Bygone Days: A look at the history of NE Allegan County

25 Years Ago — Sept. 9, 1992

This Wayland High School football team went 7-0-1 and yielded only 12 points all season.

After two work sessions, the Wayland Township Planning Commission and Township Board have promised to make decisions on the future of the proposed amphitheater in Bradley at the Sept. 22 and Oct. 5 meetings, respectively.

Tom Devine of Gun Lake has started up a private corporation under the Barry Joint Economic Development Commission (JEDC) to provide bus transportation for citizens in Allegan and Barry counties.

A new fire rescue truck is due to arrive soon at the Dorr Township Fire Department at a cost of $104,000. About $40,000 of the cost will be picked up by the department and the remainder through a loan.

Wayland High School senior Rebekah Doyle penned a letter to the editor asking for volunteers to help with the Band Boosters’ booth at the Allegan County Fair, noting the boosters provide a lot of help to band members.

Paul Jackson wrote a feature story about the Praxis organization and Sam DeFazio and the battle against the gypsy moth this year.

Dorr Family Practice on 142nd Avenue has changed its name to Dorr Family Medicine after being sold to the Butterworth Health Corp. and Allegan General Hospital. Dr. David Engle, D.O. will be the physician.

Wayland dominated Plainwell 37-14 in its football season opener. Pat Kruizenga passed for 260 yards and two touchdowns and Robert Moore caught 12 aerials.

Hopkins defeated Kelloggsvill 26-6 in its opener, with Brian Chiarmonte chewing up 225 yards rushing.

Martin, in new coach Pete Schemerhorn’s debut, defeated Saugatuck 23-6 despite committing five turnovers.

Ace Wayland harrier Angie Permoda had to drop out of the Allegan County Invitational girls’ race because of injury, but the Lady Wildcats still took second. The boys did virtually the same, as top runner Mark McBride was unable to compete, but the boys were runners-up.

Ann Iciek scored 22 points and 19 points in Wayland’s first two girls’ basketball encounters, but the Lady ‘Cats lost to Catholic Central and West Catholic.

Hopkins defeated Martin 46-31 in a neighborhood girls’ hoops matchup, with Ann Lodenstein tossing in 16 points.

Mike Merren shot a 41, Bill Goodwin 43, Joe Konecny 44 and Wayne Czarnecki 46 as Wayland beat Byron Center on the links.

Sharon Kerkow, a music teacher from Australia, was staying for a spell with the Hopkins family of Robert Golm. She insisted that what makes America great are Hershey bars and big cars.

50 Years Ago — Sept. 6, 1967

Emily Roberts, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Clyde Dickinson of Wayland, was visiting the community with her husband, Herb, after he was working on a government project at historic Carthage in Tunisia.

Editor-Publisher Irvin P. Helmey wrote and editorial and took a photo of the flooded basement of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Lee, visually demonstrating the need for a sanitary sewer to replace failing septic systems. The special election vote on the issue will be later in the fall.

Ricks Jansen, a foreign exchange student from The Netherlands, is spending the 1967-68 academic year with the Charles Stoner family and attending Wayland High School.

There was an open house planned after remodeling was done for the Dorr Township Library. Board members were pictured with Librarian Mrs. Reynold Brenner.

Mrs. Harry Cargas of St. Louis, Mo., the former Mildred Riegler of Wayland, was in town with her husband for a visit after they had just returned from South America trying to explain the American educational system.

Hopkins teachers and the Board of Education finally reached agreement on an employment contract. Beginning teachers now are to receive an annual salary of $5,800, the same as what Wayland teachers agreed to late in August.

New teachers at Hopkins this fall include Herrick Wilson, Paul Mooradian, Anna Eaton, Emily Harris, Barbara Wilton, Dorothy Morton, Shirley Henry, James Dolan and Jeanette Button.

New teachers at Wayland include Marilyn Wiersma, Cheryl Crane, Judy Ritz, Lorraine Merchant, John Rookus, Eugene Washchuk, Jon Walcott, Richard Miller, Wendell Bastian, Frank Bastian, Ken Peason, Sally Comer, Lynne GeBott, Virginia Kleinbrink, Starlite Pardee and Doyle Disbrow.

