Rapids Historical Society
Volume 33, number 4
January 2012
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program: Jesse Buttrick and “His Boys”: A History of the Early Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce Letter from our President, page 2 History Test Kitchen; January program photos; Lost and Find, page 4 Member Focus: Kim Rush, page 5 Ethnic Heritage Festival; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
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March Program: WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farms Markets Presented by Jayson Otto, Grand Valley State University March 8, 2012 Co-sponsored by the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s Historical Council
Jesse Buttrick Davis and “His Boys”: A History of the Early Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce February 9, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Copyright 2012 by Barbara Nan Schichtel The Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce, commonly known today as the Jaycees, was founded in 1909 - years ahead of the 1920 founding of today’s United States Junior Chamber of Commerce. Chartered as a US affiliate in 1929, the Grand Rapids Jaycees high-profile and lesser-known projects have long impacted citizens. Local Jaycees built voter support for the first Kent County Airport and the Civic Auditorium. They purchased the AllAmerican Girls Baseball League franchise we know as the Grand Rapids Chicks, did the grunt work to establish Junior Achievement in West Michigan, ran successful Public Schools millage campaigns, and helped found the West Michigan Environmental Action Council. For many years, Jaycees ran a professional golf tournament raising millions for charity. They built the MacKay Jaycees Family Park at 28th Street and Kalamazoo Avenue. Today, Jaycees continue to provide leadership training through community service – 101 years after their founding. The School Board directed Davis to “clean up” the social problems and get rid of the “secret societies.” He was told to raise the academic standards in the school’s classically-modeled liberal education program which served primarily collegebound students. Finally, the influential Grand Rapids Furniture Manufacturers Employers Association passed a resolution asking the School Board to address the challenges facing the less-advantaged, “terminal,” non-college-bound students. The city’s economy depended upon a trained
Mr. Davis "Your Vocation is - etc." student drawing from GR High School annual. workforce to support the human resource needs of all industries, but particularly those of the furniture, foundry, and printing industries. Davis reached those goals. He established new school clubs that gave students options to substitute productive academically-related activities in music, literature, debate, leadership, politics, and various occupational interests for the illegal, uncouth and often immoral ones that were so distressing Continued on page 3
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dear GRHS members,
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects. Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Open, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Matthew Daley Thomas Dilley W.D. Frankforter, emeritus Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Sharon Hanks Chris Kaupa Les Morant Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger Jeff Sytsma Jennifer Morrison, secretary John Morrison, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
The first program of 2012 was attended by over 60 people. Braving the first snowstorm of the new year, we were rewarded with a wonderful and informative slide program on the history of St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, given by Karen Hunter. Following we toured the worship space with members of the congregation stationed throughout to answer questions and point out objects of special interest in the beautiful structure. Refreshments followed in the parish center where historic photographs were on display. If you haven’t been to St. Mark’s before, I encourage you to visit during ArtPrize this year. The church will have exhibits inside and out, and it’s a great way to see and tour the beautiful building We are back at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in February for a presentation about Jesse Buttrick Davis and the early years of the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce presented by. Nan Schichtel, board member of the historical society. During a board meeting last year, we found that Nan had a special interest in the Junior Chamber of Commerce and Jesse Buttrick Davis, and we quickly scheduled her for a program. It promises to be as interesting and informative as the St. Mark’s program. Gina Bivins GRHS President
The schedule for next year’s program topics is coming together, but we are always looking for interesting topics and speakers. We value your opinion and would like to hear from you. Please pass ideas and leads on to any board member at our programs. You can find us behind the table at the programs or email us at grhs.local@gmail.com. We would also love to hear from you if you have ideas for any of our new monthly features in the newsletter. We are looking for members to write about in Member Focus, historical recipes to share in History Test Kitchen, and we will get the word out for that “something” you just can’t seem to find for your research in our Lost and Find section. Please send us an email at grhs.local@gmail.com with your ideas. We hope to see you February 9 at 7 p.m. for our next program.
