Rapids Historical Society
Volume 33, number 6
March 2012
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: March program: WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farmers Markets Letter from our President, page 2
WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farmers Markets March 8, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council
History Test Kitchen; Lost and Find, page 4
Celebrating the 90th anniversary of the Fulton Street Farmers Market in 2012, Jayson Otto will share its story on Thursday, March 8 at 7 p.m. at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
Michigan in Perspective; Local History Conference page 5
After managing the local market between 2005 and 2007, Otto researched its
History a’La Cart; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
surprising beginnings and has placed it in the broader history of retail farmers markets in Grand Rapids. Prior to 1917, no official spaces allowed Grand Rapids residents to buy fresh produce directly from local growers. In fact, city ordinances declared it illegal for farmers to sell on city streets between 1897 and 1917. Once inflation caused food prices to skyrocket, some local residents believed farmers markets and community gardens could help feed struggling families in Grand Rapids.
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April Program: The Civil War Presented by the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Civil War Roundtable April 12, 2012 Co-sponsored by the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Civil War Roundtable
Grand River Times
"Hunting Old Hi" cartoon of women shopping at the Leonard Street Market in 1917. The caption on the cartoon reads: They come in autos, on horseback, in one-hoss shays, on bicycles and velocipedes and on foot to the city retail market to hunt old Hi Cost o living and in lots of instances they find him and give him a wallop or two. Here the lady from the limousine and the lady with the market basket on her arm mingle and vie with one another in seeking out the bargains. They carry away their purchases in everything from big eight cylinders to baby carriages and, above all, everybody has a good time doing it.
Based on archival research, Jayson Otto’s story will reveal how prominent local residents, mainly women, worked during the first quarter of the twentieth century to fight the “High Cost of Living” by bringing fresh food production closer to home. It will recount their failures and successes convincing local leaders to institute farmers markets and to support the community gardens dotting the city prior to World War I. Continued on page 3
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Dear GRHS Members, Board member Nan Schichtel gave a very interesting program at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum on February 9 about the formation of the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber of Commerce. In doing so she also gave a great history of the formation of Central High School.
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 Web site: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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This year that same school will celebrate 150 years. A committee has been formed and my husband Fred, class of ’68, is a member. He tells me that Saturday, May 19 is the date that has been set aside for the gathering of students, parents, teachers, employees, administrators, and friends to commemorate this milestone. There will be self-guided tours, displays of memorabilia, a program in the auditorium, and the dedication of that same auditorium to one of the most Gina Bivins distinguished graduates, Betty Bloomer Ford. The GRHS President festivities start at 3 p.m. with tours, at 4:30 there will be an Alumni Program in the Auditorium, including the award ceremony, and from 5:30 to 7 p.m. a reception in the cafeteria. It is all free (although donations are being accepted to defray costs). More information is available at www.grcentralhighcelebration.com. A Facebook page has been started also. This will be the last year that Central will exist as a high school. GRPS will house several education programs there but will not be “graduating” students from there. At the Ford Museum Nan Schichtel passed out a list of names of young men who were members of the Grand Rapids Board of Trade, a.k.a. the Junior Association of Commerce, Junior Chamber of Commerce, JACs and the Jaycees. This club was affiliated with Central High School before it spread to other city high schools. She is continuing her research, and wants to know what became of Jesse Buttrick Davis’ boys. I am confident that she will send you a list if you contact her at schichteln@gmail.com. I am going to guess that she will show up to our banquet on May 19 with lists in hand. I hope to see you March 8 at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum for our collaborative program with the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. Jayson Otto will present a program on WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farmer’s Markets.
About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours. Programs are cosponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum. Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year and a subscription to our annual magazine, Grand River Valley History. Members also receive a 20 percent discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Continued from cover
An “accidental” women’s historian, Otto did not realize until he started researching the history of the Fulton Street Farmers’ Market that women in Grand Rapids were instrumental in the battle to get healthy food into the city. Led by Eva McCall Hamilton, later elected to the Michigan senate, the Grand Rapids Federation of Women’s Clubs, Ladies Literary Club, and the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense were involved. Farmers markets in Grand Rapids were started through civic engagement. Ninety years later, the Fulton Street Farmers Market stands as a testament to the work of not only Progressive Era women, but of everyone supporting the market through its ups and downs. While finishing his thesis in historical agriculture for Michigan State University, Jayson Otto has taught for Aquinas College, Grand Valley State University, and Muskegon Community College.
