People and events from November 1939 from the top: Arthur Williams of Ithaca brought home the really big game from hunting season. His moose, bear and deer were all shot while hunting in Canada; the death of Perrinton Civil War veteran John Beckwith now meant that according to the news, only one Civil War veteran remained in the county; Thanksgiving approached and anyone not eating dinner at home could find a dinner at the State Sweet Shop in Alma – for only 45 cents; Hitler and Stalin claim do they do want war with each other – history will prove otherwise.

The harvest season was over, the holidays were approaching, and life continued in Gratiot County. Most of the news centered on how people lived in the county. The Depression went on – a second world war was going on in Europe.

It was November 1939 in Gratiot County.

The Depression Moves Along

Dr. Francis Townsend, the father of the Townsend Movement, planned to speak in Saginaw, and many Gratiot residents went to hear him. Townsend advocated the idea of an old-age pension, so Townsend Clubs sprang up across the nation. Gratiot County Townsend Club members who sought to hear “the apostle of the old-age pension plan” were urged to attend this meeting – and many did.

Members of the Gratiot County Social Welfare Commission waited for the results of an audit to know how much money existed in the state books of the Emergency Relief Administration. On December 1, the commission took over the responsibility of ERA, and the county audit had to be approved by the Gratiot Board of Supervisors to know the status of funds. This commission consisted of C.J. Chambers, Dan McCuaig, and Earl Davis, and the three men had been overseeing the costs of the county’s poor farm since November 1. Now, they were responsible for all emergency relief cases and hospitalization of indigents. As a result, the state and federal law changes all meant more responsibility on the county level concerning welfare.

By the end of November, 46 young people in Gratiot County had employment with Michigan National Youth Administration work projects. Statewide, a total of 10,917 youth were involved. These youth, between the ages of 18 and 24, had part-time jobs such as working on road and street improvements, in educational buildings, on and around public grounds, working on recreational buildings, sewing,  resident projects, nursery schools, and homemaking, to name only a few. Gratiot boys aged 17 to 23 could also apply at the Gratiot County Welfare Office at 614 East Superior in Alma for enrollment in the Civilian Conservation camps. Interested boys needed to apply by early December.

War News

As the war continued in Europe, Captain Charles E. Hixon of the Military Department, Field Artillery, Michigan State College, came to Ithaca to discuss defense preparation. Hixon wanted to address how the ROTC planned to play a part in national defense. His talk took place at the Ithaca Mason Temple.

A recruiting party from Fort Wayne visited Gratiot County November 8-10 at the Ithaca Armory. The War Department, with the support of President Roosevelt, now wanted hundreds of young men to be enlisted. One local volunteer, Harold L. Overmier of Ithaca, joined the Navy. The War Department’s goal was to raise army strength to 227,000 nationwide.

Gratiot County lost its next to the last Civil War veteran when John Beckwith of Perrinton passed at 88. Beckwith, then from Muir, joined the Grand Army of the Republic at 13 and joined Company E (re-organized), Third Infantry, on September 15, 1864. Although Muir did not see the most challenging part of the war, he served in Tennessee, Alabama, and Texas – where he mustered out on May 25, 1866. Beckwith had been a resident of Perrinton for 52 years. This death left only Jasper Norton, age 94, of Elm Hall as the county’s last tie to the Civil War.

Holiday Seasons Arrive

The holidays were in the news in November 1939, even though it rained and snowed on Halloween in Gratiot County. However, in Alma, a Halloween celebration occurred at the Alma Fire Department as youths downed 1,800 doughnuts and drank 100 gallons of cider that Tuesday night. Initially set for Tourist Park, city leaders moved the fire to the fire department, and it went off without a problem. At the fire station, a long line of youngsters came in one door and exited another, and they could eat and drink all they wished. Over in St. Louis, the city still held a costume parade led by the high school band. The St. Louis City Council provided refreshments. In Ithaca, another Halloween parade occurred, and afterward, youths met at the high school auditorium to listen to the high school music department provide music while they received their treats. Station PHEW broadcaster Duane Mellinger oversaw the ceremonies for several hundred boys and girls who came. Halloween parties also took place in other places. The Gratiot County Junior Farm Bureau held its party at the Beebe Hall. At the same time, the Northside Jolly Neighbors in St. Louis met at the M.J. Ingold home on North Seaman Street. A total of 25 attended the party. Mrs. Hugh McLaren won first prize for best costume.

As Thanksgiving neared, the state turkey tour visited ten turkey farms in Gratiot and Clinton counties. A highlight was a stop at the Clark Howland farm in Newark Township, which featured a short talk and dinner. The 75 turkey growers on the tour saw 12,500 turkeys.

By the end of November, places like Alma and Ithaca prepared for Christmas. Santa arrived in Alma on Friday, November 24. Crowds of children lined up in front of the Strand Theatre an hour before Santa appeared. Soon, St. Nick appeared in a sleigh mounted on a red truck, and a police escort had to get him through the crowds and inside. Every seat in the theatre was occupied, with children even sitting on the steps in the aisles. Santa happily gave out free “noise makers” to each in attendance. Then, the audience watched a series of free cartoons courtesy of Strand Theatre manager Victor A. Jaeckel. Starting soon after Thanksgiving, Salvation Army kettles appeared on Superior Street on Saturdays. The city also prepared to help needy families at Christmas as organizations and people gave for Yule Benevolences. Mid-West Refineries gave $50 for Christmas baskets and asked for the names of twenty families to provide gifts for Christmas. Others, like the Alma Teachers’ Club, gave $25, while the Alma Red Cross gave $50 to buy 20 pairs of new shoes for those needy children.

Ithaca began the Christmas season by planning for its Home Lighting and Decorating contest. Roland Crawford headed a committee establishing rules for participants in the 1939 Christmas season. All residents participated in decorating their homes with pleasing displays. The Ithaca Chamber of Commerce planned to decorate the downtown area with individual Christmas trees, each having strings of 24 lights. A large lighted “Merry Christmas” sign greeted visitors on East Center and North Pine streets. The annual Window Night program occurred on Friday, December 1, and a fire whistle blew at 7 o’clock to signal everyone downtown to turn on their Christmas lights. A program took place that night at the bandstand, located east of city hall. Here, Santa arrived, led by the Ithaca High School band. Following a Community Sing, those in attendance were eligible for up to 50 prizes given away by area merchants. Also, at that time, the Ithaca Santa Claus Club prepared to help those who might not have a Christmas. The club asked for new and discarded toys and clothing donations, which could be left at Ginther’s Garage.

The Long Arm of the Law

In November 1939, Gratiot County heard about criminal behavior, from more minor crimes to those that shocked the community. One only needed to read the county newspapers to find out what crimes occurred.

L.E. Grice and his wife were arrested for violating the Horton Trespass Law. Grice cut across the corner of the Nathaniel Thibaudeau farm in North Star while looking for bittersweet. The two were reported and cited for trespassing. L.E. Grice paid $10 and costs. Game violators faced different charges that fall. A group of ten officers from the state conservation department put up a blockade on US-27, two miles north of Ithaca. It resulted in finding two men from Tecumseh who had dressed venison, a result of shooting deer out of season near Beaverton. They paid fines and costs of $58.85 to avoid jail time. A River Rouge man was found with dressed hen pheasants. He paid $16.85 in penalties and fees.

Then, there were other types of arrests. Cornelius W. Eichorn of Beebe had his driver’s license revoked for six months after hitting a tree between Alma and Ithaca. Due to insufficient funds, Beatrice Piggott of St. Louis was arrested for passing a bad check to Alfred Wolansky of North Star for $14.20. She was scheduled for trial on December 2. George Dickerson of Sumner Township refused to buy a license tag for his dog for $1. When told that he had to pay $2 for being late, Dickerson went to Isabella County to buy a license for a lesser fee. Gratiot officials refused to honor the Isabella license, arrested Dickerson, and he had to pay $10.15 for fines, penalties, and a new license. Failure to do so meant Dickerson faced ten days in jail. Dickerson paid the fine.

A family of four in Washington Township made the news because of charges of concealing stolen property. Jesse and Retha Goins and their two sons were arrested for concealing stolen property from the Beck Farm in Clinton Township. Gaylord Beck discovered that the Goins family had 16 crates inside their kitchen with his name on them. When police investigated, they found 71 crates in a shed, with another 200 empty crates packed overhead. The stories about the existence of the apples told by each family member varied, and the sheriff arrested Jesse Goins and his oldest son. The bond was set at $200.

