Volume 38, number 2
October 2016
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue: Cover Story: October program Letter from our President page 2 Becoming a Local History Author page 3 2016/2017 Program Schedule page 5 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7 Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
Next program: After the September program, the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s next program will be on November 10, 2016 at the Grand Rapids Public Library. Will Miner will be speaking about: Nicknames,
Recruiting, and the Wartime Experience of Servicewomen from Grand Rapids. Grand River Times
Grand Rapids Underworld PRESENTED BY:
Mary Jane Dockeray Thursday, October 13, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Library
The underpinnings of Grand Rapids have molded its history and continue to influence our lives and commerce to the present day with water, salt, limestone, petroleum, gypsum, peat, sand and gravel. Discover how each of these resources have — and in many cases still do-— affect our fair city. The slides depict an era long gone or at least modified. About Mary Jane Dockeray: Mary Jane Dockeray is a community treasure and possesses a wealth of information. Among her many achievements she notably visualized and spearheaded the building of Blandford Nature Center which encompasses 143 acres of diverse habitats, an interpretive center, and several historic buildings. She was Curator of Natural History at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and spent years visiting local schools educating children about birds, animals, and the environment. She taught classes in geology and science methods for Michigan State University and she wrote a book, “Let's Go Exploring”, outlining family and class field trips in the area. She has received numerous awards for her work some of which are: a Delta Kappa Gamma International Scholarship in 1971 toward her Ph.D. work, the 1985 Michigan Audubon Society Outstanding Member Award, and a Mary Jane Dockeray Scholarship established by friends to recognize outstanding high school seniors planning on science careers.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members, On August 20, 2016 an f0 tornado and high winds swept through southeast Grand Rapids bringing down limbs and some trees. September 3 we saw the evidence of what the nasty weather did to Oak Hill Cemetery as we gathered for a tour to be given by Tom Dilley. There was evidence with small wood chip piles here and there as well as little branches scattered along the route we took. I spoke with one of maintenance people who said that over the last week they The Grand River Times is the had hauled the biggest branches to the street to be picked up newsletter of the Grand Rapids city trucks. The more manageable branches were taken care Historical Society, published six of by them. And yet it was obvious there was more to be done. In fact the worker was times annually. Established in 1894, apologetic that they had not been able to finish, knowing that we had a tour on the the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history calendar. This is the same cemetery crew that came in as the history group of more than 200 was nearing the end of our tour. With no disruption to our event they dug a of West Michigan; to discover its grave and set things in place for family and friends who were paying their last respects romance and tragedy, its heroes to a loved one. As the last of us were leaving the first cars of the funeral procession and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society were coming into Oak Hill for the graveside service. The cemetery crew stood collects and preserves our heritage, respectfully off on a side lane at the ready to close up the grave at the end of the passing it on to new generations service. A fine mist started as I exited onto Hall Street. through books, lectures, and We had a close up look at the fine work that has been done on the Melville education projects. mausoleum. It is through donations of money and donations of time and talents that this honorable edifice was not lost to the ravages of nature. Thank you to all that Executive Committee: donated in any way. If you are interested in donated or knowing more about the restoration of what is believed to be the oldest mausoleum in the city contact the Grand Gina Bivins, president Rapids Historical Commission or mail your contribution to the same at 111 Library St Matthew Daley, vice-president NE 49503-3268. Reference the mausoleum restoration. John Gelderloos, treasurer What a treat is in store for us on Thursday, October 13 in the auditorium at the Nan Schichtel, secretary main branch of the Public Library starting at 7pm. The one and only Mary Jane Dockeray will present Grand Rapids Underworld. What we take out of our environment is certainly in the news today. Join us and find out what natural resources Board members: we have and have used in and around Grand Rapids. Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Thomas Dilley Tim Gleisner Marilyn Hamill Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Sytsma Jim Winslow Tony Wright 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 Grand River Times
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
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
