Title

Meeting Minutes, 1855

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Creator: Offices of Board of Trustees and President
Subjects: Administration, Board of Trustees, BOT Minute Books
Description:
Date: 1855
Format: Text/pdf
Original Format: Paper, microfilm
Resource Identifier: MINUTES 1855.pdf
Collection Number: UA 1
Language: English
Rights Management: Educational use only, no other permissions given. Copyright to this resource is held by Michigan State University and is provided here for educational purposes only. It may not be reproduced or distributed in any format without written permission of the University Archives & Historical Collections, Michigan State University.
Contributing Institution: Offices of Board of Trustees and President; University Archives & Historical Collections; MATRIX
Contributor: Offices of Board of Trustees and President
Text File: Download (3 MB)
Transcript: Date - unknown

[Begin page 1]

Board of Education.

G.O. Whittemore, of Pontiac.
Hiram L. Miller, of Saginaw.
John P. Kellogg. of Allegan.
Ira Mayhew, (Supt of Public
Inst in ex officio) of Albion.

The Legislature of 1855 passed a law “for the
Establishment of a State Agricultural School.”
[Law]
(See Session Laws of 1855, Act No. 130, approved
February 12th, 1855.)
[authorizing Ex. Com. State
Ag. Soc. & Bd. of Education
to Secure Site for Agrl. College]
Section 1. of this Act authorizes the President and
Executive Committee of the Michigan
State Agricultural Society to select, subject to
the approval of the State Board of Education, a
location and site for a State Agricultural
School: and to purchase, upon conditions set
forth in said Act, within ten miles of Lansing
not less than 500 acres, nor more than 1000 acres,
in one body, for the purpose of an Experimental
Farm and site for such Agricultural School.
Section 4. of said act: provides that upon the
purchase of such location and site, there shall
be established on such site, under the direction
[Establish same]
and supervision of the State Board of Education
an Agricultural School, by the name and style of
the “Agricultural College of the State of Michigan,”
the chief purpose and design of which shall
be to improve and teach the Science and
practice of agriculture.
The Secretary of the State Agricultural Society
having notified the Secretary of the Board of
[Notification]
Education that the Resident and Executive
Committee of Said Society would be pleased to
meet the Board of Education some time in June,
1855, for the purpose of agreeing upon a location
and site, the Secretary of the Board of Education
notified Said Board, and the Secretary of the
Agricultural Society, that there would be a meeting
of the Board for the purpose named above, at the
Office of the Secretary of the Board, in Lansing,
the 12th day of June, 1855.

[End page 1]

[Begin page 2]

Office of Secretary of Board of Education.
Lansing, June 12th, 1855.
[No Quorum]
Pursuant to the call of the Secretary, John R. Kel-
log and the Secretary, met, but Mr. Miller being
detained by the illness of an associate in business,
and Mr. Whittemore never meeting with the Board
as at present organized, there failed to be a quorum.
Consequently no business was transacted by
the Board, as such. But the resident and
Executive Committee of the State Agricultural
Society met and agreed upon a location and
site for a school and farm, subject to the appro=
val of the Board of Education.
The Board adjourned to meet at the Office of
the Secretary in Lansing, the 5th of July, the Sec.
notifying the absent members of the adjourned
meeting.
Ira Mayhew,
Secretary.

Office of the Secretary of Board of Ed’on
Lansing, July 5th, 1855._
The Board met pursuant to adjournment.
Present John R. Kellogg and the Secretary.
On the morning of the 6th Hiram L. Miller
appeared and took his seat. There now being
a quorum, the Board proceeded to business.
A communication was received from the
Executive Committee of the Michigan State
Agricultural Society, dated June 15th, 1855, &
setting forth the doings of Said Committee in the
location of a site and farm for the agricul=
tural School, which report is placed on file.
[Lands
Selected]
From this report it appears the Committee for the
location and site of the State Agricultural School,
selected and submitted from the approval of this Board,
the following described lands, offered by Col. A.R. Bun.
to wit:
Lands Selected.
Sec. 13. T. 4 N.R. 2 W. 45.01 Acres.
" 18. T. 4 N.R. 1 W. 83. "
" 18. T. 4 N.R. 1W. 107.44 "
" 19. T. 4 N.R. 1 W. 385.12 " 620.57 Acres.
Amount carried forward

[End page 2]

[Begin page 3]

