Bygone Days: A look at the past in NE Allegan County

(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)

Downtown Dorr today.

25 Years Ago — Sept. 1, 1997

Becky Dyer of Wayland was the winner of the Penasee Globe’s $200 grand prize drawing and was shown sharing the booty with daughter Danielle, 3.

The Henika Library Planning Committee is working on attempting to unite the township and city for its services by becoming a district library.

Dorr contractor Ron Dolegowskihas filed charges against the Allegan County administrator because of lawn topsoil.

Wayland Union School District parents are speaking out against the amount of time their children have been spending on buses.

The Wayland girls are off to a fast start in the O-K Gold Conference tennis action thus far.

In response to Editor Nila Aamoth’s Soapbox the previous week, letter writer Gypsi Champnoise said cars are just as much to blame for fatal crashes, particularly with motorists’ use if cell phones.

Melanie Heslinga led a late rally to propel Hopkins to a win over Byron Center in the first round of the Forest Hills Northern basketball tourney, but the Viking fell in the title game to East Grand Rapids.

Despite solid performances by sophomores Kara Potter and Nicki Merchant, Wayland fell to Class A Kentwood.

Sara Grygiel and Jason Moore bested all comers at the Hamilton Invitational cross-country meet. Amanda Winters of Hopkins placed third.

The longtime Darcy’s Restaurant has been taken over by Darlene Debres in Hopkins.

Daelyn Post was named Citizen of the Year by the Dorr Lions Club for her work with Project Hope.

50 Years Ago — Aug. 30, 1972

New teachers Kathie Johnson , Robert Winteringham and Jennifer Charboneau were welcomed at Wayland High School, along with Mrs. James Smith, Sharon Nelson, Sue Parker, Jon Jensen and Richard Wiley at the junior high. Ed Torkko will begin duties as principal at Steeby Elementary.

Fifth- and sixth-graders will not attend Wayland schools this academic year on split sessions, but instead will have temporary portable classrooms and for a short time will rent two rooms at the United Methodist Church.

Hopkins Public Schools teacher ratified a new employment contract for the 1973-74 school year with a starting salary at $7,520 and a maximum of $12,100,

Mrs. Adeline Brewer Pushaw, 60, of Wyoming, was drowned when her car plunged into Green Lake at the fishing site.

Peggy Miller, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Miller of Hopkins, attended a 4-H seminar at Washington D.C.

State Grange Master Grover Grigsby and his wife will be on hand at the next meeting of the Wayland Grange to install new officers.

The Leighton Farm Bureau had a discussion about urban sprawl at Leighton United Methodist Church with 11 attendees present.

Michigan State Trooper Reginald Smith of the Wayland post was given a Lifesaving Award for reviving a child pulled from a hotel swimming pool in Florida while he was vacationing.

John Arbanas died at Grand Rapids Osteopathic Hospital. He was 80. He had been owner and operator of the Bradley General Store and the Arbanas Dry Goods Store.

Mrs. Owen Sabin, later to become co-owner of Bowens Mills, was the featured chef for the recipe column this week in the Globe.

Wayland Recreation Director David VanEerden told coaches and parents of the first-ever girls’ softball league that the program very likely would sponsor a league next year because it had been shown to be a success.

Prognosticator-columnist Charlie Frost predicted Kansas City to win the Super Bowl in 1973 and the Los Angeles Laker to win the NBA championship.

Don Hinga will be president of the Selkirk Lake Improvement Association, Dan Reeves, vice president, Shirley Meinke secretary and Dennis Lloyd treasurer.

The Dorr Sycamore Little League team was crowned champion of the Tri-League, which included Dorr, Martin and Hopkins teams.

Alfred Vaughan will begin to serve as presiding minister for the local congregation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Linton Pike will be Field Ministry supervisor and Frank Siegel Bible study supervisor.

Three Dog Night captured the No. 1 slot this week among the nation’s top tunes with “Black and White.”

75 Years Ago — Sept. 5, 1947

Marj Watson, the original Maxwell House Coffee radio singer, will be guest emcee for the Wayland Ox Roast Jamboree. Also featured will be unicyclist Don Lemon, a pantomime artist, trampoline athlete and special guests Adel & Kophs, “a colored dance team that is a crowd pleaser.”

The Death Dodgers thrill show and “Big Cat” auto races will highlight the offerings next week at the Allegan County Fair. There also will be a music revue.

Eding’s, led by the pitching of Dick Selkirk and hitting of Don Chistensen, has taken over first place in the Wayland Softball League standings, a half game ahead of Dorr. Leighton has suffered two straight losses and dropped to third.

Wayland High School has announced its largest-ever student enrollment of 238 pupils, breaking the previous record of 216.

Del Courtney and His Orchestra from the Blackhawk Restaurant in Chicago will be guest performers Sept. 19 at the Dixie just south of Wayland. Duke Ellington was being advertised as appearing in October.

Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:

• Double Feature — “Yankee Fakir” and the Hoosier Hot Shots in “Swing the Western Way.”

• Esther Williams, Akim Tamiroff and Ricardo Montalban in “Fiesta.”

• Clark Gable, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr in “The Hucksters.”

100 Years Ago — Sept. 4, 1922

Once again, there was no edition of Sept. 4 a hundred years ago available. So here’s another taste of history from Sept. 3, 1885:

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union met in Wayland Aug. 26. Miss Anna Crosby of Martin gave a fine rendition of “Only Sixteen.”

“It is September, and the Globe is nigh on to a year old,” wrote Editor-Publisher George Mosher.

“The man who affects to despise his local paper and is too small souled to subscribe and pay for it is generally the fellow who wants to borrow it from his neighbor, especially if it has anything concerning him.”

William Stockdale has been searching for a new horse to replace the one he lost to poisoning. He has had bad luck over the past two years because of misdeeds by some miserable vengeful person. At the beginning of our next volume two weeks hence we propose to give a handsome present to every farmer who pays us one dollar for the Globe for a year in advance.

Mr. L.F. Wallbrecht of the Star Mills Elevator will commence buying wheat tomorrow and will pay the highest market price in cash. He has just received a lot of new machinery at his mill.

George Dann of Martin has been appointed superintendent of the Sabbath School in Martin.

Mason & Morgan’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin will provide entertainment at the roller rink. The play is a very good one and the company is strong in make-up. Admission is 15, 25 and 35 cents.

Jack Miller and his sister were hurt badly in a runaway carriage accident.

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