Volume 25 Number 3 Fall/Winter 2018

THE LEDGER
THE LEDGER
Eaton County’s Museum at Courthouse Square & The Eaton County Historical Commission

There are many volunteers that you would have

Gaylord Edgerly ( Left) and Dale Dodds (right) restoring the stained
glass ceiling of the 1885 Courthouse 25 years ago.
The legacy of Gaylord Edgerly began with the idea of
saving the original 1845 Eaton County Courthouse. He, Written by Courthouse Square Manager, Julie Kimmer
along with a group of other committed community
members, began their journey with the purchase of that
building that was then being used as a garage.
After the purchase, the next goal was to move the
building. After years of fundraising, planning and
prepping, the move down main street to its new home
finally took place. Then began the months of restoration
to bring the 1845 Courthouse back to her natural beauty.
After more fundraising, painting, building and probably
a little praying, the task was finally complete. But what
do you do when you finish such a project? You take on a
bigger one! and so began Gaylord's involvement with the
restoration of the 1885 Courthouse and Sheriff's
Residence.
seen working on the square if you lived in
Charlotte, but for nearly 30 of those years one
volunteer who was always there was Gaylord
Edgerly. He, with his entire family in tow, could
be found day and night, weekday or weekend
working on the building.
A quiet man with a quick, fun sense of humor, a
love of music and tractors, who believed in the
power of hard work, his involvement often made
that work a little less painful. In addition to
dedicating his time, he supported the restoration
financially every year. Always smart with his
money, he managed to tuck away a tidy sum.
And true to his nature and that of his family, his
final gift, his legacy, was to ensure the existence
of the building for many years to come. Gaylord
continues to support the Eaton County
Courthouse Square by generously leaving it the
money to replace the roof on the 1885 Eaton
County Courthouse. Our biggest sorrow is that
he is not here to see that happen.
So later this fall, when you see the work begin on
the Courthouse roof, say a little thank you to
Gaylord as I am sure he will be watching with
pride.
 Page 2 The Ledger

2018 CEMETERY TOURS finishing buildings and donating tools, but the most
vital thing Stan did at Maple Hill Cemetery was acting
OCTOBER 7, 2018 as a mentor and, encourager to the Cemetery manager.
This helped garner teamwork, created a positive
atmosphere, and provided the necessary environment
for everyone involved to succeed. Stan Moore’s
presence will forever be strong and impacting.
Written by Maple Hill Cemetery caretaker, Ricky Hinken

2018 Halloween Fun!

The October 7th Tours will be at 2:00 PM & 4:00 PM

Below is a message about Stan Moore’s role in the history of the

Maple Hill Cemetery ….
Stanton D. Moore was an integral part of Maple Hill October 13, 2018
Cemetery being how it is today. He served as Cemetery
Company Board member for many years and became the
secretary following the passing of Fran Madry in 2006.
Added to that, he acted as the liaison for Friends of Maple
Hill Cemetery. Stan was organized beyond belief. His years
in the Navy programmed him to be very task oriented. For
somebody who was volunteering their services, he went
above and beyond in everything he did. Stan was what you October 20, 2018
would call a do-er. Some people talk about things, while Stan 8:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
call 517-543-6999– for tickets & details
simply went and got them done! His perseverance helped
complete many projects throughout Maple Hill
Cemetery. Many of which, will be everlasting. Stan took the
lead in organizing the building of our new office and
chapel. Working meticulously from getting donors, bids,
permits, and right down to final design. From there he went
on to help create an expansion area for more gravesites. He
organized funding for the site, hired logger to clear the land
and spent countless hours working with County Drain
Commissioner and DEQ to obtain permits the project. Once
the area was completed, he gathered donations for a new
road access to be put in. Stan did many other small deeds
along the way like cutting wood during storm clean ups,
 Volume 25 Number 3 Page 3

