Rapids Historical Society
Volume 33, number 7
April 2012
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society
Inside this issue: Cover Story: April program: A Tale of Two Collections: The Unseen Civil War Artifacts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum Letter from our President, page 2 Lost and Find, page 4 Member Focus: John Gelderloos page 5 Book Review: A History of Grandville Avenue; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
May Program: Annual Banquet at Women’s City Club. Program: Messing About Reeds Lake in Boats, by Gail Snow May 10, 2012
Grand River Times
A Tale of Two Collections: The Unseen Civil War Artifacts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum April 12, 2012, 7:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Our April program takes us to the Grand Rapids Public Museum where we will explore Civil War artifacts not on display in the current exhibit, Thank God for Michigan! Stories from the Civil War. Members of the Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table are submitting requests for items from the Public Museum's permanent collection to be brought out from the CARC building. Those who submit requests will discuss why they are interested in the items and perhaps add some information to the museum’s knowledge. Parking is free at the Public Museum ramp on Front Avenue. Please do not park in the Holiday Inn parking lot. John Wood McCrath One of the Civil War collections to be discussed is the John W. McCrath collection. Following is a brief biography written by two of McCrath’s great grandchildren, Robert John McCrath and Jeanne Ellen Summers.
John W. McCrath was born in Atlas, Mich. near Flint on Sept. 6, 1837, the first of six children born to James and Ellen McCrath. The family moved to the village of Grand Rapids in the spring of 1842. John attended the old Union school and Prof. Franklin Everett’s academy. He became a teacher at the ripe old age of 17, and taught school in Gaines Township in 1854 and ’55. He served an apprenticeship with W. D. Foster & Co. as a tinsmith. In 1859, John began selling hardware in Ionia for John McConnell, who moved his stock in 1860 to Grand Rapids, where he conducted a hardware and tin shop on the present site of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. John was in Mr. McConnell’s employ when the Civil War broke out. In September of 1861, certain citizens of Grand Rapids began organizing a regiment of engineering troops to be sent south. Among these were: Wright L. Coffinberry, a civil engineer; James V. Sligh, a merchant; Baker Borden, an architect, builder and contractor; Perrin V. Fox, a contractor and bridge builder; and Continued on page 3
1
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
I am writing my column for the April newsletter on March 5. Who would have thought that this year there would have already been numerous deadly tornados in states that abut Michigan? It brings my thoughts to the tornado of 1956. I wonder if we are headed for another wicked weather season. I plan to re-read the Society published Paths of Destruction: The story of West Michigan’s Worst Natural Disaster. Ernie Ostuno, the author, has put together a book that tells the tale of that fateful day, April 3, 1956, and explains what conditions caused it. The year was ’56, it has been 56 years since, and we will have the book for sale at the April meeting for $24. I was a young girl of seven the day the F5 struck West Michigan. My mother was in the hospital, having given birth on April 1 to her sixth child, my brother Jim. My dad was home, as were the five kids and a babysitter. I remember the air being heavy, and that there was a notice that a tornado was coming. My dad, the babysitter and the three youngest headed to the basement. For some reason I decided to stay on the back porch of our Northeast Grand Rapids home to try and see the tornado. My brother Mike, 9 years old, was frantically trying to get me to go into the basement. Then I saw it…to the northwest…it must have been over Comstock Park at the time. It was so black. Gina Bivins GRHS President
Today I head into the basement at the least sign of inclement weather. Another Board member, Bill Seeger, spent his spring break that year keeping Standale safe after the storm. He was an Army reservist. Since most of Standale was gone, the main job was to keep the area safe from looters. My husband Fred is on the committee putting together a celebration in honor of 150 years of Central High School. It is a bittersweet celebration since this year will be the last graduating class. The building will remain in use, but not as a traditional high school. Those who attended the February program know that many early Central graduates achieved much in their lives. Nan Schichtel continues to seek out the stories of Jesse’s boys. If you have a connection to Central High School and want to know more about the celebration please read the Happening in History page in this newsletter. Finally, the April program is on my home turf. We take it across the street from the Ford Museum to the Grand Rapids Public Museum which will open its outside doors at 6:30 p.m.. April is the month the Society collaborates with the local Civil War Roundtable. The Museum opened Thank God for Michigan: Stories from the Civil War in June of 2011. We planned this program thinking that there must be more stories out there to tell. One will be about a divided collection of letters, photographs, and artifacts from the Capt. John W. McCrath family. The Museum owns more than 100 items and a local collector has a fairly large collection also. There will be an opportunity to take a short look at the exhibit at the end of the presentation which will be in the Meijer Theater on the 2nd floor of the Museum.