Thievery was always a problem for the law, and safe robbery, which was common in Gratiot County gas stations, continued. Two filling stations, one each in St. Louis and Breckenridge, were hit nearly simultaneously, and $285 was missing. At Bottum Brothers in St. Louis, the safe, which weighed 700 pounds, was hauled to a doorway and then abandoned. The thieves then sought to chisel off the door and saw off the hinges. At Breckenridge’s Hi-Speed Station, thieves got in through a ventilator next to the lady’s room, tore away a York safe, and pulled it off the wall. The criminals then rolled the safe to an alley, where the thieves loaded it. The safe was located two miles north of St. Louis a day later. Justice was delivered in another case where detectives in St. Louis and Mt. Pleasant arrested two Gratiot robbers. Gerald Brown and Archie Clawson robbed a gas station in late 1938 and made off with $54. The station owner, who tried to stop the robbery, was slugged from behind. After being apprehended, the pair awaited trial in Clare County Circuit Court. Two boys, one from Seville Township and another who lived near the Gratiot County line, were arrested and given a week in jail for breaking into the toolbox on a tractor that belonged to the Gratiot County Road Commission. James Cobb and William Pratt made off with $40 worth of tools. The court ordered the two to make restitution, and probation was deemed conditional until the boys paid for six sheep they stole from the William Moody farm near Forest Hill in August.

Crimes of a sexual nature also appeared in the news. A new Michigan law dealing with criminal sexual psychopathic cases meant that Judge Kelly Searl ordered two men to the Michigan State Hospital Commission. The two men, one from Vestaburg, arrested for criminal sexual assault, and the other from Wheeler, charged with indecent exposure, came before Judge Searl. Under the new law, both men were sentenced for no specific period or institution. The two remained in the Gratiot County jail until called by the commission. An Elm Hall man was also charged with committing a crime against nature, and his bond was set at $300. He remained in the county jail. A Mexican worker from Beebe received one year’s probation for a charge of rape. He petitioned Judge Searl to return to Texas and was granted leave.

Harvest, End of Season, Hunting, and Gratiot County

Although harvest season ended in the county, farm-related activities continued. Charles Krepps of Wheeler hosted an organizational meeting at his home to form a Farm Bureau Chapter. After a mixer, some talks, and a fine potluck meal, the new South Wheeler Community Farm Bureau pledged to meet regularly on the fourth Wednesday of each month. The group elected Krepps as its president.

Several Gratiot County Agricultural Conservation farm reporters spread across the county to determine how much wheat acreage would be planned for 1940. The survey also helped the county to determine how many farmers would be eligible for 1940 wheat parity payments.

The sixth annual meeting of the Production Credit Association took place on October 27 at the Strand Theatre in Alma. Three hundred sixty-one people elected three directors and listened to talks by PCA special representative from Minnesota and C.P. Milham, Gratiot County’s agricultural agent. Leon Tolversen, the special representative, held a surprise quiz program for ten selected farmers from across the county. The farmers formed five teams, and the one who answered the correct questions about PCA’s operation received a prize of five dollars.

The Alma Chamber of Commerce offered its annual Alma Farmers Institute program at the Strand on December 7. Mayor Earl Walker and Chamber Vice President Rex Babcock planned to speak to an estimated 600-800 people, followed by talks by C. P. Milham, county extension agent. The Ford German Band, provided by Ford Motor Company,  provided entertaining music, and attendees watched a recent Michigan-Michigan State football game film. Each person who attended the institute received a ticket for a free dinner provided by one of several Alma restaurants.

In other farm-related news, Gratiot County 4-H members raised or processed over $12,000 in products from summer clubs with a net profit of nearly $4,000. Harry Johnson of Ithaca moved Johnson’s Power Farm Equipment Store from the Nelson Produce Building one half mile east to a new location. The new store sat on 160 acres of land purchased from George O. Davis, also called the old Long Farm. This new building measured 40 feet by 88 feet and consisted of double tile. Harry Johnson’s three sons, Woodrow, Lyle, and Randall, all who worked with him in the business. Balmoral Patricia, an Ayrshire owned by James S. Davidson of Balmoral Farms, Ithaca, came home safely from the New York World’s Fair. Balmoral Patricia was one of the performers in Borden Company’s World of Tomorrow.

A pair of barn fires took place in the county that November. Donald Oakes lost his large barn in Lafayette Township and its contents for a total loss of $3500. He had insurance to cover $2600. Fortunately, the Breckenridge Fire Department saved the house and other buildings. The fire was deemed to be of undetermined origin. Harold Sandel of Elwell lost his two-story frame house in a fire from a defective chimney. The ten-room house quickly rose in flames, but neighbors helped Sandel retrieve most of his household items.

On a lighter note, it was hunting season, and many Gratiot residents went after wild game.T. Jefferson Hoxie and George Hart enjoyed a pheasant dinner at the Fuller home west of Alma. Bigger game meant that most Gratiot hunters went north to get their big buck. James McWilliams of Ithaca, Morris Eastment of Alma, and Rollie Teachworth of Emerson got deer on opening morning in Roscommon and Midland County. Arthur Williams of Ithaca came home with the real big game – a moose, deer, and a bear – all shot while hunting for five days in Canada. Williams showed off his collection to the Gratiot County Herald office. Two pheasant hunters brought in the first reported red fox of the season. Cyril Tugan shot one on the old Cutter Farm southeast of Ithaca, while Paul Beck got one south of North Star on the Mike Reeb farm. One of the animals possibly escaped its enclosure on Bob Budge’s farm a week earlier. Orrin Moon of Pompeii shot a third one south of Pompeii on a Sunday. A resolution was made by the Gratiot County Council of Churches and Sunday Schools to end Sunday hunting and headed to the Gratiot County Board of Supervisors. Unfortunately, the only way that this ban could occur would be if the Board took up an enabling act after a referendum vote and approval by the state legislature. Gratiot County hoped more local hunting would happen as the state planned to set up a wildlife restoration area in eastern Gratiot and western Saginaw counties. A public hunting area of 19,000 acres would be mainly acquired from tax-delinquent properties.

And So We Do Not Forget…

The Ithaca High School Senior Class performed “Wings of the Morning” on December 6 in the gymnasium. Admission was 25 cents…2,100  Alma School children enjoyed Thanksgiving Break from Wednesday afternoon through Thanksgiving weekend. Many teachers were expected to leave Alma to return to their families for Thanksgiving…Alma Postmaster Joseph L. Winslow urged the Alma public on November 23 to mail Christmas tokens early for those who lived out of town…the Middleton Ladies Aid Society planned their annual December fair. Mrs. Orville Miller led a group in creating ready-to-wear aprons…Pastor Albert J. Anthony of First Presbyterian Church in Alma spoke about his military service during the World War at the Alma Rotary Club…A Riverdale family experienced thirteen cases of smallpox. Dr. William Guinard, village health officer, believed that the outbreak was under control and milk delivery to Riverdale continued. Guinard urged anyone who did not have the smallpox vaccine to visit their physician and obtain a precautionary treatment…Rathbone pioneer E.M. Becker died at the age of 88. Becker lived in Lafayette Township for 74 years, held nearly every township office during his lifetime, as well as postmaster. He also helped to build the first church and school in Rathbone…the Alma city commission agreed to remove the Pere Marquette railroad bridge over the old mill race at State and Woodworth Streets. A sidetrack to Home Lumber and Fuel Company would remain intact…Alma High School students listened to an Armistice speech by Dr. W.E. Kaufmann from Alma College.

The Alma Chamber of Commerce adopted a resolution urging the creation of a community center. Reid Brazell, Paul R. Cash, and  Rex A. Babcock led the discussion and resolution…a large Red Cross appeared on the Alma clock tower inset with brilliant red bulbs. The emblem was to be displayed at night until the Red Cross roll call campaign concluded on November 30….the J.J. Newberry store closed for one hour on  Friday, November 10, in respect for the passing of Charles T. Newberry, the brother of the founder of the company. The funeral occurred in Tarrytown, New York…extensive remodeling of the former Delavan house on State Street in Alma continued. Jennie Miner, the new owner, ordered a new stone foundation porch in front, a new two-car garage, and a new steam heating system. Extensive remodeling continued inside. The house had ten rooms…No state interference was present concerning Alma’s continued use of angle parking downtown.

A Middleton home was placed in quarantine when a case of infantile paralysis occurred in early November. Colleen Glazier, age 11, was the daughter of Leal Glazier, the owner of a general store in Middleton. Citizens noted that Gratiot County had no effective organization to deal with an outbreak of the disease…the North Star Cemetery Association elected three officers for the following year. E.S. Riest (president), Vern Parling (clerk), and Abbie Mellinger (secretary) planned to serve in 1940…a two-hour movie, “The King of Kings,” was played nightly for one week at the Alma First Methodist Church. No admission was charged for the movie sponsored by the Alma Council of Churches…Morris Johnson, formerly from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, was hired as the new night clerk at the Wright Hotel…the Strand Theater attempted to offer a local news service two nights a week. Bob (Scoop) Jones was out taking pictures of people and events that took place. Manager Victor (Doc) Jaeckel said he shot events on 16 mm film.

