Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-11-17
RESIDENT
TELLS Of FIRST
SCHOOL IN CITY
(Continued from Page One)

Continued from Page One)
When Mrs. Godfrey, or rather Miss
Sabine, came to the village she was
engaged to teach school in the new
school building that had just been
completed on Broas street. 1t is now
the east end of the G. A. r. hall. A
small shanty had done duty as
school house for the small children
during the summer, and was located
west of the Sabine home. The older
pupils had been going to Cooks Cor
ners to school.
At the new school one of the first
things needed was a bell to call the
pupils together. The only feasible
way of getting one seemed to be by
holding an entertainment. Hence one
was arranged to be held in the Frank
lin house, just recently completed.
The main feature Of the program was
series of tableaux. REGULATIONS and
dialogues were also given. The tab
ieauX caused so much comment
throughout the country that the en-
tertainment was held second night.
Upward of forty dollars were raised
and the bell was Immediately INSTALL
ed in the new building. Then the
NillCiSt lliu a Itdl SIIlODl DuiiuiHG ana
I'm fact real school.
There was no division Of classes as
in the schools of today, but all the
students were in one common class,
with individuals being helped from
time to time as the teacher had the
time TO give them. Many of the
students of that first school are still
living. Among the attenders were
he following: George Wright, George
Ellis, Mrs. Fred Ranney, James and
Carl Brown, brothers of Byron F.,
Mrs. Carrie Putney. Thos. Ranney,
Eugene Wright, Marcia Ranney,
Chas. Broas. Mrs. Belle Mann, "Pet"
Wright, George Knapp (Chas.
knapp's brother), Ella (Knott) Will
Jams, Rose Rossman (now Mrs. Geo.
Leonard Of near Portland), Orion
Webster, Delos and Ernest Roosa.
John and Richard Stone (the latter
now in Ionia and at that time one of
the smartest students in the SCHOOL,,
Louis and Richard Ellis and many
others.
The school director was Chas. Put
ney He took a lively interest in the
new school. The term lasted about
four months and the teacher, Amelia
Sabine, was paid five dollars a week.
When the winter term was over she
went to Cooks Corners and kept a
summer school. In the fall she re-
turned home again and conducted the
winter school.
About this time Leonard d Divine
moved their store from Kiddville to
this village. Jerome Vincent started
the stage from Ionia to Greenville,
the latter city being village with
only three or four cabins. Not many
years after this money was raised by
popular subscription, to extend spur
from the railroad at Kiddville TO
Bedding The project was fought by
citizens, because they
it bad thing for their pros
pectiye city. After the road was
built, Manning Routan, a citizen of
told his townsmen in public
it would have been far better
for Greenville had that city paid
to get the road into Beld-
ing than to have opposed the move"
Soon after the school house was
built the first Sunday school was or
ganized. This was in 1869 Wilson
Mosher was the elder in the district
and J. B. Sabine, father of Mrs. God
frey, was made superintendent of the
school. The attendance was good from
the start and lively interest was
for many years.
In the year 1869, j. H. Godfrey and
Amelia Sabine were married. They
became husband and wife in the Sa-
bine building which still stands. Elder
Mosher was the clergyman. The
couple have been active in all the Soc
al and community activities ever
since. They now live on a small farm
at the northwest limits. Many inter-
asting things could be told by them
Of the early happenings in and
around Belding.