From the archives of the Then & Now Historical Library in Dorr:
25 Years Ago — Nov. 20, 1991
Michigan State Trooper Reggie Smith extolled the virtues of wearing seat belts from a personal viewpoint after he survived after his cruiser was hit broadside at the corner of 130th Avenue and 30th Street. Smith, who suffered only minor cuts and bruises, said he wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been for the belt.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) was working with State police from the Wayland post on a case in which they found 19 firearms, drugs and drug paraphernalia at a Marsh Road residence in Yankee Springs Township.
Gary and Jody Pratt of Shelbybville wrote a letter to the editor complaining about the Allegan County Sheriff’s Department’s failure to inform them their 15-year-old daughter had been in a traffic accident and was being taken to Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources officially has designated the Yankee Springs State Recreation Area as a core state park, enabling it to remain open throughout the year.
Wayland Area Chamber of Commerce members Burrell Stein and Dr. Bruce Sexton plan to try to get Wayland designated once again as “The Dahlia Capital of the World,” just like it had been back in the 1940s and ‘50s.
Superintendent Iris Williams has announced the Martin Public Schools is the beneficiary of a favorable bond rate, reducing its debt by $311,000 per year. Martin voters approved a 2.75-mill bond request two months earlier.
Wayland Area Emergency Management Services Manager Robert Farrell has announced he is leaving after three years on the job to take a similar post for Saginaw. Farrell succeeded Don DeWitt at WAEMS in 1988.
The East Allegan Soil Conservation District is hanging by a thread after Gov. John Engler announced his veto of a $1.3 million stipend for the 83 conservation districts in Michigan.
Amanda Cook of Allegan was winner of the Miss Allegan County Scholarship pageant and Gwen Hermes of Shelbyville was runner-up.
Martin Family Physicians, an outreach of Pipp Community Hospital, has opened to serve residents of Martin, Shelbyville and Bradley.
The Wayland girls’ basketball team finished third in the O-K Gold Conference and has its sights set on its 10th straight district title, opening against Delton at Hastings.
Tim Dimock was named captain of the all-Southwestern Athletic Conference football team.
Howie Koopman and Bob Sikkema were selected to the first team on the O-K Gold Conference football squad.
50 Years Ago — Nov. 16, 1966
The Wayland Board of Education took up serious discussion about needed facility improvements and their costs after two boilers in the high school building broke down and repairs amounted to $20,000. The poor conditions of lights at the football field on Sycamore Street also was a topic of concern.
A “Hunter’s Mass” was to be held at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Church, Gun Lake.
The Leighton Township dump will be closed by the Allegan County Health Department Dec. 1 because it does not meet state requirements in Act 87.
Wayland High School senior Sharon Dobson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Dobson, has been selected the winner of the Daughters of the American Revolution Good Citizenship Award. She plans to attend Western Michigan University and become a teacher.
Staff Sgt. Lauren Bergeron, a 1958 graduate of Wayland High School, has just completed a 13-month assignment as an electronics technician in Southeast Asia.
The Hopkins Board of Education voted to to take in any more tuition students in the 1967-68 academic year.
Chef Robert Doublestein of Wayland has received notice that his plans for serving up a special Christmas dinner for military personnel in Vietnam have been vetoed by the Defense Department.
Vandals broke into Hopkins High School and caused about $200 in damage to a vault.
Nancy Koperski, Mary Jane Miller and Terry Comrie have the lead roles in the senior play, “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.” Mrs. Viola Carroll and Vince DeJong are co-directors and Sherida DeWeerd is the student director.
Members of the Wayland High School Girls’ Athletic Association and advisor Patricia McKee attended a murder mystery dinner at the Civic Auditorium in Kalamazoo.
Marie Hall was the $25 grand pize winner in the “Why I like to shop in Wayland” contest.
Elvis Presley in “Spin Out” was showing this weekend at the Wayland Theatre.
