"Grand Ledge Remembered"

David S. Haueter is a Grand Ledge native, a life time member and former Board member of the Grand Ledge Area Historical Society. His column on local history appears regularly in the Grand Ledge Independent newspaper.

12/23/07

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Old Advertisement

Cook with Gas-Gas cheapest and best for fuel & lights
Iron with gas for two hours for less than 2cents
Grand Ledge Gas Company.

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This time of year is known for holiday feasts. In about 1911 the ladies of the Trinity Mission Guild of the Trinity Episcopal Church published a cookbook of local Grand Ledge recipes. Many local women contributed to the book.

“To all faithful workers of mankind –both spiritual and material- this book is respectfully dedicated. “Feed well your body, heart and soul; be cheerful, sincere and forgiving. Then you will find on the whole this life is worth living.”

The cookbook offered many helpful hints:

* * Courses for Dinner
1st Course – Canopies, oysters or clams, cocktails, and occasionally fruit
2nd Course – Soup
3rd Course – Fish
4th Course – Meat and Vegetables
5th Course – Entrée
6th Course – Sherbet or Punch
7th Course – Game Bird with salad
8th Course – Dessert
9th Course – Fruit
10th Course – Coffee and Cheese
These courses maybe be combined and serving made easier when servants are not plentiful.

* *Sample menus for Luncheons
*Bread and butter sandwich, ham, chicken salad, pickles, wafers, cake, coffee and lemon ice.

*Chicken in jelly, Celery mayonnaise, rolls, punch, cake and coffee

*Sweetbread with tongue, crab salad, cheese fingers, fruit, coffee

*Oyster cocktails, welsh rarebit, olive and tongue sandwiches, coffee

* * *What to Goes with What- Things Considered Correct
With roast beef serve horseradish
With roast mutton serve current jelly
With boiled mutton serve caper sauce
With roast pork serve apple sauce
With boiled chicken serve egg sauce
With roast lamb serve mint sauce
With roast turkey serve cranberries
With roast duck serve current jelly
With mackerel serve gooseberries
With roast goose serve apple sauce
With venison serve wild plum jelly

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Old Christmas Cards

Merry Christmas Bright New Year
'Twound take the very biggest tree
Between the Pole and Isthmus,
To hold one half the jolly things,
I'm wishing for your Christmas

It isn't the holly, it isn't the snow
It isn't the tree nor the firelight's glow.
It's the warmth that comes to the hearts of men
when the Christmas spirit returns again.

You've left your soft bed of civilian life ...
For a bugle that keeps you yawning –
But go back to sleep, it's the bugler's mistake,
He forgot it's Christmas morning!
Seasons Greetings!
Here's my Christmas present for you, pal!
(World War II Christmas Card)

12/02/07

I can say with absolute certainty that I have known Dr. Stanley Robinson all my life. July 18th is a not only Dr Robinson’s birthday, but also the day he (with some help from my mother I must admit) brought me into the world. Besides sharing the same birthday, we share a name as I also had the honor of being named for him as David Stanley Haueter. (Naming your son after his doctor was not unique to me; I believe that my childhood neighbor, Gary Gordon Richmond was named after Dr. Gordon Harrod.). My parents have been life-long friends of the Robinsons. Of course both Stan and his late-wife Lucy were Grand Ledge natives. Lucy (Griese) Robinson was very involved in the Historical Society.

Back in the 1960s my mother, Beverly, was the nurse for Dr Harrod. Dr Gordon Harrod shared a medical building with Dr Fred Garlock. This is the Log Jam today, but before the doctors took it over, it was the Maurer Dairy. Dr Harrod brought Dr Stanley Robinson in to work with him. I think he was newly graduated at the time. So my mother then became the nurse for both of them. She would often go with him on some of his many house calls.  They kept long office hours, often seeing patients until 8pm or later. In those days before health insurance, the charge for an office visit was $5, but soon was raised to $10; leading to some upset patients.

The Physicians built a new, larger medical office building on Hartel Road in 1972. I am sure we can all still remember going through Door “A”, following the nurse down the hallway with exam rooms on the left side.  (Lucy often volunteered the basement of the medical center to store larger historical society artifacts before the establishment of the Museum) In the 1990s a new expanded office complex was built next door, but offering the same hometown care.

Dr Robinson has overseen the medical care of at least four generations in my family. Even today he still keeps up with the health of my parents in Florida. What a comfort to patients when their doctor knows more about their family medical histories then they do. After 51 years caring for the town, it is hard to imagine that people won’t be able to call up “Doc Robinson”. He is being honored this year as the Grant Marshall of the Holiday Parade and he certainly deserves it!

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Physician Directory in the 1960s

HARROD, Gordon R., M.D, -Office hours by appointment, closed Wednesday p.m.
ROBINSON, Stanley R., M.D. – Office hours by appointment, closed Tuesday p.m.
GARLOCK, Fred C., M.D. – Office hours by appointment, closed Thursday p.m.
110 West Jefferson
Phone NA7 -2131

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11/25/07

In recent years a few businesses downtown have brought back the tradition of awnings. I love the look of them, and when going through old photos of our downtown, one thing I always noticed was the use of awnings.

In days past, nearly every business had a canvas awning. These were set high, just below the second storey. They were deep, extending far out over the sidewalk. Being so broad, they provided a great place for signage. The large roof of the canvas would display the type of store, as in “Hardware” or “Groceries” or “Dry Goods & Shoes”. Then on the front flap would be the proprietors name- “Winnie” or “Bryce and Compton”.  When the awnings were rolled up next to the building, the flap would still be open, showing the owners name. One exception to this was the building next to Ledge Craft Lane. This building always had a permanent wooden awning supported by poles fixed to the curb.

Awnings also hung from all the upper storey windows. These rooms were filled with offices and apartments and had very tall windows. Awnings helped shade the furniture within and gave a very bright and lively appearance to the building outside.

