SARANAC'S EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The land upon which Saranac now lies was purchased of the general government in 1836 by Judge Jefferson Morrison, of Grand Rapids. Soon after his purchase he sold to Dwight & Hutchinson, of Detroit, some of the land occupying portions of sections 1 and 2, upon which there was a mill-site on Lake Creek. Dwight & Hutchinson counseled with Morrison as to the founding of a town at that point, and, as a result, they platted in common the village of Saranac, Dwight & Hutchinson laying out the south fraction of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 1, and a portion of the south fraction of the southeast quarter of section 2, while Morrison platted the east half of the southwest quarter of section 1. Who christened the now village and why it was named Saranac does not now appear. The supposition, however, is that Hilton chose to associate the history of the enterprise in some way with Indian tradition, and thus bestowed the name of a presumable Indian chief. The village plat was not recorded, but that formality was probably not esteemed of essential value, since the village proprietors proceeded at once—say late in 1836 or early in 1837—to hold a public sale at Detroit, and at that and other sales disposed of many Saranac lots.

In 1837, Dwight & Hutchinson, failing to see any signs of village growth (for none of the lot-purchasers seemed disposed to make improvements), induced Cyprian S. Hooker, of Oakland Co., Mich., by the donation of some land, to come out (o Saranac and build a saw-mill. He began the erection of the mill in 1837 upon the site now occupied by the Saranac Mills, but, apparently in no hurry to complete it, allowed the business of construction to drag along until some time in 1841 when the mill was called for the first time to do active duty.

Not long after Hooker's arrival at Saranac, Jerry Stocking, also of Oakland County, put in an appearance for the purpose of setting up a furniture-manufactory. Hooker agreed to give him water-power if ho would dig a race, and Stocking, accordingly, accepting the proposition, finished the job in due time, and then assisted Hooker in building the mill or labored for him otherwise. Both Hooker and Stocking took matters easily, and, as Hooker made a house of entertainment of his log cabin, he gathered a sufficiency of ..... to keep him from worrying over the situation or from feeling the need of undue haste in the matter of the mill. When the mill was started Hooker brushed up his energies and urged the business briskly forward, while Stocking, equally energetic, set up a small lathe in the mill, and, between making a little furniture and working for Hooker, managed to keep from rusting.

In 1846, Hooker and Stocking concluded they had experimented in Saranac quite long enough and moved away, whereupon the mill-property was purchased by Ami Chipman and Samuel Wilson. Meanwhile, the village had failed to make any strides forward, although, in 1842, Richard Vesper moved up from section 24 and made a settlement upon the place that has ever since been his home.

About 1844, Stephen Denny, a Frenchman, and a man named Powers opened a blacksmith-shop on the west side of the creek, but in 1846, when Hooker and Stocking gave up and retired, Denny concluded that Saranac was doomed to oblivion, and he too made off for other scenes. His sentiments were "Hooker gone, Saranac gone; no much now. All gone to ze devil; I go too."

The first goods sold in the place wore kept by Hooker in a corner of his log cabin, but the first recognized store was one opened by Ammon Wilson, of New York State, who, in response to an invitation from his brother, Samuel Wilson, of the firm of Chipman & Wilson, the millers, brought a stock of goods to Saranac in 1847 and put them into a board shanty on the bank of the creek, where Jerry Stocking had lived. That was his store until he could put up a better one on the corner east of him, and until the winter of 1850—51 he was the only trader in the place.

Up to that time Saranac had struggled but feebly for existence, and at its best, to 1847, had been little better than a cross-roads; but, with the advent of Ammon Wilson's store and the introduction of steam navigation upon the Grand River, a slight show of activity set in, and the place slowly but surely increased in strength and vitality. In 1847, Ammon Wilson built a warehouse upon the rivers bank and proposed to do something in the way of wheat-shipments, but the house was scarcely finished before it was burned to the ground. Daniel Ball, of Grand Rapids, took hold, however, of the wheat business, and forwarded a considerable quantity of that staple from Saranac to Grand Rapids.

