Volume 37, number 5
February 2016
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program
Letter from our President page 2 African-American History Month page 4
Community Builders: Early African American Women in Grand Rapids PRESENTED BY: Yvonne Sims, Grand Rapids Study Club Jo Ellyn Clarey, GRSC & the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council
WMGS Writing Contest page 5
Thursday, February 11, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Aquinas College—Donnelly Center
Happening in History page 6 Gert, Grace & the Berkey & Gay Girls Page 7 Photo Sleuth page 7
Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
Next program: After the Febr uar y program, the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s next program will be on March 10, 2016 at the Donnelly Center at Aquinas College. The speakers will be Tom Mathison and Gene C. Hopkins. Their program is titled: Federal Building to W.N. Ferris Building: Renewal and Reconstruction.
For over 25 years the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council has underwritten efforts dedicated to rediscovering and crediting the rich past of area women, including the history of the 115 -year-old Grand Rapids Study Club, the oldest African American women’s club still in existence. During the 1890s, local women’s clubs proliferated so rapidly and organized women into such a social force that newspapers were compelled to create new sections featuring their plans and activities. What is revealed in these early accounts? That Grand Rapids Jewish women, Polish Catholic women, all women, were gathering for self-education and charitable purposes, hosting state- and nation-wide gatherings--and stepping up publicly to denounce racist articles as did the African American Married Ladies Nineteenth Century Club in 1898. In 1907, five local African American women’s groups, representing a miniscule percentage of the city’s population, hosted the Michigan Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs. Delegates were welcomed by the Grand Rapids mayor and treated to gracious receptions and trolley tours. Continued on page 3
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members,
A count of 85 was taken at the January program. We learned that Rachel Lee is certainly the go to person for the history of the East Hills neighborhoods. She not only has done her research on the past, but lives the ongoing experience of East Hills every day. There were many images shown. The progression those of images from long ago to present were fantastic. 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 Matthew Daley, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Thomas Dilley Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Nan Schichtel Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Systsma Jim Winslow Kurt Yost Jessica Riley, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503 Website: www.grhistory.org Email: grhs.local@gmail.com
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By the time you read this another History Detectives Day will be past. This award winning program has become very popular, to the point of having it simulcast into another programming space at the library. The Society is proud to be one of the co-sponsors of this event from the beginning. Quite often the speaker is in the process of researching a topic and the audience is let in on the ground level of that research. The Society is always looking for topics for our next program year. If there is topic that you hear at History Detectives or somewhere else that you want to know more about please let us know, including the speakers name, and if possible, contact information for the speaker. The February program is also a collaboration; between the Society and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council. The Council is “dedicated to educating the community and celebrating the legacies of local women, preserving knowledge of their past and inspiring visions for their future”. If you want to know more about their organization and the programming they offer, please visit them on the web at ggrwhc.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.
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. The membership year runs from May to the following May. 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% 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 2
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Continued from cover Who were these hosts? They included leaders like Emma Ford and Mary Roberts Tate, individual African American women who began speaking their minds in public, on area stages and in newspapers both. On February 11th, Yvonne Sims and Jo Ellyn Clarey will tell a fascinating story that corrects errors and fills gaps in Grand Rapids history. For example, they will reintroduce the Beverly sisters, addressing misinformation about Hattie, the first African American teacher in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, and introduce her longer-lived sister, Ethel, whose contributions to the community were much more extensive. While women community builders, especially the African American, have often been forgotten locally, ignored statewide, and dismissed nationally, Grand Rapids women have been breaking down barriers impeding them from the very beginning. Only now are women’s historians pulling their stories out of the rich social environment