History of Watrousville, Tuscola County, Michigan Copyright © 1998 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. _____________________________________________________________________ THE VILLAGE OF WATROUSVILLE This village is located in sections 9, 10, 15, and 16 of the town of Juniata. In February, 1851, Patrick McGlone settled on section 9 and built a log house. This the necessities of travel compelled him to turn into a tavern, this being on the thoroughfare for lumbermen, settlers and prospectors seeking pine or farming lands. Mr. McGlone was also a woodman and well acquainted with the surrounding country, which fact caused his aid to be constantly sought by seekers after homes in the wilderness. In October, 1852, came to McGlone's Aaron Watrous with a crew of men to commence lumbering on the Cass River, and made his home with McGlone during the winter. The latter proposed to him to build a mill at that point, to which Mr. Watrous assented, provided sufficient pine could be located to warrant a mill. Returning in June, 1853, with A. B. Weaver and Wright, and finding from Mr. McGlone's report that the necessary pine could be secured, a site was purchased of D. G. Wilder in the northwest quarter of section 15 and the mill built in 1853. In the same year Mr. Watrous built a frame "lean-to" to his log boarding-house and put in a stock of goods. This point thus became established as a center of trade. It was for many years the depot of supply for all the country tot he north and northeast. Mr. Watrous put in a run of stone and at once tended to this point the steps of settlers from every direction, bringing, generally, on their backs their small bags of grain. The miller was A. B. Weaver, and never did a miller have a more motley array of grists to grind. The average did not exceed a half bushel, and it was mostly corn. The elevating at first was very primitive, a box beneath receiving the meal which was carried up by hand, for bolting. This, however, was a great improvement on the more primitive coffee-mill method, and was welcomed accordingly. Not only for his business enterprise is Mr. Watrous remembered, but also for his kindly heart and for the ready aid he gave to many an early settler about whose door the world of privation, hunger and distress was prowling. Many instances are related of his prompt response to the appeal of the struggling pioneer, and many a pack was loaded by him with flour and pork, for which his only payment was a promise of an honest man and the pleasant consciousness of a kindly act. We find the following paragraph written by E. E. Caster while on a visit to Watrousville in May 1867. He says: "Watrousville is in reality only about eight or ten years old. I remember sleeping in the woods one night, near this place, and listening to the howling of the wolves until nearly daylight, when they ceased their music. Mr. McGlone's log shanty then stood here, a one sentinel in the wilderness. Now there is a very tasty little village here, which contains, by actual count, upward of seventy buildings of various dimensions. One steam saw-mill, which also drives a run of stone for custom work, two hotels, six stores of various sizes and kinds, a good school building, which is used for church purposes also, and three residences especially noticeable for their elegance" POSTOFFICE Prior to 1856 the people of Watrousville and vicinity had received their mail by private conveyance from Vassar. Uniting together for that purpose they employed a messenger who came in on foot or on horseback once a week, usually on Saturday or Sunday, and was paid one dollar for the trip. Chauncey Furman was the carrier most of the time. In 1856 a mail route was established from Vassar to Sebewaing by way of Watrousville, Mr. Furman being contractor, and a post-office was established at the latter place with Aaron Watrous as postmaster. In 1861 B. A. Wood became postmaster. The following persons have held the office since, viz: Henry B. Wilber, R. C. Burtis, Geo. Rogers, B. A. Wood, a second term, John Walton, J. A. Hamilton, and again B. A. Wood, the present incumbent. SCHOOLS A graded school was established in District No. 4., which includes the village of Watrousville, about 1875. It has two departments and an attendance of about seventy-five pupils, the number of children of school age in the district being, by the last census, one hundred and four. The teachers engaged for the year, commencing in September, 1883, are Thomas Allen and sister. The trustees are: Am. Lewis, Director; R. S. Weaver, assessor; J. M. Cole, moderator; Dr. Richard Morris and R. D. Black. WOMEN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION This society was organized in Watrousville in 1882. It has from the first been deeply interested and attentive to the work for which it was established. Meetings are held every alternate Thursday evening at the Methodist Episcopal Church. The membership is now fifteen. The officers are: President, Mrs. A. Stafford; corresponding secretary, Mrs. R. S. Weaver; recording secretary, Mrs. D. R. Lewis; treasurer, T. Rathbun. THE CHOSEN FRIENDS Tuscola Council, No. 47, of this order, the primary object of which is mutual life insurance, was organized January 5, 1883, with sixteen members. Ten have since been added. The officers are: Russell D. Black, C. C.; Mrs. Annie E. Fish, V. C. C.; D. R. Lewis, secretary, Mrs. E. M. Black, treasurer; Mrs. D. R. Lewis, prelate; Jas. H. Simpson, marshal; Mrs. M. A. Arnold, warden; Edwin Hardy, guard; Chas. Thursby, sentry. SEVENTH DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH A church of this denomination was organized in the fall of 1865 by Elders I. D. Van Hron and D. M. Canright with thirty-seven members. It was formally organized for incorporation February 27, 1866, when at a meeting of persons who had signed articles of association for the purpose of forming a religious society to be known as the Society of Seventh Day Adventists of Watrousville, the following persons were elected trustees, viz: Zephaniah Wilber, Andrew J. Rogers and John Walton. Services were held in school-houses until 1869, when a neat, plain church edifice was erected in the village of Watrousville, with a seating capacity of about one hundred. Services are held every Saturday, with occasional preaching by Elder Wm. Ostrander and others. The present membership is thirty-two. The Sabbath-school has about twenty-seven members. The trustees of the church are J. A. Hatch, C. W. Hartson and Calvin Jewett. METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH About the year 1856 a class of the M. E. Church was organized at Watrousville. Services were held regularly at the school-house until the building of their house of worship. At the quarterly conference held at Vassar, February 18, 1865, the following persons were elected trustees of the church at Watrousville, viz: William King, James Simonds, Elisha Kenyon, Harris Stillson and Philip Davis; the corporation to be "described and known as the Trustees of the First Methodist Society in Watrousville." In 1871 a church building was erected under the pastorate of Rev. J. B. Russell; It is a convenient and commodious structure and built with excellent taste. Its dimensions on the ground are 36x60 feet, and its seating capacity about 400. The present membership of the church is thirty-eight. The pastor at the present time is Rev. W. J. Bailey. The trustees of the society are E. Higgins, G. Kile, E. B. Rose, R. S. Weaver, Wm. Eckley, A. Stafford and W. Walton. A prosperous Sunday-school numbering eighty members is connected with the church. A class also meets at the Belknap school-house in the southwest part of the town, supplied by Rev. Mr. White, of Vassar, services being held every Sunday. dz