Jesse Buttrick Davis, early leader of the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce, is the topic of the next Grand Rapids Historical Society program on February 9 at 7 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
Web site: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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citizenry. With more time spent in positive school activities, academic standards rose. Davis re-wrote the 7-12th grade English curriculum at GRH emphasizing reading, research, and writing activities with a vocational and moral focus – widely known as the Grand Rapids Plan which put Grand Rapids Public Schools on the map. Perhaps the most longlasting of Davis’ positive substitutions was the creation of the Grand Rapids Junior Board of Trade. The focus shifts west down the hill from the central High School at Ransom and Lyon Streets to the downtown offices of the Grand Rapids Board of Trade at 97-99 Pearl Street. Secretary Walter K. Cotton, upon hearing news of the success of a boys junior commercial group sponsored by the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry the previous year, urged the local Board of Trade at the October 12, 1909 meeting to establish their own “junior” group of sons of members. The work of a “Juniors” group was assigned to a committee chaired by Herbert E. Sargent, curator of the Kent Scientific Museum. The committee included: Roy S. Barnhart, Nelson Matter and president of the Furniture Guild; J.H. Brockmeier, Brockmeier Piano; C.C. Cargill, Cargill Engraving; Louis A. Cornelius, Wolverine Brass Works; foundry owner H.J. Hartman; and Carroll H. Perkins, Mutual Benefit Life. The minutes referred to this as “Proposed Visits to Factories by Sons of Members.”
1910 Badge asking for voter support of a $200,000 Parks and Playground bond vote. Badges were worn by over 900 school children at the behest of the Junior Board of Trade. The bond vote passed! (Courtesy of Grand Rapids Public Library)
During the November 3, 1909 Board of Trade meeting, W.C. Sheppard, Mutual Home & Savings Association, Board of Trade and Board of Education member, stated his belief that the movement would “start better educational facilities in Grand Rapids” and improve manual training. Dr. Joseph Griswold declared his belief that when the boys became interested in the city’s industries, their interest in “frats” might wane. Board of Trade Secretary Clarence Cotton called attention to the “value of organizational lessons which would be learned by the boys if the proposed plans be carried out, and declared that the early education of boys in committees and other public work was very important.” Cotton and some of the members without sons were interested in offering this opportunity to boys and girls in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, but during the years that the Jaycees were most closely affiliated with the Board of Trade, this progressive idea did not flourish. The “Juniors” officially started meeting soon after Thanksgiving 1909, and, with Board of Trade guidance, held a mass meeting of sons of members to arrange plans for that school year. Most of the boys attended the central High School, and because of that, Jesse Davis’ name soon Grand River Times
appeared in the minutes. Officially Davis was on a subcommittee led by Roy Barnhart. By April 1910, the boys were meeting every other Saturday morning and had participated in 13 trade and industrial tours. On average, 28 boys participated in each excursion. Meetings usually included a speech by a Board of Trade member, a tour of his business, followed by a question-and-answer session. During that first year, 85 boys took part and visits included Hartman’s Foundry and Oliver Machinery among others. By June 1910, a standing committee of the Board of Trade was created to oversee the Junior Board. Jesse Davis attended most meetings as a Board of Trade representative and because of his principalship. The boys adopted a Constitution and Bylaws later approved by the parent organization. Chairman Plumb declared that Secretary Cotton had made a “great hit” when he suggested the organization of a Junior Board of Trade. The boys were welcome to attend Board of Trade meetings, and occasionally were invited to make brief remarks as did Junior Board of Trade President Milton Adams and Secretary Robert Davis Jr. at the Nov. 9, 1910 meeting.
