EDITOR’S NOTE: Townbroadcast will be unable to publish the weekly “Bygone Days” feature Wednesday, as customary, because of the cold and snowy weather. Efforts will be made to publish Thursday. In the meantime, enjoy this historical tidbit:
Former Pine Street Elementary principal David Britten recently came across a Grand Rapids Evening Press article from Dec. 17, 1906, in which a Wayland High School student was arrested for leading the “high school yell” in front of the post office.
The article stated, “Town is excited… over the arrest of Harry Sooy, high school boy.
“The merchants of Wayland are up in arms over the arrest of Harry Sooy, the high school boy who as taken into custody for leading in a high school yell in front of the post office.
“As the youth was led into a justice’s office, the marshal was followed by a hooting crowd of high school boys and girls. They jammed into the justice’s office, and the girls gave their yell repeatedly. Sooy’s father engaged two attorneys and they headed off the marshal’s attempt to get a warrant, and the boy was released.
“This arrest may cost Marshal Walsh his job.”
Britten, who retired not long ago as superintendent for Wyoming Godfrey Lee, is somewhat of a local history buff and has passed along information and photos to Townbroadcast.
On another note, the “yell” referred to in the story was used as a means to show appreciation by the football team at the first ever local high school athletic banquet in the fall of 1918, when WHS was feted for being the unofficial Allegan County champion.
