~ Bicentennial Activities ~
And
Chandler Township History Story
Much preparation and various activities by the Chandler Township community people had preceded the actual event.
The Chandler Township women who worked on the quilt put two baskets together for Howard Lancour, and Delbert Black.
The baskets were brimming with canned goods and home made goodies.
The baskets were brimming with canned goods and home made goodies.
The four photos below were taken of the cake in the shape of the Chandler Township Hall...
served the day of the Chandler Bicentennial Committee Acceptance of the $500.00 check and the Bicentennial flag.
~ Submitted by Judy Gigante
served the day of the Chandler Bicentennial Committee Acceptance of the $500.00 check and the Bicentennial flag.
~ Submitted by Judy Gigante
The Grand Rapids Press, Monday, July 21, 1975 article below briefly explains
the plans to rebuild the history of Chandler Township on a quilt.
the plans to rebuild the history of Chandler Township on a quilt.
The Sunday, July 20, 1975 Detroit Free Press article below (two pages) explains, in depth, how the "Quilt Tells Township Story".
The Chandler Township community, as a whole, supported the various activities pursued
in anticipation of celebrating the Bicentennial of the USA!
Quilters Piece Together a History of Township
1901 Plat Map Showing The Numbering Of The 36 Secions
The Public Land Survey System (PLSS) began following the Revolutionary War and was proposed by number 3 US President Thomas Jefferson, a surveyor. The PLSS provides a way to subdivide and describe land in the United States. The government planned to compensate the Revolutionary War soldiers for their service by giving them land, and also the government planned to raise money by selling the land to others, and the land needed to be surveyed first to accomplish either vision for use of land in the country. The PLSS divides land into 6 mile-square townships with each township having 36 one-mile square sections. Each section claims 640 acres of land. The sections can be further subdivided into smaller sections for description purposes. One of the first local "landlookers" [surveyors] was Little Mossback Amelia's father Andrew Martin who ended up living in Section 30 in Chandler Township. For the general township representation on the Chandler Township Bicentennial quilt, however, each of the 36 total sections is designed as a whole, not broken into smaller parts. The section numbers go in the directions as shown on the 1901 map to the left. The numbers begin in the top right corner with number 1 and then weave back and forth until reaching number 36 in the lower right corner. On the Chandler Township quilt in the photo below, for instance, in Section 2 Isabelle Wood Oldham designed the quilt square with a representation of the village of Springvale, the section where Springvale was located. Section 36 has the name Albert Howard embroidered on it because that was where Albert had owned his land in Chandler Township. Over 800 names were embroidered on the quilt to represent any person who had owned land in Chandler Township for 5 years or more. When the quilt was made in 1975/76 only 33 year-around families lived in Chandler Township. The quilt is an interesting and intriguing Labor of Love and Piece of History by the Chandler Township connected women who created the quilt.
A photo of The Chandler Township Charlevoix County Bicentennial Quilt is shown, and described, on page 113 in the 1979 book: Michigan Quilts: 150 Years of a Textile Tradition. The book may now be out of print.
The Quilt Index website noted below stated the following descriptions, along with other information, about the Chandler Township Bicentennial Quilt as told by the quilters:
"As we did the land history of the township, people that remember the families would tell the stories and history of that family. The Chandler Quilt contains the history of land ownership in Chandler Township. The design is based on a township plat map. Our township has 36 sections, each section equaling 640 acres of land. The first land transaction took place in 1871. The quilt covers over 100 years of history."
AND
"Some of the appliques have a special meaning: for instance -- the hand plows in the various sections will have the names of Homesteaders on them, the big wheels and train and other appliques relating to logging stand for Cobbs and Mitchell Lumber Co. and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad both of which owned a considerable amount of land at one time, the state of Michigan appliques indicate the state owned land in our township (at this time the state owns 80% of the land), and section 2 (second from the top right corner) is the Village of Springvale (the only town past or present - in our township). This section was taken from photographs of Springvale taken between 1900-1926. Everything was made as closely to the pictures of the buildings as possible down to a white fence and flames in the gas lamps. The remarkable seamstress of this section is Belle Oldham."
In 2013 the Chandler Township Bicentennial Quilt is under the watchful care of Micki Howard, still a township resident. The quilt is often displayed at various functions related to Chandler Township Charlevoix County MI.