Of course the village received through these trade developments a healthful impetus, and the town began to be peopled.

Samuel Wilson opened a tavern in 1847 on "Spencer's Corner," and kept it until 1853. In 1854, Ammon Wilson built the Wilson Hotel, on Weier's Corner, but did not remain its landlord very long, although the house was known for a long time afterwards as Wilson's Hotel. To the year 1851 the village was called " Saranac," but in that year, as will be presently shown, it was christened " Boston" and for the first time formally platted. There was, it seems, some informality in the titles issued by Dwight & Hutchinson to purchasers of village lots, by reason of a lack of proper formal record of the plat, and when Dwight & Hutchinson failed there ensued a good deal of litigation over disputed titles, and in the end some of the purchasers and holders of lots found themselves ousted and put to a loss of not only purchase-money, but of improvements as well.

VILLAGE PLATS

The first recorded plat of what is now the village of Saranac was made in May, 1851, by A. F. Bell. The village proprietor was Louis S. Lovell, and the village was called " Boston." It occupied the south fraction of the west half of the southwest quarter of section 1, and the south fraction of the southeast quarter of section 2. Mercer's addition to the village of Huston was recorded Aug. 19, 1856. The survey commenced at the southwest corner of the east half of the southwest quarto of section, running thence north through the centre of Vesper Street to the centre of the highway running from Ionia to Boston (distance, nine chains twenty-five links) , then along the centre of said highway to the east line of Pleasant Street (distance, eleven chains and fitly links); thence along the east Huh of Pleasant Street south to the section-line (distance, nine chains twenty-five links); thence west eleven chains and fifty links to the place of beginning.

Wilson & Chipman's addition to the village of Saranac was recorded May 15, 1868, by C. C. Van Tamil, C. C. Hinckley, Abraham Pike, S. A. Childs, A. U. Barber, Samuel Wilson, Ami Chipman, Peter Schcidt, Jacob Schindorf, and Mary Clement. The survey commenced at the northeast corner of section II, and continued south on the section-line eighteen rods; thence south fifty-seven and a half degrees west thirty rods; thence south eighty-two and a half degrees west fifty-five rods and eight links to the west line of the east half of the northeast quarter of said section; thence north on the west line of the said lot forty-two rods and twenty-one links to the northwest corner of Said lot; those east on the north line of said lot eighty rods to the place of beginning. A second survey commenced at the southwest corner of the east half of the south fraction of the southeast quarter of section 2, running thence east on the section-line thirty-nine rods and eleven links to the west line of the mill property; thence north along the west line of said mill property to a point twenty and a half rods north of the south Hue of said section ; thence west twelve rods; thence north seven rods twenty-two and a half links to a point four rods south of the centre line of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad; thence south sixty-five degrees west on the line of said railroad thirty rods to the west line of said lot; thence south on the west line of said lot fifteen rods to the place of beginning.

S. L. Shaw's addition to the village of Saranac was made May 20, 1872, and commenced at a point twenty rods east and sixteen rods south of the northwest corner of section 12, running thence cast forty-one rods and twenty links to a point seventeen rods and nineteen and one-half links west, and sixteen rods south of the northeast corner of the west half of the northwest quarter of said section 12; thence South parallel with said section-line eighty-five rods and ten links; thence west forty-one rods and twenty links; thence north eighty-five rods and ten links to the place of beginning.

In 1859, in obedience to a general request, the name of the village was changed from "Boston" to "Saranac." The ostensible reason was because the similarity of " Boston, Mich.," to " Boston, Mass.," occasioned confusion in the transmission of the mails; but the real reason was that the inhabitants did not like "Boston" as a village name and preferred " Saranac " by reason of its having been the earliest bestowed.

THE YEAR 1850.

In January, 1850, E. B. Armstrong, Lambert B." Barnum, and Dorus M. Fox, of Lyons, bought out Ammon Wilson and opened trade in Saranac, under the firm style of Fox, Barnum & Co. At that time the village streets were well covered with stumps, and ox-teams were so common that when a pair of horses did come to the place (especially if they were attached to a carriage) the sensation was quite astounding. Elijah Pratt had just got his gristmill, now the Boston Mills, started. Nelson Wilson was laboring upon the bench as the only village shoemaker, and then, too, the first bridge ..... the river at Saranac was in course of construction.