It is funny the things you remember from childhood, back in the 1970s the Dime Store replaced their three front canvas awnings with a modern permanent aluminum one. I was in the store visiting my Aunt, and I mentioned how sad I was that they had gotten rid of the old canvas (even then I loved history).  I can still recall how my Aunt and every one of the ladies she worked with scoffed, and told me I wasn’t the one who had to go out in all weather to unwind the old canvas awnings! They used to take a very long pole, go outside and insert the end up into slot and then crank and crank and crank as the canvas slowly unfurled. They were all quite glad the old ways were gone.

Awnings were certainly not limited to downtown; most homes also used them to block the sun. When I was young, the home I grew up in on Jackson Street still had little pulleys on the upper corner of each window facing the street and driveway. These were remnants of the old awning system.

Canvas awnings were also found on porches. My neighbor, Maude Clark lived more then 70 years in her beautiful brick home at 328 Jackson Street. We both loved old houses in general and her house in particular. She once told me that was she was young, her parents had rolls of canvas on poles hanging in each porch opening, and when needed it would be rolled down like huge window shades.

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Old Advertisement

Science, Sanitation and Service
Are the watchwords in the production and sale of our products.
Michigan favors Artic Flavors
Artic Dairy Products Co, Grand Ledge.
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11/18/07

It is interesting that the farms of the Tinkham-Campbell Family surrounded the village. On the West, Sophronia Campbell and her husband John Russell owned farms to the west of Grand Ledge, where the Church of the Nazarene stands today on West Jefferson up to the Ravines. All the streets west of Sandstone Creek were developed by the Russells as Russell’s Addition and Fairview Addition.

Sophronia’s sister Chestine and her husband Abram Smith were just down the road, closer to town. The farm is today Smith Street, Kennedy Place, Schoolcraft Street, Seminary Street and Brookside Drive. Sophronia’s granddaughter, Hattie Russell, would later marry Bert Kennedy. The couple moved into her great-aunt Chestine’s home- Kennedy Place is named for them.

On the North, J.C. Tinkham owned farms that ran between N. Clinton Street and Tallman Road. The Tinkham Brickyard was located here. J.C’s daughter Frances Tinkham married Amos Halbert. The Halberts owned all the land along N. Clinton Street from the railroad to the river.

On the East, Milo Campbell’s house sat on the corner of River Road and S. Clinton Street. This is the site of Quality Dairy. River Road is now called Willow Hwy. Milo’s farm ran from Willow Hwy all the way to Saginaw Road.

J.C. Tinkham lived in one of the most ornamental Italianate homes at 302 E. Jefferson. Harley Tinkham, after retiring from farming, bought his home on West Jefferson where he lived for two decades. He then sold the home to Governor Fitzgerald in 1936. Less then a block away, at the corner of W. River and W. Jefferson lived Lewis and Ella Campbell. Both husband and wife were cousins of Harley Tinkham. Across the street lived Ella’s sister Emma Turnbull in her huge brick home. Other Tinkhams lived on a street that was simply called “by the railroad”, but we know it as McMillion Street.

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Old Advertisement

The Home of Quality Groceries!!

YOU have often wondered why some people here in town are always so cheerful and good natured; it’s because they buy their groceries here.

Campbell & Chappell
The roasters of the famous -- Blue Band Blend Coffee
Phone 14 or Call at the Store, 300 S. Bridge.

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I have had many nice emails about my article on the Hagerman Family of Eaton County. It seems that like me, many descendents of these pioneers were trying to trace the family history.  I am told my article was saved and passed from cousin to cousin. I even found out some Hagermans have an annual reunion at Eagle Park. Some have written me asking for more information. More ancestors of the Hagermans can be found at this website http://trees.gdledgehistsoc.org/gtp55.htm

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11/11/07

The Tinkham-Campbell Family has many connections in our area history. Miss Mercy Tinkham, of New York married Calvin Campbell in 1808; together they would have a dozen children. Their daughter Sophronia married John Russell in 1841. John’s brother Soloman had been the first settler of Oneida Township in 1836. The young couple followed him to Michigan coming to Oneida about 1847.

Sophronia’s sister Chestine Campbell married Abram Smith in 1840. The Smith’s soon left New York and joined the family in Oneida in 1848. Together Russell and Smith built the first dam and saw mill in downtown Grand Ledge in 1849. In the 1850s the two sister’s were joined by more of their family. Their widowed mother, Mercy Campbell was in her sixties when she came to Grand Ledge with three of her sons- Windsor (called W.O.), Justice and Milo Campbell, as well as her nephew John Cook Tinkham (called J.C.).

W.O. Campbell ran hotels in the village. His son George later ran a drug store. J. C. Tinkham operated a hotel for a time and operated a brickyard. The sons of W.O. and J.C , Henry Campbell and Harley Tinkham would join to form Campbell & Tinkman, publishers of the Grand Ledge Independent in the 1870s. Many years later, Harley and his son would run a local garage.

Harley’s brother Russell Tinkham, was the carpenter who built the Opera House in 1884. Another brother, William ran the Tinkham Hotel downtown. He married Sarah Hixon. Her father was a miller in town. William and Sarah had four daughters- Ella married her cousin Lewis Campbell, son of George the druggist. Her sister Clara married Fred Chappell; together Campbell & Chappell ran a popular drug store for many years. Another sister, Emma married Edward Turnbull and they owned the Grand Ledge Chair Company. Her sister Zella inherited the company and the family continued ownership until 1973. Their cousin E.A. Russell was a photographer, and his “Russell Fotos” are invaluable documents of our local history.

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Old Advertisement

H.J. Tinkham & Son
Auto Accessories and repairing
Garage corner of S. Bridge & Scott Streets. Phone 149
H.J Tinkham and R.H. Tinkham

11/04/07

This week is the election of the new City Mayor. I thought this would be a good time to look back at some of the previous holders of that office.