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
2
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Continued from cover
William P. Innes, a civil engineer, who had recently built the Detroit and Milwaukee Railroad from Detroit to Grand Haven. The regiment was to consist of ten companies. John went back to Ionia and recruited Co. B. The state governor, Austin Blair, instructed that the regiment should be designated as “First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics”. William P. Innes was commissioned a colonel and put in command of the regiment. John was commissioned a Second Lieutenant on Sept. 12, 1861 and given No. 3 officer rank in Co. B, under First Lt. John W. Williamson and Captain Baker Borden. A training camp (Camp Owen) was set up on the county fair grounds in Marshall, Mich. and after three months of intensive drilling and training, the regiment left the state on Dec. 17, 1861 with the strength of 1,032 officers and men, and proceeded to Louisville, Ky. John’s brothers, Charles and Lyman were in the same regiment, both being in Co. D. His brother, Louis, was in the 21st Michigan Volunteer Infantry, under the command of Captain Charles E. Belknap. During the next four years, John and his company served under Generals Buel, Rosenkranz, Grant, Thomas and Sherman in Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. They built bridges, repaired railroad tracks and destroyed same, built roads through swamps so that cannons and supply wagons could pass, built blockhouses and other fortifications at strategic points, and at times, skirmished with rebel forces, who did not appreciate their activities. The men of the regiment often worked all night so the army could march the next morning. John rose to the rank of Captain on May 11, 1863, and was put in command of Co. B. Capt. McCrath and his brothers were with General Sherman on his march to the sea, reaching Goldsboro, N.C. on March 23, 1865. After the fall of Savannah and the surrender of General Lee, John was mustered out of service Sept. 22, 1865, after having served the full duration of the war. He married in 1865, Miss Elizabeth Henderson Dunks, of Detroit; the granddaughter of the founder of Hendersonville, Kentucky. She was born in Birmingham, Grand River Times
Mich. in 1839. John returned to the south and embarked in the stove and tin business in Atlanta in the fall of 1865 with two confederate army veterans as partners. Their place of business occupied one of the two stores left standing on Whitehall St., the main business street of Atlanta, before it’s destruction by Sherman. The firm prospered. John’s health became impaired in 1870 and he sold out to his partners. In 1872, he managed the first exclusive dry goods and carpet store in Chattanooga, Tenn. The panic of 1873 found him with a store full of depreciated goods and a debt of $24,000.00 owed to New York creditors, who offered to settle for fifty cents on the dollar. This, he refused, and told them that he would pay every dollar or not a cent. They agreed to give him the time he needed. John sold his home in Chattanooga and traveled about the country selling his stock at auction. After paying all obligations in full, he farmed and sold real estate i n Tennessee until returning to Grand Rapids in 1890. By this time, John and Elizabeth had four daughters: -- Elizabeth Fidelia -- Nellie Dunks -- Ellen Dunks and Elsie Rachael. John planted 30 acres of cucumbers on a farm 2 miles south of Grand Rapids, contracted with area farmers for more cucumbers, and started the West Michigan Pickle Works. He also founded the Ponce De Leon Water Co. in 1893, which he sold in 1900. The captain was a thirty-second degree Mason and member of Grand River Lodge No. 34. He was also an Elk, a member of Custer Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and an honorary member of the Mich. Natl. Guard. In 1897, Governor Pingree appointed him a member of the Board of Managers of the Mich. Soldiers’ Home. He served a term as Grand Rapids city alderman from the First Ward, and later ran for Kent County register of deeds. Capt. John died at his home, 90 1st Ave., Grand Rapids, Feb. 8, 1910, at the age of 73. In 1912, certain street names were changed by the city, and 90 1st Ave. became 34 W. Buckley St. John’s widow, Elizabeth, died there March 12, 1920, at the age of 81. Both are laid to rest in Garfield Park cemetery.
3
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Finding History! The Rest of the Story..... February speaker, Nan Schichtel, presented the story of “Jesse Buttrick Davis and “His Boys”: A History of the Early Grand Rapids Jaycees.” Schichtel distributed a list of names of boys who were members of the early Jaycees club, asking that attendees contact her with information about the boys. Most young men attended Central High School, but there was a smattering from other public and private high schools, and Junior College. Thanks to members and attendees who have since assisted with this ongoing research! Barbara Timmerman provided information on Walter Swanson, Virgil Stover, George LaBour, Lyman Joyce Bacon, and George Holmes Roderick. Some lived in the West Side neighborhood where she grew up; Bacon was her teacher; and, Roderick was a friend of Barbara’s father, Lewis Timmerman. All the men became the “solid citizens” that Davis was hoping they would. Roderick, an American Seating executive, went on to serve as Assistant Secretary of War under Eisenhower! Another Barbara – this time VanderMark - provided background about an newspaper mention of “South Grand Rapids High School” boys in 1913. Evidently, the article was referring to the township school in the (now) Burton Heights area. South Junior and Senior High opened in 1915 at Hall Street and Jefferson Avenue South High School graduated its first 4-year class in 1918. Fr. Dennis Morrow provided background on some and tips on others. Morrow noted that a large number of families whose surnames appeared on the list owned drug stores, including: Donald Abbott, Carl Loveland, Victor J. Middleton, Bruce & W. Wallace Muir, William Peck, and Claude Ward. Russell LeMoine’s father was in the fire department. Fred McWilliams owned a Madison Square dime store that Morrow frequented as a child. Schichtel says, “Thanks to all who have helped advance this research!”