In 1851, Fox & Barnum concluded to retire from the firm, and, engaging Richard Vesper to build a store for them upon the corner now occupied by E. B. Armstrong, they soon moved into it, leaving Armstrong to carry on the old concern on his own account. Fox & Barnum abandoned the field after a brief career, and, their place being soon taken by Elijah Pratt, he gave way in turn to E. B. Armstrong, who has remained continuously in the trade on that corner since that time.

With the completion of the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad to that point Saranac had grown to be a thriving village with noticeable improvements and a promise of something better to come. In 181*2 the first brick store was built by William C. Mercer, who came to the village from Campbell in 1854, opened a store in 1860, and from that time to the present has continued to participate actively in the town's business enterprises.

SARANAC POST-OFFICE.

In 1839, Cyprian S. Hooker succeeded in having the Saranac post-office established and himself appointed postmaster. In 1840, Harrison coming into the Presidency, the Whigs in the town began to move for the displacement of Hooker, who was a Democrat. Jerry Stocking was the only Whig at Saranac, but he was not enough thought of to receive an endorsement for the office, and the consequence was that the office was abolished. Hooker took the matter sorely to heart, and, for that matter, the discontinuance of the office was a great inconvenience to the people roundabout, but of course nothing could be done but grin and bear it until the tables could be turned. The turning of the tables came with tho death of Harrison and the succession of Tyler as President, under whom Saranac was re-established as a post office and Hooker reappointed. That incident was immensely welcome to the Democrats in the neighborhood of the village, and the night of the day on which Hooker's commission arrived they gathered at his house for general congratulation and a merry time

Hooker kept the office in his dwelling, and received mail once a week over the route between Jackson and Grand Rapids by a carrier who traveled sometimes by horse and sometimes afoot. Hooker was succeeded as postmaster by Richard Vesper in 1844. After Vesper the incumbents were as follows: Jacob Pratt, 1848-49 ; Benjamin Ellsworth, 1849-53; Ammon Wilson, 1853-57; Carlton B. Pratt, 1857-61 ; Gilbert A. Cotton, 1861-72; Jonathan

Saranac, 1872-74; Gilbert A. Cotton, 1874-77 ; Mrs, L. M. Cotton (present incumbent), 1877.

The sales of stamps at the Saranac office for the three months ending July 1, 1880, were seven hundred and ninety-nine dollars and twenty cents. Money-orders were issued in the amount of fourteen hundred and forty-two dollars and twenty-five cents.

THE BOSTON LIGHT-GUARD.

In 1858, A. A. Stevens organized an artillery company with twenty-five men and one brass gun. The name of " Boston Light-Guard" was bestowed and A. A. Stevens elected captain, Moses B. Houghton first lieutenant, and Elijah Pratt second lieutenant. The company uniform was blue, but showy and tasteful. The occasional parades and target-shoots incidental to the company's home history were conspicuously important events and themes of popular admiration. Mr. E. B. Armstrong, at one time second lieutenant of the company, still preserves a target bearing the legend K Boston Light-Guard, July 4, 1859." The shooting on that occasion was at forty rods, offhand, and, according to the evidence of the bull's-eye, appears to have been exceedingly skillful. The first prize was carried off by Cornelius Stowe, and in order of merit other marksmen were E. B. Armstrong, William Pratt, George B. Wilson, and Gilbert Cotton.

Upon the outbreak of the civil war of 1861 the Guard entered the Federal service attached to the Second Michigan Regiment. Of its officers Capt. Stevens and Lieut. Houghton emerged from the service as brigadier-generals.

INCORPORATION OF THE VILLAGE.

