Edward Carley's Store and the Munith (Michigan) Fire of 1913

Sometime ago, I discovered a photograph of my great-great uncle Edward R. Carley on the website entitled Making of Modern Michigan Digital Collections (http://mmm.lib.msu.edu/). Ed owned and operated a general store in the village of Munith, Michigan which was laid out along the Grand Trunk Railroad line. It reminded me of a story my Grandmother once told me when we were looking through and old photograph album created by my Great Grandmother. One photo jumped off the page at me--it was labeled "Munith Fire 1913." I asked my grandmother, Munith burned? She replied that one of the business blocks had burned and that during the fire, the phone rang at their farm house about 3 miles away from the village. They had some special coded ring for fires so everyone would know that they should pick up the phone and listen for instructions on where to assemble to fight the fire. She said the family went in to the village and the block on the western side of Main Street at 6th Street was on fire. Everyone was fearful that the fire would jump 6th street and ignite the business blocks to the south. In the block that was threatened was Uncle Ed Carley's store and the store of Charles Crane. Grandma said that all the girls pitched in by removing the merchandise from the store and putting it into cars and buggies to be carted off to safety. But the fire was extinguished before it reached the Carley store.

Grandma stated that Uncle Ed's store was very important because it was the location of the switchboard for the phone company. Had it burned it might have been awful for this rural community to remain in touch with Jackson, Lansing and other urban centers nearby.

I now have the one image from that old album as evidence of the Munith fire in 1913. Posted here is the image from the Making of Modern Michigan of Uncle Edward Carley at the switchboard in side his store. The family resided in an apartment on the second and third floor of their store building. Later, they would also own a farm near the corner of Kennedy and Sayers Road, across the street from the Kennedy School, where so many of the members of the Carely family received their primary education.

Today, few buildings that housed business still stand in Munith with the exception of the brick buildings built by Edward Carley and Charles Crane (who was also the undertaker).

Here is a little on Ed's immediate family:

Edward Royal Carley
born: 7 November 1871 at the Carley Farm on Sayers Road, near Munith, Michigan
parents: Oren A. Carley and Mary (Calkin) Carley
married: 24 August 1899 to Ede Walz at the First Methodist Episcopal Church in Jackson, Mich.
died: 28 June 1923 in Munith, Michigan and buried at Munith Cemetery.

Ede Walz Carley
born: 13 April 1882
parents: George Walz and Elizabeth (Mayer) Walz
died: 26 April 1961 in Henrietta Township, near Munith, Michigan and buried at Munith Cemetery.

Their children:
1) Lerna Mary (1901-2000) m. Raymond M. Smith
2) Elsie (1903-1946) m. Wendell LaCoe
3) Agnes Elizabeth (1905-1986) m. Wesley Moechel

Update:

"Mrs. Lena VanBuren poolroom and adjoining property, Munith. Fire occurred Oct. 20, 1913, destroying $10,000 to $15,000 worth of property. Circumstances surrounding fire such that this department felt justified in investigating."

Annual Report of State Fire Marshal to the Governor of Michigan, 1913.