On Becoming a Local History Author, or, How Family Members Conned Me Into Giving Up Years of My Life to Write Their Book By: Nan Schichtel In December 2013, I published a local history of a nearby Catholic parish. Their Faith Lives On: St. Mary’s Visitation Parish Histories, New Salem, Michigan was published and the print run of more than 600 copies sold out within a year. Copies were sold to readers in almost all 50 states and several foreign countries. St. Mary’s Visitation is a combined congregation of two historical German parishes situated less than two miles apart in northern Allegan county: St. Mary’s in New Salem, and, Visitation in North Dorr. The latter church was razed and, today, the combined group of the faithful worship in New Salem. The parish recently celebrated their 150th anniversary. So, what does this have to do with the Grand Rapids Historical Society? This story is how a regular GRHS member got involved in local history and ended up creating a work of lasting value to the community. From reading this, you may see opportunities for you to get involved in something similar – or more likely - you might be more successful than I was in avoiding a project like this if you recognize the steps I took. Several years ago, a second cousin (who shall remain nameless but not blameless) invited me to attend a parish meeting in rural northeastern Allegan County, Michigan where my grandparents grew up. This cousin asked me to bring my family photos and allow them to be scanned for the project, which I was happy to do. Current and former parishioners who intended to write a parish history for St. Mary’s Visitation had worked on the committee for a little over two years at the time. After attending a few meetings, offering the pictures and family stories passed onto me, and getting acquainted with many committee members (most of whom were related to me), I felt I had done my part. Win -win. Soon after I stopped attending meetings, a lovely, older woman (who reminded me of my Mother - or a nun) phoned to ask whether I would be at the next meeting. I said, “No, since after all, I was not a member of that parish.” She cajoled me to attend the next Grand River Times
meeting which I did; I fell for the compliment that I had “such good ideas.” Upon entering the parish meeting room, I sensed something in the air, but did not know what. That woman called the meeting to order and then informed me that I had been voted in as “the editor-in-chief at the meeting I missed!” While I tried verily to avoid chairing this project, I eventually succumbed to flattery and ended up as editor of the St. Mary’s Visitation parish history. Which took up the next seven years of my extra time, my vacations, my life. Did I mention I was a college librarian? I like research – am good at research. Besides, since I didn’t grow up out in the parishes, I knew I didn’t know a lot. And really, how much historical information can there be about two small Catholic parishes in rural Allegan County? They had already collected stories, photos, historical records, memorabilia. We started recording this in one document about New Salem’s church, but discovered that we had to research not just St. Mary’s in New Salem, but we also had to research Visitation’s even longer history, and that of our mother parish – St. Mary’s Grand Rapids – and the diocese…... Like Topsy, the project grew. In 2002, Theresa Kiel and Marge Young published 150 Years of Christian Faith: The History of St. Sebastian Parish with Visitation Parish, which included Visitation’s history where it connected with the Byron Center parish. In actuality, we ended up having to research all three of the German Catholic parishes as their histories and families were so intertwined. And, wow, we found a ton of information. We had cherished pioneer stories that several families had taken the time to write and save; did they surmise that their descendants would write a history? The Germans were early settlers in the area south of Grand Rapids starting in the early 1850s. We found written records of land-looking trips to West Michigan by Germans who initially settled near Cleveland, Ohio. Other stories were about the abject poverty the earliest pioneer survived, dealing with hungry wolves, and thanking God for the masses of passenger pigeons for food, and considering apples a luxury. Most settlers lived in Grand Rapids for some period of time, often working in the early factories to raise enough to buy or improve their Allegan land with a cabin, barn or store. Continued on page 4 3
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Continued from page 3 As the history progressed from pioneer times to the present, I discovered stories of charity where parishioners “showered” the teaching religious sisters with food and household goods, although the sisters seldom received a salary. Farmers built new church buildings and schools after harvest. Public school was taught in the Catholic school building for a time since there were too few non-Catholics in the township to merit a school building of their own. One son of the parish became a missionary; for his goodness and true service to their community, the Native Americans call him “Apostle to the Navajo. The discovery of oil brought a whole new group of people to the area – and to church. Young men of the parish survived the Dec. attack on Pearl Harbor since they were off their ships attending an early Catholic Mass. A Japanese FuGo balloon bomb landed near the North Dorr’s church but went unreported by the media until after V-J Day. These local stories all needed to be told and remembered. Originally, there was to have been a genealogical component of the parish history. However, after spending 2 years collecting and writing about only 10 of the 100 founding families – and condensing that into 67 pages (!) I made the unpopular decision that the book project – if I was to be the editor - would be more local and parish history and less genealogy. I would write and edit the parish history with stories about the priests and sisters who served, about the management of the parishes by their bishops, and about the parochial schools of which there were two - but no genealogy. (In 2016, a new committee (that I am NOT on) is attempting a genealogy. Stay tuned.) We would include illustrative family stories of shared experiences that resonated with many of the parishioners. Grand River Times
The Neumann family of Dorr’s story told of back-breaking trips between Dorr and Grand Rapids for work, to sell farm products, and to baptize babies before the local churches were built. “Big Pete” Weber’s family shared his tale of escaping European conscription only to be drafted to serve in the Civil War – and then fleeing to Canada. We found copies of immigration contracts with ship owners, and the Einig family still had their immigrant’s huge wooden trunk labelled exactly as that contract demanded! We totally lucked out when we discovered a copy of Theodore Castor’s memoirs of his pioneer life, visiting early Grand Rapids, plus rip-roaring tales of serving in the Third Michigan. The lone non-Germans in the parish, the Irish Leonard family, shared stories of interactions with Chief White Pigeon – and having to walk into town for Confessions with an English-speaking priest at St. Andrew’s. Did I say I loved to research? As each year passed, we discovered more of our parish history online than previously found. The research involved visiting libraries and archives in Grand Rapids, Detroit, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Notre Dame, Chicago, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Cincinnati – as well as emails, letters and phone calls to Washington, DC, and Rome. We uncovered almost too much information (including a Michigan Supreme Court Case that still serves as precedent for church ownership by bishops) – and I really wanted a life without this project on my calendar. So, during 2012-13, I “cut bait” and slogged through a major push to finalize the content, compose the text, edit some more, get quality scans of the photos we wanted to use in the book, get copyright permissions, edit some more, and finally say – “We’re done.” But again, what’s the connection to Grand Rapids? In all of the work, time and again I discovered geographical, religious, family, business and cultural connections between Allegan’s German communities and Grand Rapids. First, all three of the churches are “within spitting distance” of GR – although during pioneer times it surely seemed further. Religiously, like the Grand Rapids parishes, they were all under the supervision of the Catholic bishops (later archbishops) of Detroit. Continued on page 5 4
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
2016—2017 Grand Rapids Historical Society Programs All programs (excluding May program) are being held at the Grand Rapids Public Library in the auditorium at 7:00 p.m.
November 10, 2016: WACs, WASPs, SPARs AND MARINES: NICKNAMES, RECRUITING, AND THE WARTIME EXPERIENCE OF SERVICEWOMEN FROM GRAND RAPIDS, Presented by: Will Miner
January 12, 2017: THE STREETCAR ERA IN GRAND RAPIDS, February 9, 2017: BROOKBY AND THE BLODGETTS,
Presented by: Carl Bajema and Tom Maas
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Presented by: Jeff Sytsma
March 9, 2017: FIGHTERS FROM THE FURNITURE CITY,
Presented by: Louis Moore
April 13, 2017: THE MURDER OF MAJOR GENERAL NELSON,
Presented by: Robert Girardi
May 11, 2017: THE HISTORY OF ST. JOHN’S HOME AND ITS FOUNDERS,
Presented by: Mark Thomson
Continued from page 4
After 1882 when the Grand Rapids diocese was established, the two Allegan parishes were most often supervised by Grand Rapids’ bishops, although parishioners felt they were sometimes geographically traded like baseball cards with other Michigan dioceses. Regardless of how the Church organized them, these two Allegan parishes had long and very strong ties to Grand Rapids, the closest bishopric. Priests who served in the two parishes also served “in town.” Families in Allegan were cousins to Germans and German-speaking Bohemians in the St. Mary’s parish on Grand Rapids’ West Side, as well as to those in close-by burgs including Conklin, Berlin (now Marne), Alpine, and East Paris. When no priests were stationed in Allegan, the families took the train (or walked!) into Grand Rapids for Mass and the Sacraments. Some of these folks used their family networks for business – with one son raising beef, hogs, and chickens in North Dorr to be shipped to his brother’s Grand Rapids West Side butcher shop steps away from the Bridge St. railroad crossing. New Salem, Dorr and North Dorr hotels and bars served brew from the Tusch Brothers Cincinnati Brewery on Grandville Avenue because of family ties and easy railroad sidings serving the southern communities. There’s one last connection to Grand Rapids. I work at Grand Rapids Community College library as a library faculty member. Each year, as part of our continuing employment evaluation plan, faculty must create, work, and evaluate a series of projects that relate to student learning, teaching, college and community service, and professional development. Two years ago, knowing that all the print copies of the history were sold, that more people wanted access, and that the upcoming 150 th anniversary would create even more interest, my colleague, archivist Mike Klawitter, and I converted the book into a high-resolution e-book format as a proof-of-concept project showcasing faculty member’s publications in GRCC’s digital repository. Just like the initial researching and writing, the conversion took longer than planned, but was completed in time for St. Mary’s Visitation’s 150th Anniversary this past summer. GRCC provides free access to this out-of-print book as a community service, with the copyright permission of the parish, of course. Readers with a high-speed internet connection will find the heavily-illustrated 350+ page book at the following URL: http://cdm15772.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/compoundobject/ collection/p15772coll1/id/56, or by clicking the [V iew this book online] link at http://lib.grcc.edu/record=b470468. While I was dragged into this project, and often referred to it as the “damned parish history” until the pastor asked me not to, completing the book became what I consider a major life accomplishment. So, to my cousin and that lovely lady who conned me into it, “Thank you!” The written histories of small towns surrounding Grand Rapids – or even church histories of a faith that you don’t share - may not be the Grand Rapids history lover’s first stop for learning more about our home place, but I can guarantee that, like me, you will find stories that will enlighten you, amuse you, and cause wonder that those stories still exist. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HAPPENING IN HISTORY: OCTOBER 2016 Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, October 1, 2016, 1:30 p.m. Main Library- Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE
Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, October 19, 7:30 p.m. De Witt Student Center Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE
Topic: Maps, Gazetteers and Directories
Rich Rolf will be presenting on the St. Albans Raid.