Legislative act No. 246, approved March 4, 1869, provides that all that tract of country situate in the county of Ionia and State of Michigan, being in township six north, of range eight west, and described as follows, to wit: The west three-fourths of the south half of section one, the east half of the southeast quarter of section two, the northeast quarter of section eleven, the west half of the northwest quarter of section twelve, the west half of the east half of the northwest quarter of section twelve, the north half of the north half of the east half of the east half of the northwest quarter of section twelve, and the north half of the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section twelve, be, and the same is hereby, made and constituted a village corporate, to be hereafter known and designated by the name of the village of Saranac."

The first election was ordered to be held at Sackett's Hall, in Saranac, March 22, 1869, to select by a plurality of votes a president, clerk, assessor, treasurer, marshal, two trustees for one year, and two trustees for two years. At the election so ordered John D. Sackett and Richard D. Hudson were chosen judges of election and Charles L. Wilson clerk. The inspectors reported that officials had been chosen as follows: William Mercer, President; Charles L. Wilson, Clerk; Joel Andrews, Assessor; P. H. Spencer, Treasurer; John D. Sackett, Marshal; Cornelius W. Stowe, Edward B. Armstrong, Thomas Wilson, and D. M. Huntley, Trustees.

CHURCHES. Methodist Episcopal Church. The recorded testimony touching the history of the Saranac Methodist Episcopal Church is so meagre that the compilation of historical matter from that source is a task that yields nothing, while, as to oral evidence, the results are far from satisfactory. There was a Methodist Episcopal Church worship at the village as early as 1845, and perhaps before, and in the year named there was a class including (1. L. Huff (class-leader and Sunday-school superintendent), Thomas and Mary Wilson, Lyman Smith and wife, Mrs. 0. L. Huff, Diocletian Hess and wife, and Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Pratt. Up to the close of 1849, however, services were held only on week-days in the village school-house. When Lambert II. Barnum and his wife became residents of the village, in December, 1849. Rev. Eli Westlake was the preacher in charge. Shortly after that Mr. Barnum made a successful effort to provide preaching on Sundays instead of on week-days, and from that time forward Sunday services were steadily maintained. The village school-house was the place of worship as well as Sub bath-school exercises until 1801, when the present church-building was finished and dedicated, Rev. M. I. Smith being then the pastor. Among earlier pastors may be mentioned Revs. Jenkins, Horace Hall, Baird, Clark, and Pratt.

The church, now on the Saranac Circuit, has a membership of about forty, and is in charge of Rev. J. E. Holister. The class-leader is Alvin Adams, and the trustees Lyman Smith, Alvin Adams, John P. Anderson, and W. R. Dodge. C. L. Smith is superintendent of the Sunday-school, which employs five teachers and has an average attendance of forty scholars.

First Congregational Church. — The Congregational Church of Saranac wan organized in the autumn of 1871, in the edifice owned by the Baptist Society, by Rev. D. L. Eaton, of Lowell. The organizing members included E. J. Turner and wife, Nelson Pratt and wife, J. N. Barbour and wife, Mrs. A. Houghton, Mrs. Mary E. Young, Mrs. Los E. Jones, Mrs. A. 0. Wadsworth, Mrs. S. Smith, J. W. Lindsay and wife, E. A. Richards and wife, and Mrs. D. M. Huntley. Membership was at once sought with the Grand River Association, and Mr. Eaton engaged as pastor. He preached two years, and was succeeded by Rev. S. E. Busser, who remained two years, and after him Rev. E. W. Shaw was in charge nearly three years. Then came Rev. James A. McKay, the present pastor. The Sunday-school was organized in 1872, in which year, also, a house of worship was built, services having been held up to that time in the Baptist church. The school is in charge of E. A. Richards, who is assisted by a corps of seven teachers. There is an average attendance of sixty-five scholars in the school, and a membership of twenty-two in the church. The deacons are Jonah Turner and E. A. Richards; the trustees, Nelson Pratt, Jonah Turner, E. Crowner, E. A. Richards, and W. 0. Hubbard. The church has passed through a varied experience, and in the course thereof has been called upon to struggle against adverse circumstances that sorely weakened it and threatened dissolution. The difficulties, however, were bravely met and surmounted, and latterly there has been a steady and prosperous growth.