The St. Louis Football team scored four touchdowns and defeated Chesaning by 33-0. Elbridge Wolfgang, a senior tailback, scored all four touchdowns…in Republic Truck history, on October 1, LaFrance-Republic “Sales” Corporation became known as “LaFrance-Republic Division, Sterling Motors Corporation.” The company moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1932. However, the service organization was still in Alma…the State Street Sweet Shop received new steps leading to its cellar, and the kitchen was getting new flooring. More remodeling was planned…E. D. Russell of Alma operated an auto repair shop on Woodworth Avenue. In late November, he received a booklet from the Philippines sent for the inauguration of Bienvenido M. Gonzalez, who was to become the new President of the University of the Philippines at Manilla. Russell met Gonzalez in Baltimore, Maryland, in the early 1920s when both families lived in the same apartment complex. Russell worked as service manager of the Baltimore branch of Republic Trucks. Gonzalez did research work at Johns Hopkins University. The booklet was published in October for the inauguration of Gonzalez as President…Keith DeMott, age 21, of Washington Township, married Naomi F. Smaltz, age 25, of Fulton Township…Mildred Packer, age 10, of St. Louis, would probably lose sight in her left eye due to a BB gun accident. Another student was shooting at a tree, and Packer was on the other side. Packer went to St. Marys for treatment…St. Louis High School and businessmen from the city held their annual community fair starting on November 30, sponsored by the FFA, Home Economics, and Manual Arts departments. The program is from Thursday night through Friday morning… Jake Sattler purchased D. K. McDonald’s implement dealership in Middleton.

All teachers in Gratiot County were reminded again to take their oath of allegiance as part of Act 54 of the Public Acts of 1939 of the Michigan Legislature. The oath could be administered by a justice of the peace, notary public, circuit court commissioner, judge, or any court of record…Perrinton High School held Alumni Day on Saturday, October 28. Alumni classes of 1934-1936 played against the Classes of 1937-1938. The latter won, and 73 people attended the banquet in a church basement. Over at Middleton, 75 guests participated in a dance there on October 28…a notice appeared that Arthur Fowler of Sumner passed away. Fowler was noted for his role in buying the grist mill and property from Henry Hyde. Fowler improved the mill, which was said to be unlike any other in the state and an essential industry in Sumner… Mrs. Francis Clifford of Perrrinton was shocked while visiting the Fredricksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park museum. While looking at old Signal Corps photographs, she noticed the image of her brother, Josiah P. Hackett. The photo was taken after the second Battle of Fredericksburg; her brother was from Maine. Officials at the museum announced that this was the first time a visitor identified someone in their old photographs…the Thompson Home Library was open two hours each evening during National Book Week. A display of Cizek Children’s colored paperwork done in Vienna was on display. A list of new books was also available to visitors…Ashley High School seniors planned to put on an amateur show. A cash prize of $3 would be awarded to the first-place winner. George “Elmer” Schleder served as announcer.

And that was November 1939 for Gratiot County During Depression and War

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed

The 1950 movie scene in Alma from the top: “The Long, Long Trailer” has its movie debut in Alma in February 1954; Davy Crockett and milk bottle caps, September 8, 1955; movie wizard Keith Musser was one of Alma’s greatest movie promoters at the Strand in the 1950s and 1960s; an Alma icon closed in July 1951 when the Alma Theatre closed after over thirty years of showing movies.

With the arrival of the 1950s, Gratiot County moviegoers moved away from life during wartime and went to the movies. To go with changes in society, in October 1951, the owner, W. A. Cassidy Theaters, invested $6000 in improvements by installing a new automatic switch-over projector, a new sound system, and a new screen. These changes allowed film reels to switch over more smoothly and stopped sound jumping.

The Strand Theatre also made a significant move by hiring Keith Musser as a manager in October 1951. With experience in other theaters, Musser had what the Alma Record described as “the tradition of the old-time theatrical showman.” In other words, he knew how to get people into the Strand Theatre to watch a movie. Musser oversaw both of Alma’s theatres and was Cassidy’s operations supervisor. Over time, Musser played a vital role in the growth and success of the business, and he became well-known in Alma.

Not long after Musser’s hiring, the Cassidy Theatres decided to close the Alma Theatre, which went back to World War I when it was known as the Idlehour. In the early 1940s, the Alma Theatre started offering cheaper tickets, allowing many young people in Gratiot County to afford to see their first movies. Western serials were especially popular. Unfortunately, by the late 1940s, showings only took place a few days a week, and business dwindled. As a result, in early March 1952, one of Gratiot County’s oldest theatres closed for good. Today, the original white facing of the old Idlehour still appears at the top and sides of the building, which many in Alma later knew as the location of Bob Moore Flowers.

There was now only one movie theater in Alma, and the Strand developed new strategies to draw viewers. In August 1951, Doctor Silkini’s Asylum of Horrors featured an onstage show involving a live Frankenstein monster, a wild man, and a gorilla that escaped its cage. Silkini reappeared in 1956, although this time, he brought King Kong. On September 20, 1952, the Strand advertised an onstage wedding of Betty Brecht and George Wonsey that took place before the feature movie. After a farmer discovered prehistoric remains in Emerson Township, Keith Musser arranged to display these mastodon bones in the  Strand’s lobby in 1954. At that time, the Ruskovic mastodon discovery in Emerson Township was big news and captivated the public. The Strand also joined the Alma Record with a “Mystery Farms” contest in Gratiot County. The first people to correctly identify the photograph of a featured Gratiot County farm received two free movie tickets. The biggest contest of the decade occurred in 1957 when the Strand gave away a brand-new Isetta automobile.

The most attention that the Strand Theatre received in the 1950s involved a trailer and two famous television personalities at the time: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. The two stars appeared in the comedy film “The Long, Long Trailer,” and the featured trailer in the movie came from Alma’s Redman Trailer Company. In early May 1953, MGM Studios purchased the forty-foot New Moon mobile home after looking at over 200 trailers nationwide. In February 1954, the Strand and the city of Alma held the movie’s debut. Actresses who appeared in the film, Perry Sheehan and Kathryn Reed, came to Alma for a parade and received keys to the city. Even Governor Soapy Williams was on hand in Alma for the ceremonies. Following the parade, the girls visited the Masonic Home and had tea at Rademacher Sales. The movie premiered on Friday, February 26, 1954, although Redman Trailer employees and their families saw a sneak preview. At that time, anyone entering the Strand ticket office found it modeled into a miniature trailer front, with lobby furnishings similar to those used in the actual trailer. Blair Trailer Sales in St. Louis also advertised that it had a replica of the trailer for anyone who wanted to view it.

However, big movies starting with “High Noon” and ending with “The Ten Commandments” would mark the 1950s at the Strand. In between, science fiction films, like “The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms,” debuted as a part of the “sci-fi” craze at the movies. The Davy Crockett craze hit Gratiot County in September 1955, and any child with an Alma Dairy milk bottle cap got a free ticket to watch Walt Disney’s “Davy Crockett.” At about the same time, the Strand installed Cinemascope. Movies had a more extensive picture covering the entire screen using this widescreen lens. As the decade closed, no one could foresee how the oncoming social changes of the 1960s would affect the Strand Theatre and movies – and people turned out to see movies.

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed

By Jim Goodspeed

The late 1940s in Alma from the top: Laurence Olivier starred in “Hamlet” in May 1949. A extremely popular show, it could only be seen by reserved seat; the death of Strand Theatre owner William A. Cassidy brought an end to Alma theatre ownership that stretched back to early in the Depression; Alma Production Credit Association held its fifteenth anniversary at the Strand Theatre. PCA had a long history in Alma which enabled farm loans.

With the end of World War II, Gratiot County soon faced new problems like the continuation of rationing and increased inflation. Forms of rationing, which started after Pearl Harbor, continued into late 1946, and many things that people wanted to buy now cost more. During the late 1940s, Gratiot men who died during the war began coming home from overseas cemeteries. A postwar draft began, and those previously too young to serve in World War II now entered military service.