Presenter: Shirley Gage Hodges Maps, gazetteers and directories are one of the many avenues of research available to the genealogist. They aren't used as much as they should be because we don't realize what a treasure trove of information is hidden in these sources. By using these fascinating resources we can learn more about our ancestors. To truly understand our ancestors we must learn how and where they lived. Maps, gazetteers and directories can help us fill in the life details and tell the complete story of our ancestor's lives.
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, October 10, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Faith United Methodist Church 2600 7th St. NW
Topic: A History of Presidential Postcards Presenter: Wally Jung October’s program will be a presentation on the history of Presidential depictions in picture postcards, starting in 1904 and continuing to this day. While George Washington and Abraham Lincoln postcards were very popular, special emphasis will be on the elections of 1908, 1912, and 1916, as these occurred during the “Golden Age” of postcards. Examples of modern day postcards will also be discussed. Grand River Times
Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council Wednesday, October 19, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center 219 S. Harrison Road East Lansing MI 48823 Lottie Wilson Jackson and the Mary Free Bed Guild are being inducted in the Michigan’s Women’s Hall of Fame. This event will be their Awards Dinner & Induction Ceremony.
Mary Free Bed Guild has roots dating to 1891 when a group of Grand Rapids women sought to help people who could not afford health care. They passed a small black purse asking anyone named Mary – or anyone who knew someone named Mary – to donate ten cents. The group quickly raised enough money to fund a local hospital bed called the “Mary Free Bed.” As the lone African-American delegate at the 1899 national suffrage meeting in Grand Rapids, Lottie Wilson Jackson represented the National Colored Woman Suffrage Association. She was a popular interview subject for the local press and reported that her organization's efforts were "all for the uplifting of our colored sisters. If white women need the ballot, the colored need it no less." Michigan native Jackson studied art in Chicago, then lived in suffrage-stronghold Bay City, reportedly devoting the proceeds from her miniature portraits on ivory and porcelain to the cause of equal suffrage. 6
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 _____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
New Members
GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY
PHOTO SLEUTH Our October Photo Sleuth selection comes from the Robinson Studio Collection's negatives. In this undated photo, a man, possibly a Red Cross representative, is handing a new Red Cross poster to two women at a cosmetics counter. If any of these faces (or the place!) seem familiar, please email the Grand Rapids Public Library's Local History department at localhis@grpl.org. Grand River Times
David Aussicker Suzane Bell Helene Beurkens James Beurkens Harriet Bromberg Kristine Clements Cinda-Sue Davis Cherie DeHaan Bruce & Patricia Dillenbeck Amerrose Hammond Marie Kessler David Kolenda Marianne Krupiczewicz Timothy Lakin Daniela Lynn Jacqueline Mieras Ingird Miller Margaret Ocilka Lisa Palczewski Marea Proctor Stanley & Phyllis Saganski Ronald Tloczynski Helen Van Essendelft 7
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
Grand Rapids Underworld
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: October program
PRESENTED BY: Mary Jane Dockeray
Thursday, October 13, 2016, 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Library
Letter from our President page 2 Becoming a Local History Author page 3 2016/2017 Program Schedule page 5 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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