Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 10.djvu/326

 314

��New Ham^shh-e 3fcn in Michigan.

��from in 1822 with high honors. Hav- ing secured university honors, he taught in the academy at Wrentham; Mass., one year, and began theologi- cal studies at Princeton in 1823. In 1825 he was licensed to preach, and took charge of a Congregational church in Sangerfield, N. Y., where he remained four years. At this time the agitation against secret socie- ties was at its height, and Mr. Peirce being a member of the Masonic fra- ternity, his congregation and himself could not harmonize. He resigned his pastorate, and for a while left the active work of the ministry. After teaching a while in Goshen, Conn., as principal, he left for Michigan in 1831, having been appointed by the Home Missionary Society for work in the (then) territory of Michigan. His first missionary work was in Mar- shall, Calhoun county, in July, 1831. In May, 1832, the Congregational church of Marshall was organized with five members, one of them being- Mrs. Peirce, the wife of the pastor. Mr. Peirce is remembered for his kind- liness of speech and manner, his self- sacrifice, and his truly Christian life. His thorough acquaintance with the sa- cred writings made his labors as pastor eminently successful. His missionary' labors were brought to a close in July, 1838, when he was appointed super- tendent of public instruction at the organization of Michigan as a state. He had been nominated to this office in 1832, but his nomination was not confu-med by the legislature until July 26, 1836. Previous to this time vei-y little attention had been paid to education in Michigan. Most of the new settlers were [xjor, and their time was fully occupied in clearing up their

��land and providing for their families. Some of the leading men had held discussions on the subject, but no authorized system of education yet existed. Among those who were be- coming interested in educational mat- ters. Gen. Isaac PL Crary, a gradu- ate of an Eastern college, and Mr. Peirce were the most prominent. They met frequently, and earnestly discussed the theme with increasing interest. They agreed to make an effort to have the education of the youth of Michigan a distinct branch of the government, and that its affairs should be in the hands of an officer, and thus give it an importance it could not otherwise gain. They pre- pared an article on the subject, which was presented to the convention, and, by its adoption, became the organic law. The law thus adopted provided for a state superintendent of instruc- tion. In the creation of this office, Michigan was alone ; and to these men, Messrs. Crary and Peirce, be- longs the credit of the formation of a bureau of education in the (then) new state. The office came to Mr. Peirce unexpectedly, although he had for a long time been satisfied that the interests of the school system, then in its incipiency, demanded such an otficer. He had no thought of the office for himself, but was expecting to busy himself in missionary work. He soon found his new position gave him plenty of work. At the July ses- sion of the legislature an act was passed requiring him to prepare and submit i)laus for the organization and support of primary schools, a plan for a university and branches, and for the disposition of primary school and university lauds, to the legislature.

�� �