Good To Know Eva McCall Hamilton (1873-1948) Two months after the ratification of the national women's suffrage amendment in 1920, Eva McCall Hamilton was the first woman elected to the Michigan legislature. Active in the Grand Rapids Equal Suffrage Association, Hamilton studied local and state public issues and often spoke for the group before legislative committees. Nominated by the Republican party in 1920, Hamilton was elected to the senate seat from Grand Rapids' 16th district, the highest ranking office of seven women to win contests around the state. Unfortunately, she was defeated after her 1920-21 term, but Hamilton remained active in party politics and the new League of Women Voters. Elected in the first general election in which women were permitted to vote and to run, Hamilton remains in 2012 the first and last woman representing Grand Rapids in the state senate.
Women of the Ridge: Handling the Business and Politics of West Michigan Agriculture”
Tasting and Touring Michigan's Homegrown Food: A Culinary Road Trip
by Cindy Laug, Grand Valley State University
Women's History Month Finale! A sneak peak at a new book with authors Jaye Beeler and Dianne Carroll Burdick
Thursday, March 22, 7:00 p.m. Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Free & Open to the Public From the Peach Ridge Fruit Growers Association, formed in 1928, to Women for the Survival of Agriculture in Michigan, organized in 1972, West Michigan women have overseen the business of marketing fruit and picketing pricegougers. Meet some of the players after Cindy Laug’s fascinating presentation!
Thursday, March 29 5:00 p.m.: Hors d'oeuvres & wine ticket bar ($5/glass); 5:30 p.m.: program Women's City Club, Lower level auditorium, 254 Fulton Street Free and Open to the Public Writer Jaye Beeler and photographer Dianne Carroll Burdick will bring us into the present when we celebrate their new book! Traveling 2,000 miles over the course of a year, they met dozens of enterprising women farmers and producers whose stories continue to squash myths that only men are farmers!
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
H i s t ory Tes t Kit c hen Visiting Recipes from Restaurants of Grand Rapids’ Past
Schnitzelbank red cabbage 1 medium-to-large head red cabbage 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/8-inch wedges 1 bay leaf 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2/3 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 small onion, peeled 4-6 whole cloves 1 cup boiling water 3 tablespoons red wine Wash cabbage under cold water. Remove outer leaves and cut the head lengthwise into quarters. Remove core and cut each quarter crosswise into fine strips. Place cabbage in a bowl and add sugar, salt, and vinegar, tossing to mix thoroughly. Heat oil in a large 4- to 6-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and apples, strirring frequently until the apple slices are slightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add the cabbage mixture and bay leaf. Stud the whole peeled onion with cloves; add to saucepan. Stir well, then add boiling water. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to low. Cover and simmer until cabbage is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours, making sure cabbage remains moist. When cabbage is ready, hardly any liquid should be left in the pot (if mixture looks dry, add a tablespoon of boiling water). Remove bay leaf and whole onion with cloves. Add red wine and stir. Serve in a heated bowl.
Grand Rapids Historical Society Wants To Hear From You! Member Focus What is your interest in history? Are you working on something, collecting, or volunteering for a history-related cause? We want to share your story! Or let us know if you know somebody else whose story would be interesting to share. History Test Kitchen Do you have a recipe from Grand Rapids’ past, from a local restaurant or an old family favorite? Share it with members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society! Lost and Find Looking for a photo? A piece of information? What is it you can’t find but you’re sure is out there? Let us know and we’ll share it. Maybe somebody in our membership has just what you’re looking for, or knows where it is. To contact us for any of these features, please email us at grhs.local@gmail.com today!
