Centerville in 1868

In the summer of 1868 the village of Centerville was described as follows: "Centerville is situated near the geographical center of Tuscola County, a short distance from the Cass River, in one of the most beautiful and healthy location in the State of Michigan. It is about thirty miles east of Saginaw and nearly the same distance in the same direction from Bay City, sixteen miles northeast from Vassar, eight from Watrousville, and twelve from Unionville – the later a town in the northern part of the county, about six miles from Saginaw Bay. The mail arrives daily from Detroit and Saginaw, and traveling facilities by railroad and stage enable the traveler to make the trip comfortably to and from the metropolis of the State in one day. The first permanent settlers were Samuel P. Sherman, William E. Sherman, and Melvin Gibbs. The excellent quality of soil and the advantages of location which the place possessed indicated to these gentlemen what its future might become if industry and enterprise but seconded the advantage which nature supplied. No better farming district can be found than is comprised in the surrounding district, a fact which has contributed mainly to give Centerville the growth and importance to which she has attained. The soil is well adapted to the culture of all cereal crops, but especially to winter wheat, which is raised of a quality not to be surpassed. Fruits of almost all kinds do nicely. Apples, pears, peaches, cherries, plums, grapes, with a large variety of small fruits are successfully cultivated, though transplanted from foreign districts, while many kinds of fruits are indigenous to the soil. The timber most abundant is maple, beech, bass or linden, and oak. There is also some hemlock, cedar and elm, and occasionally large and very valuable tracts of pine are still found, although a great part of this valuable timber with which large districts were formerly encumbered has already been removed by the enterprising lumbermen. The surface is rolling and beautiful and well calculated for pleasant homes. Land can be purchased for from $5 to $15 per acre. Improved farms with good buildings from $30 to $50 per acre. Frosts are not as prevalent as in places more remote from the lake. The market is excellent; all kinds of farm produce obtain a ready and high price. Large amounts of feed are, each winter, consumed in the pine forests up the river, while Saginaw at the same time stands ready to take all the surplus products at good prices. The village was platted in November, 1866, shortly after the people of the county had decided by a large majority on a popular vote to make Centerville the shire town of the county. Previous to this time the county seat had been at Vassar. Since this event – important in its influence on Centerville – the town has grown from a mere handful of houses, occupied by perhaps a dozen families, to a town of about 500 inhabitants. It has a beautiful Union school-house, 40x60 feet, two stories high, which was erected at a cost of nearly $5,000. It will seat 275 scholars. An efficient teacher from the State of New York has charge of the school at present, under whose management it is in a prosperous condition. A printing-office, just established, issued its first edition of the Tuscola Advertiser, as it is called, last week- August 21. It is a neat seven-column paper, whose appearance is decidedly creditable and is a compliment to its manager, who is both publisher and editor. The village contains one flouring-mill, one saw-mill, a planing-mill, sash and bind factory, a tannery, a brewery, a foundry, four hotels, four dry goods and grocery stores, two drug stores, one hardware store, one feed store, two boot and shoe shops, one cabinet-ware house, two harness shops, there blacksmith shops, and one livery stable. There are Presbyterian, Methodist, and Universalist societies; two physicians attend the sick; a single office looks after the insurance and real estate trade. As yet no lawyer has located at Centerville; an inviting field is here opened to some talented and enterprising young man to embark in this profession. The best of clay is found in abundance, and a brick-maker is among the articles much wanted. There are numerous kinds of business not yet introduced, and a good opening is here offered for a variety which can be profitably conducted. All things considered, beauty of location, healthfulness of climate, excellence of soil, its adaptation to the raising of fruit, as well as all kinds of farm products, with her unsurpassed markets, Centerville promises to rival her sister villages in extent of influence and business and in general prosperity."

Confusion and annoyance were continually experienced on account of two different names for the village and postoffice, and December 30, 1868, a meeting was held at Phipps Hall for the purpose of considering this, among other things. M. D. Orr was chairman and H. G. Chapin secretary. Mr. William E. Sherman stated the object of the meeting, and it was voted unanimously that some change should be made. An informal ballot was taken to ascertain the preferences of the citizens as to a name. Twelve names were proposed, six of which were found in the postoffice directory, and therefore not entitled to consideration. Another ballot was taken and twenty-six votes cast, as follows:Novesta, 13; Alvana, 8; Alcor, 2; Eagle Point, 2: Fontana,1. A formal ballot was taken and forty votes cast with the following result: Novesta, 25; Alvana, 8; Latusco, 6: Alcor, 1. It was then unanimously voted that Novesta be the name of the postoffice and village. A committee consisiting of E. W. Gerish, F. Craw, and W. E. Sherman were appointed to prepare petitions and obtain signatures to be sent to the postoffice department and to the representative in the legislature. Before anything was accomplished the board of supervisors organized a new town, calling it Novesta, and the village god-fathers suddenly found themselves without a name. Another meeting was held to select a new name, which resulted in the choice of Caro. This name had been suggested by Mr. William E. Sherman, who abbreviated Cairo, in Egypt. He probably deemed it prudent, in view of the future necessities of the growing village, to make as light a draft as possible upon the alphabet. In February, by act of legislature, the name of the village was changed to Caro, and the following June, by order of the postmaster general, the name of the postoffice was also changed to Caro.

In April, 1869, the village of Caro contained twenty-seven business places, as follows: At the lower end of State Street were the flouring and saw-mills of Gamble & McPhail.

It was not unusual to see heavy loads of grain, that had been hauled a distance of thirty miles, to be ground at this flouring mill. Nearly opposite the mill was the tannery and harness shop of Dickinson Bros. Then came the furniture establishment and planing-mill of Howell & Ale; Montague & Sherman, general merchants; S. R. Cross, hotel; Gamble and McPhail, general merchants; Washburn & Jameson occupied the old Bush store; D.

Campbell, dealer in boots and shoes; A. P. Cooper, proprietor of the Caro livery stable, Caro & Vassar and Cass City stage line, Tuscola Advertiser, printing office, H. G. Chapin, proprietor; Empire saloon, by George Sayers; James West, barber; E. Belmer and J. N. Mertz, blacksmith shops; C. L. Taggett, wagon shop; A. M. Judd, jeweler; F. Craw & Co., general merchants; Miles & Nettleton, dealers in groceries, provisions, etc.; J. W. Spencer, general merchant; J. Phipps, druggist; R. Whiteside, merchant tailor; Caro foundry, J. J. Packer, proprietor; S. S. Utter, hotel; Tuscola Exchange, W. T. Riley, proprietor; Bush House, William Loomis, proprietor; John Franklin, harness shop; H. D. Mendelsohn & Bro., clothing. There were also a meat market and a bakery.

Among the advertisers of that time, the firm of Craw & Co. appears to have been the most poetic; and Caro maidens of 1869 were thrilled with bewitching refrains like this:

    "Girls, if you want to get a beau

    Buy a nice dress of Craw & Co."

Changes of Three Years

Some of the changes which occurred in Caro between August, 1868 and November, 1871, are indicated in the following table: