COUNTRY POST OFFICES
In the early days numerous small post offices were established as rural free delivery routes did not come into being until about 1900. Often besides the post office there would be a small general store, a blacksmith shop and sometimes a saloon. Among these, now mostly forgotten, were: Blakely which was south of Meadow Grove; Warren in the northwest part of the county; Emerich at the head of the Battle Creek, nine miles south of Meadow Grove, Kalamazoo in the south part of the county; Munson south of Norfolk which was later known as Warnerville in Warnerville Precinct; Clarion in Fairview Precinct near the present Fairview Methodist Church and the Fairview School District No. 88; Deer Creek near the Yellow Banks and Gimlet southeast of Meadow Grove. C. H. Reeves and Joe Osborn, not to be outdone by the founders of Gimlet, started a post office, store, blacksmith shop and saloon in Schoolcraft Precinct, which they named Big Auger. Many people of today remember Simon Finnegan who served as state senator during the '30's. He clerked in the store for Reeves and Osborn.
MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS
As early as 1886, Battle Creek music lovers had been elevated from mouth harp and fiddling for music to the organization of a brass band. Most of the early members came from Wisconsin where they had a neighborhood band. These were George and Peter Zimmerman, cornetists; Fred Brechler, bass; Joe Brechler, Louis Merz, George Miller in the harmony section, all from Wisconsin. Others were Billy Hoover, snare drums; Tim Preece, bass drum and Harry Barnes, Cornet. In the fall of 1886, after the organization of the band, M. G. Doering came as a teacher in the Lutheran Parochial School. Being a skilled musician he joined the band and from then on directed it. Other oldtimers who followed in the years were Fred Meinche, George Brechler and Otto Maas.
By 1906, M. G. Doering trained a number of youngsters and the membership of the band then consisted of M. G. Doering, Otto Rodekohr, Charles Lambert, Peter Zimmerman, and Paul Hogrefe, cornet; Louis Rodekohr, Ed Doering, Elmer Doering and Carl Dittrich, clarinet; Will Zimmerman and Will Oetting, bass horns; G. C. Benning, baritone; Joe Maas and Ed Rodekohr, trombones; Charles Zimmerman, tenor; Billy Hoover, Ed Cutkosky and Albert Merz, alto; Ben Warneke and Jess Hoover, drums. Mr. Doering directed the band until 1940 when his sight failed. He served for 54 years without compensations and too often without appreciation. People often are taken too much for granted.
About 1903 or 1904, the Rodekohr family came from Missouri. They, being a musical family, contributed much to the community in band, orchestra and song. Otto organized the Battle Creek Valley Orchestra with the following membership; Otto Rodekohr and Henry Praeuner, guitar; Ed Rodekohr, Carl Eyl, Billy Hoover, Otto Schott, Carl Schott, Ed Tegeler and Will Oetting, mandolins;
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