Lost an d F in d Grand Rapids Historical Society member Gary Swets is in search of photos of a few different Grand Rapids properties and buildings. If you know where Gary can find these photos, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com. Here is a list of what he is looking for: 332 Division Ave (address after 1912) Location: Currently a parking lot behind Immanuel Lutheran church Time period: 1870 – 1930 There were three buildings at that location: House until 1920 Horse Stables & Living quarters above - until 1960 (it was called "Winchester Place" the name of the alleyway) Church until 1960 (we have pictures of this) Request: Looking for better \ closer pictures of the house and the stables\living quarters of Winchester Place We see the house faintly from the 1800's birds eye view looking toward Immanual Lutheran We see the roof of Winchester place from a view of Grand Rapids towards Butterworth & Hastings St 930 Clancy NE (by Clancy & Cedar St - by Clancy St Fellowship & Thierica Inc.) There was a church there from 1889 - 1913: Holland Reformed Church – Rev John VandenBroek There was the minister’s home at 930 Clancy Looking for photos Leppig Hall on Lyon (1880's - 1890's) Have a photo looking at the SE corner of Leppig and Lyon from late 1890s, not sure which floor Leppig's Hall was on Any pictures of the interior Later Mays Bros. re-skinned the building
4
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Member Focus: John Gelderloos Indexing the “Michigan Soldiers Reported in Civil War Era Newspapers” Collection at the Grand Rapids Public Library For more than 10 years, Grand Rapids Historical Society member and current board Treasurer John Gelderloos has volunteered in the Grand Rapids Public Library’s Local History Department. In that time his focus has always been on the Civil War and Michigan connections to the Civil War. Volunteering several hours each week, John’s first project was identifying all of the collection in the department containing Civil War material or references. It took several years to complete the guide and now anybody can go into the Local History Department and use it as an aid in their own Civil War research. With the Civil War guide completed, John turned his attention to a specific collection: The Michigan Soldiers Reported in Civil War Era Newspapers. Otherwise known as Collection 244, it takes nearly three feet of shelf space and contains thousands of photocopies of newspaper clippings reporting activities of Michigan John Gelderloos at the Grand Rapids Public Library desk he uses to soldiers during the Civil War. The eclectic collection, index the Michigan Soldiers Reported in Civil War Era Newspapers donated by Carl Bajema, is composed primarily of west collection. Michigan newspapers, but also includes Detroit newspapers and even a few out of state newspapers. The Civil War era clippings deal with recruitment, reports of John’s countless hours of volunteer work makes GRPL’s battles and deaths of local soldiers, and of attitudes of Civil War information easily available to researchers, both soldiers. Post Civil War clippings report memoirs of Grand locally and through the internet. You can find his index Army of the Republic (GAR) veterans, activities that took online at www.grpl.org, and put “Michigan Soldiers place during GAR reunions, pension reports for veteran Reported in Civil War Era Newspapers” in the search field. soldiers, and obituaries of many veterans. The file is titled “Civil War Index.” It was a large collection with lot of information and no real way to know what was in it. So John set about to index the collection, creating a searchable database with names, titles, sources, and dates. Far from being complete, the database has more than 36,000 entries and more than 700 pages of information.
The Local History Department of the Grand Rapids Public Library has many collections and opportunities for volunteers. You can reach them at 616.988.5402, extension 5497 to find out more, or email them at localhis@grpl.org.
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 co-sponsored 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.
Grand River Times
5
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Book Review: I Remember … A History of Grandville Avenue A project of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association written by Mary Angelo edited by Andy Angelo and Dr. Bruce Roller If “all history is local history” this book certainly exemplifies the notion. The book has done a marvelous job of capturing the Grand Rapids southwest neighborhood known as Roosevelt Park. Written by the Director of the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association for some 20 years, the book captures the essence of the neighborhood from its earliest years until the present. The book portrays the diversity of the neighborhood from the early Dutch settlers to the African Americans who started businesses and churches to the influx of Hispanics with their strong sense of community. The history of the neighborhood is told through photographs, personal remembrances and newspaper stories from The Grandville Record. There are chapters on neighborhood business, schools and churches. This “neighborhood on the mend” now features the Grandville Academy of the Arts, the Cook Library Center and the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan. Tribute is paid to Peter Cook, who attended Hall School, for his generosity and commitment to the neighborhood. This book brings local history home for anyone who grew up in Grand Rapids and remembers this special section of the city. The book is available from: the Roosevelt Park Neighborhood Association - 1260 Grandville Ave SW phone: 616-243-2489. Hardcover $25.00; paperback $20.00. Book review by Chris Byron.