First Baptist Church.—The church now known as the First Baptist Church of Saranac was organized Jan. 8, 1854, at the "centre school-house," us the First Baptist Church of Boston. There wore present on that occasion H. M. Sackett, Sarah Allen, Hannah Beckwith, Isaiah F. Fay, Harriet E. Fay, P. I. Sneathen, and D. Simmons. The church adopted the articles of faith and church covenant adopted by the New Hampshire State Convention, and on January 14th met a second time, when Sisters Peasley, and Boot were received as members, Isaiah Fay chosen pastor, and B, Simmons clerk. A church council convened Feb. 15, 1854, it the school-house in the village of Boston, and at that meeting John D. Fletcher, Dennis Shaw, Dennis Boot, and Altha Shaw were baptized. July 22d, John B. Fletcher was chosen deacon. Juno 16, 1860, tho First Baptist Society of Saranac was incorporated, and T. D. Hartwell, N. D. Strong, A. C. Lee, Enoch Wilkinson, Caleb Woodward, and Corydon Cronkite chosen trustees. In 1868 the present house of worship was completed.

The church-membership is now about twenty-five. Rev. C. A. Smith is pastor and Sunday-school superintendent. The trustees in 1880 were T. D. Hartwell, William Clark, E. Morrison, H. P. Gates, J. Outwater,and Charles Jepson. Trinity {Protestant Episcopal) Church.— An entry in the records of Trinity Church sets forth that 11 The first effort towards Episcopal services in Saraoac was made by a lady teaching a Sunday-school in a private house. After some time Rev. D. B. Lyon, of Lyons, tad others held services and preached in the largo school-house, and the Sunday-school was removed to the school-house by Mrs. A. A. Stevens from her private room. She was assisted in the school by Mrs. Fuller and Miss Quackcuboss about the last of October, 1858. The following summer Rev. Mr. Barnwell held services once in the union school-house. Rev. Mr. Lyon preached during the winter of 1859 and 1860, and the following summer baptized eleven children." Jan. 9, 1860, Trinity Church was organized by D. F. Frazell, Theodore Cotton, K. Anderson, G. A. Cotton, Richard Vesper, Robert L. Taylor, T. C. Wert, M. B. Houghton, Elijah Pratt, S. L. Shaw, A. A. Stevens, and E. B. Armstrong. The cornerstone of the church-building was laid at 3 p.m., Juno 18,1860, by Rev. D. B. Lyon, assisted by Rev. Dooley, of Pontiac, and Rev. Dr. Cummings, of Grand Rapids. Tho edifice was raised Juno 23d following, tho cross was put up July 27th, and the bell placed in position October 14th. Nov. 1, 1860, the church was completed, and Feb. 17, 1861, it was consecrated. The first recorded election of vestrymen appears under date of April 23, 1866, when D. F. Frazell, Richard Vesper, W. M. Arnold, Elijah Pratt, G- A. Cotton, Theodore Cotton, and S. L. Shaw were chosen. Succeeding Mr. Lyon, the first rector, Rev. D. E. Brown, occupied the pulpit until 1869, when he resigned. Rev. J. F. Walker served to 1872, Rev. George W. Wilson from 1872 to 1874, and, following him, Revs. L. L. Rogers, William Brittain, and Louis Noble, the latter being the rector now in charge. He holds services once a fortnight. The church is accredited with a membership of seventy, and the Sunday-school with an average attendance of thirty-six. The vestry is composed of M. A. Weiers and Ezra Reasoner (wardens), James H. Kilmer, William Whitney, and S. A. Watt. The Sunday-school superintendent is M. A. Weiers. Wesleyan Methodist Church.—In April, 1874, Rev. D. A. Richards organized the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Saranac, with sixteen members. They were Stillman Shaw, Elizabeth Shaw, Allen H. Smith, Ann E. Smith, A. P. Hughson, Ellen L. Hughson, A. J. Root, Sarah A. Root, A. A. Richards, Carlie Richards, Lydia Nash, Sarah Lemon, Eliza A. Richards, Thomas E. Myers, Francis Myers, and Otis S. Richards. A church was built and dedicated in the fall of 1874, and in the fall of 1875 the membership had increased to twenty-five. Sept. 1,1880, the membership was about thirty-five. Rev. I). A. Richards was the pastor to 1875, and, being succeeded by Rev. J. H. Canfield, returned for a second term in 1877. and is still in charge. The class is on the Campbell Circuit, and has public services every Sunday afternoon. Andrew Tasker is the leader, and Calvin Nash, D. C. Benson, and Andrew Tasker the trustees. Free Methodist Church.—During the year 1869 an