From late 1945 until early 1947, the only news about Alma’s theatres concerned the weekly showings of movies in local newspapers. There appeared to be no fancy advertisements or significant events during those years while moviegoers in Gratiot County adjusted to postwar life. Things started to change in August 1947 when a familiar face appeared at the Strand in the form of Kirma the Great, who had previously appeared on stage during the Depression. He claimed to be able to solve problems of love, courtship, marriage, and health with his scientific knowledge and psychic powers. Kirma displayed his talents at the Strand Theatre for an entire week as owners hoped to draw people to the Strand.

Soon, prices at the Alma theatres jumped to thirty-five cents for “outstanding pictures” shown from Sunday through Wednesday, such as Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour in “My Favorite Brunette.”  Regular shows on other days remained twenty-five cents. In the fall of 1947, the Strand started showing Children’s Matinees on Saturday mornings with the debut of “The Enchanted Forest”  from the Children’s Film Library. Another favorite draw in the late 1940s included Abbott and Costello, who appeared in a run of comedic romps at the Strand in movies such as “The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap.”

In early July 1948, the Strand Theatre again featured boxing events and showed the official pictures from Joe Louis’ last fight. Louis fought Jersey Joe Wolcott in this match and then retired from boxing. One of the biggest shows to appear at the Strand was “Hamlet,” which starred Laurence Oliver. It was billed as the Strand’s most significant show since Pearl Harbor and only appeared for two days in April 1949. The best seat cost a whopping $2.40 per ticket, and viewers who wanted a ticket were encouraged to order it by mail.

As the 1940s came to an end, the Strand continued to advertise itself as being “comfortably air-conditioned” during hot weather each summer. Another well-attended movie at the end of the decade involved “The Lawton Story,” which depicted religious and family themes and made its Michigan premiere at the Strand for one week in April 1949. Some movie repeats continued to draw people. In November 1949, the Strand featured the third appearance of “The Wizard of Oz.” To feature new types of entertainment, the Strand also briefly returned to live performances with “Spotlight on Youth,” which featured fifteen young people performing singing, dancing, and musical acts. Cold War-themed movies started appearing with “The Red Menace,” a film “so shocking it was filmed behind sealed studio doors.” It warned about the threat of communism in the United States and was shown down the street at the Alma Theatre.

The biggest news in June 1949 dealt with the death of W.A. Cassidy, who owned both the Strand Theatre and the Alma Theatre. Cassidy, a prominent Midland businessman, also owned two theatres in Midland and was interested in owning another one in Saginaw. Cassidy had been in the movie business since July 1916, leased the Alma Theatre in 1930, and bought the Strand Theatre in September 1932. After his death, his estate was valued at $450,000 (nearly $6,000,000 today). Cassidy’s passing, new ownership, and the re-emergence of Hollywood blockbuster movies all led to the 1950s, which drew more people to Alma’s theatres.

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed

Above: War Bond drives were held at Alma’s Strand Theatre during World War II. “Going My Way,” featuring Bing Crosby, was held in early December 1944; bonds could be obtained at the Strand Theatre in November 1944; one of the last war bond shows took place in early June 1945. Viewers who purchased E Bonds received free tickets.

Another world war knocked on Gratiot County’s door before the 1940s began. During these events, going to the movies offered escape and entertainment as the country slowly drifted toward direct involvement in World War II.

As 1940 began, the Strand Theatre started a local run of movies called “Alma’s Local News Reel.” Billy Farrell played on the new Hammond Organ some of these nights at the Strand. Farrell played the organ thirty minutes before every show, and customers regularly asked him to play their favorite music. The Alma Lions Club sponsored a talking picture, “We’re in the Movies,” which became a two-hour feature involving local community members. The John B. Rodgers Producing Company of Fostoria, Ohio, came to town and directed and filmed the movie. This color movie, shot over five days in Alma, involved local people and businesses that depicted everyday life in the city. To get people to see the film, the Lions Club promoted the project with a “Movie Queen” contest to select an Alma “Glamour Girl.”  Lois Brainard, one of the thirty-seven contestants, won with 4,770 votes. Brainard and the other contestants then attended the premiere. “We’re in the Movies” had six showings in Alma and raised enough money for several Alma Lions Club service projects.

However, the biggest news in March 1940 was the premiere of “Gone with the Wind,” which had a limited one-week engagement at the Strand. Tickets cost $1.10 for reserved seats and could only be purchased ahead of time through mail orders. The movie debuted on Easter Sunday and had been highly anticipated in Alma, and it would not appear again until 1941. The epic Civil War movie, shot in color, lasted four hours. Over time, “Gone with the Wind” would hold the most viewings in the Strand’s history, appearing each decade until the theatre’s closing in the 1990s. Also, “Gone with the Wind”  marked the debut of more color movies in Gratiot County movie theaters.

In late 1941, ticket prices at the Strand jumped to eleven cents for children and twenty-five cents for adults. Down the street, the Alma Theater completed a new remodeling project. Owners changed the seating arrangement to include only one center aisle and raised the seating capacity to 324 people. As a result, the Alma Theater raised prices to eleven cents and twenty cents for movies.

After Pearl Harbor, viewers caught up on the war and world news through the “March of Time” newsreel, which appeared before each main feature. To commemorate Pearl Harbor Day in 1944, the Strand supported the Sixth War Loan Drive by showing Bing Crosby in “Going My Way” for one night only on December 7. However, a viewer had up to a week ahead of time to buy a bond to see the movie. Every purchase of a $25 bond gave the buyer a ticket to the show. Ultimately, the drive was successful and raised $30,000 in bond sales!    Another bond show occurred at the Strand in 1945 with Spencer Tracy and Katherine Hepburn in “Without Love.”

Earlier in the war, in response to orders from the War Production Board, Alma participated in a “brownout” to conserve energy, which affected the lighting of the marquee. People walking up and down Superior Street could no longer read the movie titles from a distance. However, on the night of Tuesday, May 8, 1945, the Strand Theatre turned on its marquee again in response to the news of Germany’s surrender. That night, the Strand lit up and joined many businesses in celebrating the war’s end in Europe by turning on their lights up and down Superior Street. After a long period of darkness, someone in Alma commented, “Superior Street is again as brilliant at night as of yore.”  In a short time, the movie lights in Alma appeared every night in 1945 with the end of World War II.

Copyright 2024 James M. Goodspeed

From above: The Strand Theatre in 1942; amateur night at the Strand, August 6, 1936; the problem of smuggling illegal Chinese emigrants appeared on July 9, 1936 at the Alma Theatre.

Although the Great Depression was in full swing in Gratiot County in the late 1930s, it did not stop people from going to the movies. The Strand Theatre and the Alma Theatre continued to draw people in and managed to stay in business. For many in Gratiot County, going to the movies offered an escape from the economic and social challenges of the times.

In Alma, theatre owners continued to use gimmicks to attract people to see a movie. In early January 1935, “The Great Kirma,” a mystic from India, arrived for one week at the Strand. He started his appearance by driving his 1935 Model Terraplane Six Sedan through the streets of Alma while completely blindfolded. Afterward, in front of onlookers, he hypnotized a young lady in Walker’s Electric Shop show window. During his shows each night, Kirma further mesmerized people by answering any question the audience asked him.

In July of that year, the Strand installed a new device billed as air conditioning. By removing dirt and pollen from the air, hay fever and pollen sufferers found relief while enjoying a show at “The Coolest Spot in Town.”  Strand ownership advertised cooler temperatures and help from hay fever. For hay fever sufferers, going to the movies in Alma for relief continued to be advertised for several decades to come. During the winter, these fans also supplied each person with twenty feet of warm air.

Throughout the late 1930s, the Strand held various community benefits, often at Christmas. Those who attended a show received a free ticket for a movie if they brought in food for Smith Memorial Hospital or for holiday baskets to help people in need. On a more serious note,  Alma ministers stated in 1935 that they favored movie censorship and wholly disapproved of movies being shown on Sundays. They also discouraged churches from publishing advertisements about shows.

Amateur entertainment remained a Strand staple. In August 1936, amateur acts auditioned to win appearances  every Saturday night in “Four Acts of Vodvil.” One year later, Major Bowes’ Amateur Revue and Jamboree appeared. These shows featured some of the top amateurs in the country. It turned out that Bowes’ program was the forerunner of the 1950s television show Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour. 

Also in early 1936, W.A. Cassidy and his wife from Midland purchased the Alma Theatre, known to many in Alma as the old Idlehour. They improved it and continued showing movies from Thursdays through Mondays. Sometimes, controversial movies appeared in Alma. In May 1938, the Strand featured “Assassin of Youth – Marihuana! Fruit from the Devil’s Garden.” It was followed two months later by “Damaged Goods: The Picture that Dares Tell the Truth.”  Restricted audiences got to view movies about drug abuse and the dangers of syphilis.

