(Taken from the archives at the Then & Now Historical Library in downtown Dorr)
25 Years Ago — Feb. 15, 1999
A massive fire left two Leighton Township businesses homeless. Four fire departments were summoned to the scene, but they weren’t able to salvage Auto Parts and Cutler’s Quick Lube.
Pat Schedd wrote a letter to the editor protesting police ticketing a young man for walking on the wrong side of the road and for smoking. She said such activity is a waste of time for public safety officers.
Hugh Crowell, site coordinator at the Environmental Center, penned a letter in response to criticism of someone wearing furs, insisting they are an important part of history.
Steeby Elementary crossing guard Kay Herp wrote a letter to ask motorists to slow down at intersections used by children going to school.
Pam Weaver penned a letter agreeing with Globe reporter Jean Gallup about the filth and garbage on television.
Ken and Julie Mead won the the bidding war for the old Dorr Township Hall in Moline and said they plan to tear it down. The building was constructed in 1913 for the Moline Christian Reformed Church. It had fallen into a state of disrepair.
Yankee Springs Township Board denied a request from William Weick for low density residential designation, urging instead rezoning to rural residential for development.
A committee has been formed by the City of Wayland to study local streets and traffic.
The Dorr community lately has seen a plethora of signs warning pedestrians to watch for motorists.
Dave VanderSlik’s plans for a residential development on 30 acres just south of Chief Noonday Road finally have gotten the green light from the Yankee Springs Township Board.
The Hopkins Area Fire Association is looking for a new fire chief after the departure of Robert Larr, who resigned to spend more time with his family. He will continue on the job until June 1.
Anita Modreske, Bob Golm and Bruce Sexton are running for Wayland City Council seats unopposed in the annual spring election.
The Coca-Cola Company and Thornapple Kellogg Schools have agreed to a contract for exclusivity. The schools will be paid $52,000 per year for 10 years.
Dorr Fire Chief Bill Fifelski told the Township Board about the first local fatality in many years, a suicide in which the resident set the fire.
Middleville and Wayland wrestling teams, both sporting terrific dual meet records, are on a collision course to face one another in the team district tournament. The Wildcats wrapped up perhaps their finest campaign with a 25-1 record.
The Wayland basketball team edged Hudsonville Unity Christian to continue its late season surge to a 5-7 record. Jamie Brown drilled three three-point field goals and scored 13 points.
Defending state champion Ricky Mena and Travis Brenner are ranked as two of the state’s top wrestlers in their weight classes, 130 pounds and 119 pounds, respectively.
Forest Hills Northern came up with a big dual match victory to dampen Wayland’s hopes of repeating as O-K Gold Conference champions.
Vikings Jill Mele and Fran Sage sparked Hopkins to its fifth victory in six attempts in O-K Silver Conference volleyball action.
Nancy DeWeerd, only 42, died. She was the wife of Steve DeWeerd and daughter-in-law of Hugh and Dorothy DeWeerd.
50 Years Ago — Feb. 12, 1974
The Wayland Chamber of Commerce will have its annual meeting and election of officers at the Farm House Restaurant on South Main Street.
Olivet College freshman Jane Kessler has been selected to the Collegiate Honors Band for a special concert at Adrian College. She is a Wayland High School graduate.
A branch of the Dorr Library will be open for about 10 hours a week on Chappell Street in Moline. It will be known as the Moline Public Library.
Victor Fleser, chairman of the board at the Moline State Bank, died at home. The former owner of Moline Implement and and a World War I veteran, he was 76.
Wayland Police Chief Harold Ernst has reported that scam phone calls are being made to area residents from a land development firm seeking customers.
Wayland Union Schools Supt. James Thomas wrote a column outlining provisions and history of Michigan Public Act 198, which mandates public schools provide education to handicapped and challenged children.
Mrs. Byron Blue provided this week’s recipe, an unusual African chop suey dish.
