Vigilant/Argus
Thursday, August 30, 2012 • Page 19
Happy birthday, Edwardsburg! Village celebrates 100 years since incorporation
Wishing Edwardsburg a very Happy 100th Birthday!
By JOHN EBY john.eby@leaderpub.com from Jim Robinson and The Village of Edwardsburg
HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDWARDSBURG
100 YEARS!
From
KITTY’S DAY CARE 26672 E. Main St. Edwardsburg, MI 49112 269-663-2852
Happy Birthday Edwardsburg!
D.E. Duck Heating & Cooling 22497 US 12 Edwardsburg, MI 49112 (269) 699-5237 Donald “Scott” Duck President
O
rganizers of Edwardsburg’s 1912 incorporation centennial celebration Saturday didn’t foresee contending with “the Isaac thing,” a hurricane lashing Louisiana Wednesday. “Right now, we’re praying it doesn’t rain,” Village Councilwoman Nancy Stoner said, though weekend forecasts suggest otherwise. A community-wide birthday bash is set for Sept. 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Gunn Park on Lake Street at Pleasant Lake. As a back-up, the potluck can move indoors to the Presbyterian Church social hall, which holds about 100 people. “It’s taken a lot of people to get the plan done,” Stoner said. “We’ve put in absolutely hours and hours of work,” arranging for free hot dogs, water, popcorn, snow cones, birthday cake, live music, a face painter, a firetruck for children to climb and games such as volleyball and corn hole to bring together the community. “If the weather holds, we’re ready,” Stoner said. The ’burg’s bash will likely be a more intimate affair than the August 1915 Homecoming or the three-day July 1938 Homecoming. An estimated 3,000 people poured into the grove near Dr. May’s Pleasant Lake property in 1915 to hear Michigan’s 28th governor, Woodbridge Nathan Ferris, who in 1884 established what became Ferris State University. July 13-15, 1938, may have been an even bigger shebang, featuring “daylight fireworks” and Marie Bealls’ Marvel Dogs and Animal Circus. “It was housed here in town about 1935 where Fireside Grill is,” according to JoAnn Boepple of Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum. “They had a bear. She evidently traveled all over the country because there are testimony letters from fairs in North and South Dakota and Tennessee. There are stories about her having an alligator she kept in a pit, and it got out once and wandered around.” Posters promoted goats, monkeys, clowns and jugglers Swiggle and Swiggle. “There was a balloon ascension with a double parachute drop,” Boepple said. “It was just at the end of the Depression. There was a cigar-smoking contest, a (ladies) nail-driving contest, swimming races and turtle races. We thought it was interesting that they were giving $100 in prizes. That was a lot of money in 1938,” when Edwardsburg billed itself as the “biggest little spot in southern Michigan.”
Happy 100th Birthday Village of Edwardsburg
Congratulations Edwardsburg! 100 Year BirthdaY a grand community of great people from roseann & Jerry Marchetti
From Edwardsburg Public Schools
Happy 100th Birthday Edwardsburg! 26251 US 12 • Edwardsburg, MI 49112 Phone: 269-663-5164 Toll Free 800-856-8200 Any home listed by any company at cressyeverett.com Your Waterfront Specialists
METAL FABRICATION • CUSTOM WELDING • ROLL FORMING Walt Smiles 27328 May St. • PO Box 549 Edwardsburg, MI 49112
269-663-8502 Fax: 269-663-2579 Email: wsmiles@frontier.com
100 Years
From The Edwardsburg Historical Museum 25616 Main St. Edwardsburg, MI 49112
From the members that help keep the community safe...
ON 100 YEARS!!! The Ontwa Township Edwardsburg Police Department
Red Star Auctions wishes Edwardsburg
100
th
27383 May St. • Edwardsburg, MI 269-663-6100
Congrats
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Edwardsburg from
Bennett Motor Company Steve & Jennifer Bennett, Jim & Jamie Borden and Tami Smith 26472 Main St., Edwardsburg 269-635-1635 • Fax 888-630-7842