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

25 Years Ago — Oct. 14, 1992

Though three area fire departments, from Salem, Dorr and Leighton townships, responded to the scene, a rental home owned by Patty and Bob Senneker at the corner of 16th Street and 142nd Avenue was destroyed by a 3 a.m. fire.

Michigan State Police and Kent County and Allegan County Sheriff’s authorities are working to try to solve the rash of break-ins in northern Allegan and southern Kent County. The Penasee Globe provided a sketch of one suspect in the estimated 30 larcenies.

The trial of Stephen Lawrence is coming to a conclusion in Barry County Circuit Court. Lawrence is accused of murder in the arson fire that killed his father, Willard, at his Gun Lake home.

Susan Wisniewski Haveman wrote a letter to the editor asking the Leighton Township Board to have its recycling bin relocated for safety reasons.

The Allegan County Board of Commissioners has approved a HOME grant to help area low-income senior citizens get some help in housing costs.

The Tele-Communications team of Barbara Haggerty and Joe Bockheim has been hired by the Wayland Board of Education to serve as consultants on assssing the technology needs of the school district.

Wayland Union schools is reporting a gain of 85 students this a year over last in grades K-12.

Moline Christian School is marking its 75th anniversary, having tracd its beginnings to 1917.

The new family medical clinic has opened inside the Wayland Professional Building set back at 145 S. Main St. in downtown Wayland. The physicians are Drs. Tom Saad and Ken Berneis, associated Pipp Hospital in Plainwell.

Local United Way campaign Chairman David VanEerden has announced the fund-raising goal in the city this year will be $12,000.

Wayland’s Michael Merren carded an 83 in the Class B regional golf tournament to qualify for the state tournament.

Coach Ed Lark said his Wayland varsity football team has to step it up after a 35-8 loss to Forest Hills Northern. The Wildcats are 3-3 and Lark said they should no longer be satisfied with a 5-4 season mark.

Wayland girls’ varsity basketball Zack Moushegian was called away to St. Mary’s Hospital because his wife, Judy, suffered a medial setback, and he missed the Lady Wildcats’ loss to South Christian. Pinch hitting for him were Coralie Miller and Don Hermenitt.

Hopkins improved to 4-2 on the football season after a 3-13 victory over Eau Claire and the Vikings face perennial power Battle Creek St. Phillip next. Bryan Chiarmonte pickd up 151 yards rushing in 25 attempts.

Martin’s girls’ basketball team is two games ahead of everybody else in the SAC. Tracey Smith scored 22 points in one of the Clippers’ latest victories.

Hopkins finished fourth in the River Valley Conference golf tournament. Brent Rewa led the team with an 18-hole score of 90.

50 Years Ago — Oct. 11, 1967

A front page feature in the Wayland Globe focused on the experiences of 1967 Wayland High School graduate Mary Jane Miller, who spent seven weeks in Germany with the family of Christel Schneider. It was turnabout, as Christel spent the 1965-66 academic year with the Lee Miller family in Wayland.

The City of Wayland will use automatic voting machines for the first time in the special election Oct. 16 on the issue of bring water and sewer to residents.

The effort to merge the Wayland Congregational Church and Christian Church Disciples has been stalled of late because of differences in conducting communion and baptism sacraments.

Mayor Phil Reno, in a letter to the editor supporting public water and sewer for Wayland, maintained, “The city exists only to provide services which are impractical and even impossible to obtain as individuals.”

The Wayland Board of Education has reported adoption of a balanced budget, despite huge increase in teachers’ salaries in the wake of the first year of a negotiated settlement with the employee group.

Mrs. Emma Plott celebrated her 104th birthday with a luncheon in her honor.

Rich Tolan rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries and QB Wayne Lapham engineered the only scoring drive as the Wildcat varsity football squad lost 33-7 to Cedar Springs. Wayland now is 1-3 on the campaign.

Barb Kenney was elected president of the local chapter of the Girls’ Athletic Association (GAA). Kay Graham is vice president, Mary Ann Glusic secretary and Kathy Smith treasurer. The group enjoyed a gold outing at Orchard Hills.

Walt Disney’s “The Gnomemobile,” starring Walter Brennan, was showing at the Wayland Theatre.

Mrs. Charles Pease was to be installed later this month as worthy matron of the Wayland chapter of the Order of Eastern Star.