1929-31 Douglas Bouck. In 1912, Dr Bouck was traveling to Portland by train to set up a dental practice when he had a stop over here in Grand Ledge. He liked the look of the town so much; he stayed and never made it to Portland.

1931-33 Elmer Aldrich. He ran the Monitor Flouring Mill and produced “Legal Tender” brand flour. The mill had been built in the 1870s and was a tall barn-like building known as the “old red mill”. It sat on N. Clinton Street near the corner of North Street. It was torn down in the 1960s to make way for a grain dryer for the Produce Company.

1936-1941 George W. Davis. George Davis was known as “Sport Davis”. He was the son of W. Ellsworth Davis, who had also served as mayor. The Davis’s were long time business owners on N. Bridge. Sport Davis helped his mother run their grocery store after the death of his father. The Davis’s lived around the corner in three large homes clustered around the corner of Front and Madison.

1944-46 Howard Barker. He managed the local Kroger Store. This was located downtown in the Funtukas Building, next to the current Maypole Park.

1946-1949 Jerold C. Elsie. Elsie entered the grocery business in 1937 on West Jefferson. He had one of the first frozen food lockers around. Later he had a grocery store on N. Bridge. Interestingly, he lived in the home of former mayor D.D. Shane on W. Lincoln street.

1951-52 Lawrence A. Reed. Known as “Slim Reed”, he opened Reed’s Service Station in the 1940s. During his time in office we arranged to finance the new Fire Station on N. Clinton Street without having to borrow any money for the purpose. Sadly, he died in office in 1952. The new fire station was named in his honor.

1953-54 James Corbett. Corbett was a tax assessor, former executive of the Grand Ledge Milk Co. and a realtor. He was best known for restoring the use of City sponsored fireworks back to the Independence Day celebrations.

1957-1960 Robert W. Bryant. Bob Bryant moved to Grand Ledge in 1950 to purchase the local Ford dealership. Much if his time in office was spent improving water and sewer service and well as street paving. The City faced much expansion with development of subdivisions around S. Clinton street during this time.

Most of this excellent information came from research done by H. J. Page back in the early 1980’s as a school project. H. J. is the grandson of former mayor Bob Bryant and his mother Janna Page was a former president of the Historical Society.

10/28/07

In days past it was very common to see groups of young kids huddled in circles around town - in school playgrounds, in front yards, in vacant lots or along the streets of Grand Ledge. They were not up to no-good, they were playing marbles.

Children would start the day by bringing a pocket full of marbles from home and might end the day with none left or if they had been lucky, bring home double what they started with. Games would be held on the way to school, during recess and on the way home.

If several kids were playing, a circle would be drawn in the dirt, and everyone would put marbles into the circle. They would take turns using their shooter to knock marbles out of the circle; what ever you knocked out you got to keep. You kept on shooting until you missed and had to give up your turn.

If you only had a couple kids, you played a different game. You would find a hole in the ground or make one with the heel of your shoe. Each player would put in a few marbles. Then players would stand back and see who could toss their marble closest to the hole without going in. Whoever was closest got all the marbles in the hole.

When kids ran out of marbles, they could trade one of their shooters for more or wait and bring a fresh batch the next day. Marbles even added phrases to our language. “this is for all the marbles” “lost his marbles” and “knuckle down” all come from the game.

Marbles were often kept as collections and reminders of the past. My grandmother had a collection of small clay marbles from her childhood, while my dad had jars of glass and steel marbles collected from years of play.

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Old Newspaper Item:

Mr Thomas Jenson, a practical and experienced man at the business of renovating feathers, last week moved from Charlotte to this place, locating in the Gillam Building on N. Bridge Street. In a personal letter from the editor of the Charlotte Tribune, Mr Jenson is highly indorsed to us, and we feel perfectly safe in recommending him to the people of Grand Ledge and vicinity who may desire his services. (feathers refers to feather mattresses and the process of clean and re-stuffing them)

10/21/07

Back in the mid-1970’s a Bicentennial Committee was formed to plan the celebrations of 1976. The Opera House (it was still Mapes Furniture Store then) was used as Bicentennial Headquarters. As part of the celebration a Holiday Home Tour was held in December of 1975. This was so popular it became an annual tradition.

During the process of gathering information for the Bicentennial, so much information came forward from our own local history that it was decided to form The Grand Ledge Area Historical Society in 1975 to “preserve materials and information relating to the history of the Grand Ledge area” and to “perpetuate the spirit of the American Revolutionary Bicentennial of 1976.”

As the first project, a book “Grand Ledge Remembered” was published in 1976. This proved very popular and got me interested in local history. The Society took over the Holiday Home Tour in 1977 after the Bicentennial Committee disbanded. During this time the Society’s archives were begun and housed at the library.

The Society had a major year in 1984. The Museum opened in May of that year in a donated house on Lincoln Street. And that same summer, the Mapes Family donated their former furniture store, the old Blake’s Opera House to the Society. The Opera House Authority was formed in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce to raise funds and plan for the renovation and future use of the building.

Over the years, several more books have been published. In 1979, the work of Lucille Robinson and others was put into the book “Through the Years” chronicling the graduates of the local High Schools. “Cast in Clay” in 1980 (in collaboration with MSU) about the Clay Pottery history in the City, “Greetings from Grand Ledge” in 1984 with postcards of the City, and “Very Sincerely, Frank D. Fitzgerald” in 1988 about our own Governor Fitzgerald. In 2001 “The 40s, 50s, 60s in Grand Ledge”.

Work continued with the Historical Society taking a role in the Opera House and the ongoing restoration of Ledge’s Playhouse. In 2005, after 30 years of successful Holiday Home Tours, a new event was formed. The Holiday Festival focuses not only on homes, but downtown businesses as well.

