The Niles Daily Star, Niles, Michigan, Friday, June 26, 1964

Mrs. Keen Discusses 'First Love'

GALIEN - Mrs. Emma Keen, descendent of one of the first families to settle in Galien, spent a sunny afternoon last week recalling the early days of Galien.

When asked her age, she replied, "Oh, my goodness, I wouldn't tell you that, I've forgotten it anyway."

Mrs. Keen showed no desire to talk about herself. She did have considerable to say about her first love - the Galien Township Memorial Library and the two libraries which preceded the dedication of the present library in 1954.

She described how the first library in the back of he town hall grew until it overflowed into the front of the building. The library continued to grow and then one day, when the old high school building was vacated, she mentioned to the "right person" that the spot would be ideal for a library.

From then on until the new library was dedicated, it was hard work, but well worth it, Mrs. Keen recalls. What most folks didn't know the day of the dedication, was that about 5 a.m. Mrs. Keen suffered a heart attack.

The long hours spent at the library marking books and helping in any way she could, had been too much for her.

The day held double significance for her. She had given a flag pole and base to the library in memory of her husband, Philip Marshall Keen, who served as principal of Galien Township School from 1901 to 1909.

"I thought they would expect me to say a few words, so I had stayed up the night before preparing a little speech," she said.

She was taken to the hospital by an ambulance and later that day her dedication speech was read by another.

She takes things a little easier now but continues to do a great deal of reading. "Thank goodness my eyes are still good," she smiled.

Mrs. Keen, who is as active as many women 20 years younger than she, was awarded her master of arts degree from Columbia University, New York.

She has been an avid reader since five-years-old. She said, "My mother didn't want me to start school when I was five, so my father bought the first and second grade readers and I had read them both before I started school. The first year I made three grades and graduated from Galien High school before I was 16-years-old.

She earned her life certificate from Yipsilanti Normal and her bachelor's degree in pedogogy and arts from the University of Michigan.

She recalls that her romance with Mr. Keen started while she was attending Ypsilanti Normal and he the University of Michigan. "We were really school people," she added.

She lives in the same house where she was born, 122 Cleveland Ave., the main street of Galien. "My grandparents settled in Royalton Township. When my grandmother Sarah Ann (Butler) Wheaton was widowed, she brought her family here in 1860 and bought these lots. The house was built in 1863. She grew up in the house with her parents, Rubin Bradford and Mary Ellen (Dolph) Wheaton. [and brother Clark Eugene Wheaton]

Her father was a contractor. "He and my uncle [John Ross ] built the Methodist Church here in Galien," she said.

Mrs. Keen said she could remember two big fires in downtown Galien. The first one happened when she was quite young. The second one about 1909 took all the buildings on the north side of the railroad tracks.

"Folks here abouts believed the fire was started when some one tired to rob Blakeelee's store. It was the only bank in town and people thought the fire got started when an attempt was made to blow up the safe.

There was no fire apparatus in town. They covered our house with wet blankets to prevent the fire from spreading."

At the conclusion of the interview, Mrs. Keen, inquried if we had seen the new library. Upon hearing our answer, she said "Shame on you. Come back some time and I'll take you on a personal tour."