"As we did the land history of the township, people that remember the families would tell the stories and history of that family. The Chandler Quilt contains the history of land ownership in Chandler Township. The design is based on a township plat map. Our township has 36 sections, each section equaling 640 acres of land. The first land transaction took place in 1871. The quilt covers over 100 years of history."
AND
"Some of the appliques have a special meaning: for instance -- the hand plows in the various sections will have the names of Homesteaders on them, the big wheels and train and other appliques relating to logging stand for Cobbs and Mitchell Lumber Co. and the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad both of which owned a considerable amount of land at one time, the state of Michigan appliques indicate the state owned land in our township (at this time the state owns 80% of the land), and section 2 (second from the top right corner) is the Village of Springvale (the only town past or present - in our township). This section was taken from photographs of Springvale taken between 1900-1926. Everything was made as closely to the pictures of the buildings as possible down to a white fence and flames in the gas lamps. The remarkable seamstress of this section is Belle Oldham."
In 2013 the Chandler Township Bicentennial Quilt is under the watchful care of Micki Howard, still a township resident. The quilt is often displayed at various functions related to Chandler Township Charlevoix County MI.
Women of Chandler Township group. Chandler Township Bicentennial Quilt. 1976.
From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project.
Published in The Quilt Index, http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-134E.
From Michigan State University Museum, Michigan Quilt Project.
Published in The Quilt Index, http://www.quiltindex.org/fulldisplay.php?kid=1E-3D-134E.
Although the Chandler Bicentennial Quilt was based on the theoretical size of the township being six miles on each side, most townships in reality are not squares with six miles on each side. It is impossible to maintain a true north and south direction and adhere to 36 square mile townships. With most northerly townships, like with the location of Chandler Township already located north of the 45th parallel, and closer to the North Pole, the survey lines constantly run out of land as the lines converge toward the North Pole. The surveyors allowed for this convergence usually on the north and west lines of a township, where fractional acreage is recorded... these might be called "Fractional Forties or Eighties". The website below further explains these facts about Township Land Descriptions.
The above actual program of the day of the Bicentennial Celebration listed many fun activities for the day...
Please let me know if any more people in the photos can be identified.
Please let me know if any more people in the photos can be identified.
Co-Chairpersons of the Bicentennial Celebration, Micki Howard and Judy Gigante, made announcements to begin the festivities.
Opening Ceremony with Flags Raising
Photo below: Bicentennial Celebrants were anxiously awaiting the beginning of the slideshow history which depicted
the story of Chandler Township in music, words and pictures, which Judy Gigante and Micki Howard had expertly put together.
Some of the people identified in the photo include:
Louise Magee, Russell Magee, Ken Starr, Judy Gigante, Micki Howard, Virgil Howard. Georgia Matz.
Does anyone recognize anyone else?
the story of Chandler Township in music, words and pictures, which Judy Gigante and Micki Howard had expertly put together.
Some of the people identified in the photo include:
Louise Magee, Russell Magee, Ken Starr, Judy Gigante, Micki Howard, Virgil Howard. Georgia Matz.
Does anyone recognize anyone else?
The following two pages of text show the outline of the presented slide tape
of the history of Chandler Township which interested the Bicentennial Attendees.
Click on the pages to enlarge for viewing.
of the history of Chandler Township which interested the Bicentennial Attendees.
Click on the pages to enlarge for viewing.
The followup Petoskey News Review article below tells of the success of the Bicentennial Celebration
enjoyed by more than 200 people!
The Chandler Township Bicentennial Committee Co-chairpersons Micki Howard and Judy Gigante held a discussion on 6 April 1976 with then Michigan State Senator Bob Davis. The topics discussed were relevant to the interests of Chandler Township and are presented in the 1976 typewritten document below submitted by Judy Gigante.
The closing paragraphs written by Judy Gigante
on the Chandler Township 1976 Application for the National Bicentennial Recognition
accurately sums up Chandler Township and its Community of People
and are presented on the Home Page of this website.
The design and compilation of the text and photos on this site are copyrighted 2013.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some highlighted words may access additional information.
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.
Most posted items will enlarge by "clicking" on them.
"Clicking" on some highlighted words may access additional information.
Please do not copy the photos on this site, many of which have been submitted by private individuals...
just come back and visit the site often to view the photos.