Lorabeth Fitzgerld was the very first President of the Society, and over 30 years later she is once again serving in that role this year. Over the decades many wonderful things have been added to the collections, but they are always looking for more. If you have photos, movies, papers or artifacts on local families, businesses or buildings they would love to see them. Preserving the recent past is just as important as items from a hundred years ago. Saving today’s history will help generations to come. If you enjoy learning about local history then you may want to join the Grand Ledge Historical Society at their monthly meetings which offer presentations on many topics of local history.
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10/13/07

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As a continuation of last week, here are more newspaper items from 1896:

**ARMS STUDIO. Don’t neglect to have the baby’s picture taken during this nice weather. You know you have said all winter that you was “going to just as soon as the weather was good” (Frank Arms was a well known local photographer)

**Geo. VanHorn will move his meat market into the J. S. Holmes building next door to the post office about June. A Steven’s refrigerator and other fixtures have been ordered. (the Holmes Building burned down in the 1990s and was located where the vacant lot is today in the 200 block of S. Bridge)

**Eaton County contains 8,971 children of school age, who draw the annual apportionment of primary school money the sum of $4,126.66. (that is 46cents per student per year!)

**The Grand Ledge Canning Co. shipped more then five hundred cases of tomatoes to Grand Rapids Tuesday. Calls of canned goods are so low that the company does not feel warranted in running the factory this season. ( I believe the company was located near Union Street)

**ARMS STUDIO. Yes, we are making photographs by the X-rays. We have to rays a great many X’s every month so as to be able to give our patron the very latest in photography. But you need not rays one-quarter of on X to get an elegant dozen of photos at our place.

**For sale cheap, house and 2 lots on Scott Street.

**Grand Ledge Lodge No.180- I.O.O.F will celebrate the 77th anniversary of the Odd Fellowship at their hall on Sunday at 3 pm. Rev. North will deliver the oration. All Odd Fellows and their families are invited to be present. (the hall of the International Order of Odd Fellows was located on the third floor at 201 S. Bridge St.)

**The Davison Gazette, published by Charley Shearer, formerly THE INDEPENDENT’s right hand man, has passed the first year of its infancy, and while it may not be advisable to wean the kid yet, under Shearer’s parentage, the outlook is good.

**Mrs Robert Smith has been confined to the house by sickness for some days past.

**Charley Nixon, of Detroit, visited his parents in Delta and friends in Grand Ledge the first of last week.

**Monday noon, while sitting at the dinner table, Mrs Eugene Cramer, of this city, was attacked with heart failure. Her husband at once gave her a whiskey sling and assisted her to the bed. He then hastened to the office of Dr. Ambrose Brown, but when he returned with the doctor life was extinct. All efforts to resuscitate her were unavailing.

**Frank Arms, our artistic photographer, has entered into a competition for one of the many medals that will be awarded by the Photographic Association of America at their meeting in Chautauqua NY. He is now the possessor of one of these medals awarded his work at St. Louis, MO.

10/06/07

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Reading old newspaper is always interesting. They were the main way of spreading all types of news. Here are some items from 1896:

**Local Market: Wheat 70cents, Oats 18 to 20cents, Beans 60 to 80cents, Butter 15cents, Eggs 10cents, Potatoes 20cents, Syrup 75cents, Maple Sugar 7 to 8cents. Apples 25cents a peck at Streeter’s.

**All persons interested in improving the Spiritualists Camp-grounds are invited to join the bee that is to meet next Monday for that purpose. (the campground is Fitzgerald Park today)

**Hiram Johnson yesterday moved his barbershop into the corner room of the Burtch Block, where he has as fine a tonsorial parlor as the city affords. Mr Dunham, a first class workman, is in his employ. (the corner of the Burtch Block is at 229 N. Bridge Street. A “tonsorial parlor” is a barber shop)

**A party was here this week endeavoring to establish an agency for a Lansing laundry. With two first-class laundries in Grand Ledge, outsiders need not apply. Support home industries and they will support you. (a large steam-laundry was located on Bridge Street where Fitzgerald Field is today)

**A county convention of Democrats has been called to meet at Charlotte on Wednesday, April 22 for the purpose of electing delegates to the state convention in Detroit and to choose a chairman of the county committee.

**The records and books of the city clerk’s office were last Monday moved to the office of Justice Irish, the new city clerk. The city is greatly in need of a good case or desk, provided with a lock and key, for the safe keeping of papers placed on record.

**Ralph Love, the well known house painter and paper hanger, went to Detroit Saturday evening to accept a position at his trade in that city and to be with his wife, who is taking medical treatments there. He expects to return early in the fall, and would like to have his old patrons and friends hold their work for him, if convenient for them to do so.

**If you want a spring suit call and see me before you buy. It will pay you and we’ll do our best to please you. Silk vests for $4. –E. Mitton.

**Robinson sells 2lbs. Lord’s Baking Powder for 25cents.

**Mr Thomas Jenson, a practical and experienced man at the business of renovating feathers, last week moved from Charlotte to this place, locating in the Gillam Building on N. Bridge Street. In a personal letter from the editor of the Charlotte Tribune, Mr Jenson is highly indorsed to us, and we feel perfectly safe in recommending him to the people of Grand Ledge and vicinity who may desire his services. (feathers refers to feather mattresses and the process of clean and re-stuffing them)

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09/30/07

The Hagerman Family were some of the earliest pioneers of Eaton county.. Natives of The Netherlands, The Hagermans came to America in 1652, settling in New Amsterdam (New York City today). Generations later, Aaron Hagerman left his father’s farm in New Jersey and became the first settler of South Williamsport, PA. He and his wife Aseneth Sutton had nine children. Their eighth child was Samuel Marion Hagerman born in 1804.

