Lennie’s Monument

By Raechel WrightJune 28, 2010

Lennie’s Monument

• A House

• A Monument

• A Woman

• A Family

• A Community

Lennie’s HouseMain Street, Pine RiverBuilt: 1870

108 Park Avenue, CharlevoixDestroyed: March 24, 2010

Built in 1870 by ship chandler Ben Campbell. Houses on either side and across the street, the 1 st (1865), 2nd (1868), and 3rd (1869) oldest in Charlevoix, still stand.

Efforts to Preserve the House• 1995 – purchased by City of Charlevoix for

parking lot

• Leased to Charlevoix County Land Conservancy until end of 2009

• Letters and calls, articles in the Courier, News Review

• Discussion of alternative uses

• National Register of Historic Places – Preliminary Questionnaire

Preliminary DeterminationI see the house meeting the criteria for listing in the National Register of Historic Places in the following two ways:

 The house appears to meet national register criterion B for its direct association with Ben Campbell. … Charlevoix’s early history is all about water – shipbuilding, shipping, docks, fueling ships, and the people who carried on all of this activity. Campbell seems to have played a significant and essential role in Charlevoix’s maritime history during the later nineteenth century when as a shipbuilder. The questionnaire refers to two specific ships, the schooner W. A. Smith and tug that became the Ben Campbell. Campbell also has direct associations with the house as its builder and partial owner through his marriage to the house’s original owner, Lennie Beers Ingalls ...

The house also appears to meet criterion C for its architecture. With its two-story, side-gable, one room deep, center-entrance form, the house exemplifies a vernacular house form known as the “I-house” (for the long and narrow form) that was in common use along the eastern seaboard and was brought to the Midwest with the westward migration. I-houses are not rare in Michigan, but this one appears from the photos to be more intact than most that we see … as the fourth oldest house in Charlevoix, it is presumably the oldest example [in Charlevoix].

 The charlevoixparkavenue.com website shows that the oldest homes in Charlevoix form a cluster along Park Avenue in the immediate vicinity of this house and the Congregational Church is also very close by. This sounds like a key historic resource for Charlevoix to me.… at least the potential for a small historic district in this area that could encompass all these early Charlevoix buildings. A district, particularly one with a local designation, would make the federal and state rehab tax credits available for these houses.

SalvageSalvage & distribute

− Lois Ballard, of the Historical Society of Cheboygan

− CCHPS, especially Mark Postma− Assisted on the night of the burn by Keith Carey,

the Taylors, firefighters− Salvaged windows, doors, and fixtures from the

building in the days before & during the filming − Used in preservation / restoration projects in

northern MI

Why Save This Building?A trip to Brookside

Lennie’s Monument

Four Names:

Almon M. Ingals

Allie Ingals

Philo Beers

Minnie Campbell

1866

Beaver Island

Bear River

Pine River

Northport

Village Names in 1866

ALMON M. INGALS

DIED

Oct. 10 1868

AGED

28 Years

“It is hard to breakthe tender cord

When love has bound

the heart.”

Almon M. Ingals• Ingalls family (Hazen & Julia) arrived from Clayton,

New York and settled in Northport, then Bear Creek (in 1864), then Pine River. Son Almon, one of 11, was born in 1840 (there were also 2 daughters).

• Jackson Ingalls, eldest of the sons, was a prominent citizen of Pine River (Charlevoix). Mrs. Jackson (Elnora) Ingalls survived the burning of the Champlain, and is credited with displaying heroism at the time. Their home to the east of Lennie’s was built in 1868.

• Almon, Jackson’s brother, died of illness on a trip to Illinois. Married to Magdalene (Lennie) Beers.

ALLIE INGALS

DIED

Aug. 5, 1871

Aged 1 yr

10 ms 18 ds

“Our darling sweetly sleeps”

Allie Ingals• Almon M. Ingalls, son of Almon M. Ingalls

and 20-year-old Lennie Ingalls, born Nov. 15, 1868, one month after his father died.

• 1870 census (8/13/1870) shows Philo Beers (Lennie’s father), Harriet Beers, Lennie Ingalls, and Almon Ingalls living on Main St. in Pine River.

