Holt: A History

Located in the Township of Delhi, Holt is one of the oldest unincorporated communities in Michigan. While Holt is technically not a village or a city, it is a zip code area with beautiful parks, excellent schools, local businesses, and close proximity to Lansing and Michigan State University. Holt is also home to the most famous esker in Michigan. An esker is a long ridge of gravel and other sediment deposited by meltwater from a retreating glacier. While Michigan is home to many eskers, the Mason Esker, which stretches for roughly twenty miles, from south of Lansing, through Holt, and into Mason, is the longest in the state.

The first officially recognized inhabitants of the Holt area were the Native Americans from the Potawatomi, Chippewa and Ottawa tribes, including the famous Chief Okemos. Chief Okemos and his band mainly used the land in and around Ingham County as their summer hunting grounds, and they made numerous trails throughout the land as they traveled. Their trails were later used by early pioneers as they made their way into the area.

In the Treaty of Saginaw in 1819, the United States government negotiated with prominent Native American chiefs, resulting in the U.S. government taking possession of most of the land in lower Michigan. In the 1830s and 1840s, early pioneers began to purchase the land that would eventually become Delhi Township, including Holt and the surrounding areas. As more pioneers chose to settle in the area, land was converted for agricultural use. This reduced the amount of wild game that the Native Americans had counted on. Also, diseases such as smallpox and measles hit the Native American population hard and their population dwindled, as the land became settled by more and more pioneer families. An early timeline, up to the 2010s, traces some of the major developments of Holt that forged the thriving area it has become today.

In 1837, the first permanent settlers of Delhi Township, John Norris and Fred Luther, arrived. Other early settlers include William Wood, Joseph Wilson, Philander Morton, David Wait, Alonzo Douglass, George Phillips, and the North family. Most of Delhi’s early residents came from New York, Ohio, and Detroit.

In 1839, the first post office was established, in the home of George Phillips.

In about 1840, the first school in the Delhi Township/Holt area, a structure made with logs, was built.

In 1842, the township of Delhi was organized as a congressional township by act of the State Legislature. It had previously been part of Alaiedon Township.

In 1848, the first inn/saloon opened, in the home of John Ferguson.

In 1850, 402 settlers lived in Delhi Township.

In 1852, a frame building replaced the log school house.

In 1853, Pioneer Cemetery was established. More than 200 of Delhi’s Pioneer residents are buried there.

In 1856, the first sawmill in Delhi Township was built, by Lee and Corey, a firm from Ohio.

By 1857, Delhi Center (which would become Holt) had several businesses, including a post office, hotel, and tavern.

In 1864, the electors of the township voted forty-two to one to raise $2,100 in order to pay volunteers from the township $100 each to enlist in the United States Army.

In 1865, the First Presbyterian Church was organized, under the leadership of Reverend Alfred Bryant and assisted by Reverend Horace Kittredge.

In 1866, the Michigan Central Railroad (connecting Jackson, Lansing, and Saginaw) came through Holt. This provided the first mode of public transportation, other than stagecoaches, to the area. Passengers got on and off the trains at the depot on Depot Street.

In 1867, the Gunn School was established at what is now the northwest corner of Holt and Washington Roads. It was at that time a log structure. In 1875, approximately half of the residents in the Delhi Township area were of German descent and still spoke German.

In 1884, Maple Ridge Cemetery, which had its first burial in 1855, was purchased by Delhi Township.

In 1886, the log structure of the Gunn School was replaced at a cost of $899.67. Carpentry was done by S.B. Trumbull, and masonry by B.F. Bringham and McKinney. The school was built on the farm of Charles Amos Gunn (1841-1926), a local farmer and early school board member, who gave a 99-year lease on the property for $25.00.

In 1870, J.M. Abels built a sawmill in the village of Holt. A shingle mill was added the following year.

In 1873, the German Methodist Episcopal Church was organized and a building for public worship was established.

In 1875, a brick building was built to replace the frame building serving as a school. The new school was two stories high, made with red brick and an ornate cupola for the bell. Grades one through six used the first floor, while grades seven and eight used the second floor. It was the largest school in the area at that time.

In 1899, the school bell was added to the Gunn School, paid for by O.H. Chapman, at a cost of $8.94.

In 1900, the inaugural issue of the Holt Press was published by P.W. Rogers. In 1901, the Press publisher was Robert D. Coger. This paper lasted a short time and very few issues remain today.

In 1914, the red brick school building burned to the ground. The Board of Education met that same year and with the support of the voters, secured a loan to build a new school building.

In 1915, the new school was built, consisting of three classrooms with additional classroom space available in the basement. It opened in the fall of 1915.

After additions to the school in 1923 and 1926, Holt added 12th grade to its curriculum. The Class of 1926 was Holt’s first twelfth grade graduating class.

In 1923, both electricity and a fire department were established in Delhi Township.

In 1927, the Holt Independent was first published, edited by Holt civic groups. It is said that the name may have come from the successful community baseball team of the 1920s and 1930, the Holt Independents.

In 1934, the Holt Independent was acquired by the Williamston Enterprise, which then published sections of Holt news.