Samuel married Martha Mary McFern, the daughter of Scots-Irishman George McFern in about 1826. The couple had four children during this time, three of whom survived childhood: Aaron, Samuel and Benjamin. By 1840 the family was living in Genesee County, MI. Genesee was often the entry point into Michigan from the East as it was a direct journey through Canada. In about 1842 the couple moved to the untamed wilderness of Eaton County settling in Chester Township. Interestingly, their three sons did not join them until nearly a decade later. While in Chester, Samuel and Martha had three more children. William was born in 1845 and in 1848 the twins were born: Charles M. and Charlotte “Lottie” Marie. Lottie was named for the village of Charlotte which was the nearest settlement in the township. Always looking for new adventures, Samuel and Martha moved their young family to the wilds of Roxand Township in the 1850s. They settled at Gates Corners. Located near Muliken, the Corners is now the junction of Grand Ledge Hwy and Gates Road. The family was now finally joined by their three older sons and their families

It was during the time in Roxand that an incident happened to young Lottie that she would remember for the rest of her days. Wolves were still common in the wilderness at that time. Lottie was out gathering wood for her mother when she heard wolves begin to howl. They got closer and closer and soon were howling all around her. Lottie began to run madly home, dropping the wood as she went and hearing the wolves following close behind. She reached her cabin and slammed and locked the door behind her. No sooner had she shut the door when the wolves pursuing her rammed into the door, trying to get the young girl within! Lottie would later re-tell this story to her grandchildren.

In about 1861, Samuel M, Martha and the three younger children moved again to Portland Township, Ionia County. Samuel died in 1863 and Martha died in 1874. The farm then passed to William. Charles married Mary Trull and had four children. William and Lottie both married Turners. William married Julia Turner in 1880 and had one daughter. Lottie had married Julia’s brother Hiram Turner in 1876. Lottie Turner’s daughter Nora married Harry Williams and two of her granddaughters married Haueters; Lorna Williams Haueter being my grandmother. So over 160 years later, the descendants of Samuel Hagerman are still living in Eaton County.

09/24/07

When I was young, I always loved to hear stories of the past, in particular about farming. One topic that was often remembered was the old Threshing Parties held before WWII. Harvesting grain was labor intensive and many farmers would work together to get it completed.

First, a farmer would cut the grain stalks in the field using a horse-drawn reaper. This would bind the stalks into small bundles called sheaves. Several sheaves were then arranged standing up in a circle, leaning on each other to form a shock. The field would be full of shocks drying and waiting for threshing.

Threshing is the process of removing the grain from the stalks. This was done with a large Threshing Machine. The machines were expensive and not all farmers had one. My grandfather, Victor Haueter, had such a machine. Once the grain was shocked, a group of farmers would get together and form Threshing Parties.

They would all meet at a farm with their wagons and horse teams. My grandfather would arrive with his tractor pulling the huge threshing machine. He would settle in a corner of the field and a long, wide leather drive-belt would be strung from the tractor motor over to the thresher and looped back. This was used to power the machine. In the mean time the area farmers would drive their teams out into the fields and begin to gather the shocked grain. When the wagon was full, they returned to the thresher and unloaded the sheaves and then returned to the field to gather more.

Other men would take the sheaves and feed them into the thresher. The huge threshing machine separated the grains by beating, shaking and screening the grain. Different size screens were used depending on the grain being harvested. It was a loud, dusty business. My grandfather would man the machine, keeping it running. Still more men would fill cloth bags with the loose grain that came out the thresher. These bags of grain were then loaded on wagons and taken to the farmer’s granary. At the granary the bags were emptied and then returned to the threshing machine for another load.

Threshing was a long process that could take one, two or three days, depending on the size of the farm. While the men were in the fields, the wives would spend all day cooking and baking. Everyone would gather for a huge supper at midday and then return to the fields.

When the farm’s harvest was completed, the Party would move on to the next farm and repeat the whole affair. No money exchanged hands for the work; it was just neighbor helping neighbor. You helped your friends harvest and they helped you--all in all a very admirable system.

09/16/07

In researching the past, sometimes you come across information that you think can not possibly be correct. Memories can fade over time, so I am always somewhat skeptical and like to get contemporary references when I can. Once in awhile, I come across stories that seemingly just do not fit with what we know of the past.

One such story was of a train depot on the Southside. Over the years, while researching other things, I had come across brief references to a depot behind the Chair Co. off  Perry Street. Frankly, I never believed them. First, we all knew where the depots were: one on Union Street and one on Washington Street. Second, the railroad didn’t even cross the river until 1887.

However, my conclusions were proven to be totally false when I purchased a copy of an amazing old photograph that actually shows the train depot being moved over the trestle. I was very excited but had many questions. Whenever I need advice on anything railroad related, I turn to my cousin Mark Hershoren for assistance. Mark, who makes trains his hobby, is very familiar with the trains that once served the Grand Ledge area. Together we have pieced together this history.

It is important to note that railroads changed names and ownership very frequently.
The Detroit, Lansing and Lake Michigan RR, The Ionia and Lansing RR, The Detroit, Lansing and Northern RR, and The Grand Rapids, Lansing and Detroit RR all served the area and eventually all became the Detroit, Grand Rapids and Western RR. This railroad itself would be merged with several others in 1900 to form the Pere Marquette RR.

In 1887 the trestle or High Bridge was completed. Also that same year the new passenger depot, designed by Ionia architect Claire Allen, was built on the Southside. If we look at maps today, there is still a triangular parcel of land own by the railroad between Gulf Street and Perry Street that once housed the building. There were disadvantages to having the depot in this location. It was out of the way and far from downtown and the popular Resort. Also it could only service trains on the new line that crossed the river, but not the original 1869 line on the Northside.

Both of these issues were solved in 1890 when the building was moved. Using two DL & N flat cars and pulled by locomotive #3 over the trestle, the passenger depot was placed at its new home on Washington Street. In its new location it was only a few blocks from Bridge Street and could handle trains from all the tracks that came into the village. If you would like to see the photo please visit the historical society website.

09/09/07

Early this summer I had an email question from Harlon McDowell asking where the hotels were in town. I wanted to wait until I had written about the Resort Era before I answered him.

The first hotel was the Orleans House operated by William Russell in the 1850s. He named it after Orleans County, NY where he was born. This was located near River Street. William’s brother Edmund built the Grand Ledge House in 1859 which I have given the history of before. This stood at the corner of Bridge and Jefferson Streets.