Ag student Dale Terry has taken charge of the feeding and watering for calves in the Hopkins FFA’s project this fall.

Former Wayland High School student Dale Foote was injured twice while serving in Vietnam, but received the Purple Heart medal and was promoted to specialist four.

The Box Tops remained atop the top 40 tunes nationally with “The Letter.”

75 Years Ago — Oct. 16, 1942

Rollo G. Mosher, editor and publisher of the Globe, observed, “Quite a few motorists complain that in making any drive of considerable distance at the new speed of 35 miles per hour, they have found difficulty in keeping awake.” Some rural correspondents, particularly in the Hilliards area, have complained too many motorists are not honoring the speed limits.

Wayland High School vocational agriculture teacher has left to join the U.S. military. He played a major role in having students grow a garden, with vegetables to be used for school lunches.

Members of the Ladies Literary Club are sending canned fruit to the Starr Commonwealth School for Wayward Boys in Albion through Fred Greenawalt’s cleaning and pressing establishment.

Helen Herb was elected president of the Mothers’ Club, which is working closely this year with the County Home Extension program.

The Reno Agency has moved its offices from the Mason Building to 644 W. Superior St.

Frederic Hilbert has announced that the 24th annual Corn Show will be held Nov. 4, with prizes in three different classes.

Local chairman Clayton Blue has announced the schedule for picking up scrap for the wartime effort from area farms and city residences.

Area archery enthusiasts are welcome to hunt for deer Nov.1-15 at the Allegan State Game Area.

Miss Edith Carpenter was elected recording secretary for the Anti-Cant Society, succeeding Mrs. Mae Reno, who has moved to Hopkins.

Wayland High School students, led by Bill Schuh, are collecting old keys for the war effort.

Residents are urged not to store gasoline at their homes, which would be in violation of guildelines set by the state during wartime.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

  • The Weaver Brothers and Elviry in “The Old Homestead.”
  • John Shepperd and Linda Darnell in “The Loves of Edgar Allen Poe.”
  • Cary Grant, Jean Arthur and Ronald Coleman in “The Talk of the Town.”
  • Preston Foster and Brenda Joyce in “Little Tokyo, USA.”
  • Lowell Thomas narrating “United We Stand.”

100 Years Ago — Oct. 12, 1917

A total of 144 men from Allegan County have been certified for service in the U.S. military. There 58 who were granted exemptions and 37 whose exemption requests were denied.

Grand Haven defeated Wayland 31-0 in a Saturday matinee football game.

The high school girls’ glee club has 14 members, who will sing in concert at the Methodist Episcopal Church,

The Henderson Milling Co. has completed an addition on the north side of the building.

The Rev. J.M. Jones was guest speaker at this week’s chapel hour at the high school. He talked about liberty, its value and cost.

Mrs. H.D. Allgeo, Mrs. William Hooker and Miss Neva Welch drove to the Grand Rapids Powers Theater to watch Sarah Bernhart perform in “Joan of Arc.”

Miss Edith Campbell left as a nurse to France from the Detroit College of Medicine unit.

The Globe published a full-page advertisement listing “Who’s Who in Business and Why.” Included were Beall Bros., the Rexall Store, the yeakey Auto Co., Hunsberger & Bowman, Fred Wallace, Henry Lentz Elevator, A.E. Weaver Meats, Henderson Milling Co., Amos Mauchmar, D.W. Shattuck Dept. Store, Chamberlain’s Bazaar, Allen & Noble Shoe Repair, Wayland Kany Kitchen, L.B. Mason, Peter J. Longstreet, L.D. Chapple Drugs, Pryor Brothers Mill, C.A. Ryno, Barnhart Meat Market, W.B. Hooker Hardware, Wayland State Bank, Fay C. Wing Furniture & Undertaker, Business Men’s Paper Co., Hattie Mason Millnery and Mosher’s Garage in Wayland. In Shelbyville, it was D.D. Harris, postmaster, Hinkle Bros. Blacksmith and H.W. Curie. Bradley had H.E. Ross & Son and E.S Allen. Moline had Home Bank of Moline, Moline Garagae, Haveman Bros., Moline Milling, Lawnside Stock Farm, Moline Cement & Tile, T.B. Rose & Son and Joseph Haveman’s Meat Market.

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