Mrs. Robert Lindgren and Mrs. William Conwell are co-chairs of this year’s Mothers’ March Against Birth Defects fund-raiser.
Cynthia K, Johnson, has been selected as Wayland Union High School’s Betty Crocker Leader of Tomorrow.
Trinity Lutheran Church and the Rev. Roy Faulstick will burn their mortgage and will have a dinner to mark the occasion Feb. 24.
A showing of the nature film “Vanishing Wilderness” will be offered in Wayland “Whether one believes in ecology or not.”
An ad for Chrysler claimed a St. Joseph man got almost 19 miles per gallon from his car by slowing down.
The Wayland basketball team’s season record improved to 12-4 overall and 8-3 in the O-K Blue Conference. Paul Heckert and Rick Mauchmar sparked two more victories, over Wyoming Lee and Middleville Thornapple Kellogg.
Jerry Seekman scored 18 points and Al McCaffery 15 in Martin’s victory over Gobles to go to 3-6 in the league and 5-11 overall.
Shot putter John Luebberts scored Wayland’s only point in the Kentwood Indoor Invitational Track Meet.
The second annual Ogre banquet is approaching and competition is keen for winning the Foghorn Leghorn, Turking and Wooseye of the Year awards.
The Hopkins basketball team clinched a share of the A-O Conference championship with an 80-63 victory over Saugatuck. The Vikings now are 12-4. Steve Pawlowski had a big night with 25 points, Dennis Kiser had 16, Kelly McEwen 15 and Rick Smith 10.
The Wayland wrestling team ran into the O-K Blue Conference leader, Comstock Park, and lost 55-6. Jim Krick (98 lbs.) and Fred Clack (112) scored the team’s only victories, both by decision.
The Hopkins Lions Club is raising funds to help with improvements for the shelter at the new park downtown.
Nine seniors, Linda Crawford, Pat DeMaagd, Paul Heckert, Cynthia Johnson, Shelly Low, Jeff Merritt, Jeff Rairigh, Randy Sandmeyer and Alan Steines, earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages for the first semester at Wayland High School.
Triple infants, two girls and a boy, died at birth. Their parents were Mr. and Mrs. Robert G. Parker of Wayland.
Longtime Dearborn Public Schools Supt. Ray Adams, formerly of Hopkins, died in Flushing. A close confidant of Henry Ford, he was born in Hopkins Township in 1889.
75 Years Ago — Feb. 18, 1949
The Wayland Village Caucus is planned for Monday, Feb. 21, but there are no contests.
Editor-Publisher Rollo G. Mosher claimed the recent ice storm was so thorough in covering the ground that school children were ice skating on cement sidewalks.
Mosher continued discussion in his column about prospects for a sanitary sewer. He acknowledged the price for such a system would be very high and the village would have to borrow in order to implement the service.
Local Standard Oil Agent Ford Brower was injured when his tank truck jack-knifed near Shelbyville and went into a ditch. He received treatment from Dr. C. A. Dickinson.
A millage proposal to accommodate the Wayland Schools’ growth in number of pupils is being planned by the Board of Education. It was suggested that the current building was constructed to hold only 600 pupils, but enrollment now is 781, 481 who are in grades one through eight. The board is looking at four mills for 10 years.
William Johnson, 24, of Kalkaska, a soldier, told local police he was robbed of $15 and his $7.50 bus ticket in Moline after hitching a ride.
Wayland Fire Chief Clifford Averill, in his annual report, said the local fire department handled 36 calls in 1948. Two were for barns hit by lightning and were total losses.
Gene Weber and Donna Wyatt were crowned king and queen at the Wayland High School gym. The program included skits, a vocal trio, a brass quartet from Grand Rapids and a magician.
Local auto salesman Otto Banas has joined the service department at Eding’s.
The Party Line Extension Club will have a bake sale Saturday at Lutostanski’s Market.
World War I veteran Stewart Brownell died at his Wayland home after a lengthy illness. He was 52.
