Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1909-12-16
THE EARLY HISTORY Of VILLAGE Of Elm HALL
AS Cleaned by Our Correspondent the Village Was Origin
ally Surrounded by Dense Forest of Elms-In-
teresting Incident a Result of Which
Elm Hall Received Its Name.

Only three days before had they ar
rived at the spot where they had now
erected their house. Immediately up
on arrival they had commenced build
! ing, with all the enthusiasm and zest
of the pioneers that they were. The
busy bee seemed lazy in comparison
with them. They had worked hard
for their rude log hut, gathering their
material from the forest of elms about
them. But now it was completed and
in exultation one of the party, John
I Mowrey by name, shouted, "Hurrah
for Elm Hall Hurrah for Elm Hall!'
This is the incident which fianally
gave the name Elm Hall to that little
village now situated in section six,
Gratiot county, on the west bank OF
the Pine River; for some years later
when it was decided TO establish a
postoffice in Elm Hall, Mr.. D.
Blanchard wrote in TO the postal de-
partment inquiring what name should
be given TO the new office. They re-
piled that all that was necessary was
that it should be some name not then
used 70 designate any office in Mich
igan And since there was no other
! Elm Hall in the state, it was the
logical choice for that office.
Before the establishment of the
postoffice at Elm Hall, it had been
necessary to go to Matherton for
mail This involved a tedious and
tiresome journey and it took prac-
tically two days to make it. That was
certainly very different from our rural
delivery system now in use almost all
over the United States. And no
doubt mail was valued much more
then than it is now when it is brought
right up to our doors. Mr.. Blanch-
ard in speaking of the mail service
says: 1--WE used to have to go to
Matherton after our mail We would
start early in the morning and get to
the postoffice there at night, stay
there all night and get an early start
back the next morning, getting back
home here the next night"
Then continues Mr. Blanchard,
two years later CATER our arrival at
Elm Hall we got to talking about
having a postoffice here and we want
ed TO know what we should call 1t. |
wrote to the postoffice department in
curing as TO what we should name it.
They replied that we should give it
name different from any other name
in the state and so | told them that
we would call it Elm Hall. They ap-
pointed me postmaster and | held the
office for nine years, from 1857 TO
1865"
But to return 10 the beginning OF
the town. The first settlers were
Daniel Strayer, his family and com
pany. Rev. Strayef was a minister of
the United Brethren denomination
who formerly lived in Monclova,
Lucas county, Ohio With his family,
which including married sons and
their families, comprised about hf-
teen members. and five other men
who were expecting TO take up land
in Michigan, Rev Strayer came to
section six on the ninth of May of the
year 1855 Elm logs were hurriedly
cut and hewn into shape and on their
third day of residence in Michigan
they had built themselves the home
of which I have spoken. Two weeks
later D. Blanchard, son-in-law to Mr..
Strayer, raised his first log house.
When it was done his brotherinlaw,
Michael Strayer, shouted. "Hurrah
for young Elm Hall! Hurrah for
young Elm Hail.!
In the fall OF 81 the Strayers, the
HiCkmans. Crockfords and Blanch-
ards got together and erected log
school on the place where Mr..
Blairs store now stands. This school
was long used in Elm Hall as school
and church Nancy Mowery, wife OF.
John Mowery, was the first teacher
and she had about dozen pupils,
who were instructed in the rudiments
of the three Rs, such as was taught
in all the pioneer schools. Church
was also held in this building. There
were two pastors here in the early
times. two United Brethren ministers,
the Rev. Strayer and Rev Peter
Schlappie. Each took turn in preach
ing, first one filling the place of
minister and then the other.
Mr.. Blanchard remembers Mr..
Schlappie very we'll 81 feel quite
proud of Mr.. Schlappie," says Mr..
Blanchard 'He was born in Switzer-
land He could carry on business in
FIVE different languages and could
read and write seven in all He
could converse freely in his native
Swiss. in French. German, Italian
and English, and through his prepar-
alton for the. ministry knew Hebrew
and Greek He had the best memory
Of any man | ever knew for every
thing that he read he seemed to re-
member without any effort"
In the fall of go the first store was
built in Elm Hall for a Mr.. Chas.
Merrill, who was heavily interested in
the pine lands around Elm Hall. Pine.
beautiful forests of it, stood all
around the Hall, creeping almost up