• Charlevoix Sentinel reported the death on 9/3/1870 as having occurred on 8/29/1870

Philo BeersDIED

Apr. 3, 1872

“Dearest father thou has left

usAnd thy loss

we deeply feel”

Philo Beers

• From NY to Michigan −NY: Financial losses, came to Michigan −Eagle, MI (near Lansing) ~ 1835; miller

and blacksmith−Courtland, Kent ~ 1839; farmer (1841 land

patents)−Northport ~1853; lighthouse keeper (US

Marshall, Rep) −Charlevoix ~ 1865; probate judge,

postmaster, druggist

• 1801 – 1872. Parents: Ammon (or Augustine), Lucy Sherman Beers

• Married Magdalena (Delaney) Pittinger (1804 – 1848)

Curious Obituary

Charlevoix SentinelApril 6, 1872

Minnie Campbell

DIED

Mar 7, 1898

Aged 9 yrs

11 ms, 14 ds

“Our home is dark

without thee.We miss thee

everywhere.”

Minnie Campbell• Born 1888 to Ben and Lennie

Campbell

Philo & Magdalena Beers – 9 Children• George, 1829 -

1872

• Henry, 1830 - 1872

• Lucy, 1832 - 1911

• Sarah, 1834 -

• Charles Gaylord, 1835 -

• Cyrus Hobart, 1839 -

• Ammon, 1841 - 1934

• Harriet, 1845 - 1925

• Magdalena (Lennie), 1848 - 1931

Ben CampbellNews Items from the Charlevoix Sentinel

January 17, 1875New Vessel-The schooner being constructed in this place by Campbell & See is the largest vessel of any character ever built here. She will be a fore and after, 50 feet long and will be out early in the spring. She will be called the W. A. Smith.

[marries Lennie 1877, moves to Cheboygan]

January 18, 1894 Charlevoix SentinelWork on Geiken's new tug is far enough along to show the outlines of a beautiful model. She is planked with a two-inch oak, and lined with three inches of the same material, and will be a very strongly built craft. Campbell's yard will have a craft to be proud of.

April 5, 1894There is a likelihood that Campbell will build a passenger boat at his yard this year.

[Minnie dies 1898; family moves to Harbor Springs] and is there in 1900

MagdalenaPittinger

Philo Beers

Magdalena (Lennie) Beers

Hazen Ingalls

Julia Ingalls

Almon Ingalls

Almon Ingalls

Sarah Beers

Charles Gaylord Beers

Cyrus Hobart Beers

Ammon Beers

Harriet Beers

George Beers

Henry Beers

Lucy Beers

Julia Charter

Robert Carlyle

Mary Jane (Jennie) Black

Mary L. Burch

m. 1867?

b. 1868d. 1870

b. 1840d. 1868

b. 1848d. 1931

b. 1804d. 1848

b. 1801d. 1872

b. 1845d. 1925

b. 1841d. 1934

b. 1839d.

b. 1835d.

b. 1834d.

b. 1832d. 1911

b. 1830d. 1872

b. 1829d. 1872

b. 1832d. 1931

b. 1837d. 1916

b. 1832d. 1909

b. 1850d. 1934

2 sons, 1 daughter

2 sons, 3 daughters

5 sons, 3 daughters

4 daughters

Ammon Beers

Lucy Sherman

b. 1773d. 1841

b. d. 1831

m. 1869

Orson Campbell

Emily Thomas Bedford

Ruth AnnMiller

Lennie Beers

Alanson Campbell

Benjamin Campbell

Julia O. Bedford

Ransom Cram

Una Cram

William E.Campbell

Frances Rosemeyer

Winnifred CampbellPhilo B.

Campbell

Winifred (Winnie) Campbell

Louise (Lulu) Campbell

MinnieCampbell

Agnes La Croix

Arthur DeWitt

Erma PDeWitt

Magdalene W.DeWitt

David Van der Slice

Arthur Wentz

Mary Van der Slice

John Van der Slice

m. 1877

b. 1851/3d. 1929

m. 1925

m. 1878

m. 1900

m. 1902

m. 1935/6 G.I. House

m. 1922

? Schultz

b. 1853/5d. 1889

b. 1855d. 1943

m. <1935

b. 1881/2 d. 1920

b. 1848d. 1931

b. 1883d. 1944

m. 1903b. 1883d. 1946

b. 1903d. 1955

b. 1887d. 1955

b. 1910d. 2003

b. 1909d. 1985

b. 1903d. 1995

b. 1935d.

b. 1875d. 1955

m. 1910b. 1881d. 1956

b. 1888d. 1898

b. 1809d. 18

b. 1813d. 18

b. 1878d. >1943

b. d. 1915

Magdalena (Lennie) Beers

Mother died in childbirth

Married Almon Ingalls, who died Oct. 1868 mother of Allie

Father Philo, brothers Henry and two of his children, and brother George, all died in 1872.