The Firemen’s Ball will be held Wednesday evening, Feb. 23, at the Dixie Ballroom south of town.
Former Big Rapids Mayor George Wood stopped in Wayland to visit with old friends Doc and Ople Murdock at Van’s Gas & Electric.
Alan Baugh has returned home from Crispe Hospital in Plainwell, where he received treatment for an infection that visited him after his operation for appendicitis Jan. 24.
Dorothy Peterson was elected president of the Wayland Garden Club and Anna Short was chosen first ice president.
Correspondent Margaret Therese Jenkins has resumed her “Hi Neighbor” column. She said she didn’t have anyone able to write it for her. She is now confined to a wheelchair.
Wayland ‘s basketball team is undefeated at 9-0 in the BarKenAll Conference standings and it is 15-1 overall, equal to the most wins by a Class C team in Michigan, tied with Milan. Bill Dobson’s basket proved to be the game winner in a 33-32 victory over Kelloggsville. Gene Weber had 13 points.
Gun Swamp muck farmer Carl McGuffy took Mosher and Fred Hilbert on a tour of the land that would be affected if the proposed lifting of the injunction to prevent lowering the water level of Gun Lake go into effect.
Now showing at the Wayland Theatre:
• Johnny Weismuller in “Jungle Jim.”
• Janet Martin and William Wright in “King of the Gamblers.”
• Gregory Peck, Richard Widmark and Anne Baxter in “Yellow Sky.”
• Bob Hope and Jane Russell in “The Paleface.”
100 Years Ago — Feb. 15, 1924
Twenty-three former Wayland residents gathered at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Quinlan of Santa Monica, Calif., for a special potluck dinner and reunion.
Mrs. Viola Crofoot Ledger, eldest daughter of Milo Crofoot, died suddenly while singing in the choir at Corinth Church Sunday. She was 52.
The sophomore English class at Wayland High School had a lively debate on the topic “The South was justified in seceding from the Union.” The result was judges calling it a draw.
The fifth-graders, losers in the Valentine contest, were tasked with serving the sixth grade winners “dainty refreshments.”
The second community meeting was attended by a packed house and members of the sophomore class presented a program. Glenn W. Pettis was elected president of the organization, Rev. Arthur Buege secretary and Sib Rumery treasurer.
Library Director Fanny Hoyt said a couple of magazines have arrived that discuss what life would be like on the moon, seeds as farm planting season starts, and “The man who made radio broadcasting possible.”
Now showing at the Regent Theatre downtown: Bebe Daniels and James Kirkwood in “Pink Gods.” Pauline Frederick in “The Glory of “Clementina.”
The Legion Auxiliary will have the Washington Dinner at the new Legion Hall over the bank. Price: 35 cents.
May Gillispie is opening a millinery store in the Stockdale Building next to Dr. Bryson’s, featuring a new line of spring hats.
Ray Joldersma and family have had the misfortune to lose a child to the mumps with complications.
The Young Peoples’ Society of the Christian Refomed Church in Bradley enjoyed a sleigh ride party in Monterey Township.
“Recent statistics show that America leads in crime among civilized nations. In England and Wales, there were 63 murders in 1921. In the city of Chicago in the same year, there were twice as many and in New York four times as many.”
The Wayland Village Caucus will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 15.
Titus Hunsberger and son, Russell, attended the hardware convention in Grand Rapids.
Hopkinsburg is enjoying its new electric lights, which were installed by M & W Light & Power.
A special meeting of the Wayland Commercial Club will be Friday evening and all businessmen are urged to attend.
Versal P. Fales, one of the few remaining pioneers in Leighton Township, died at his farm home. He had been active with the Masons, who will be in charge of his funeral arrangements.
The Northeast Hopkins Club is opposed to publishing feed costs of milk, eggs and other farm produce because it deprives a farmer of his small profits.
A radio receiving station owned by C.R. Yeakey enabled some local citizens to hear a speech by President Calvin Coolidge.