Charles Straws was a highly-respected black man living and working in Fowlerville. According to history collected by Michael Grimm, and shown on his website (which you can find by clicking on the link to the right side of this website), Mr. Straws was a freed slave, coming to this area in 1873. -
As I have been researching and cataloguing, I have found numerous references to Mr. Straws, and will plan on posting many of them in the near future. For now, though, I found this an interesting little blurb published in The Fowlerville Review in an 1895 issue -- 22 years after Mr. Straws came to Fowlerville:
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Chas. Straws had his sign repainted. It bears the date 1873, the year Charley opened business at this place.
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Another note indicated, Charley Straws has covered the floor of his barber shop with new oiled cloth which greatly improves its appearance.
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As a side note, another barber that was well-respected and seemed to be quite popular was Morgan Vaughn. In 1896, this notice was posted in the paper:
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Morgan Vaughn, of Kalamazoo, is assisting Chas. Straws in his barber shop. He worked for Mr. Straws a few years ago and is recognized as a first-class artist.
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As a side note, pictures such as the one above of Charles Straws, as well as many other pictures of local businessmen, can be found in the historical collection stored at the village offices.
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