American Methodist missionary conducted camp-meeting exercises at Saranac, and, as a result of his visit, there was a successful movement to organize a Free Methodist Church. The organization has maintained an active existence since that period, although it has at no time risen to a very prosperous pinnacle. A parsonage was built in 1879, but a church-edifice is still lacking. Services are held once in two weeks at the residence of Mathew Crooks. The membership is eleven. The leader is Charles Benjamin, Seventh-Day Adventists.—Some time during the summer of 1874, Eiders Lawrence and Strong held a series of tented Adventist meetings at Saranac, and at the end organized a church, which has continued to flourish to this day. The organizing members numbered seven, and were Mrs. Wilkinson and daughter, Mrs. Henry, Mrs. Brown, Mrs. Lee, Mrs. Haynor, and Mrs. Payne. Services, whioh were held at first at the residence of 0. Train, are now conducted at R. B. Paynes residence, and consist usually of prayer and conference, with occasional preaching as convenience serves. Enoch Wilkinson is now the elder. Although the society had at one time as many as thirty members, the number is at present something less.

Society of Spiritualists.—Advocates of the theory of Spiritualism have for some years maintained a considerable showing of strength in Saranac, and at present, organized as the Saranac Society of Spiritualists and Liberalists, hold occasional meetings. Willard Gahoon is the president, and Mrs. S. L. Shaw the secretary.

SARANACS PUBLIC SCHOOL.

In common with a majority of Michigan villages, Saranac has occasion to boast of public-school privileges and a fine school-building. The school-house is an imposing and roomy brick structure, occupying spacious and neatly-kept grounds. It was completed August, 1873, cost about seventeen thousand dollars, and has two stories and basement, in which are contained five departments. It belongs to District No. 3, which includes a portion of Berlin as well as Saranac village, and had during 1879 an average attendance of two hundred and forty-one out of an enrollment of three hundred and three. The expenditures for teachers during that year aggregated fifteen hundred and eighty-one dollars. For 1880 the principal is E. M. Pluokett (for eight years previous to 1880 principal of the schools at Byron, Mich.) His assistants are Addie Reeves, Grammar School; Vertie Pond, Intermediate; Rosa Harris, Primary. The board of trustees includes Willard Gaboon, Director; F. D. M. Davis, Moderator; and Delos M. Huntley, Assessor.

MANUFACTURES

The water-power at Saranac is derived solely from Lake Creek, and serves to run two flouring-mills. One of these, the Saranac Mills, occupying the site chosen originally by Cyprian Hooker for his saw-mill in 1842, is owned by Messrs. Lee & Brown, is fitted with three runs of stone, and can grind about three hundred bushels of grain daily. Its business is almost exclusively that of custom-work. " The Boston Mills" was constructed by Elijah Pratt in 1849, and since 1871 has been carried on by Nathan Holmes, the present proprietor. It is devoted to custom-work, has three runs of stone and a daily grinding capacity of three hundred bushels.

There is a considerable business at Saranac in the way of carriage and wagon manufactures, in which three firms —D. W. Anderson, Jacob Schiodorf, and Peter Schiedt are engaged, and in which employment is given to a good many persons. The saw-mills of William Kelly and George Barber and Hubbard & Co.'s stave-factory complete the list of village manufactures. An oar-factory—once an important local industry, but latterly silent—is likely to be revived within the near future.