Amount brought forward 620.57 Acres.
Sec. 13 T. 4 N.R. 2 U. 3.
Lot known as “the Smith tract.” 53. 676.57 Acres.
The Committee further reported that they had
entered into contracts with Bol. A.R. [Bun?] for
the above described lands. at $15. per acre. the
purchase being subject to the approval of this Board.
[Site
approved]
The Board directed the Resident and Sec=
retary to execute the certificate of approval required
by Section 3 of the aforesaid Act. [No. 130. S.L. 1855.]
A communication was also received from
J.C. Holmes, Esqy, Secretary of the Mich. State Ag. Soc.
bearing date June 28th, and relating to the
organization of the Agricultural School, and
recommending the making of specified appointments,
which communication is placed on file.
[Board’s
Expenses]
The accounts of members of the Board for
Services and expenses were audited as follows: -
John R. Kellogg $77.40. Hiram L. Miller $45.50 –
and the Secretary $29.45.
The Board adjourned to meet on the Call of the
when a survey of the grounds should be had.
Ira Mayhew,
Secretary.

Michigan. Exchange. Detroit.
September 5th. 1855. –
[No Quorum]
The Secretary notified the membres. that there
would be a meeting of the Board, as per ad=
journment, at the Michigan Exchange, Sep’t 5th.
and on his arrival in Detroit the 4th. found
a letter awaiting his arrival. from H.L. Miller,
of Saginaw, (Son of H.L. Miller, President of the
Board.) advising him that his Father was very
sick, and would be unable to attend the
meeting of the Board on the 5th. The Secretary
then notified Mr. G.O. Whittemore, of Pontiac,
that Mr. Miller was detained by illness, and that
his attendance would be necessary to consti=
tute a quorum. But he did not appear.
John R. Kellogg and the Secretary being the
only members in attendance, the Board adjourn=
ed to meet after the recovery of Mr. Miller.
Ira Mayhew, Secretary.
[End page 3]

[Begin page 4]

Michigan Exchange,
Detroit, Nov. 14, 1855.
The Board met pursuant to the call of the Sec=
retary, at 9 o’clock, a.m. Present. John R. Kel=
logg and the Secretary.
Mr. Kellogg was appointed President protem.
There not being a quorum, the Board adjourned
till 2 o’clock P.M
[No Quorum]
Met at 2 P.M. pursuant to adjournment.
Present the same members as before. For the
purpose of securing a quorum, if possible, the
Board adjourned to meet in Pontiac, the residence
of Mr. G.O. Whittemore, at 7 o’clock P.M
Not finding Mr. Whittemore at home, the
Board returned to Detroit. Nov. 15th, at 11 o’clock A.M.
Present the Same members as before.
In view of the necessities of the case the Board
proceeded to business. In the evening Mr. H.
L. Miller appeared and took his seat, when
the following resolutions were adopted.
[Expenses
Ex. Com. St. Ag. Soc.
in Selecting Site]
Resolved. 1. That the bills of the Secretary of the
State Agricultural Society, and of the several
members of the Executive Committee of Said
Society for Services and Expenses in locating
the Agricultural Farm be allowed, and that
Checks be drawn for their payment as follows:
S.M. Bartlett. $154.31. A.Y. Moore. $34.69
J.C. Holmes. 30.00 James Bagley 20.63
Justus Yager – 20.69 P.K. Leach – 20.63
John Stackweather, 38.23 as per check-book.
Resolved. 2. That the bill of S.P. Mead for advertising
in the State Journal be allowed at $12. and that
a check be drawn in payment.
Adjourned till to-morrow morning at 8 o’clock.
Detroit Nov. 16th 1855.
The Board met pursuant to adjournment
Present. H.L. Miller. Jus. R. Kellogg and the Secretary.
Reports of preliminary sruveys, with Suggestions
for improvements were made to the Board, by
J.C. Holmes, dated Sept. 5th, 1855, and by S.M.
Bartlett, dated Nov. 14th. 1855, which reports were
read, considered, and placed on file for reference.
The following Resolution was adopted:
(See over.)

[End page 4]

[Begin page 5]

[J.C. Holmes
Building
Committee]
Resolved. That J.C. Holmes be, and he is hereby au=
thorized to make full and ample inquiries relative
to the number and size of buildings requisite for
immediate use for the Michigan State Agricultural
College, also relative to materials for building,
whether of brick, concrete, or of other material: also,
whether whether suitable and sufficient materials
for the manufacture of the different kinds of
brick or concrete can be procured upon or near
the college grounds: Also relative to plans and
estimated cost of the construction of buildings.
and notify the Secretary of the State Board of
Education at his earliest convenience at what
time he will be ready to report to this Board.
[Board’s
accounts]
The accounts of members of the Board for servi=
ces and expenses were audited as follows:
H.S. Miller $32.40. John R. Kellogg. $68.25. and
Ira Mayhew $31.60.
The Board then adjourned to meet at the call
of the Secretary, having reference to the receipt of
the report under the preceding resolution
Ira Mayhew,
Secretary.

[End page 5]

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