“Right on Track” : Railroads of Eaton County

The Historical Commission is Right on Track with New
Book. In addition to promoting local history, the Eaton
County Historical Commission is tasked with providing
grants to nonprofit organizations in the county for histori-
cal preservation. Grants have been issued for tools used in
research, for archival storage materials, and to purchase the
technology needed. The Commission also grants an annual
Heritage Award to groups or individuals who have made
special efforts to preserve the history of Eaton County.
Appointed by the Eaton County Board of Commissioners,
the ECHC includes Randall Tooker, Jan Sedore, Joy Black,
Pat Tirrell, Deb Malewski, Rich Rybicki, Susan Ward, and
Sue Spagnuolo. Long time Commission member Tom
Raymond recently stepped down from the group and will
be greatly missed! Julie Kimmer, museum manager at
Courthouse Square, is another important partner in all of
the Commission's work.
To provide for grants, the Commission does a variety of
fundraisers, the most recent being the publication of books
about Eaton County history. Each commissioner assists in
the research, writing, editing, layout and publication and
sales of the books. They generally take about a year from
the first idea to the printed page. The research involves
visiting locations and libraries, and has now been greatly
aided by the Newspaper Project sponsored by the Eaton
County Genealogy group. Being able to access those old
newspaper stories from the comfort of our own home is
invaluable!
The Commission's first endeavor, The Rural Schools of
Eaton County, is 350+ pages of photos, stories and facts
about the 145+ one room schools around the county. The Presents Award to Steve Baxter!
second book, Spirits of the Past, looked at the history of
alcohol in the county. Bars and breweries, prohibition and
temperance, plus the more recent influx of brew pubs
throughout Eaton County are all included in the book. Both
books are available for purchase at Courthouse Square Mu-
seum.
Trains, depots and the railroads that served them are the
subject of the most recent endeavor, Right on Track: Rail-
roads in Eaton County. We will look at the impact of both
the arrival and the disappearance of the railroads through-
out the county, train crashes, and much more. A 2019 re-
lease is expected for this book. If you have photos or sto-
ries about the railroad in Eaton County, we’d love to hear
from you!
If you are interested in becoming a part of the Eaton Coun- Stan Baxter was awarded the 2018 Eaton County
ty Historical Commission, please contact the Eaton County Heritage Award from the Eaton County Historical
Clerk’s Office at (517) 543-2478 or (517) 485-3417, exten-
sion 2478 to receive a Citizen Involvement application or Commission to thank him for his many years of
on the County website at www.eatoncounty.org. service in the preservation of history.
 Page 4 The Ledger

COLLECTIONS
UPDATE
Courthouse Square Association welcomes Sherry
Copenhaver as our new archivist, replacing Sarah
Buckmaster. Sarah has worked with Courthouse
Square for over 6 years and is leaving to pursue
additional educational opportunities and plans to
student teach this fall. Everyone at CSA wishes her
well!
Each month Sherry plans to share with you some of
the items coming into the museum, like the one
pictured to your right. Theses pictures and books,
celebrating the 100th Anniversary (1893-1993) of
the Berry/Eaton County Health Department, were
donated by Pamela Groner R.N. who was director of
nursing in 1993 during the 100th anniversary
celebration.

Thank you to our 241 S. Cochran Suite #1

Charlotte MI 48813
DAILY DELIVERY TO
*Charlotte *Olivet
*Bellevue *Potterville
Sponsors Phone: 517-543-1099
Fax: 517-543-1993
*Vermontville
*Mulliken
* Sunfield
*Eaton Rapids
*

Charles L. Green Kiwanis of FULTON LUMBER CHARLOTTE

Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Charlotte
Funeral Home
Proudly Serving our
Community
Your friends 430 S. Cochran Ave.
across the Square Charlotte, MI 48813
517-543*-6794
Kiwanis is a global organization of
206 W. Lawrence Ave. volunteers dedicated to improving
Charlotte, MI 48813 the world One child and One
Phone (517) 543-3160 community at a time.
COMPANY
316 N. Washington
Charlotte, MI 48813
“ We are pleased and proud
to be members of the Court-
house Square Association”
LIONS CLUB
100 W. Lawrence, Suite B
Charlotte, MI 48813
517-543-4240 or email
Charlottelionsclub@gmail.com
Lions meet the needs of local
communities and the world every-
day because they share core belief
to serve their community.”
 Volume 25 Number 3 Page 5

20th Annual Golf Scramble a Success!

