Ranger Rick: There really were good ‘ole days in Wayland’s past

I remember when…!  Everyone has a “I remember when” story.  I remember my first real date, my first kiss, everything when I was married to the woman who is my wife yet today.

I remember when the police force in Wayland consisted of two, Chief Rick (Mr. Forrest Rickenbacker) and Shorty (Mr. Eldon Milheim).  Rick had an ever present cigar, usually chewed quite badly but I don’t remember it ever being lit.

Shorty would do anything to not write a ticket, he would rather seek a way out of a situation by demonstrating common sense to calm down a heated discussion or confrontation.  Most people don’t know, but he was a expert marksman with a pistol with many medals and trophies to his credit.

Both Rick and Shorty were veterans and loved to be around young people to help them through those difficult years of growing up.  A good talking to was better than anything, but if it was serious, the parents were contacted and took it from there.  You’d rather be on the receiving end of Rick or Shorty’s talks than have them get your parents involved.

The fire department was where it is now, but much smaller, with a pumper truck and next to the “fire barn” was the old water tower.  There were hedges around the tower and a small opening where a kid could cut across from Superior to Church without being on the sidewalk around the corner.  You could even ride a bike through the opening, but it was a tight squeeze.  You passed through the first hedge, crossed the yard and passed the pump house, through the next hedge onto the Church Street sidewalk.  Most people knew about it, but everyone thought it was their “secret” passage.

The theatre was across the street from the fire barn.  Every Saturday night (Friday night was for football or basketball games) was movie night with friends or a girl you might meet there, by accident of course.  Just a chance meeting.  If you were really brave, you might be able to accompany her to the “cry room” if no young parents were up there with a bawling baby.  It was a small room up a stairway where they could watch the movie but not bother other movie viewers. Really racy stuff!

I remember when Wayland had eight gas stations, three grocery stores, a meat market/butcher shop (with sawdust covered concrete floors), baby clothing store, an adult clothing store, two bars, four barber shops, four auto dealerships (Chrysler/Dodge, Chevrolet, Ford, Pontiac), three resturants, three hardware stores, a jewelry shop, and two drug stores, and a theatre (a nice one!).

We had more business downtown 50 years ago than there is now.  There are more people, but less business activity in Wayland.  Everybody had everything they needed in town.  Once the freeway came through and going to Grand Rapids was quick and easy, so went the business.  The classic, slow, painful death of a once vibrant little city.

I remember when it was fun to know your neighbors and classmates across town.  We played  on the same baseball teams in summer, played football, basketball, and other sports in high school.  There was a sense of belonging to something bigger than yourself.  In my years of my working anyone asking where I came from, I was proud to say Wayland. I was once in a meeting with another Wayland graduate a few years behind me.  I commented we were in high school together at Wayland and we had a bio and coffee break.  He told me in private in no uncertain terms I was to never reveal that again.  He didn’t want it known he was from Wayland.  I guess his experience wasn’t as good as mine!

I loved growing up in a small town.  As Alan Jackson once sang “It’s alright to be little bitty, a little hometown or a big old city.” I’ll take the little hometown any day!