The Grange Halls

                           
                         ~ Party at the Garden Peninsula Grange Hall ~


Supporting information from interviews with Harry Nelson and The Story of Ford River Township by Jean Peterson Brayak

Typically, each township would set aside some land for a grange hall

The Ford River Grange, located adjacent to the Nelson farm and near the Bay Shore School (ca. 1911–1930’s), was a very busy place.  This was an all-purpose structure that was used by the whole community for social gatherings such as weddings, Saturday night dances, and a meeting place for farming business.  The farming community maintained and shared the use of the building.

                                     
                                                   ~Boarding House ~
The Grange Society

The Grange Society held monthly meetings and organized farmers in the business of farming.  Among other things, they would organize lobby efforts for area farmers regarding market prices and offered farm insurance.

~ Ford River Township Hall ~

Although all members had a vote in the business decisions of the Grange, one person was designated as the Grange Master who was delegated with the task of overseeing the care of the facility, the organization, and handling the paperwork.

      (shipped in wooden barrels and then measured into bags)

·      Fresh meats (coolers maintained with ice from lakes and rivers)

·      Kerosene was pumped from a tank into the customers containers for   light in their homes

·      Horse shoes came in 100lb kegs and the black smith would size then to fit the horse, hanes       and horse collars

·      Stove pipe for the wood stoves

·      Saws, aces, hammers and other early tools

·      Canning jars and lids

·      Shoes and boots, clothing ( underwear, outer clothing, coats)

Harry attended the Bay Shore School until he was 16

Since the school was located so close to his family farm, Harry had only a 5-minute walk through the fields to school.  Other community children also walked to their local school each day; some students walked up to 2–3 miles.

~ Ford River Church ~

~ Ford River Mill School ~

School was out by May 1st so that children were available to help with the family farm chores.  They began by picking rocks, then moved to tilling and seeding.  School resumed after the harvest and the State Fair, usually after Labor Day.

Community Schools> up

Minutes recorded on June 11, 1928 state that it was moved and seconded that “new teachers be paid $85 per month with a promise of $5 extra for each month taught if at the end of the school year the teacher proves satisfactory”.


Morning classes included:
Opening, Numbers (arithmetic), Reading, Geography, Chart class (kindergarten)

Afternoon classes included:
Opening, Writing, Spelling, Chart class, Reading, Language, Physiology, History.

                                                       
                                                                ~ Bay School Picnic ~

Because many of the parents spoke their native languages in the home, there was a disparity in ages in the various grades as many students could not speak or understand English.


Common student excuses for absences included:
Rain, Silo filling, Picking potatoes, No overshoes, Water across road, Distance too far for bad weather.

4-H Clubs in Ford River    > up

Information from The Story of Ford River Township by Jean Peterson Brayak

“Ford River is the only township in Delta County that has had a 4-H club continuously in existence since it first began.  Originally, the club activities were often operated through the schools and led by teachers.

In 1932, both the Enshaw School and the Porath School had 4-H clubs

A story is told that one time, during the winter, the boys’ leader at the Porath School had sent for some tools and paint from Sears.  When the box was brought to the school, the boys were so excited about the nice tools that they forgot all about the paint in the box and threw the whole carton into the box stove.  There were three explosions!  The door of the stove blew open and splattered paint all over the floor!

                                        
                                                      ~ Kasten School ~

The Kasten School also had a 4-H club for the girls

At one time, the girls held a box social to raise money to buy a second-had treadle sewing machine, which was kept at the Kasten School.

In 1939, the Temple School had a club known as the “Stitch-Stitch-Stitch” Club and they joined with the Kasten and Porath schools for a hayride. 

Achievement Day

The Big Day of the year was in the spring when Achievement Day was held at the old Escanaba Senior High School on Eight Avenue South.  The girls modeled the dresses they had made during the year and the boys displayed their woodworking projects.”