During their earliest years, the Junior Board of Trade helped win votes to build city parks. Jesse Davis’s “boys” provided the business community with manpower that built Grand Rapids’ reputation as a “good convention town.” Renamed Junior Association of Commerce (JACs) in 1912, the JACs gave ambitious young men opportunities to learn about a wide range of new vocational opportunities available in a rapidly changing society. News of these activities helped promote and establish Junior Associations of Commerce worldwide when they were detailed in books, popular magazine, newspaper articles, in scholarly journals, and by educational, commercial, and vocational conference speakers. Interest was evoked nationally from senior chambers of commerce, boards of trade, newspaper editors, civic boosters, educators, early social workers, ministers, and politicians who wanted to create similar organizations in their own hometowns. The ripple effect of activities taken on by Jesse Davis’s protégés had far-reaching consequences in spurring the development of early junior chambers of commerce long before the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce existed. The historical study of Jesse B. Davis and the Grand Rapids Jaycees is ongoing, Schichtel hopes to elicit input about the personal and professional lives of individual early Jaycees and will share a list of names of “Jesse’s Boys” with GRHS attendees.
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H i s t ory Tes t Kit c hen Visiting Recipes from Restaurants of Grand Rapids’ Past This recipe is from The Grand Rapids Cook Book in collection 216 (GRPL Ephemera Coll.) at the local history department of the Grand Rapids Public Library. The book was published in 1899 by Leonard’s Sons & Co., a store located at 29 and 31 Monroe St. It’s an interesting book full of kitchen merchandise one could purchase and includes a large number of recipes. The book also has blank pages where the owner could write in their own favorite recipes. The following recipe is one of the hand-written examples from this book. Look the book up at the local history department and you will find a lot more recipes!
Fridella’s 1 lb veal 1/2 lb of round steak 1/4 lb of lamb suet. put thru sausage machine. 2 eggs, whipped light & put in pint cup, fill up cup with milk. 1/2 cup of flour. salt & pepper. fry in butter in thin cakes - good.
A Couple Photos from the January Program Photo credit to Julie Resch. Thanks, Julie!
Despite having the first snow storm of the season, the January program at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church was well attended. Great building and an interesting program!
Lost an d F in d Very soon after World War II, the Grand Rapids Herald printed a photograph of 2-3 Jaycees standing indoors in front of a large (2.5' x3' ?) brass? wall plaque honoring local Jaycees who had served in the military. The background appeared to have been in a large lobby. No mention of where that plaque was installed was provided in the caption and no accompanying article in local papers mentions this plaque dedication. The Civic Auditorium, Rowe Hotel, Commerce Building, and the Pantlind Hotel were venue possibilities where Jaycees frequently met, but site owners report no such plaque existing today. Do you recall ever seeing this plaque? Where? Let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com.
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M e m b e r Fo c us : Kim Rus h Kim Rush is fascinated by black history in Grand Rapids, and his interest in the subject has quite a history in itself. Like most teenagers, Kim loved music. He played bass and loved listening to a wide variety of music. In the 11th grade, friends introduced him to blues-oriented music from white musicians like Paul Butterfield, John Mayall, Eric Clapton, and Mike Bloomfield. The music grabbed him and he began collecting blues albums, and soon discovered that he preferred the sound and style of black blues singers such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker, B.B. King, and Bobby Blue Bland. After high school Kim attended Grand Valley - in the days when it was a college where he majored in philosophy and minored in history. The history work reinforced a love of history and gave him some research skills. That led him to read everything he could about music, and especially blues music. He created a project to expose himself to older recordings by black blues musicians, which developed his love for the genre even more. In the early years, Kim’s research was done in isolation and he wasn’t aware of other people with the same interest. Then came the internet. Being able to research online gave him access to much more information and to people who were doing similar research.