Hubbard & Co's Stave-Factory. —The manufacture of staves was introduced into Saranac, in 1866, by Ira Reynolds, who presently sold the business to Moser & Benson. Tho work has since then been carried on by various firms, and is controlled at present by Messrs. Hubbard & Co., who turn out annually about one million staves, and employ from ten to a dozen hands,

THE VILLAGE PRESS.

Saranac's first newspaper was called the Grand River Valley Standard, which was issued by N. T. Kimsey in the winter of 1870 as a Democratic journal. After the laps of six months tho name was changed to .... Standard, and twelve months after that the paper was transferred to Ionia, where, as tho Ionia Standard, it has since endured. During its career in Saranac, N. T. Kimsey was tho publisher, and F. H. Spencer and C. L. Wilson editors. There was no village paper subsequent to the Standard's removal until 1874, when C. H. Smith, of Ionia, called to the surface of events The Reporter. It was neutral in politics until the campaign of 1876, when Republicanism became its watchword. After the campaign it gave up the ghost.

After another year of journalistic vacancy, The Saranac Load was started by Johnson & Buchanan in October, 1877, as an independent journal. It passed through several proprietary changes, until July, 1879, when F. T. Stevenson, the present publisher, came into possession. F. H. Spencer has been the editor since October, 1877. The Local is an eight-column folio, independent in politics, issues every Thursday, and has a circulation of four hundred copies.

Until 1869 the village boasted no banking conveniences. In that year, A. C. Lee and A. W. Goodell opened a private bank, and under the firm name of Lee & Goodell carried on a prosperous business until 1878. In the year last named Goodell retired, and since then Lee Brothers have been the successors of Lee & Goodell. When Mr. Goodell retired from Lee & Goodell, in 1878, he joined William Mercer in a similar enterprise, and assisted is conducting it until Aug. 15, 1880, when the firm was dissolved, and thereupon succeeded by the present firm of William Mercer & Son.

Messrs. Mercer & Son and Lee Brothers are also largely engaged in the purchase of wheat for shipment Eastward. Mercer & Son claim to ship about three hundred cars yearly, and Lee Brothers the same number. Estimating each car at four hundred bushels, the aggregate of yearly wheat-shipments from Saranac station reaches, therefore, two hundred and forty thousand bushels.

SOCIETIES.

Boston Lodge, No. 146, P. and A. M. — Boston Lodge was organized about 1862. The Masters who have served from 1862 to 1880 have been William Drowlman, Elijah Pratt, C. W, Stowe, Horace Robinson, James T. Roberts, and Charles L. Wilson. The membership is now about fifty. The officers ore Charles L. Wilson, Master ; F. H. Spencer, S. W.; V. V. Campbell, J. W.; A. F. Noyes, Sec. J. J. Stewart, Treas.; Wm. Fitzgibbons, S. D.; W. O'Brien, J. D.; D. Donovan, Tiler.

Saranac Lodge, No. 168, I. 0. 0. F. — This lodge was organized in August, 1871, in the Anderson Building, and chartered in March, 1872. The charter members were James T. Brown, J. H. Russell, Henry Trace, F. M. McDonald, A. R. Hicks, and Dennis Donovan. Since the organization the following have been those to the office of Noble Grand: James T. Brown, J. H. Russell, Dennis Donovan, William M. Dresskell, William L. Strickland, Harvey W. Dunn, H. A. O'Connor, J. B. Case, Elisha Prosser, George B. Wilson, G. W. Lee, H. M. Cronkite, D. B. Kelly, W. S. Allen, and Chiles Numa. The present membership is forty-three. Meetings are held in Shaw's Hall, the upper portion of which is tho joint property of the I. 0. 0. F. and F. and A. M. lodges. The officers of Saranac Lodge for 1880 are R. E. Arthur, N. G.; George Topp, V. G.; J. T. Brown, F. and R. Sec.; Frederick Riar, Treas.