Grand Rapids Public Library Photo Sleuth This image comes from the Robinson Studio Collection (#125). Automatic Musical Instrument Co. (AMI) began as the National Automatic Music Co in Chicago in 1909. The company moved to Grand Rapids, changed its name to Automatic Musical Instrument Co. in 1926. First producing automatic player pianos, then multiple music roll player pianos, this technology was applied to produce the first AMI jukebox. The company is still in business as AMI Entertainment Inc. This image is a group of unidentified employees, taken April 18, 1945. Can you help us identify these people? If you can identify anyone in this photo, 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. 6
Grand River Times
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Happening in History: April 2012 If you have history-related events you would like included in our calendar, please let us know at grhs.local@gmail.com.
Genealogy Lock-In Friday, April 27, 2012, 6:00 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE
History à la Carte at Fountain Street Church History Forum & Lunch
Come to the Local History and Special Collections department for a free after-hours program just for genealogists! Learn how to use the microfilm reader/ scanner/printer, save images, and take advantage of free copying and printing during the event. Use the time to search databases—we will have plenty of computers available or bring your own laptop and use the Library’s WiFi network. Bring your genealogy questions or Ancestry and Heritage Quest problems – volunteers will be on hand to assist. Network with other genealogists – you never know what you might find! Registration is required—visit www.grpl.org/register or call 988-5400.
April 1 - Charlie Gallmeyer - The Middle Ages and the Dawn of Modern Technology April 8 - Jeff Smith - History of US Social Movements April 15 - Gordon Olson - The Notorious Lt. Earl: Counter Terrorism in the Civil War April 21 - Lisa Locke - Reflections on the Environmental Movement: an Ethical Imperative April 29 - Diana Barrett - Grand Rapids’ Own Magdalen May 6 - Bill Hill - History of Libraries Room 109 - Fountain Street Church 12:20 - 1:30 p.m. 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. Water & Wheels Early Transportation in West Michigan Local History Roundtable April 19, 2012 (time not available at time of publication) Annis Water Resource Institute, 740 W. Shoreline Drive, Muskegon Presenters: Kevin Finney, When the Rivers Were Highways; Carl Bajema, The Interurban Railway System; Daniel Yakes, The Goodrich Steamer Line; Christine Byron and Tom Wilson, Along the West Michigan Pike. There will also be a guided tour of the Milwaukee Clipper. More information at www.gvsu.edu/localhistoryroundtable. Adult Computer Class: Family Tree Maker 2010 Q&A Thursday, April 26, 2012, 6:45 p.m. Main Library – 111 Library St NE An open forum class to answer your questions about using Family Tree Maker software. Free and open to the public.
Grand River Times
Mark Your Calendar! 150 Years of Central High School Saturday May 19, 2012, 3:00 - 7:00 p.m. Central High School 421 Fountain NE The Central High School Committee asks you to save the date to attend a gathering to commemorate the 150-year history of Central High School. If you were a Central High student, parent, teacher, employee, administrator, or friend of Central High, come celebrate with us. www.grcentralhighcelebration.com Heritage Hill Weekend Tour of Homes May 19 and 20, 2012 Grand Rapids, Michigan The Heritage Hill Association presents its 43rd annual Heritage Hill Weekend Tour of Homes. Seven private homes, 4 historic buildings, and an array of architecture, colors, decorating styles, and great urban gardens await you. The Heritage Hill neighborhood dates from 1843 and its 1,300 homes represents Michigan's finest collection of 19th and 20th century American architecture. Advance tickets for tour are $15.00 and are available at the Heritage Hill Association office. Write to the Heritage Hill Association, 126 College SE; Grand Rapids, MI 49503 or go to www.heritagehillweb.org for online sales. Tickets on the weekend of tour are $18.00. Call 616.459.8950 with any questions or for more information.
7
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
April program: A Tale of Two Collections: The Unseen Civil War Artifacts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum
Inside this issue: Cover Story: April program: A Tale of Two Collections: The Unseen Civil War Artifacts at the Grand Rapids Public Museum Letter from our President, page 2 Lost and Find, page 4
April 12, 7 p.m. Off site: at the Grand Rapids Public Museum Co-sponsored by the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table. Details inside!
Member Focus: John Gelderloos page 5 Book Review: A History of Grandville Avenue; Photo Sleuth, page 6 Happening in History, page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, visit www.grhistory.org