Johnny Rivers replaced the Monkees with the No. 1 hit “Poor Side of Town.”
75 Years Ago — Nov. 21, 1941
Fred Greenawalt, owner of the Wayland Dry Cleaners business, is offering a free dry cleaning for all American flags used on curbs in the village in holiday celebrations. The offer is good only during the first week of December.
Wayland soon will welcome a powered egg industry, which is expected to get final approval later this month in Washington D.C. John Teaford of Silvers and Dankes of Union City, Ind., is making final arrangements with the local Pet Milk plant.
Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin were both celebrating anniversaries at the helm of Germany and Russia, and British Prime Minister Winston Churcill hailed Stalin as “a glorious warrior.”
Ward Arbanas and Dorothy Finkbeiner were cast in the lead roles in the senior play “Gabriel, Blow Your Horn” Nov. 27 and 28. Gladys Malina took the roles as their 15-year-old barefoot daughter.
A pantomime of “America the Beautiful” was performed Sunday night at the Congregational Church, directed by Miss Ethel Overmire. The churchj that week also was host for a special reception for the Rev. and Mrs. Clarence Ellinger.
Ted Niemchick at Ft. Belvoir, Va., and Donald Jordan aboard the USS Trenton both penned letters to the editor, talking about their experiences.
Teacher Claude Smith took 15 Boy Scouts to the YMCA pool in Grand Rapids for an outing.
Mrs. J.R. Rugaber reportedly picked two tea roses Nov. 17 and Mrs. Eva Pierce of Bradley gathered a bouquet of dandelions from her yard.
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Rider have sold their 82-acre farm after 42 years to Mrs. Ethel Sullivan of Grand Rapids. The farm is about four miles north of Wayland.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
- Jane Withers and Jackie Cooper in “Her First Beau.”
- Jane Frazee and Johnny Downs in “Sing Another Chorus.”
- George Brent, Mona Massey and Basil Rathbone in “International Lady.”
- Martha Scott, William Gargan, Edmund Gwenn, Marsha Hunt and Sterling Holloway in “Cheers for Miss Bishop.”
100 Years Ago — Nov. 17, 1916
Evangelist J.S. Raum and Mr. Simmons will be guest speakers and performers Sunday, Nov. 19, at the Christian Church. Raum was described, “He has a sweet tenor voice.”
Lucy E. Bacon, a native of Hilliards, has died at age 51. She graduated from Wayland High School in 1885 and attended Ypsilanti Normal for two years before teaching in Grand Rapids and Wayland. She married Edward Bacon in 1891.
The Wayland High School seniors and sophomores defeated the freshmen and juniors in an inter-school football game. “School spirit was high during the game and a few black eyes still testify to the seriousness of the conflict.”
Mrs. Arthur Duell spoke to chapel hour at the high school about prison reform, a topic not believed to be taken up before in the school.
“The village library (Henika) is literally patronized by the school and scores of its books are being read and studied by students. The standing room is all taken Wednesday in the library.”
The “jolly janitor” pulled off another emergency drill at the school, which he said could be emptied in about a minute.
Local scholars have returned to the classrooms after a brief scare with scarlet fever.
Charles Sutter, the Dorr farmer who was taken to the county jail for shooting and wounding his daughter, Hazel, was sentenced by Circuit Judge Orien Cross to six to 13 years in the Jackson State Prison.
There will be a conference Nov. 21 on the possibility of forming an organization for Civic Righteousness, including area pastors and laymen.
The Allegan County Board of Supervisors has approved an appropriation to pay for constructing a stretch of road from the county line near Moline south perhaps as much as five miles.
The blacksmiths of Allegan and surrounding counties held a meeting in Dorr Saturday evening.
PHOTO: The Henika District Library is seeking more information about just where this is in Wayland’s past.
I would very much like to get in touch with my old friend Amanda Cook, who I knew in the late 1980’s.