In late 1938, the Strand underwent significant renovations. A new marquee rose, double its former size, with a larger canopy. This new canopy curved in a semi-circle for 53 feet, then extended for 12 feet over the sidewalk. It held 340 lamps, each giving off 40 watts of light. With this new addition, the new marquee could be easily visible from distances up and down the business district at night. Those walking down the street each week could see interchangeable letters that spelled out the titles of the latest movies. Four double doors went from the foyer to the lobby as one entered the Strand. A new box office now allowed people to purchase tickets from the sidewalk. More remodeling took place inside as 500 new seats replaced the old ones. By the end of the decade, ticket prices, which had been ten and fifteen cents per ticket in 1935, rose to twenty cents by the end of 1939.

As the 1930s ended, another world war appeared on the horizon, and a new era of movie blockbusters was about to start in Alma.

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed

Above from the top: A Depression special – movies reduced at the Strand; in late February 1931 the Ionia State Reformatory Orchestra appeared at the Strand as one of ten big vaudeville acts starting in March 1933; “Tarzan and His Mate” appeared at the Strand, as did co-star “Mary” for one hour on July 14, 1924.

“Boom and bust.” “ An economic collapse unlike anything seen before.”  Both phrases describe the economic crisis that hit Gratiot County starting in the late fall of 1929 and what many called the Great Depression.

Strangely, the movie that played at Alma’s Strand Theatre five days before the economic crash was “The Gamblers.” It dealt with a father and son engaged in Wall Street corruption. Little did most Gratiot citizens know that what happened in New York City that October would seriously affect their lives.

As movie theaters struggled to draw people early in the Depression, they offered prizes and reduced prices to keep people coming to the movies. The Strand gave away a $225 Amrad Radio in late December 1929. It went so far as to offer $500 as a first prize during “Greater Movie Season” almost one year later. A more practical prize gift in October 1931 was to give a two-pound package of Rowena Pancake Flour for the first 200 paid admissions. The cost of seeing a movie dipped to 25 cents a show in early 1931 and then reached 15 cents a show by February 1933.

Other movie draws in Alma starting in 1930 included airing “Amos and Andy” every night at 7 o’clock (except on Sundays). The Strand Sweet Shop, which first opened next door before the start of the Depression,  became a place to stop for sandwiches, malts, and sweets. In 1931, “Freckles” Spear, an eight-year-old “Our Gang” movie star, came to Alma. Later that year, Prince Shah Babar, a famous Hindu mystic and mind reader, drove a car blindfolded through Alma. He also buried alive a member of his company in front of the Strand Theatre, then put a person to sleep in the store window of W.D. Baltz. In August 1933, the MGM Studio sent a traveling studio into the country to show people how it made movies. Mary the Rhinoceros quickly visited in July 1934 before a “Tarzan and his Mate” movie. Mary starred alongside the first Tarzan, Johnny Weissmuller.

The Depression also changed Alma with the passing of the Idlehour Theatre. In the spring of 1931, Dick Rockwell sold out to W.A. Cassidy of Midland and Mr. Gordon from Mt. Pleasant. With the sale came a new name: The Alma Theater, which would operate for over twenty years in Alma. Cassidy would also succeed in purchasing the Strand a year later. As a result, Cassidy installed new screens and sound systems to bring in more moviegoers. Some very famous movies also made their way to Gratiot County early in the Depression, such as “Dracula,” “King Kong,” and young movie stars like John Wayne (“The Big Trail”).

There were other issues involving movies in the 1930s. Groups like the Disciples of Christ in 1934 worked to clean up dirty films. They were the only group that believed that the movie industry needed censorship and reform, and they encouraged boycotts of offensive shows.

The Depression was on, but so was movie attendance in Alma.

Copyright 2024 James M. Goodspeed

Above: The Charleston arrives in Alma. This contest led to other “amateur nights” to be held at the Strand in the late 1920s; Mary Pickford was a leading actress who won an Academy Award in the 1920s; talking pictures arrived in Alma by the summer of 1929. However, Ithaca had the honor of showing the first talking movie – beating out Alma theatres by only a few days.

As America enjoyed a period of economic prosperity in the late 1920s, Gratiot County residents flocked to the movie theaters. However, those who traveled to Alma found more than just movies for entertainment in Alma.

In March 1926, the Strand Theatre hosted a Friday night Charleston Contest for the first time. An advertisement invited those people with “hot feet” to come on stage after the first show and “strut their stuff” to show off the latest dance craze. It was so successful that Manager Miller decided afterward to hold a weekly “Amateur Night” to showcase local talent for those who could sing, dance, or play musical instruments. Soon afterward, Miller brought in the Old Fiddlers Contest, which featured music played during Michigan’s logging era. The average age of the contestants was 72 years, and Frank Newcomb from Riverdale took first place. Other entertainment that year involved a performance by Ithaca High School’s drama club and films about the military training camp at Camp Custer. Mrs. Francis King, Alma’s noted horticulturalist, also came to the Strand and gave an interesting lecture on gardening. 

In 1927, some more attractions involved the first movie appearance of the famed Passion Play, “The Life of Christ,” from Baden, Germany. Alma College students came and performed “The Enemy,” a drama in wartime Austria. The Republic Motor Truck Company, which recently acquired Linn Tractors, showed movies to advertise what the tractors could do. “Fellow,” the dog with the human mind, appeared on stage and showed how he understood words just like any human being. Those who wanted to listen to the Dempsey-Tunney boxing match came to the Strand and heard it via amplifiers and loudspeakers. The United States Navy Band, sponsored by the Alma Chamber of Commerce, appeared one day and was billed as “the greatest aggregation of musical artists that ever came to Central Michigan.” Listeners were impressed with the band’s variety of music as well as the theatre’s acoustics.

Down the street, the Idlehour Theatre also continued to draw its audience. Manager Dick Rockwell and his mother went so far as to charter a plane that dropped advertising leaflets around Alma, St. Louis, and the countryside. The leaflets encouraged people to come to the Idlehour.   A scary moment at the Idlehour occurred in the summer of 1927 when a film fire started in the projection room . Fortunately, the employees quickly put it out, and the theatre avoided severe damage. During this time, Dick Rockwell also continued to make new lighting and seating improvements to compete with the Strand.

In May 1928, Gilbert Genesta appeared for the last time in Alma, performing his signature water barrel trick. A local favorite, the former theatre manager and owner had been getting himself out of his trademark “barrel of death”  for many years. However, tragedy occurred when Genesta died in Frankfurt, Kentucky, in 1930 while performing the stunt. Genesta did not know that his trick barrel had been dropped from a truck during unloading earlier that day. Because he did not check the barrel, he did not realize that the trick lid could not open because it was dented. The famed entertainer was laid to rest in Frankfurt.

Movies in Gratiot County forever changed with the advent of Vitaphone pictures in the late spring of 1929. The Idlehour and Strand  both raced to be the first to have talking movies in the county (the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca beat them by a matter of days). The first talkie in Alma, entitled “Stark Mad,” featured a jungle adventure that took place among Mayan ruins. Over at the Idlehour, viewers were impressed with how well the sound synchronized with the acting. In another early talkie at the Strand, Mary Pickford starred in “Coquette,” a romantic drama for which she won an Academy Award. Viewers here, like at the Idlehour, were amazed at how well they could hear the movie regardless of where they sat.

The late 1920s had its share of fun. However, an economic crash was coming to Gratiot County that affected the movie industry. This crisis would be known as the Great Depression.

Copyright 2024 James M Goodspeed

               

Life in Gratiot County during October 1939: Balmoral Patricia, a nine year old Ayrshire from Ithaca’s Balmoral Farm, found herself in Borden Dairy World of Tomorrow at New York World’s Fair; Jimmy Stewart starred in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” at the Strand Theatre in Alma. “Mr. Smith” would become one of Stewart’s most famous movies; the “Phony War” started in Europe. When would the Nazis invade Western Europe? The battle lines in November 1939 appeared strikingly similar to those of the First World War.

The Great Depression continued into its eleventh year. Some in Gratiot County wondered, was it now beginning to end? People seemed to be finding jobs and doing more seasonal work.

A world war entered its second month. How long would it last? Would the war follow similar patterns to the World War two decades earlier?

It was October 1939 in Gratiot County.

A World at War

The war situation was the start of Hitler’s “phony war” and encompassed the next eight months in Europe. As Western countries like France and England anticipated a Nazi move west, both sides prepared for a deeper conflict. Names like “Siegfried Line,” “Maginot Line,” and “Armistice Front” became a part of the newspaper’s coverage to educate the American public about what was happening with Nazi Germany.