In the 1860’s the Mineral House was built to capitalize on the discovery of the local mineral springs. This three story hotel sat on the corner of Bridge and Front where Lickity Split is today across from Halsted Park. It offered mineral baths as well has hotel rooms.

In the 1870s, with the coming of the railroad, a new two-storey brick hotel was constructed at the corner of N. Clinton and Union Streets. This was called the Railroad House and was operated by W.O. Campbell, a cousin of the Russells. Located directly across from the depot, the hotel offered meals and rooms to weary passengers. This building would later be removed to make way for the offices of the Grand Ledge Produce Company. Also at this time J. M. Burtch built a small hotel on Second Island at the beginning of the resort trade. In 1878 this hotel was removed and the Island House was constructed in its place.

In 1888 J. M. Burtch built another hotel at the corner of Bridge and W. Main Streets. This is the only hotel that still survives today. It had stores on the first floor and hotel rooms upstairs. The corner of the building originally had an ornate stone scroll on the roof with “BURTCH” in large stone letters. A short time later, the Grand Ledge House was rebuilt with brick and renamed the Tinkham Hotel.

There may have also been other small hotels in town. Periodically there are advertisements such as “City Hotel” listed without any address given. These were most likely in someone’s home or above a business downtown.

The resort was popular and factories brought many single men and small families to town. In addition to the hotels, many people in town kept boarding houses or rented out rooms in their homes during this time.

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1872 Grand Ledge Directory Listings

CAMPBELL, PETER, restaurant, one door from RR depot, refreshment rooms warm meals at all hours.
VERPLANCK, ANDREW, propr. Grand Ledge Hotel, cor Bridge and Jeff’n
Warren, Charles J, propr Mineral House, Bridge

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08/26/07

By 1885 The Seven Islands Resort was providing a huge boost to the local economy. Some of the visitors even settled down here. The population of Grand Ledge had risen to 1,606 in 1890.  The population soared 35% to 2,161 by 1900. The rising population demanded more schools. Two fine brick schools were built in 1887. The shortage of houses caused a building boom. Bridge Street saw most of its buildings built during this time. Factories started to locate in Grand Ledge. And as proof of the popularity of the town, in about 1887 Grand Ledge became the first town in the State, after the Capital in Lansing, to get electric lights.

The Resort reached its zenith from 1890 to 1905. During this time trainloads of tourist poured into the small village. It was said that as many as twelve trains arrived in a single day. Carrying about 120 passengers each, they brought over 1,400 visitors in a day. It was during this heyday that Grand Ledge became the second most popular resort in the Lower Peninsula. Only Petoskey had more tourists. The fame is hard for us to envision today, but people from Michigan, Ohio, Chicago and beyond took the train to visit our Ledges. Railroad advertising of the time would list GRAND LEDGE in large bold print on top of other less popular destinations like Pine Lake in Lansing, Detroit and Grand Rapids.  Just as today when we travel long distances to vacation at Mackinac Island for its natural beauty and atmosphere, so they once came to our town. Over 70,000 tourists visited the Resort every year during this period. A special Passenger Depot was even built to handle all the trains.

In what might have been his last attempt to add to the resort, J. Scott Mudge  developed Mudge’s River View Park in 1909. This consisted of 19 riverside building lots overlooking the Resort along Terrace Avenue at the foot of Ingersol Street. These lots featured a narrow public “Boulevard” for strolling along the riverbank. To my knowledge only two homes were ever built there, one still remaining.

By 1910 the flow of tourist was dropping off.  New destinations and the new “horseless carriages” drew visitors to other towns. But the Islands still remain popular. Many annual picnics were still held there. By the 1920s most of the buildings were gone, but the hotel remained. Dances became the new attraction. In 1927 J.S. Mudge passed away. Within a few years the City purchased the seven islands. The old hotel was kept in use as a community hall. It had been remodeled and opened up inside to allow for roller skating and dancing. The hotel remained in use until about 1964 when it was finally torn down, the last remnant of a fabulous era of Grand Ledge history.

08/19/07

One of the most fascinating aspects of The Seven Islands Resort for me was when J.S. Mudge added a new attraction by building a roller coaster. I have researched this coaster for several years, and I can say that to my knowledge it was the first roller coaster in the State and certainly one of the earliest in the Midwest. 

The coaster was tiny by today’s standards at about 400 feet long and 20 feet high. But it had all the thrilling elements just the same. Starting behind the Hotel on Second Island, a small four-seat car was pulled up an incline before zooming down the track, over a another bump or two before ending it’s run at the Casino on Third Island.

Construction was completed in the Spring of 1891. I am sure the undertaking was an expensive one. Mudge began looking for local businessmen to invest in the coaster enterprise. One of the men who seemed the most interested was his good friend E.A. Marvin, a well known local photographer.

Before Marvin made his investment, Mrs Mudge, Mrs Marvin and two of their friends took a ride on the coaster on July 16th, 1891. During the ride the car containing the four women leapt from the wooden track and fell down onto the island below. All passengers sustained injuries. Mrs Marvin had both her wrists broken in the fall. Dr. Walter E. Wilson was called immediately to care for the injured. Mudge was understandably upset by the accident and paid all the medical expenses for the women. It was noted at the time that Mr and Mrs Marvin were perfectly satisfied that Mudge had done what was “fair and right.”

It seems that no investors could then be found for his new attraction, and the accident depressed him so much that he was put off the whole roller coaster business. Mudge was not disappointed at all when in the Spring of 1893 a devastating flood swept down the Grand River. Large blocks of ice destroyed the fragile coaster. The framework that remained was soon torn down.

Three years later in April 1896, after the Marvin family had moved to Detroit, J. Scott Mudge was suddenly hit with two lawsuits over the accident. His former friends and potential business partners had filed two cases totaling $40,000! An incredible sum for the times.