that fostered their emergence onto the public stage. And their histories are now challenging most every generalization made about them ever since. PRESENTERS: During and after her career as a teacher and administrator in the Grand Rapids Public Schools, Yvonne Sims has helped lead such significant community events as the For um on Violence and won the Giants Award in 1986 for community service. This native Grand Rapidian has served as a Lifestyles columnist for the Grand Rapids Times and invested in projects of the Grand Rapids Study Club, the city’s longest-continuing African American women’s group—one subject of this program. Sims has ensured that the club kept “rowing, not drifting” into the 21st century toward its goals of bettering the community. Her historical programs and oversight of club archives have been a major addition to local women’s history. By profession a literary scholar, Jo Ellyn Clarey taught at a variety of academic institutions before redirecting her path into the world of local women’s history. She has helped document the achievements of lost women and forgotten events, including those representing early African American women in Grand Rapids. Besides winning the 1999 Albert Baxter Award in local history, she has served on the boards of the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council, the GR Historical Society, the GR Historical Commission, and organized women’s history research and programming statewide and nationally.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
February is African American History Month
As a Harvard-trained historian, Carter G. Woodson, like W. E. B. Du Bois before him, believed that truth could not be denied and that reason would prevail over prejudice. His hopes to raise awareness of African American's contributions to civilization was realized when he and the organization he founded, the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH), conceived and announced Negro History Week in 1925. The event was first celebrated during a week in February 1926 that encompassed the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The response was overwhelming: Black history clubs sprang up; teachers demanded materials to instruct their pupils; and progressive whites, not simply white scholars and philanthropists, stepped forward to endorse the effort. By the time of Woodson's death in 1950, Negro History Week had become a central part of African American life and substantial progress had been made in bringing more Americans to appreciate the celebration. At mid–century, mayors of cities nationwide issued proclamations noting Negro History Week. The Black Awakening of the 1960s dramatically expanded the consciousness of African Americans about the importance of black history, and the Civil Rights movement focused Americans of all color on the subject of the contributions of African Americans to our history and culture. The celebration was expanded to a month in 1976, the nation's bicentennial. President Gerald R. Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” That year, fifty years after the first celebration, the association held the first African American History Month. By this time, the entire nation had come to recognize the importance of Black history in the drama of the American story. Since then each American president has issued African American History Month proclamations. And the association—now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) —continues to promote the study of Black history all year. (Excerpt from an essay by Daryl Michael Scott, Howard University, for the Association for the Study of African American Life and History)
Sunday, February 21, 1:00 p.m.— 4:30 p.m. Join in as African American history and culture are celebrated at Taste of Soul Sunday. Listen, learn, play and eat. This popular event is free and open to the public thanks to the support of the Grand Rapids Public Library Foundation and Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. Consider a gift today. Parking is always free on Sunday in the library lot. Metered spots on the street are free on Sunday as well.
Schedule of events: Time
Program
Location
1:00 pm
Sweet Willie Singleton, trumpeter
Level 1
1:30 pm
Nola Adé, vocalist
Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3
1:30 pm
Inside a 1950s Black Barbershop with Daniel Groce, Jr.
2:15 pm
Fable the Poet and Guests
Adult Computer Training Center, Lower Level Quiet Study Room, Lower Level
2:30 pm
In the Tradition, jazz musicians
Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3
3:00 pm
Inside a 1950s Black Barbershop with Daniel Groce, Jr.
Youth Computer Training Center, Level 2
3:30 pm
Asamu Johnson, blues musician
Ryerson Auditorium, Level 3
3:45 pm
Fable the Poet and Guests
Quiet Study Room, Lower Level
All day
Kid’s Activities
Children’s Area, Level 2
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOIN THE GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR GIVE A MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year. Members of the society enjoy these benefits:
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles.
The Grand River Valley History is the society’s annual magazine. Featured are illustrated articles by local history researchers and contributions from the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the City Archivist, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society.
Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ____ New ___Renewal ____Gift _____Lifetime:
$400.00 one-time fee
_____Individual/Family Membership
$30.00 per year
_____Senior Citizen or Student
$20.00 per year
Name: Address: City/State/Zip:
Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
2016 WMGS Writing Contest Event in History & How It Affected Your Family Pivotal historic events have caused major changes in our ancestors’ lives. Choose one such event that changed the course of an individual’s or family’s path. Describe the event and its ramifications. For example: Wars, weather events, winning the lottery, an arranged marriage, a recession or depression, etc. are events that may cause either positive or negative changes. WMGS would love to hear your story. Write it up and enter the 2016 writing contest! WMGS has worked for over 60 years to educate researchers in evaluating and citing sources. Your story may inspire someone else to use new research techniques or discover a unique resource. The 2016 Writing Contest will recognize unpublished excellent genealogical writing by awarding substantial prizes. Prize winning entries will be published in Michigana. Like all submissions to Michigana, entries will be thoroughly edited before publication. Information about submitting any article to Michigana can also be found in the latest issue of Michigana, or at wmgs.org. Rules: Eligibility: All family histor ians and genealogists, except the M ichigana Editor and judges, ar e invited to submit their favorite story for the contest. There is no entry fee and membership in WMGS is not required. Deadline: Entries will be accepted between January 1 and March 30, 2016. Length: Stories should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words in length. Please cite your sources by using endnotes, and attach copies of documentation when appropriate. Family group sheets and pedigree charts should be included if pertinent. Neither documentation nor charts will be included in the word count. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HAPPENING IN HISTORY: FEBRUARY 2016 Reading the Great Lakes Thursday, February 4, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Main Library—111 Library St. NE Come explore the Lakes with the Grand Rapids Public Library! They are reading a range of titles including mystery, history, fiction, and nonfiction all taking place in the Great Lakes region— from Chicago to Cleveland. This book club will be lead by librarians and will take place the first Thursday of every month. Additional copies of the book are available to be checked out on Level 4 of the Main Library. For a complete list of books, visit www.grpl.org/rtgl. January’s selection is W e Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.
Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, February 6, 2016, 1:30 p.m. Main Library- Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE Topic: Grand Rapids Archives & Research Center presented by Tony Wright. Learn how to use the City of Grand Rapids Community Archives and Research Center for genealogical research. Tony Wright is the City Archives Officer for the City of Grand Rapids. He has nineteen years of public history experience working for the City of Kalamazoo, The Engineers Club of Dayton, the Montgomery County (Ohio) Records Center and Archives, and the Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. Tony has also served as an adjunct instructor of history at Kellogg Community College and Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Grand River Times
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, February 8, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Faith United Methodist Church 2600 7th St. NW Bob Campbell will be speaking about The Georgian Bay Line. The Georgian Bay Line was a popular cruise line company that offered cruises on the Great Lakes aboard the beautiful steamers North American and South American. The North American, built in 1913, and the South American, built in 1914, operated into the
1960’s. Also included are pictures of the SS Alabama which was chartered to Georgian Bay in the later 1930’s. This program looks at each vessel, with plenty of onboard scenes depicting travel to various lake ports. Rare color movies are included in this presentation.
Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, February 17, 2016, 7:30 p.m. DeWitt Student Center, Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE Gordon Olson will be speaking about Earl’s Scouts’ Invaluable Services Against Confederate Guerillas.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Gert, Grace and the Berkey & Gay Girls: Women, War & Work in 1910s Grand Rapids Kick off Women’s History Month by celebrating the working women of Grand Rapids a hundred years ago. Using unique archival resources, Grand Rapids Public Library local history experts Julie Tabberer, Heather Edwards, and Drew Damron will highlight some of the city’s women employed outside their homes. The last decade of the heady Progressive Era opened doors both personal and professional for these 11,000 women, and the disruptions of wartime provided opportunities in a working world previously off limits. On March 1, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. meet the girls of Berkey & Gay, an early woman cartoonist, and one of our early elected officials--as they remain alive in an employee-produced factory newsletter, census records, city directories, newspaper articles, and 20,000 extremely rare war registration cards surveying the skills of area women.
FREE PARKING IN THE LIBRARY LOT
GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY PHOTO SLEUTH
By February, our feathered friends staying in this part of the Mitten usually need a little help finding food. Here we have an undated photo of some high school biology students and their teacher, holding posters for a Bird Food Drive. Can you identify any of the individuals in this Robinson Studio Collection? If so, please email the Grand Rapids Public Library's Local History department at lcalhis@grpl.org.
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc. c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Community Builders: Early African American Women in Grand Rapids
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: February program Letter from our President
PRESENTED BY:
page 2
Yvonne Sims and Jo Ellyn Clarey Thursday, February 11, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Aquinas College—Donnelly Center
African-American History Month page 4 WMGS Writing Contest page 5 Happening in History page 6 Gert, Grace & the Berkey & Gay Girls Page 7 Photo Sleuth page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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