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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The 54th annual Michigan in Perspective: The Local History Conference The 54th annual Michigan in Perspective: The Local History Conference will be held March 30-31, 2012 at the John Lewis Center at Macomb Community College (South Campus) in Warren. The conference featurse several keynote speakers and breakout sessions focused on local history in Michigan. Susan Skarsgard, global design manager of GM Design Archive and Special Collection, will present the opening keynote, Where Today Meets Tomorrow: The Story of Eero Saarinen’s Design of the GM Tech Center. Other keynotes include The War of 1812 and Michigan: Some Thoughts on a Faintly Remembered Conflict by Brian Leigh Dunnigan, associate director and curator of maps at the William L. Clements Library, U-M; Sunday Morning with the Lone Ranger by radio historian Larry Zbed; and Tashmoo: The Park and the Steamer by Arthur M. Woodford of the Algonquin Club of Detroit & Windsor. Breakout sessions cover topics such as local history, genealogy, and cultural diversity. They include: • Michigan and the Civil War • Reflections of a Civil Rights Foot Soldier • 1950s Detroit Music: Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and Rock ‘n’ Roll • Coal: Michigan’s Forgotten Mining Frontier • Old’s Cool: Attracting Young Audiences to Local History • Lest We Forget: Black Civil War Soldiers and Sailors • A Private Digitization Project and the Human Element • Look What We Found: The Detroit Historical Society Collection Goes Online • Locating Missing Living Persons • Taking the Mystery Out of Your Mystery Ancestors • Blaney Park (a major resort destination in the Upper Peninsula) • African-American Oral History: Agency and Student Perspectives • Engineered Structures in Early Michigan History • Tragedy Strikes in Seven Minutes: Loss of the Steamer Fred McBrier & John Shaw ‘Went Missing’ • Case of the Rose of Aberlone –Michigan’s Great Contribution to Contract Law • Post Motown Music • Bath City, USA • Book discussion of “Coney Detroit” by authors Joe Grimm and Katherine Yung • Book discussion of “Daring Trader: Jacob Smith in the Michigan Territory, 1802-1825” by author Kim Crawford • Rochester-Avon Historical Society Online Project: We’re Putting History on the Map • Coming through the Crisis Grand River Times
• Forgotten Detroit • Remembering the J.L Hudson Company: Detroit’s Legendary Department Store • History in their Hands: Getting Your Resources into K-12 Classrooms • African Americans in the Legal Profession: A Case Study of Judge Elvin L. Davenpor Open to anyone interested in state or regional history, registration for the two-day event is $39 ($49 after March 21). Meals that feature keynote speakers, including lunch on both days and breakfast on Saturday, are available by reservation on a space-available basis. The luncheons are $20/meal, and the Saturday breakfast is $17/meal. Register online at www.hsmichigan.org or by calling (800) 692-1828. The conference also features a Friday reception following the end of daytime sessions, sponsored by the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House. Held at the historic house in Grosse Pointe Shores, the reception is free for all registered conference attendees, but tickets are required. Tickets can be secured during the conference registration process. In addition to our major sponsors, the conference is also sponsored by the Burton Historical Collection, Michigan State University Press, University of Michigan Press, Walter P. Reuther Library, Wayne State University Press, Algonquin Club of Detroit & Windsor, Bentley Historical Library, Center for Upper Peninsula Studies at Northern Michigan University, Detroit Society for Genealogical Research, Fred Hart Williams Genealogical Society, Great Lakes Maritime Institute, Jewish Historical Society of Michigan, Historical Society of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, Michigan Genealogical Council, Michigan Photographic Historical Society, Michigan Women’s Historical Center and Hall of Fame, Oakland County Historical Commission, Troy Historical Society, and William L. Clements Library. To register online or to see the full conference flier visit www.hsmichigan.org/conferences/local-historyconference/. Historical Society of Michigan 5815 Executive Dr. Lansing, MI 48911 Phone: (517) 324-1828 Fax: (517) 324-4370 Email: hsm@hsmichigan.org Web: www.hsmichigan.org
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History Forum & Lunch 8 Sundays 8 Great Speakers 8 Topics FREE and Open to the Public 1. March 18 - Gerry Bose - Historical Perspectives on the Study of Cosmology 2. March 25 - Don Chaffee - Two Kings of Uganda: Idi Amin and Yoweri Museveni 3. April 1 - Charlie Gallmeyer - The Middle Ages and the Dawn of Modern Technology 4. April 8 - Jeff Smith - History of US Social Movements 5. April 15 - Gordon Olson - The Notorious Lt. Earl: Counter Terrorism in the Civil War 6. April 21 - Lisa Locke - Reflections on the Environmental Movement: an Ethical Imperative 7. April 29 - Diana Barrett - Grand Rapids’ Own Magdalen 8. May 6 - Bill Hill - History of Libraries
History à La Carte at
Fountain Street Church
Where: Room 109 - Fountain Street Church When: 12:20 - 1:30 PM The program is free and open to the public. Pay only for the lunch you order from takeout menu. Questions? Call: Paul Arnold 791-4534 or e-mail: paul@paularnolddesign.com.