The trial in May 1896 was the talk of the town. As the paper noted “A dozen or more residents of Grand Ledge have testified for the defense, while Mr and Mrs Marvin and Dr Wilson were the only witnesses called by the complainant and the evidence of the later was more beneficial to the defendant…If the determination of the suit hinges on evidence, it would not seem that the jury would have to leave their seats to find no cause of action.”

The jury did however find some cause, and awarded a verdict of $125 to Marvin. The Editor of the paper noted “the verdict illustrates, as has been done thousands of times before, the crudeness and inconsistency of the jury system. Truly, there is no knowing what to expect of the modern jury.”

08/12/07

J.S. Mudge continued to make the Seven Islands Report a fashionable destination. He built an addition onto the front of the hotel. This new wing included a new lobby and a large square four-story tower. A photo of the lobby shows many counters and display areas all lit with kerosene lamps. The new lobby also boasted elaborate Victorian gingerbread woodwork made of solid cherry.

Mudge’s first steam boat was the “Island Queen”. However in later years it was replaced with the larger and more famous steamer “Lanota.” For fifty cents you could ride the steamer from Second Island down to the dam while being serenaded by musicians.

About 1890 Mudge improved Third Island with the construction of the Island Casino. Victorian casinos were not the gambling places of today, but music halls where you could dance and listen to music or theater. The Island Casino was used for just this purpose and hosted musicals and vaudeville shows. The design of the building was very similar to casinos built in New York and New Jersey during this same time. The large pavilion had a central section for audience seating. On the front was a wing used as the main entrance and lobby, on the rear was a wing for the stage and dressing rooms. It was an open air building. Open arches were around the audience while moon windows (round windows without glass) were set high in the walls to let light deeper into the interior.

Tourists loved the many natural attractions of the resort. On Second Island was the famous Picture Tree, a great tree with a huge hollow base. It was all the fashion for ladies or a couple small children to stand inside the living tree and have their photograph taken. At the end of Third Island was Prospect Point “where the willows hang low” an old group of willow trees with great crooked branches reaching down to the water. Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Islands were small and left in their wild states. Seventh Island was also called Half-Mile Island and was a popular picnic spot. Couples would rent row boats from the Resort and picnic on Seventh Island before setting out to explore the Ledges at Hemlock Point. The Point, where Sandstone Creek joins the River, features a stand of hemlock trees estimated to be hundreds of years old. A natural sandy beach under the hemlocks provided a popular spot for boat landings. Lion Head Rock was a great bluff of ledge that overhung the river path above Hemlock Point that was perfect for climbing and exploring. Stone House was a natural shelter under Lion Head between two great pieces of Ledge. Couples favored Lover’s Glen. This secluded area along Sandstone Creek was perfect for romantic strolls. In fact this tradition continues today, I know a couple who got engaged in Lover’s Glen just a couple years ago. 

08/05/07

After nearly a decade of running the Seven Islands Resort, Samuel Hewings sold the properties to Julian Scott Mudge in 1886. J.Scott Mudge was born in Wisconsin in 1850. By 1880 he was a furniture dealer in Lyons, Ohio. Mudge was defiantly a showman who was willing to build the Resort into a first-class enterprise.

Mudge immediately began to make major improvements. Like his predecessor, he wanted a deep pool of water to run steamers and pleasure boats. The Island boat livery offered over 70 row boats for rental to tourists- often couples looking for a romantic adventure. He removed the temporary dam built by Hewings and replaced it with a taller permanent “Stone Dam” that still remains today. Not only did this provide the water depth he wanted, but he also promoted this as the perfect fishing spot. Many anglers fished from the rocks near the shore or propped their boats right on the edge of the dam itself.

To accommodate more tourists, Mudge saw that he needed more room. He replaced the narrow spindly foot bridge between Second and Third Islands with a permanent, wider causeway. This was constructed by filling in the gap between the two islands with a narrow strip of land, edged with stones. This doubled the continuous land he had to work with. This legacy remains with us today. What we call Second Island is really Second and Third Islands joined together. Mudge’s causeway has been widened over the years, but can still be seen as the narrow strip of land between the two wider islands.

Mudge’s most notable improvement was the construction of the building he called “The Round House”. This three-story pagoda tower was built right on the edge of Second Island; half of the tower foundation was on the island and half was built out into the river. During the construction he kept the purpose of the unusual structure secret. This caused much speculation in the local community. Mudge eventually revealed his grand plans behind the design of his Round House. The tower was designed to have the second story rotate at a slow speed, while the third story rotated faster and was topped by a centrifugal swing that would whirl the adventurous rider out over the river. What an amazing sight to have witnessed young Victorian youth flying through the air! Many tourists would have been drawn to such a thrilling attraction. Sadly, these mechanical wonders never came to be. At the very final stages of construction during a devastating spring flood large chunks of winter ice pushed the building off its foundation and it nearly toppled over. Although the building was saved, the mechanics of the tower were destroyed and the potential of the building never came to be.

The Round House remained however and became the most recognizable symbol of the entire resort era. The building has come to be called Mudge’s Folly. This has a double meaning. While a folly can be a costly and foolish undertaking, it can also describe a picturesque structure built as an ornament, but without a real purpose.

07/29/07

Samuel Hewings continued to develop and refine the Seven Islands Resort. After building the Island House Hotel, he added fountains, a bandstand, and an animal park on First Island. In later years he would launch a new larger steamer called “The Swallow”.

Advertisements of the time describe the atmosphere of the Resort better then I could:

An 1880 account notes:
"Mr. Hewings, being a man of taste and means, is doing a great deal to add to the
attractions of the vicinity, a spacious hall, beautiful little steamer, row-boats, bath-
houses, bathing-suits, hammocks, archery, croquet-grounds, swings, rustic-seats,
fountains, animal-parks, refreshment-stands, and everything for the pleasure and
comfort of visitors, are provided. Beautiful camping-grounds with plenty of pure spring- water. No liquors sold on the grounds. There is a fine mineral spring on one of the islands, said to possess curative properties of a high order, and invalids looking for a place to spend the hot months will find the Seven Islands offer superior inducements."