The 20th Annual Courthouse Square Golf Scramble took place
on Saturday July 21, 2018. The event was a success due to the
hard work of Tom and Christi Dutcher. Their “hard work” over
the years paid off with the participation of 13 teams and 35 sponsors. The
Scramble stared at 8:30AM with a “Shot Gun” start on the Centennial Acres
Golf Course. The golfers enjoyed barbecued chicken, burgers and dogs
during the course of play. At the end of play, door prizes were drawn and the
winning teams announced. First place prize for lowest score of 58 (13 under
par) went to the Steve Rohdy Team. Second place prize was the Lee Howser
Team with a score of 61 (ten under par). The Steve Rohdy Team was award-
ed an antique wood shaft golf club as a traveling award. The golf club was
engraved: Courthouse Square Association, Annual Golf Scramble, Team
Excellence Award. This makes two years in a row for the Rohdy team to
win. Can they win three in a row? To find out, mark your calendar for The Steve Rohdy Team
Saturday July 20, 2019 for the 21st Annual Courthouse Square Golf L.to R. Mike Betts, Steve Rhody, Tyler Allen and Larry Bass
Scramble.
Thank you to the Golf Scramble Sponsors!
Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. Tom & Christi Dutcher L.L. Johnson Lumber/Workbench Kenneth O’Deen, Attorney at Law
Gale Briggs Inc. Eaton Federal Savings Bank King Insurance Agency Potterville Pharmacy
Ray Buffnyer , Attorney at Law Edward Jones & Co. Latchaw Financial Services Pray Funeral Home
Burkhead-Green-Kilgo Funeral Home Hon. Thomas Eveland Latchaw & Kilgore CPA, P.C. Hon. Julie Reincke
Hon. Thomas Byerley Fulton Lumber Company Maple Valley Pharmacy Russell Scharder Insurance Agency
Centennial Acres Golf Course Hayes Green Beach Hospital Hon. John Maurer David L. Smith, Attorney at Law
Kathleen F.Cook, Attorney at Law Norma & Lee Howser Bob Miller in Memory of Connie Miller Stanton’s Real Estate & Auctioneers
The County Journal Independent Bank MSU Federal Credit Union Tripp & Tagg, Attorneys at Law
Crandell Brothers Trucking Instiy-Prints Downtown Nationwide Insurance
 Page 6 The Ledger

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Level of Annual Giving

INDIVIDUALS BUSINESS
Docent $25-$ 99 Scholars (1) $250-$ 499
Archivist $100-$499 Historian (2) $500-$999
Curator $500-$999 Conservator I (3) $1,000-$2,499
Director $1,000 + Conservator II(4) $2,500 +
Number is parenthesis indicates
quantity of 1/4 ads in the Ledger

I would like to ensure the future of the Courthouse Square by becoming a member of
the Courthouse Square Association at the ____________ Level of giving. I agree to
make a contribution of $ ___________ and in return received the benefits of
membership at that level.

Check here for an additional $5 donation to the Children’s summer camp

scholarship fund.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM

Name______________________________________ _____________________________________
First Last

Address____________________________________________________________ ____________
Address City, State Zip

Email Address ____________________________________________________________________

Please print clear

Signature __________________________________________________ Date ________________

_____ I would like to receive The Ledger, invitations to events and exhibits, membership reminders
and other notifications via email.

Please make checks payable to and mail to

Courthouse Square Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 411 Charlotte, MI 48813
 Volume 25 Number 3 Page 7

Let us help you Make your Dream of a Perfect Wedding

Down Memory Lane become a reality!

Beautiful Wedding &

Reception Areas
AVAILABLE NOW!

Above is the restored Circuit Courtroom of the Historic 1885 Courthouse which is a perfect
setting for a wedding! The Courtroom has a capacity for up to 180 guests as well as a dressing
room for the bride. There are also other rooms available from one room to the entire building
and grounds for your special event.
RENTAL PRICING
$250 Historic 1885 Courthouse ( Above)
$100 Historic 1845 Courthouse ( Below)

This Historic 1845 Courthouse offers a $100

Wedding Special ( weekend access.)
This location is in a beautiful setting located next
to Bennett Park and has a capacity for up to 80
people.

Contact the CSA office today for reservations at:

Courthouse Square Association

100 W. Lawrence Ave. Charlotte, MI 48813 P.O. Box 411 Phone 517-5436999
 Eaton County’s Museum at
Courthouse Square
100 W. Lawrence Avenue
PO Box 411
Charlotte, MI 48813
www.csamuseum.net
Keeping History Alive on The Square!
Courthouse Square Association is open Tuesday,
Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday from 9:00 am to 4:00
pm. Other times can be arranged for special events and by
appointment.
Museum Admission
$1.00 pp
Children 12 and under free
CSA Members Free
Group & Family rates available!
We are happy to make special arrangements with
sufficient notice. Please call the museum office at
517-543-6999 for more information. You can always email
us at csamuseum@yahoo.com.
FOR YOUR
INFORMATION
The Eaton County Genealogical Society is also located in the
1885 Courthouse and is open Tuesday thru Thursday from
10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Call ECGS at 517-543-8792 for more
information.
Other businesses located in the 1885 Courthouse include:
 Johnson’s Framing
 Ann Prater Attorney & Counselor at Law
 Alpha Video & Computer Services
Located inside the 1873 Sheriff’s Resident adjacent to the
Courthouse are:
 PotterVilla Applied Technology
 Courtney Emerson, LMSW
Remember to bring your family and friends to your favorite
Museum!
Printing of this publication provided by The County Journal