In 1934, Holt’s most well-known early newspaper, the Holt Recorder, was established by Everett A. “Erv” Little, a businessman from Lansing. The first few issues of the paper were free, delivered to every home in the community. Once residents were introduced to the paper, subscriptions were one dollar. The paper’s first subscriber was Herbert E. Gunn, Holt’s postmaster, bank president, and former supervisor.

In 1939, Orville Hitchens purchased a building at 2006 Cedar Street and turned it into his own Hitchens Pharmacy, which was a staple in the community and stayed in business in that same building until 1997.

In the fall of 1949, Midway School on Spahr Avenue opened its doors. Holt Schools had grown to house over 1,000 students by this time.

In 1944, the Holt Recorder was sold to Fred A. Birchfield. He and his wife Ila moved the paper to a new building at the corner of Cedar Street and Greenwood Avenue (now Veterans Drive).

In 1949, Fred Birchfield sold the Hold Recorder to Donald A. Smith.

In the 1940s, Sterling Silver Alf and his wife Hazel moved to Holt, where he would live for many years. Alf created countless signs and paintings for the community, including the famous “Holt: A Friendly Place to Live” sign. In 1950, Donald Smith sold the Holt Recorder to Richard Daggett, the owner of the Washtenaw Post Tribune. In 1952, the paper ceased operations.

During the 1950s, Delhi Township continued to modernize, with public water, public sewer, and expanded educational facilities.

In 1953, to support a growing population, the Elliott and Sycamore schools were built.

In 1955-1957, a new high school was constructed, costing approximately $1,000,000.

In 1956, Edru Roller Skating Arena opened in Holt, south of the red light in Holt on US-27. This skating rink is still in operation today.

In 1957, the Gunn School closed and the building was put up for sale by Holt Public Schools.

In 1962, the Holt and Dimondale school districts voted on a merger by annexation proposition.

In 1977, local artist Sterling Silver Alf was named Delhi Township’s first Citizen of the Month.

In 1980, the Holt-Delhi branch of the Ingham County Library System opened in the building that is now the Holt Community Center. Prior to that time, the library had been in the basement of the former Holt United Methodist Church.

In 1987, the DDA was formed by the Delhi Township Board of Trustees, with the purpose of bringing economic development to Delhi Township/Holt.

In 1988, Ronald Van Erman was the driving force that created the Holt Business Alliance, a partnership between the schools, local businesses, and government officials. This organization is still thriving today.

In 1992, in conjunction with Delhi Township’s sesquicentennial celebration, the Gunn School was named an Ingham County Historic Site by the Ingham County Historical Commission. Over the next few years, much work would be done to restore this historic building.

In 1995, Sterling Silver Alf died. Many attended the funeral of this wellliked local artist and told stories about the legacy he has left in his art.

In 1996, the Holt-Delhi Library moved to Delhi Township Hall at 2074 Aurelius Road.

In 2003, a new high school was built on West Holt Road.

In 2008, the Holt Farmers Market was built. This market has grown into a vibrant social gathering place that helps build a greater sense of community. The market also works to educate residents about the variety and quality of the area’s rich agricultural heritage, highlights local artisans, and encourages new businesses to form.

In 2008, the Sam Corey Senior Center was built, a green-certified building with geo-thermal heat and a living roof.

Holt is neither a city nor a village, but rather an unincorporated community comprising a healthy blend of homes and businesses within the Charter Township of Delhi. Residents of Holt enjoy a high quality of life with many recreation opportunities thanks to many parks, including Centennial Farms Park, John Taylor Memorial Park, Esker Landing, Valhalla Park, and Veterans Memorial Gardens, just to name a few. Holt public schools are known for their excellence, and with the close proximity to Michigan State University, Holt is an attractive area for educational opportunities. With its balance of business, natural beauty, and education, it’s easy to see why many find Holt a great place to live.

Sources:

https://www.holthistory.org/

https://kids.kiddle.co/Holt,_Michigan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holt,_Michigan

https://www.delhitownshipmi.gov/31/Our-Community

https://www.delhitownshipmi.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/ Item/239?fileID=2439

https://www.delhitownshipmi.gov/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/91

https://99wfmk.com/holt-michigan/

https://www.ingham.org/bc/hist/pioneer%20history%20of%20ingham%20 county/chapter%207.pdf

https://www.livingplaces.com/MI/Ingham_County/Delhi_Township.html

http://www.migenweb.org/ingham/Delhi.html

https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/micounty/ ARH7656.0001.001?rgn=main;view=fulltext

https://www.holthistory.org/kahres-collection

https://businessviewmagazine.com/delhi-charter-township-michiganpassion-sustainability/

In 2014, the Holt-Delhi Historical Society was established, with the goal of collecting, preserving, and sharing the history of the Holt and Delhi Township community.

In 2014, NerdWallet, a consumer finance advocacy website, released the results of a study analyzing the best communities of over 10,000 residents in which to own a home in Michigan. Their criteria was based on affordability, rate of home ownership, and population growth of the community. Holt made #7 on the list!

In 2017, Delhi Township celebrated its 175th anniversary.

In 2019, John Taylor Memorial Park and Michigan Historical Marker were dedicated to John Taylor, a freed slave who fought in the Civil War. He was wrongly accused of murder and lynched in Mason for a crime he did not commit. He was said to have been buried in the vicinity of the park, called “Deadman’s Hill for many years.” The area was renamed in honor of Taylor.