Rumors of German submarines patrolling near the Panama Canal raised concerns about the United States’ interests in the canal. Local newspapers also told readers that the war would undoubtedly affect the nation’s cost of living. No doubt, war business (like munition sales) would boom. This could mean more jobs for those who needed employment.

New Deal Programs Continue in the County

One of the essential New Deal programs that gained notoriety in October centered around Wheeler Field in St. Louis. The first game and dedication of the new field occurred on the afternoon of Friday, September 29. The game against Clare began at 3:00 pm in heavy rain, which continued for most of the afternoon. During half time, a program involved speakers from the Board of Education, Works Progress Administration, and the State Director of Interscholastic Athletics. The field was then officially dedicated and opened in memory of Dr. Aaron Wheeler, St. Louis doctor, mayor, and former school board member. The St. Louis Crimson Tide played hard but lost a wet game to Clare by the score of 24-12. Newspapers reported that the St. Louis team played much better than the previous game’s loss to Ithaca.

The Gratiot County Board of Supervisors in Ithaca dealt with the issue of welfare reorganization. Under new laws, welfare relief ended up in a dual system in the county. This policy now meant that one bureau oversaw federally funded programs and aid. A second bureau, called the “Bureau of Social Welfare,” came under the control and distribution of the county. One of the second bureau’s goals included weeding out those applicants who were not needed (whom county newspapers called “chiselers”). The board reported that the County Poor Farm budget for the upcoming year would be $7,000 for the farm’s operation.

The National Youth Administration (NYA) planned to offer girls’ sewing projects under the direction of Dean Carter, NYA county supervisor. This work provided work for 25 girls between the ages of 18-25 who worked no more than 64 hours a month (50 hours in work, 14 in training). Part of the reason for offering a sewing project for girls was that most of NYA’s previous programs interested young men more than women. Works Progress Administration projects (WPA) in the county continued to center around street pavings in Alma – notably around East End and Walnut Streets.

However, with the sugar beet factories opening, at least 28 men from an original crew of 161 had left to take other jobs. Wet weather and cold also hampered the completion of the work on the streets. The Alma city manager was allowed to hire another 60 men to get the job done. 

Ithaca offered fall programs under the direction of the WPA, which included boys’ and girls’ craft rooms. Adult groups met on Tuesday nights and offered a Psychology Club and Ladies’ Recreation Club. They provided a girls’ and boys’ music club on Thursday evenings. On Saturday afternoons in Ithaca, a younger boys and girls club met for four hours. One activity enabled 35 youngsters to go to the park for games,  study nature, and make winter gardens. A Lady’s Recreation club met on Tuesday evenings in the Village Hall. Grace Rowell led the Ithaca Recreation Program under the sponsorship of the Ithaca Village Council that month.

Gratiot County also needed to fill the full quota of those who could join the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Although ten could sign up, only nine young men from the county went to Munising for winter quarters. Between this news and the trouble of finding enough workers for WPA street work in Alma, some thought the national economy might be improving.

Farming Season Turns Toward Harvest

With the coming of October, beet harvest and factory operation were on the minds of many in the county. In places like Alma and St. Louis, the familiar sights of trucks loaded with sugar beets again could be seen and heard. In anticipation of the fall harvest, the Gratiot County Conservation Association called attention to the Child Labor Provision in the 1937 Sugar Act. It reminded farmers that they could only employ children under the age of fourteen in the fields if the child belonged to that farmer’s immediate family or if they had at least a 40 percent interest in that crop.

By the end of the first week in October, beet slicing began at plants in Mt. Pleasant, Alma, and St. Louis. The Alma plant employed 400 men and was expected to run for 60 to 90 days while slicing 1,500 tons of beets daily. St. Louis expected an 80-90-day run with an anticipated slicing of 1,000 tons daily. The three plants together employed 1,050 men and required 3,000 field workers. 

Regarding daily life, danger was always present on Gratiot farms. W.A. Alward of St. Louis, age 53, was viciously attacked by his bull when the animal broke its chain. The beast, weighing 600 pounds,  knocked Alward down and rolled him several times. Luckily, Alward’s son was nearby, and the family’s dog distracted the bull enough so that Alward could be pulled from the pen. Alward suffered severe chest wounds, two broken ribs, and one pierced his lung and was taken to Smith Memorial Hospital. Three weeks later, Alward died from the injuries as the result of an unexpected blood clot.

Fred McLean of Breckenridge suffered the loss of his horse when hit by an automobile. Gerald Powelson was driving the horse hitched to the wagon when it was hit by a Dodge Sedan. The car was driven by a Saginaw man, and the horse had to be put down due to a broken leg.

A farmer’s greatest fear was losing his house or barn due to fire. One afternoon, Clarence Pitscher’s small barn at Benson Bailey Corner on the River Road north of St. Louis was a complete loss even though the St. Louis Fire Department arrived to try and contain the blaze. It turned out that children playing in the barn first discovered the fire. In another instance, Sherman Sommerville lost fifty-one sheep and one colt during a fire six miles southeast of Ithaca. This fire was estimated to be a $5,000 loss and was the third fire in that community during the past few months. Sommerville had partial insurance on his barn.

Aside from the start of the beet harvest, a big concern on the minds of Gratiot farmers had to be the upcoming pheasant season in the county. At the beginning of the season, many farmers feared the many pheasant hunters who came from outside of the county. These “nimrods” seldom asked for permission to hunt on farms and frequently left gates open and damaged crops as they pursued Ringneck pheasants. Just before the start of the season, approximately 100 hunters bought licenses in St. Louis, and these were probably local hunters.  In anticipation in the Lower Peninsula, the state planned to hire approximately 100 special duty sheriffs to help monitor what was expected to be the biggest pheasant season ever. Nine communities in Gratiot County opened as hunting co-operatives with the message: ask landowners and farmers for permission before you hunt. Also, observe posting signs established by farmers who did not want hunters on their property. 

There were other happenings in the area of Gratiot farming in October. Dog tax fees remained unchanged – $2 for female dogs and $1 for male or unsexed. Part of the dog tax collection fees went to farmers who lost animals (usually sheep) due to attacks by dogs. The Emerson Farm Bureau met at Beebe Hall, but attendance was down due to work in the harvest. Clarence Muscott served as chairman. Allen McPherson, North Star farmer, announced that his Holstein cow just gave birth to its fourth consecutive pair of twin calves. James S. Davidson of Balmoral Farm, Ithaca, displayed his nine-year-old Ayrshire at the New York World’s Fair. Balmoral Patricia was one of 150 fine purebreds from farms nationwide that appeared at the fair.

The state turkey tour came to Gratiot County on October 26. During the tour, the group saw an estimated 12,500 turkeys on 11 area farms. The tour started at C. W. Hoyt’s farm eight miles north of St. Louis, where he had 400 heads of Bronze breeders. It would end on the James Wright farm in Maple Rapids, where he had 4,700 Narragansett turkeys. During the tour, the Michigan Turkey Growers Association offered turkey sandwiches, coffee, and doughnuts for lunch.

At the end of the month, 315 boys and girls from across Gratiot County completed their 4-H Club summer projects. An achievement day occurred at Ithaca High School, featuring the displays of the largest summer enrollment of 4-H members ever seen. Canning, food preparation, baking, sheep projects, Dairy projects, and garden projects were just some of the categories for those who participated.

Pheasant Hunting Season Arrives – Gratiot Prepares for Invasion

An invasion was coming to Gratiot County that fall – this time in the form of pheasant hunters who arrived from outside the county.

During September, Gratiot County encountered a rash of hunting dog thefts. In ten days, thieves made off with over a dozen prize-hunting dogs (mostly Beagles and Setters) from farms across the county. Conservation and police officers surmised that the dogs were probably taken out of state and sold. One dog south of Alma was valued at over $150 and was stolen one night while the family was asleep. Hence, farmers and hunters were warned to lock their dogs up at night.

Nine communities offered hunting co-operatives under the Williamston organization plan to control hunters outside Gratiot County. Those hunters who followed the plan had to park their car in the farmer’s yard, ask for permission to hunt, get and wear a ticket, and report what game they took at the end of their hunt. If a hunter saw a sign that read “Game Management Area, No Hunting Without Permission,” they had to follow these guidelines. Hunters also had to hunt in the square mile of farmland the ticket was assigned, but there was no fee for hunting. Some game areas that hunters could use were in Northeast and Northwest Seville, Pine River, Arcada, Pine River, Sumner, New Haven, and North Shade Townships.