Wayland Postmaster Richard L. Finkbeiner said a special Postal Service Day Sept. 19 is a public relations campaign to try to get the public to use ZIP codes on their mailings more often.

Junior Jerry LaValley, a defensive back, broke his leg in a pre-season scrimmage and was lost for the season on the Wayland varsity football team.

Mrs. Donald Amborski, a missionary to Africa, was to be guest speaker at the Sept. 8 meeting of the Women’s Missionary Society at Wayland Calvary Church.

Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe” captured the top spot among America’s tunes for the second straight week.

75 Years Ago — Sept. 11, 1942

The funeral with full military honors for Hollis VanKuren, 27, formerly of Hopkins, was held at the Hopkins United Methodist Church. VanKuren was robbed of $50 and beaten to death while stationed at the Columbia Army Air School in South Carolina.

Ted Willis sent the Globe a letter from the South Seas, where he is serving in the military.

Congressman Clare E. Hoffman has two opponents in the Republican primary election Sept. 15. Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher opined, “Most of his opposition is coming from Berrien County, where the CIO is waging an active campaign… That is one reason the farming part of this district should make a point to go to the polls next Tuesday.”

Wayland schools opened for the 1942-43 academic year with 555 students. Two rural districts, Chamberlain and Truax, have decided to join Wayland Township School.

Mrs. Lottie Heydenberk, 75, died at her Wayland home. She had been a member of the Congregational Church, the Garden Club and the Anti-Can’t Club.

A special meeting of the Pegaways will be held Sept. 17 at the home of Frances Reno.

The farm of Darl Goodspeed in rural Wayland was severely damaged by fire, which was believed to have started in a bedroom while he was away.

A speeding car left the roadway on Bradley hill, left the roadway and overturned a couple of times. The driver was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Grand Rapids.

“Two cars came together” north of the village on U.S.-131 Labor Day night, sending numerous people to the hospital and traffic was backed up for more than an hour.

Until further notice there will be only one Sunday service at Sts. Cyril & Methodius, Gun Lake, at 8:30 a.m. and at St. Therese in Wayland at 10:30.

“Owing to the extra large volume of political advertisements, it has been necessary to leave out many personal items (in the paper). They will appear next week.”

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

  • Little Tough Guys and East Side Kids in “Mr. Wise Guy.”
  • Charlie Chaplain in “The Gold Rush.”
  • Robert Stack, Diana Barrymore and Jon Hall in “Eagle Squadron.”
  • Henry Fonda, Lynn Bari, Edwart Everett Horton and Don Ameche in “the Magnificent Dope.”

100 years Ago — Sept. 7, 1917

The Labor Holiday weekend was highlighted by an alarming number of traffic crashes and increased motorcar activity.

David A. Stockdale’s car was struck while crossing the interurban. “Mr. Stockdale succeeded in jumping from the car without injury, but the car was wrecked.”

Harry E. Baker and passenger Mr. Howard suffered injuries when the driver tried to pass two machines and crashed into a ditch and turned turtle. Baker was taken to Butterworth Hospital. George Mosher noted, “It is reported that the men were intoxicated, which goes to prove that gasoline and alcohol still don’t mix.”

A woman near Shelbyville was exiting her vehicle when it became stuck in the sand and was struck by an oncoming car.

A man who said he became sleepy at Bradley hill and ran his car into the ditch, injuring his wife.

Mosher reported there were more than 300 cars that moved through the heart of Wayland in just an hour’s time in procession on Labor Day. He renewed his call for a law making it illegal to fail to lower light beans to dim for oncoming traffic.

Mrs. H.E. Ross of Bradley was severely burned when a gasoline container exploded while she was doing household ironing.

Wayland School opened with 102 students the high school and 126 in the elementaries. Only seven students signed up for Latin and four indicated interest in the second-year course. The latter was dropped as a result.

Phila Deuel was elected president of the Lidies Library Club and Stella Moses first vice president.

The Dorr Village School opened its doors with teachers Mr. Haskins of Battle Creek and Miss Wilson of Allegan.

Mrs. Wilda McCall has been appointed postmistress at Dorr.

Harry Wait of Wayland Township won a medal for marksmanship from the U.S. Marines.

“Wanted immediately — men between the ages of 19 and 45 for night and day crews to fill various permanent positions in our factory — Blood Bros., Allegan.

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