Saranac Council, No. 22, Royal Templars of Temperance.—This temperance organization, which was formed in February, 1880, with a membership of forty, had increased that number to seventy by Sept 1, 1880. Regular sessions are held in Templars' Hall each alternate Monday, and thus far the excellent service rendered by the council gives abundant, promise that the good work will be carried vigorously forward. The officers for 1880 are Merritt Moore, S. C.; F. Richmond, P. C.; P. W. Holcomb, V. C. J. Ira Cotton, Sec.; A. Richardson, F. S.; Charles Jepsod, Treas,; W. A. Hughson, Herald; Hattie Beadle,Dep. Herald; G. N. Westfall, G.; M. C. Beadle, Sentinel; J. Beadle. H. II. Gardner, and H, H- Power. Trustees.

Saranac Liberal League, No. 129. — On the 28th of December, 1879, Hiram Olmstead and forty-seven others opposed to tho non-taxation of churches and in favor of free thought organized Saranac Liberal League, No. 129, which maintains its original strength and meets regularly once a month. The officers are S. L. Shaw, President; S. M. Crawford, Secretary; Fred H. Stowe, Treasurer; Hiram Olmstead, Dr. A. P. C. Jones, and B. A. Cotton, Trustees. Saranac Hook and Ladder, No. 1.—The fire department of Saranac includes a hook-and ladder company, which was organized in 1876 with A. D. Yoits as tho first foreman. The apparatus includes now a Babcock extinguisher. The company numbers twenty-four men, F. P. Orommon being the foreman and Andrew Payne first assistant.

VILLAGE PHYSICIANS.

About the year 18-12, a Dr. Rose, known as a Thorn physician, made a location at Saranac, and, practicing upon the neighboring inhabitants with feeble success until 1845, withdrew to more promising fields. Upon the heels of his departure came Dr. Taylor, an eclectic, who remained three or four years. After him there was a blank in local medical history until 1849, when Drs. John Brandt and Cyrenus Kelscy occupied the field. Kclsey left, for California in 1850, and Brandt for unknown regions in 1852. From 1852 to 1855 there was no resident physician. In 1855, Dr. Wilbur Fisher opened an office, and after practicing until 1858 removed to a place a mile and a half east from the village, whore he died. Dr. Pomeroy was in about 1855, and, removing after a short slay, returned in 1866, and remained until his death. Dr. H. H. Power, now in village practice and the oldest in point of service of all the village doctors, has been in Saranac since 1856. William Dowlman followed Dr. Power in 1863, and moved away about 1870. Dr. Kimberly came in 1863,.and remained until 1866.

Besides Dr. Power (allopath), there are in village practice Drs. A. P. C. Jones and Dennis Dreskell (allopaths), Dr. Munch (eclectic), and Dr. A. Gcsler (homoeopath).

LAWYERS.

Charles L. Wilson, the lawyer of oldest practice in the village, was admitted in 1867, and opened an office in Saranac in 1868. Los. K. Jones was then a practicing lawyer in the town, but latterly he has appeared to have deserted the legal field for the blacksmith's shop. Richard Hudson came in before Wilson, and was probably the pioneer lawyer of the town. Wm. L. Strickland studied with Wilson, and then joined him as a partner.

The village lawyers are now F. D. M. Davis, P. T. Williams, F. H. Stowe, and Charles L. Wilson.

A "BOGUS" BAND.

For a little time previous to 1857 the manufacture of bogus Mexican dollars was carried on in the village, but so secretly did the counterfeiters conduct their operations that knowledge of the matter was not made public until after the business had been suspended for a year or so. The information came out in 1857, when, upon the arrest of some housebreakers who had been depredating the villagers' homes, it was learned that they had before that figured us a counterfeiting band in the town, although upon their own confession the money they trade was so very bad that but few people could be deceived with it.

The political campaign of 1868 is recalled as a memorable one in Saranac by reason of the violent death, at a mass-meeting, of Dr. Perry, of Lowell. It was charged that Perry had been shot by Deputy-Sheriff Philip Taylor, had the indeed proved to be the case; but upon the subsequent trial of Taylor for murder it was shown that the meeting was accidental, and of course Taylor was acquitted.

Source: History of Ionia and Montclam Counties 1881