Hunting had been judged good toward the end of the pheasant season in 1939. Several Alma hunters had their season limit of six birds in the first three days of hunting. Regarding controlling outside hunters, some followed the Williamston plan, while some did not. Several county farmers declared they had unwanted hunters on their property, even after posting no hunting signs. The Alma Record sold many of these signs. Still, almost a dozen hunters ended up in court with fines for trespassing. Two Detroit men were arrested for possessing pheasants before sunrise on opening day. Two more pled guilty after being caught without a license. Charles Sabatovich of St. Louis and Gene Coon of Ashley were cited for hunting before sunrise. Kenneth Richards of Perrinton was the only one cited for violating the Horton Trespass Act upon complaint by Charles Kilean of  Fulton Township, who argued that Richards shot game on posted property. Richards ended up paying $17.85 in fines and costs.

The Long Arm of the Law in Gratiot County

The new jail in Ithaca could hold fifty people; however, only eleven prisoners resided there in early October. Ruth Wonnacutt, the wife of an Alma ice dealer, was held for ten days for assault and battery on her stepson. Wonnacutt thus became the first woman to be held in the new jail. Cecil Richards of Alma received ten days and a fine for hunting in a game area without a license. From Merrill, Ralph Rudd, age 23, got caught spearing fish on the Pine River in Sumner Township. He was re-arrested when he could not pay his fine. Raymond Shepler, age 28, of St. Louis, was arrested for stealing electricity from the city. Shepler contrived a device to acquire electricity without paying for it. He pled guilty and paid a fine of $15. On a lighter side, Elmer Reed, age 53, of Detroit, admitted himself to the jail for a night’s lodging and breakfast. Reed received ten days in prison and a fine of $6.35 for vagrancy.

In September 1939, 62 people were convicted of breaking the law. Of these, 42 paid their fines for traffic violations. The county collected $444.35 in fines and costs from all lawbreakers.

In Alma, a new law went into effect for jaywalkers. Those who wandered wherever they wanted to cross a street, crossed during a red light, walked on the right side of the highway, or walked on a road that boarded a sidewalk were violators who now faced arrest.

Van Smaley of Perrinton, age 20, escaped a severe car wreck and crawled out of his automobile one Tuesday morning. The Smaley vehicle went off the highway, taking out a telephone pole and a distance of fence before stopping. His car was a complete wreck. Kenneth Peters, age 26, met Smaley at an intersection south of Ithaca on the fairground road and also suffered severe damages to his car. Part of the cause for the accident centered around Smaley going 55 miles per hour and a cornfield obstructing the corner. Peters was also lucky to have survived the incident.

Gratiot County also received a lady deputy sheriff—probably for the first time in the department’s history. Miss Frances Nagel, age 19, of Wheeler Township, graduated from high school and business school. Nagel was in charge of the new jail’s automobile operator’s license bureau and earned $15 a week for her salary. She took over the new job when Deputy Charles Powers shifted to night duty at the new jail.

And So We Do Not Forget

The Gratiot Rural Teachers Club Unit I met at Mrs. Elizaebeth Blackman’s home. The club welcomed any rural teachers from Bethany, Emerson, Lafayette, or Emerson Township. Twenty members and visitors enjoyed a chicken supper served Frankenmuth style…The Alma Child Study Club led a group of city organizations to start preparing plans for helping underprivileged children at Christmas…The search for oil at Smith Number 1 wildcat in New Haven Township was given up as the location was found dry…Fulton Township High School principal Marian Woodford announced that each class was responsible for presenting a school assembly program every two weeks. Henry Parfitt was elected President of the Class of 1940, Marjorie Todd as Vice-President,  and Martin (Chick) Richards as Secretary-Treasurer…Jack-O Lanterns were sold for five and ten cents each at Gay’s in Ithaca.

North Star School held its first school fair on October 19 and 20. The event featured agricultural exhibits, rural school field day races, and contests. A total of 228 entries were entered at the school exhibit, and six rural schools took part…”The Mystery Man of the Movies,” Captain John D. Craig, kicked off the first meeting of the Town Hall series at the Alma High School auditorium. Craig showed color movies of his adventures as a deepsea photographer to 700 people…Three pounds of lard cost 25 cents at Barrone’s Market in Ithaca…Elmer Warren McDonald, a Spanish-American War veteran, died. McDonald served the country from June 30, 1898, until the end of the war.

The Ithaca Chamber of Commerce planned a Halloween party for boys and girls on October 30…T.A. Beamish and his wife rushed to Detroit upon hearing that Beamish’s mother died as a result of complications from rabies. Mabel D’Haene had been bitten by a dog several weeks previously. She took the serum, but the end came in the form of complete paralysis. The mother was buried in Hemlock Cemetery…1940 automobile licenses went on sale, featuring a black on silver design. Licenses could be purchased at county branch offices in Alma and Ithaca…A committee recommended that the Gratiot Board of Supervisors construct a new garage for the county road commission.

The Ithaca Elevator Company offered a complimentary color and talking movie at the Ithaca High School gym entitled “Vitamins on Parade.” Dr. Cliff Carpenter planned to speak on “Solving Our Poultry Problems”…New York Yankees’ first baseman, Lou Gehrig, was appointed to the New York Municipal Parole Commission at $5,700 a year. Gehrig recently retired from baseball due to what would later be called “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”…St. Louis teachers turned in a large pile of oath forms to Superintendent T. S. Nurnberger. All people holding a Michigan teacher’s certificate had to file a notarized oath of allegiance…The Christian Church at East Saginaw and Franklin Streets in St. Louis had Bible School, two preaching services, and Christian Endeavor classes each Sunday. David Moore served as pastor…The city of Alma advertised the sale of city lots to be held on Saturday, October 14. A total of 25 lots were up for sale.

John Bickel of St. Louis was accidentally shot by his younger brother, Harley when he discharged a .22 caliber rifle while getting ready for school early one morning. The older Bickel, luckily, was only struck through the abdomen, with the bullet passing through the left side of the ribs. Dr. R.L. Waggoner was called in and took the boy to Smith Memorial Hospital. Still, the wound was pronounced as not being serious. Still, Harley Bickel received an anti-tetanus serum to prevent infection…St. Louis planned a big community Halloween party on October 31 for young people in the city. A parade started from the high school and marched downtown before the judges’ stand. Some of the categories included “Most Original Costume,” “Oldest Couple,” and “Largest Group.” Cider and doughnuts awaited all who participated. Cliff Carter, a St. Louis High 1936 graduate, played center on the Alma College football team. Carter was considered for all MIAA honors due to his play in that position…Should the City of Alma go to parallel or angle parking? While city streets connected to parts of state trunk line highways had to shift to parallel parking, the city commission remained undecided on the issue…the Recordio, which combined radio, phonograph, and public address system for making recordings, debuted at Sawkins Music Horse at 208. E. Superior. No price was advertised…Several Alma stores displayed Halloween novelties and masks through window displays. Need a Goblin costume?

 The Jean Bessac Chapter of the Daughters of American Revolution was organized at the home of Miss Lou Nickerson at 211 West Downie Street. Twenty Daughters of the American Revolution were present for the meeting. Nickerson was a direct descendant of Jean Bessac. The next meeting was scheduled for November 2…Michigan Bean Company of Alma sold Kopper’s Coal, which is dirt-free and virtually ash-free. Phone 270 for details…Veterans and their families were invited to attend a Halloween party at the American Legion Hall on October 31. Legionnaires were also invited…R.B. Smith Memorial Hospital had its annual meeting. Doctor H.B. Lehner chaired the meeting, and secretary Mrs. Sadie Soule read the minutes…The George Myers Post planned the 21^st annual Armistice Day observances in Alma. While planning to have a colorful parade, musical units, and a short program at the intersection of State and Superior Streets, one of the challenges this year would be that Armistice Day fell on a Saturday…Alma High School announced the purchase of fifty new band uniforms, all in school colors.

Several fire alarms went off in Alma by mid-October. Two called for assistance; one was a false alarm. Fire number 31 of the year was a false alarm. Number 32 went out to the Fred Gilkins farm on Grafton Avenue. The fire caused $10 in damage before being put out with chemicals and water. Number 33 took place at Model Bakery when an overstocked coal bin pushed boards near a heater on the wall. That fire caused $150 in damages. Another false alarm occurred when a woman called Fire Chief Fred Stearns and set off an alarm. She did not know it, but Stearns’ phone had been connected to the fire department office. The woman also did not realize that the Alma Fire Department used volunteers…Bert Gee of New Haven Township was killed while digging a slush pit for an oil well. Gee worked 11 miles west and one-half mile south of Ithaca. Gee, age 65, suffered a heart attack. He left a wife and a young son…Phone 646 to reserve a lane to bowl at Alma Recreation on weekdays from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm or Sundays from 1:00 pm to 12:00 pm.

