
other duties, and every summer devotes considerable attention to his farms
and agricultural interests. He is further identified with the financial
interests of the people as he loans money for non-residents and others,
and is prominently connected with various enterprises which have been started
from time to time for the furtherance of the interests of city and county.

He assisted in organizing the Charlotte Manufacturing Company, and was
elected its President in 1873, which position he has held ever since. When
the Eaton County Agricultural Society was organized he took an active interest
in it, and the society is greatly indebted to him for his untiring zeal
in its welfare. He has served repeatedly in past years as Secretary and
President of this association, and the beautiful grounds are largely due
to the energy of Mr. Church, who led squads of volunteer laborers day after
day, from year to year, in fitting and beautifying the same for its present
era of usefulness and profit to the people of the county Mr. E. S. Lacey,
(present Comptroller of the Currency) speaking in one of his reports of
the extensive improvements that had been made in the grove, said that "nineteen-twentieths
of the credit was due to the unfaltering zeal, the indomitable energy,
the systematic effort, and faultless taste of Mr. Church."

During the war he was Enrolling Commissioner and Recruiting Agent for his
town, and his usual zeal was present in keeping up the required quota of
men, and in many other ways his devotion to the Government was made manifest.
The Eaton County Jail, one of the best in the State, was erected under
his and Mr. Lacey's supervision, Mr. Church being Chairman of the Building
Committee, and a remarkable fact is recorded that it was built for a less
sum than was appropriated for that purpose. His city is greatly indebted
to him for its fine public library, as he was very active in securing its
establishment, was for many years its President, and still takes a deep
interest in it. He is also a moving spirit in the Charlotte Cemetery Association,
and has been its President since 1873.

In politics Mr. Church is a Democrat, but inclined to the broad and advanced
ideas of a fraternal Nationalism. He is thus not wedded to party issues
regardless of where they lead. He is too broad and honest for a first-class
modern politician. When only twenty one years of age he was elected Town
Clerk and held that position many years, and in 1868 was advanced to Supervisor,
and re-elected each year thereafter until Charlotte was incorporated as
a city. He was elected the first Treasurer of Charlotte and handled the
public funds until 1871, when he was elected President of the village,
which was incorporated as a city that year. He was Chairman of the committee
that drew up the city charter and procured its adoption. Under this charter
he was elected its first Supervisor, and the following year was advanced
to the Mayoralty. In 1872 he was the candidate of his party for the Legislature,
and although defeated, ran beautifully ahead of his ticket.

Mr. Church is a prominent Mason, and has filled the position of District
Deputy Grand Master of the fifth Masonic district, embracing Jackson, Calhoun,
Barry and Eaton Counties. He has filled the chair of master in Charlotte
Lodge several years, and was elected the first High Priest of the Chapter.
He is now Treasurer of his Commandery of Knights Templar, and presiding
officer of the Council.

To the lady who presides over his home and unites with him in extending
its hospitalities, Mr. Church was married in August 1856. Mrs Church's
maiden name was Emma J. Bouton, her parents being pioneers of Eaton County.
This union brought them one son, Charles E., who now resides in Kansas
City. With all of the public work and duties of which Mr. Church has been
called he has always preserved the quiet, unassuming and modest deportment
natural to him. He worked for results rather than personal aggrandizement
or glory. He is not ambitious as the world knows ambition, yet is untiring
in his devotion to all matters pertaining absolutely to the public good.
He belongs to that great minority who seek to do right in all things because
it is right, without making inquiries about rewards or punishments, therefore
he could not be other than liberal in his religious convictions. His personal
sorrows and griefs are always borne silently and alone, and we might say
his joys also, as he does not seek to be seen and known of men except so
far as good can be produced from it. While he has not amassed a large fortune,
or attained great distinction, as the wold usually measures men, he has
done what is more in keeping with his character; been a cheerful giver,
an earnest worker for his fellow, ever modestly working out his destiny
with truth upon his banner, and he already enjoys the reward of his good
works by securing the unbounded confidence of his fellow-citizens.