Kim looked further into the history with Randal Jelks’ book, African Americans in the Furniture City. He had conversations with Jelks as well as Steve Jones - writer and researcher of Woodland Park - and Ron Stephens, author of Idlewild: The Black Eden of Michigan. Kim was a little uncomfortable as a white man approaching the subject, but with the help of these men he was able to overcome that. Over the years, Kim has built quite a collection of photos, newspaper articles and advertisements, and other paper items which he has organized by topic into a variety of binders. He has also recorded numerous oral and video interviews over the years. He says that when he is too old to work on the collection that it will be donated to the local history department of the Grand Rapids Public Library. He is quick to express his appreciation for all the help he receives from the staff there. But he’s also appreciative of the help and guidance received from other local historians such as Gail Snow (the speaker at the upcoming May program), Diana Barrett, Jo Ellyn Clarey, and many more than we can mention here. Want to know more about the west Michigan music scene? Or contact Kim? Check out his website at www.westmichmusichystericalsociety.com. And, yes, that’s “hysterical.”
He soon became interested in Chicago’s blues history when he discovered Chicago Blues , a book by Mike Rowe. Kim and his brother, Steve, began traveling to Chicago to search out the places where his old blues heroes had lived and played. Kim says one of the more important things he discovered was that African American blues music primarily originates within conditions of poverty and social and economic oppression. He had always wondered why the singing on most white blues recordings did not seem as authentic and as emotionally penetrating as that of the black blues singers. Now he understood. Over time Kim began researching the black musicians and singers specifically from Grand Rapids. The many stories he heard from local African Americans began to form a much broader and deeper picture than the music information provided, and he soon realized he had become enthralled with the general history of the Grand Rapids African American community. “As much as I loved the music history,” says Kim, “I was beginning to find the oral histories of what occurred in historic Grand Rapids African American neighborhoods more amazing and engaging than any fiction I had been exposed to previously.”
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One of the photos in Kim’s collection. He always scans the photos and returns the original. Left to right: Fay Ebbo, bass fiddle; Edith Rambeau, organist; Mr Cornelius White; vocal soloist; Herman Curtis, violin. Dated November 1945 from Curtis Family photo collection. Photo was taken at First Community A.M.E. Church, 500 James S.E.
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D TE En e r g y F o u n d at ion E t hnic Herit age Fes t iva l Saturday, February 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Grand Rapids Public Museum Visitors to the DTE Energy Foundation Ethnic Heritage Festival will receive free admission to the Museum to enjoy music, dance, crafts, displays and food representing various ethnic groups that call West Michigan home. Colorful and varied performances are scheduled throughout the day on two different stages. Members of ethnic organizations will staff display tables throughout the three floors of the Museum, sharing their unique cultures with guests. Scheduled Performances 11:00 Lithuanian Youth Dance Group 11:30 Capoeira Mandinga 12:00 Parade of Ethnic Fashion – ends on 1st floor 12:30 India Dance Group 1:00 Vietnamese Folk Music 1:30 Hellenic Dancers of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church 2:00 Philippine Dance Group 2:30 Bells of River City 3:00 Bosnian Dance Group 3:30 Imani Gospel Music Ensemble 4:00 WaZoBia multi-ethnic drumming – 1st floor
Origami Art with Hito Akehi, 10:00 to noon, 1st floor Barrel Factory Henna Art with Vanessa Clarey, Noon to 2:00, Henna art application, 1st floor Barrel Factory Café – 2nd floor, Special hours of 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Featuring ethnic desserts: Apple Strudel (German) Almond Banket (Dutch) Cannoli (Italian) Trifle (British) Beer Tasting, 3rd floor, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sample beers from around the world. Must be 21 to enter. Tickets are $6 and available at Overlook Room.
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth Here is GRPL’s February Photo Sleuth, from the William Glenn Collection (#49). Glenn was a political activist in the Grand Rapids area. In 1971, he was chosen as "Man of the Year" by the Western Michigan Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union. In this undated, unidentified photo, Glenn is center of the back row. Can you identify the others?. If you know who any of the other people are, please email your information to kgillman@grpl.org, or call 616 988-5402, extension 5497. Each month the local history department of the Grand Rapids Public Library posts a different photo on a web page called Photo Sleuth to enlist the public’s help in identifying individuals in the photos. To find the photo on GRPL’s website, go to www.grpl.org and type “photo sleuth” in the search bar.
