North Branch High School - Bronconian Yearbook (North Branch, MI)

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THE SIGNUM (herein lies the proof) NORTH BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL 1948

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WE, THE EDITORS CF THE SIGNUM DEDICATE THIS, OUR FIRST ISSUE, TO OUR GRADUATING SENIORS

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THE HISTORY OF NORTH BRANCH At a Signum staff meeting some time ago it was decided that inasmuch as our school reflects the community in which we live, it might be fitting and proper to include a story of the development of the village of North Branch. As my father is an ardent student of local history, I was elected for the story. Facts were verified by considerable research which occasionally became discouraging, but below is the history as it was presented to me: It is the common belief that a man by the name of Beecher first settled here in what is now North Branch. He cleared the land, and therefore the area was named Beecherville in his honor. This was probably between I860 and 1865. In later years it was renamed North Branch, in confirmation of the location of the north branch of the Flint River. In the year of I 881, it was officially incorporated as a village. The official and still unchanged ordi- nances were adopted May 13th, 1891, and enforced March 1st, 1895. In 1879, V. S. Miller sold the Gazette office, then the Weekly Observer, to the Reverend F. J. Galbraith. The first railroad was constructed through the village in 1881. Up to this time the only other available transportation was the stagecoach. In looking through the Classified Directory, for the year 1879 the following stores and business offices were listed: V. S. Miller, notary public; Geo. Mott, attorney-at-law; Pioneer Bank; F. B. Howard Co.; J. H. Vandecar, druggist; Welstand Murch, druggist; C. E. Root, dentist; S. A. Snow. M.D.; G. W. Campbell, M. D. Those not listed were: North Branch Stage Line, Harness shop, Daniel Hollinger, G. W. Cobb, millinery; Marsh and Basna, clothing; Daniel Orr, Lumber yard. These stores were owned and operated by our great grandparents. This little village has prospered slowly but surely until at the present date the population is about eight hundred.