Married Ben Campbell in 1877, in Cheboygan.

Father Philo’s estate settled in 1879. Ben died 1929, in Harbor Springs (with Lulu)

Lived Cheboygan 1880Charlevoix 1890?Harbor Springs 1900Petoskey 1910, 1920Charlevoix 1925Alpena 1926 – 1931 (with Winnie)

Children:Winnie, Lulu, Philo, Minnie

Magdalena (Lennie) Beers

Petoskey Evening News, May 16, 1931, Harbor Springs and Charlevoix notices.

Ben Campbell

Petoskey Evening NewsJune 24, 1929Harbor Springs

Lennie’s Children –Winifred Altena (Winnie)

Born June 22, 1879 in Cheboygan.

Married Arthur Ford Wentz, insurance agent, June 28, 1910 in Petoskey. Happy anniversary!

Moved to Alpena soon thereafter

Lennie moved in 1926, died there 1931

They had no children.

Arthur, born 2/5/1875 in Ohio, died 8/2/1955, and is buried in Evergreen Cemetery there.

Winifred died 9/29/1956 in Alpena, where she was hit by a car, and is buried in Charlevoix at Brookside.

Lennie’s Children – Louise (Lulu)Louise (Lulu) November, 17 1880 – August 31, 1946

Married Arthur DeWitt April 28, 1903 in Petoskey. They live in Harbor Springs.

In the1930 census, the DeWitts lived on 3rd in Harbor Springs, with a boarder, Carrie Warner, who was a stenographer at an insurance company.

Daughter Erma born June 8, 1903

Daughter Magdalene born October 18, 1909

From Petoskey Evening News, Saturday, September 1, 1946

HARBOR SPRINGS

Mrs. DeWitt Dies

Mrs. Lulu DeWitt passed away at the home of her son-in-law and daughter, Dr. and Mrs. David Vander Slice of Flint, Friday. The body will arrive in Harbor Springs today.

Funeral services will be held from the family home on Third Street Monday afternoon at 2:30. Reverend Paul Robinson will be in charge. Burial will be in Lake View [with her husband, Arthur, who died Nov. 4, 1944.]

Lulu’s Children – Magdalene and Erma

Magdalene married Dr. David Vander Slice, moved to Alameda, California with their two children, John and Mary. Dr. Vander Slice graduated with a masters degree from the U of M School of Public Health in 1937, was a physician and public health consultant for the Board of Education in Flint. He died June 26, 2003 in Alameda, born July 5, 1910. Magdalene was born in Oct. 18,1909, died February, 1985 in Almeda. Erma never married, and lived in Charlevoix much of her life, in the Campbell house. She was a bookkeeper. She was born June 8, 1903 and died March 19, 1995. She was the last occupant of the house.

Petoskey News ReviewErma De Witt Rites PendingErma DeWitt, 92, of Charlevoix, died March 19, 1995.At her request, there will be no services. Her ashes will be placed beside her parents in Lakeview Cemetery, Harbor Springs.Survivors include her neice and nephew, Mary and John Vander Slice.Arrangements were handled by Winchester Funeral Home in Charlevoix.

Lennie’s Children - Philo

Philo Beers Campbell, born March 23, 1887. Sailor, house painter, and finally decorator. Married for the first time at age 38 to Winnifred F. Campbell House, age 23, April 25, 1925 in Petoskey. Winifred had been married once before, at the age of 18, to George I. House, in Detroit.

Following apparent divorce from Philo, Winnifred re-married, to a Mr. Schultz, and moved to Traverse City. She had three children.

Philo remarried, Agnes LaCroix of South Arm on Feb. 10, 1935.

Agnes died April 21, 1955. Philo died June 5, 1955. Both committed suicide at home, 408 W. Garfield.

408 W. Garfield, Charlevoix