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Happening in History: February 2012 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at info@grhistory.org. Love Letters: A dramatic performance of the play by A.R. Gurney Monday, February 13, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE The Pulitzer Prize-nominated drama, Love Letters, by A.R. Gurney is an account of the relationship between two people who meet in second grade, eventually grow apart after college, marry others but still maintain a relationship over the years through letter writing. Performed by Gem Theatrics, this performance will touch your heart. Free and open to the public. Abraham Lincoln: From Obscurity to Greatness Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 7:30 p.m. Kuyper College, 3333 East Beltline NE Membership Round Table. Doors open at 6 p.m. More information at www.grcwrt.com. Taste of Soul Sunday Sunday, February 19, 2012, 1:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Join us as we celebrate African American history and culture at the sixth annual Taste of Soul Sunday. Sample African American art, music, literature, history and food. Free and open to the public. Call 616-988-5400 or visit www.grpl.org for more information. WMGS Family History Writers Workshop Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 1:30 p.m. Dominican Center, 2025 Fulton St East The group helps and supports each other’s desire to write about families with a kind eye and lots of humor. Please call Sister Michael Ellen Carling at 616.643.0208 if you wish to attend. Adult Computer Class: Family Tree Maker for Beginners Part I Tuesday, February 21, 2012, 6:45 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE
Fever—Little Willie John: A Fast Life, Mysterious Death and the Birth of Soul Monday, February 27, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Susan Whitall and Kevin John will present through photos, videos, music and talk, a look at the life of one of the most important and influential singers to come out of Detroit in the 1950s—Little Willie John. His vocal performances combined the spiritual intensity of gospel with the swing of jazz and fever of R&B and set the stage for the soul revolution of the 1960s. Free and open to the public. Up From the Bottoms: A Documentary Viewing and Discussion Wednesday, February 29, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Up from the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream tells the story of the massive migration of African Americans for the rural south to the prosperous north during the World War II years and beyond. They left behind the legacy of slavery and segregation and set out to find the American dream. The voice of Cicely Tyson guides us through these touching, thoughtful and often funny stories as told by 15 residents of Muskegon Michigan. A discussion with the film’s producers Jim and Rod Schaub will follow the screening of the film. Free and open to the public. Birthday Party for Mary Jane Dockeray Saturday, March 3, 2012, 1 - 5 p.m. Blandford Nature Center, 1715 Hillburn NW Blandford Nature Center is holding an Open House in honor of the 85th Birthday of Mary Jane Dockeray, the organization’s founder. Visitors will have the opportunity to greet Mary Jane, eat free birthday cake, give a gift to the Blandford Nature Center endowment fund in Mary Jane's honor, and preview a new film profiling Mary Jane and the founding and operation of the Center (shown at 1, 2, 3, & 4 p.m.) The day also coincides with the opening of Sugarbush and tours will be available. www.blandfordnaturecenter.org
This two-part class will introduce students to the basics of using Family Tree Maker. Participants should bring their laptop and the Family Tree Maker Software installed. This class is useful for the 2008 through 2012 versions of the software. Free and open to the public.
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Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc.
Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
February program: Jesse Buttrick Davis and “His Boys”: A History of the Early Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce February 9, 7 p.m. Presented by Barbara Nan Schichtel, GRHS Trustee, GRCC librarian, and life member of the Grand Rapids Jaycees Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Details inside!
Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program: Jesse Buttrick and “His Boys”: A History of the Early Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce Letter from our President, page 2 History Test Kitchen; January program photos; Lost and Find, page 4 Member Focus: Kim Rush, page 5 Ethnic Heritage Festival; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
