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| 1902 Graduates of Clayton High School (10th grade graduation), l. to r. Katharine Hynes 16, Mildred Jones 16, Lora Grattan 16 (author of "A Place They Call South Dover"), Claude Hawkins 16, Edna Grattan 17, Lena Hale 18, Lura Gunzenhauser 18, and G. W. Wisman, Prof. (Hudson Museum Photo, special thank you to collector Teresa Hamann for the photo, captioning and the poem!) |
At May Foote Beal’s at Grass Lake, Mich.
By Lora Grattan
A few days ago I sat dreaming
And lived my young days over
My mind naturally wandered back
To a place they call South Dover
It wasn’t a village or a hamlet
Not a gas station nor a store
Just a small community
With an ever open door
The people were so friendly
So kind to one another
They treated everybody
As a sister or a brother
There were Hamlins, Whitakers and Benfields
Haleys, Gardners, Rhoades, Bovees
Warrens, Phillips, Walworths, Hyatts,
Grattans Delines and Footes if you please
In the midst of this fair country
Was a school house neat but small
And on the other corner
A church with steeple tall.
And nearly everyone around
Attended that church or school
Where’er they went, whatever they did
They lived the golden rule.
A few who were only children then
Have reunions once a year.
And even tho’ were getting gray
We give a hearty cheer.
To all who are left
Wherever they roam
And a silent prayer
To those gone home.
At this reunion, we have lots of fun
At games and reminiscing
And tell tales, about each other
Especially those who are missing.
Anna is most always there
With poems of her making
Selina usually gets there
Even if the speed she’s breaking
And Muriel, bless her little heart
The baby of the three
Always tries to make it
For she likes our company.
From Hudson comes our Zoa
Julia, Theresa and Mac
Ona comes from Bryan
Because she likes to get back
They may call us “the bloomer girls” if they like
But we have a lot of fun
And hope to keep on doing it
Until our days are done
Today we have Flossie with us
We’re really glad she’s here
There’s also Suzanne and Myrtle
And we hope they’ll all come
Next year.
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| 1893 Lenawee Atlas, Dover Twp. showing school, Church, Grange Hall and Cemetery (from S to N)  South Dover is one of many rural neighborhoods in our county. These places were definitely more neighborly back 100 years ago when everyone attended either the local church or school! Now schools are centralized and everyone travels in automobiles as far as they please. Clubs were also very important and Grange was one of them. At this date of 2024 there is only one county Grange left and that is North Adrian. But once South Dover Grange was one of several dozen scattered throughout the county. If anyone has a photo of the Grange building that was on Wheeler near Tomer, please leave a comment that can be replied to so we may arrange to share it! I am posting a copy of my Grandpa's Grange membership card with the name of their Master DeWayne A. Clark and Esta Merritt, Secretary. Clark's lived in the old Haley house on West Haley Road, the portion that is now closed by Lake Hudson. Many of us attended school with the Clark children and his mother Mazie was our door-to-door Avon lady. The Granges met regularly and the history of meetings can be found in the personals columns in the Adrian Daily Telegram archives at Adrian District Library.  There are still some beautiful old places at the South Dover area. Here is a more modern, circa 1930 photo of South Dover school students also courtesy of Hudson Museum, donated by collector Teresa Hamann. You may recognize quite a few names and faces, as I did. The Teacher's name is Miss Hughes.  |
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