Another account states:
“Heretofore little has been done to develop or preserve the natural attractions of the scenery. The present proprietor, Mr. S.M Hewings, however is devoting his time and means to that end. And those who have learned to love the river, cliff and glen as well as those who behold them for the first time, will alike be gratified with his efforts to make this a first class rural watering place. A spacious hall, bandstand, steamer, numerous boats, swings, croquet grounds, animal parks etc etc will furnish ample chances for amusement and diversions, while everything objectionable will be carefully excluded. In short, those in search of amusements or repose can repair thither with a full assurance that the heart, the eye and the mind will be gratified and that their enjoyment will be cared for by Mr Hewings, whose watch word is welcome! and who finds his chief enjoyment in promoting the happiness of his fellow man. Mineral water from the artesian well on the Island invalids will find very beneficial and along the banks of the river there are numerous springs coming from the rocks of the purest water. Splendid camping grounds for parties wishing to camp out. Superior inducements are offered to picnics, Sabbath schools and Excursion parties. Good fishing and hunting. No liquor sold on the islands. Bathing suites furnished.”

As you will note fishing and bathing were big attractions at the Resort. This may be hard for us to imagine now, but at that time the Grand River was unmarked by the industrial revolution in Lansing and towns upstream. The River was pure and crystal clear down to the river bottom. Swimming was a popular summer pastime. Fish were very plentiful- some said to weigh in at well over fifty pounds.

07/22/07

After the arrival of the railroad to the village in 1869, J. M. Burtch had the foresight to see the natural beauty to be found in the river and islands could become a tourist attraction. By 1871 Skunkskin John operated the first boat livery located on Second Island.  For ten cents, he would fill his boat with passengers and pole them along the river for sightseeing excursions. Soon after, Burtch launched the steamer ‘Dolly Varden’ (named after a Charles Dickens character) to ply the waters around the islands. To cater to the tourist who began to come to the area to marvel at the majestic ledges, he built a small one-story hotel on Second Island.

About 1873 local carpenter William Resseguye launched another river steamer, the ‘Island Queen.’ which also carried tourist up and down the river from the bridge to the “High Bluffs”

In 1877 John Burtch, busy with his many other business ventures, sold the Islands- now called “The Seven Islands Resort”- to S.M. Hewings. Samuel M. Hewings was born in New York about 1836. By the 1860s Samuel and his wife Elle had settled in Lyons, Ionia County. The resort purchase included a home on River Street were the family would live. Hewings immediately launched his own steamer ‘Gertie’, named for his four year old daughter.

The following year, Hewings removed the “plank hotel” built by Burtch, and constructed the Island House Hotel along the southern edge of Second Island. This two-storey hotel was 144 feet long by 25 feet wide, including the long two-storey veranda that ran the length of the building. The hotel even featured a ballroom on the second floor.

Hewings built narrow foot bridges around the resort. One stood near our Island Bridge today, one ran between Second and Third islands, one ran from Second to First Island, and also one from First Island over to the north bank. Built of wood planks, they were supported by piers in the riverbed. Local businesses paid to paint their advertisements on the bridge planks. To avoid being swept away in the winter ice flows, these foot bridges were taken up in the winter and reconstructed every spring.

To give deeper water for his steamer and the many row boats he rented to tourists, S M Hewings  built a temporary dam, near the site of our current dam, made by piling up stones and logs. The top layers of the dam would be removed in the spring to allow for the flow of ice.

07/15/07

Now that it is high summer, I thought I would start a series of articles on the River and Islands. Firstly, I will introduce John Burtch who was a famous character in early days of the village. 

John M. Burtch was born Sept. 2, 1836 in New York.  His father Milton P Burtch moved the family to Eagle Township in the early 1840s. Milton settled 400 wild acres in section 29. The homestead occupied a great bend in the Grand River which flowed on three sides of the large farm. In the 1860s he married a neighbor Martha Jones, daughter of George Jones. The couple soon moved to Grand Ledge.

It was said Burtch never removed his boots, even in bed. This rumor was so persistent it remained in folklore until it was finally disproved in 1925. A childhood friend of his sisters recalled that: “One night when a crowd of girls was there for the evening about 9:00, which was no doubt his bedtime, Burtch suddenly appeared in the doorway clad only in his red flannel underwear, barefooted, and boomed out in his big hearty voice to us something about having a good time.”

Burtch was well known as a hunter, fisherman and fur trapper. He dealt in so many furs that he became known as Skunkskin John. He was also a showman and would paddle his white pine canoe around the bridge and throw out his 15-foot spear “…picking out the finny beauties, to the awe of spectators who were watching from the bridge.”   

Skunkskin John was a successful businessman. While all other shopkeepers would only barter with wives for eggs and butter; Burtch would pay them cash money which was hard for wives to come by. This brought farm families into town from all around the area.  He was a dealer in seeds, grains, and wool. He operated the Islands Resort and hotel, a second hotel on Bridge Street, a lumberyard, and a grain elevator near the railroad.  He built the Burtch & Streeter Blind and Sash factory, the Acme Opera House, and several buildings on North Bridge Street.  He lived at the corner of N. Bridge and Front Streets before building the gothic brick house on the lot next door. His brick house remains today next to Halsted Park. Burtch Street (spelled Burch today) was also named for him.

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Old Advertisement

NOTICE- PINE TREE TIMOTHY SEED is put in Machine Sewed Bags sewed with Red String and Branded with Registered Trade Mark. “For your further protection, Look for the RED STRING”
An extra clean and pure seed at moderate cost. “PINE TREE BRAND- IT STANDS ALONE”

For sale by John M Burtch
Dealer in Clover and Timothy Seed, furs, pelts, and wool. 

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