Merritt shares more vintage photos with Indy readers
Henning family barn-raising, Bingham officials and a Studebaker?

It’s no secret that the Indy loves to receive photographs of local people, places and events from years gone by.

That’s why Merritt Schwarnweber is becoming our new best friend.

Last week, Merritt shared information on the 1932 RBW baseball team and provided a photo of a "Picnic at Merle Beach" that is priceless. We were pleased to receive several email messages this week from Merritt and his wife, Dorothy, each containing wonderful images and information about a family that was featured in the Merle Beach photo – the Andrew F. Henning family.

The Indy is delighted reproduce images this week from Dorothy’s family album, related to a barn-raising at the Henning farm, elected officials from Bingham Township – and some other neat photos.

In the coming weeks, we will share more Henning family photographs along with information provided by Merritt and Dorothy. We know Indy readers will enjoy viewing these photos – and, that gave us an idea.

Why not create a regular family album feature on the Indy web site? Sounds like fun.

We encourage readers to submit photographs and information similar to Merritt’s and Dorothy’s about family members and events from those "good old days." We would encourage – and, since this is an on-line publication – prefer images that can be emailed as jpeg files. However, we will accept submitted photos and information that is mailed via the U.S. Postal Service. Please send information to:

St. Johns Independent
Rhonda Dedyne
608 E. Higham Street
St. Johns, MI., 48879

We look forward to hearing from you – and publishing your information in our "Indy Family Album."

Now, sit back and enjoy the wonderful photos of the Andrew F. Henning family, and enjoy reading Merritt’s and Dorothy’s descriptive narrative.

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The three photos of the barn raising are from Dorothy’s aunt Olieva’s photo album. The family photo is of Andrew F. Henning family. This photo came from Dorothy’s parents. There were Hennings from this family in the "Picnic at Merle Beach" photo, and now with these barn-raising photographs, we meet the whole group together.

The 80 acres on Wildcat Road between Krepps and Chandler roads was homesteaded by Andrew’s dad, Joseph Henning, in 1873. He bought the property for $1,875 from Jacob Eshleman, a land speculator. The family was living at Medina, N.Y., at the time of the purchase. Andrew was around two years old when they moved.

At this date Wildcat Road was just a trail, probably without a name. It went west from the homestead to what is now Krepps Road. Krepps Road only went south at this time to Townsend Road; then, travelers went west to reach St. Johns.

There is no doubt in my mind that the Henning family arrived in St. Johns on the old Detroit & Milwaukee line that came out of Detroit and ran through St. Johns to Grand Haven. They probably came by boat from Buffalo, N.Y., to Detroit. Medina is not too far from Buffalo. Buffalo was a great port then, as the Erie Canal also ended there from the East Coast.

In the barn-raising photo of the man with one leg over one of the beam – that is Andrew Henning. The photo of the noon meal is behind the Henning home. The home still stands today. The barn was razed a few years ago.

Bill Eiserman had the crew that put the barn up. The framing was put up in one day and it took about a month for him to complete the job.

In the noon meal photo, the fellow carrying the two pails is Ernest Henning. The fellow to the extreme right with the ball glove is Leo Henning. Both are Andrew’s sons.

This photo of the double wedding is of Leo Henning and Ernest F. Henning. Leo married Bertha Anderson and Ernie married Edna Birdsley.

Andrew was a township officer for a number of years and also served as a county supervisor. He also was Clinton County Treasurer. The photo of the Bingham Township officers was in Olieva’s photo album; pictured (from left), Andrew F. Henning, Unknown, and Verne Padgett.

When I was researching early telephone companies in St. Johns, the paper ‘The St. Johns News’ announced the formation of a new phone company in Clinton County named Clinton Telephone Co. One member of the board of directors was Andrew F. Henning. This company grew to have 900 subscribers by 1914.

Andrew ended up with a phone provided by the Union Telephone Co. in March 1911. They ran a line east of St. Johns along what is now M-21 to Krepps, and south to Wildcat Road. It was called the ‘356 line’ and Andrew’s number was 356-5R – which was five rings. The farms along the road east of St. Johns were all on this same line, and they all heard each other’s ring which made for a temptation to listen in.

In the other photo, Olieva used the caption as ‘Andrew’s first car,’ a Studebaker. I am no student on old cars so I can’t verify that. Leo Henning is sitting on the left with Ernest Henning standing on the right. Both are sons of Andrew. Looks to me as if Ernie is starting his mechanic training here.

Pictured in the family photo are (back, from left): Carrie, John, Florence, Robert, Gertrude, Ernest; (front, from left) Olieva, Mary, Leo, Andrew. We believe the photo was taken around 1913.

John died at the age of 27 as a result of an auto accident just west of the Henning homestead. He was passing a cow being led by Arthur Crowner, when he went into the ditch on the north side of the road. When he turned the wheel to get back on the road the car flipped over and pinned him underneath. Crowner couldn’t lift the vehicle alone and summoned John Baumgartner for help, but it was too late.

Robert died at the age of 19. The cause given was heart faliure. The paper said he had been ill for 17 weeks and also had rheumatism at times.

Andrew F. had a brother, Frank, who died shortly after their arrival from New York. He was 15 years old, and the cause was typhoid fever. The date was Sept.27, 1874. It wasn’t recorded at the courthouse until June 22, 1875. We were told that this delay was normal back then.