Watrousville-Caro Area Historical Society
Museum
Watrousville-House 002z

38 years of Preserving Local History   - 1972 to 2010

P.O. Box 15  - Caro, MI 48723

Last Update, August 2010                                                             Copyright 2010

Webmaster - Dave Celani        dave@watrousville.com

Leonard-McGlone House
5u84f48n
The Watrousville Museum
(formerly the Watrous General Store and
 the Juniata Township Hall)
4607 W Caro Rd
Vassar, MI 48768
Open June thru September
Thursday from 1-4 pm
and by appointment
Esther Gorashko  (989) 823-2360
Watrousville-House 004a02
Historical Marker
Historic Marker at The Watrousville Museum
 The Historic Marker that stands in front of the museum was refinished in the summer of 2009. Erected in 1974, the weather had left its mark on the sign. It is owned by the State of Michigan, but we had to do most of the work. Bob Gray and Cal Jewett removed it and crated it. It was shipped to OHIO and refinished. On its return, Bob and Cal reinstalled it. It should be good for another 30+ years.
 
Aaron Watrous and his crew of loggers came here in 1852 to cut the virgin pine of the Cass River Valley. In 1860 he platted the town naming it Watrousville, and a few years later constructed this building as a general store. The flagpole in front is thought to have been erected during the 1864 presidential campaign. Watrous died in 1868, and in 1882 the building became the Juniata Township Hall. Since 1972 it has been a museum of
the Watrousville-Caro Area Historical Society.

Registered Site L0247  Erected 1974

The Lincoln Flag Pole at the Watrousville Museum
This pole was raised in 1864 during Abraham Lincoln’s second campaign for the presidency. It is quite certain this is the last “Lincoln Pole” standing in the United States. At the top of the pole a maul was fixed to represent the one Lincoln used as a boy to split logs. At one time a Democratic Township Board decided this 80 foot pole was dangerous so it was lowered. The red cedar pole was found to be in perfect condition so Republicans and Veterans of the Civil War raised it once again, embedding its base in a block of concrete bearing the inscription: “For Abe Lincoln 1864”
                                                                                           From the archives of the Watrousville Museum
 
When the pole was first erected, Mrs. John Walton made an American Flag, containing thirty-five stars, to be flown from the pole.   The flag is in the museum.   
                          
Originally, the Lincoln Flag Pole was 80 feet tall. Today it stands 48 feet with the top 10 feet encased in sheet metal. The maul has been lost to time. In 1904, the pole was removed and bolstered at the base. In 1928, it was given a concrete foundation. It was removed and reset in October of 1974 to allow for road widening.
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