”Mr. Smith Goes to Washington” opened at the Strand Theatre for three days. This picture was the first showing of the movie in the state of Michigan. Jimmy Stewart played the lead role in this movie, which had a run time of 2 hours, 30 minutes…Michigan continued to lead the drive against pneumonia. Serums were available for Types 1 and 2…One of the new things people noticed in Alma bowling alleys was the debut of new team shirts. The names of sponsors appeared on the back of each shirt…Should the City of St. Louis purchase the Gratiot County bank property at Mill and Center to be used for a city hall? This was the decision voters would face in April…Dr. Merton S. Rice, a well-known Methodist pastor and nationally known speaker, appeared at Alma’s First Methodist Church. A large crowd was expected to attend…The first meeting of the Alma Lions’ Club occurred in attorney J. David Sullivan’s office in Alma. The group was expected to begin with a charter membership of 20 people.

Mrs. Jennie Miner purchased the first brick building built in Alma. The Delavan House was completed in the fall of 1881 and was considered the finest home in Alma for many years…Carol Lee Monnette, born in St. Louis and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.J. Davis, appeared on the Milton Cross Bus Program over a New York City radio station. Lee was five years old and sang “Oh, Something Has Happened to My Little Bisque Doll”…Sherman Summerville lost his barn in an undetermined blaze that cost him $5,000. He lost fifty sheep, valuable machinery, and much hay and grain.

And that was Gratiot County during Depression and War in October 1939.

Copyright 2024 James M. Goodspeed

Above: Cecil B. DeMille’s epic arrives at the Strand in July 1925; vaudeville was also a part of going to movie theatres in the 1920s. At the Strand, acts took place once a week in December 1921; the Idlehour Theater was the other competition in Alma. It sought to compete with the new Strand Theatre up the street. Advertisement from July 12, 1923.

As America entered peacetime and started its journey into the 1920s, big movies, and new entertainment came to Gratiot County. World War I, the most significant and deadly conflict in human history to that date, remained a prominent theme. Mack Sennett’s “Yankee Doodle in Berlin” was one of the first major movies to come to the Strand Theatre just after it opened in early 1920. Other big draws included:  “Tarzan,” “The Sheik,” and “The Ten Commandments.” One of the most popular movies, “The Phantom of the Opera,” came to the Idlehour Theatre in November 1925 and immediately sold out. By that time, matinees in 1920 only cost a viewer 11 cents. By 1925, tickets rose to a quarter.

The popularity of movies after World War I brought with them public concerns. Content in some films, as well as news coverage of the personal lives of movie stars, led to calls for censorship. Fatty Arbuckle, a well-known Hollywood actor, was reportedly involved in a booze party and the murder of a young Hollywood actress. As his story unfolded in the press, “Hollywood morals” became a topic of concern nationwide. Clergy and national and state politicians argued for censorship out of fear of how movies affected young people and children. In Gratiot County, some citizens urged the Alma City Commission to become involved by ordering local censorship. However, there is no evidence that the commission ever intervened.

In addition to movies, local theatres in the 1920s frequently showed musicals and vaudeville acts. A nationally known musical, “Robin Hood,” featuring fifty players, brought many to the Strand in 1920. Still, a special stage had to be built due to the size of the play. The mysterious Nalla Axmi informed people in Alma that he could read their minds. In an Alma Record advertisement, people were told to write down any question before coming to the Strand Theatre, and the mystic could answer it. Advertisements read, “ASK HIM – HE KNOWS.”  “The Cat and the Canary,” a famous murder mystery play, entertained viewers in late 1925. Other performers like the Blackaller Players, the Sunshine Revue, and Bell’s Famous Hawaiians came to Alma, usually on weekends. Theatres frequently turned to agencies to book a traveling vaudeville act. Baby Dodo Reid, a well-known six-year-old entertainer, came to Alma in 1922 with great acclaim to draw people. During the summer, local merchants offered free vaudeville performances to drum up business.

Movie owners used other ideas to attract people to the movies in Alma. The Strand Theatre announced its first arrangement with a lyceum course, bringing dramas, professional artists, and lecturers. After the war, money made from some ticket sales went to organizations that helped starving children in Europe. In the fall, the Strand offered free movies for area farmers. In another promotion, some moviegoers were once surprised when, after a vaudeville performance, a well-known young couple got married on a Friday night. The newlyweds, never publicly named, received fifty dollars from the theatre and gifts from area merchants.

  The Strand put in a new pipe organ solo a year after it opened, enabling moviegoers to sing along as songs appeared on the curtain. By late 1921, the Strand installed a new heating system during the winter to improve circulation. A new screen called a Gardiner Velvet Gold Fibcare Screen and new satin curtains also debuted. Supposedly, viewers could now pick out differences in tone in a black-and-white picture, and the curtain gave sharper, more detailed images without hurting one’s eyesight. Yes, the movie business in Alma was taking off and improving in the first half of the 1920s.

Copyright 2024 James M. Goodspeed

 

From the top, Scoville Meetings: headlines from the Alma Record announce the coming of Charles Reign Scoville’s revival meetings; a Scoville meeting for “men only,” held in Akron, Ohio probably ten years before the Tri-County Meetings which centered around Alma; undated Scoville publicity photograph taken prior to arrival in Gratiot County.

In June of 1926, a hurricane rolled into Gratiot County. However, this time, it was not a storm but the coming of Evangelist Charles Reign Scoville and the Tri-County Crusade. These religious meetings took place primarily in Gratiot County, featuring one of the leading American evangelists of the early twentieth century.

Scoville had been an evangelist for eighteen years, having conducted many successful meetings in major cities in the United States and Australia. A well-educated man who had also served briefly as a Chicago pastor before coming to Alma, Scoville reportedly once spoke to more people in a single religious campaign in the United States at that time than any other living evangelist.   In one meeting in Oklahoma, he saw over 1500 people converted. Another campaign in Anderson, Indiana, made national headlines because it was the most extensive campaign held in a church building by one congregation, gaining over 1200 converts. Even Billy Sunday, a leading evangelist in America in the 1920s, believed Scoville then to be the most outstanding evangelistic speaker in America.

  The Christian Church and its congregations in three mid-Michigan counties hosted many Scoville Meetings. While other congregations participated, the Alma East Superior Christian Church became the central location. Initially, Scoville’s coming to Alma led to announcements that the church probably could not contain everyone and that a large tent would be needed outside to seat everyone. Because of Scoville’s notoriety, area churches began to reserve seats well in advance to attend one of the East Superior Christian Church services.

 A frontman, Samuel Bishop Pack, arrived in Alma days ahead of the rest of the Scoville team to guide the churches and to tell them what to expect. Fresh off of meetings in Winston Salem, North Carolina, the five-person Scoville team started the Alma meetings on May 30, 1926. Arlene Dux Scoville, the evangelist’s wife, came as part of the team and was one of the most accomplished soloists of 1920s gospel music. 

However, Charles Reign Scoville’s preaching drew people into the churches like a magnet – and the people came. Speaking often twice a day, and frequently three times on a Sunday, “with impassioned gesticulation, his voice trembling with emotion, his eyes flashing fire, his forehead furrowed with frowns of contempt,” Scoville was like a machine gun, easily uttering 250 words per minute. As audiences sat listening intently to this evangelist, it was clearly evident that Scoville knew how to preach. Every ear of the listeners remained alert, and every eye was on him during services. Observers noted that those who usually slept in church stayed awake and remained engaged during Scoville’s topics. On one evening, his famous sermon, “Traps and Tricks of the White Slavers,”  warned Gratiot County about the dangers and evil of white slavery. In this message, Scoville detailed how girls as young as twelve were stolen every year in American cities, never to be heard from again.

Other messages dealt with the evils of bootlegging and how America could never repeal Prohibition. In addition, Scoville proclaimed that bootleggers also needed to be thrown in jail until they died and all of their property confiscated. During a patriotic rally on a Tuesday, Scoville and his wife donned their army uniforms from World War I, describing how they had served during the war. When he was not preaching, Scoville went out and visited many places in Gratiot County, such as schools, businesses, factories, and community organizations. Through all of this, his charisma and personal approach appealed to many.

At the end of each meeting,  people came forward, shook Scoville’s hand, and then headed to “the inquiry room,”  signifying their answer to Scoville’s message and acceptance of Christ. In many churches, the Scoville services became the greatest ever held in that church or town. By the time the meetings concluded on June 27, 1926, almost 400 people had been converted, and the Scoville meetings shook Gratiot County.

Copyright 2024 James M. Goodspeed