History of Oakland County Michigan a narrative account of its historic progress, its people, its principal interests / compiled from the official records of the county, the newspapers and data of personal interviews, under the editorial supervision of Thaddeus D. Seeley.

HISTORY OF OAKLAND COUNTY

409

gaged with Edson, Moore & Company, remaining in their service for
ten years. His natural resourcefulness and latent ambition prompted
him to make a venture in the manufacturing business, with the result
already set forth. Mr. Chapman was president of the company until
his death, which took place on May 5, I912. He was succeeded in the
presidency by Mr. W. H. Yankey. C. D. Joslyn is vice president.and
William C. Chapman, son of Charles S. Chapman, is treasurer and general manager of the firm. The concern was originally known as the
Western Knitting Company.
CREAMERY AND FLOURING MAILL
The Rochester Creamery Company was opened for business on September 30, I909, and is a cooperative affair, with officers and directorate
as follows: Henry Rewold, president and manager; William A. George,
secretary; H. J. Taylor, treasurer; George Switzer, John Tienken, Gust
Snitcher and Oliver Patterson, directors. The creamery has been operated at a profit since its opening, and is one of the solid institutions
of the county. The output for I9II was as follows: Total pounds of
butter fat, 63,654; total pounds of butter, 78,o27. Overrun, I4,370
pounds.
Rochester's flouring mill, run under modern methods and with up-todate machinery, is conducted by S. W. Barkham & Son.
THE SCHOOLS
The first school taught either in the township of Avon or the village of Rochester was opened in 1823 in the log house of Alexander
Graham. In 1828 Gad Norton and William Burbank built the first
regular house for educational purposes on the lot now occupied by the
Congregational church, which had been donated for that purpose by the
proprietors of the village plat. Miss Maria LeRoy was the teacher.
It was a small frame building, subsequently moved to the corner of
Main and Third streets and occupied by Dr. R. C. Sprague as a drug
store. In I850 it was removed to the opposite side of the street and
used as a blacksmith shop until destroyed by fire in I869.
The second schoolhouse was built in 1835 on Walnut street and
was also burned, in the spring of I843. From that time until I846 the
public school was taught in the basement of the Christian church.
During the year named the third schoolhouse was erected on Pine
street, subsequently moved to the east side of Walnut street, in I857
was sold to Henry Miller and still later was used as a town hall and for
religious purposes. It, also, was a victim of the flames a number of
years ago.
ROCHESTIER UNION SCHlOOL
In 1847 a building was erected for academic purposes and the socalled Avon Lyceum was opened by Professor Robert Kedzie. It attained a high standing as a private school, but in I857 ceased to exist
as such, and its property was transferred to district No. 5 of Avon