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth This image comes from the Morris Photo Collection (#43). Camp Fire Girls fundraising for the Belknap Memorial in 1929. This image has appeared several times in different publications, but the girls have never been identified. Can you help us? If you know who any of these girls 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: March 2012 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com. 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 It’s Tom Rademacher “Knocking at Your Door” Wednesday, March 7, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE Sit back and relax with long-time Grand Rapids Press columnist Tom Rademacher, as he not only introduces you to some of the remarkable people he’s met, but also “backstories that reveal even more.” For more than 33 years, Tom has been bringing us true tales of everyday folks both struggling and soaring. Twice he has been honored with the top award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. A book signing will follow his presentation. Free and open to the public. The Architecture of Production: Grand Rapids’ Furniture Factories Monday, March 12, 2012, 7 p.m. Highland Middle School, 4645 Chandy Dr. NE Matthew Daley
Throughout Grand Rapids stand reminders of the city’s past as “Furniture City, U.S.A.” Former factory buildings line Monroe, Seward, and Godfrey Avenues serving as useful local landmarks in all four quadrants. These facilities provide a key part of the community’s architectural heritage, as much as part as any historic district’s grand houses. Unlike modern factories in separated areas, these are knitted into their surrounding neighborhoods. It makes sense to look at the factories not only as architectural sites, but also as places where men and women worked and spent a large part of their lives in a web of houses, churches, stories, and schools. Today, many of these structures have been renovated, adaptively reused, or demolished with their original purpose a vague or absent memory. To that end this presentation will discuss the architectural features, neighborhoods, and lives of workers in Grand Rapids’ furniture factories during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Discovering Merze Tate: How to Uncover the Hidden Treasures of Your Archives and Bring them to Life Thursday, March 22, 4 p.m. Humanities Center, Western Michigan University Ms. Bernard-Hollins will talk about her search for information on African American graduates of WMU and how she discovered Merze Tate, a 1927 graduate of WMU and donor to the University. Her original sources research include arcives in public and university libraries, private collections, media outlets and oral histories. www.ggrwhc.org/upcomingevents.php Exploring Michigan: Hiking, Canoeing, Wandering Saturday, March 31, 2012, 1:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE In this three-hour event, three different authors will explore various ways to experience Michigan. Loreen Niewenhuis will discuss her book “A 1,000-Mile Walk on the Beach.” Jim DuFresne will share his book “The Adventurous Traveler: Exploring the Best of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.” Doc Fletcher will talk about “Paddling Michigan’s Hidden Beauty.” Free and open to the public.
Continued in next column
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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
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Inside this issue: March program: WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farmers Markets March 8, 7 p.m. Presented by Jayson Otto, Grand Valley State University Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum Co-sponsored by the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council
Cover Story: March program: WWI, Women, and the Rise of Grand Rapids Farmers Markets Letter from our President, page 2 History Test Kitchen; Lost and Find, page 4 Michigan in Perspective; Local History Conference page 5 History a’La Cart; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
Details inside!
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
