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Gratiot County During Depression and War, February 1941: ‘What to Do as Winter Continues”

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February 1941 from the top: “The Light That Must Not Fail” from February 20, 1941, Alma Record-Alma Journal; the St. Louis boys basketball team celebrates a league championship; Gratiot County loses its last tie to the Civil War as Elm Hall resident Jasper Norton passes; winter was in full stride but Gratiot County farmers could find several things to do like attending this meeting in Ithaca in late February.

The dead of winter continued into February with the holidays long over.

News from the war involving Nazi Germany and England continued to sound troubling.

The third set of Gratiot’s young men went off as volunteers stepped up for training.

Communities experienced some of the New Deal programs that gave people – especially young people – something to do.

Yet even in winter, Gratiot County farmers planned for the upcoming farming season.

It was February 1941 in Gratiot County

News as Gratiot County Drifts Toward War

War news from England continued to sound grim as that island nation endured relentless Nazi attacks, later termed “The Blitz.” To illustrate the impact locally, Mrs. Frank Altenberg of Newark Township hosted her uncle, William T. Hill, visiting from England in 1939. Hill now sent a letter to a Carson City family member, which was published in the Gratiot County Herald, describing how his family in Belvidere, Kent, withstood nightly raids. Hill wrote, “We had not had a raid for nearly 48 hours. In fact, we were all able to go to bed last night, also the night before; that is the first time since the end of August, so you can bet it came as a treat.” Hill added the sentiment shared by many Britons: “It’s a great thing we can rely on your country for the great help we are getting. As long as the U.S.A. keeps us going with ships and planes, we will find the men to man them until Hitler and his murderers are finished.”

While Gratiot County’s residents read news from overseas, debates about American involvement intensified at home. Some Americans continued to oppose President Roosevelt’s Lend-Lease policy, which allowed the United States to aid Great Britain. Republicans complained that Roosevelt wielded more power than Prime Minister Churchill and that America failed to hold Roosevelt accountable for his policies. Regardless, the Lend-Lease Act, which provided free food, oil, and materials to several nations, would soon be signed into law, and Gratiot County residents were urged to read the act (H.R. Bill 1776) for themselves in the Gratiot County Herald. To understand why America should help Britain, maps in local newspapers continued to educate the American public about the Axis threat spreading to other countries, especially in the Mediterranean. Some maps showed probable Nazi invasion routes and bombing plans in their attempts to fully conquer the West.

As these international discussions continued, Gratiot County residents sought tangible ways to help those affected by war. Gratiot people could help Europe by contributing to the Greek Relief Fund. Led by James Stamas of Alma, this drive raised funds for the families of Greek soldiers in need of food, medicine, or clothing. By early February, it raised $866.19. Nationally, on February 8, the National Broadcasting Company aired an hour-long radio program called “Calling America” to request more Greek Relief funds. Among early donors in February in Alma were Walker’s Electric Shop, Dr. R.A. Wilcox, and Clarence Hankel.

One word that occurred repeatedly in Gratiot County and in America was “defense,” as in defense classes and school defense projects. Alma city and school officials reached an agreement with the National Youth Administration to lease the Washington School building and hold classes there. Under this agreement, the NYA held shop classes for young men and women ages 17 to 24. Programs included mechanical work for men and weaving, sewing, and a hot-lunch project for women. The Alma Board of Education agreed to condition the building for use; the city paid for heating ($150 per month); and the NYA provided trained instructors, full shop equipment, and all electrical needs. Newspapers reported that the program hoped to enroll more than 100 young men. Another set of defense classes was planned at St. Louis High School for young men between 18 and 25 who were out of school. These classes focused on carpentry, blueprint reading, maintenance, and building construction. Twelve men were needed, and Art Stinson served as shop instructor. After the first meeting, 16 men attended the class. By the end of February, LeRoy W. Layman supervised male activities in the woodworking shop. Layman had served as production man and superintendent of the Alma Trailer plant. Mrs. Frank Bennett supervised the girls’ and young women’s work with weaving, sewing, and the hot lunch projects. Bennett was also from Alma.

The American Legion attempted to engage with World War veterans by distributing voluntary questionnaires, regardless of whether respondents were members of the Legion. The questionnaires asked veterans to fill them out in order to “assist constituted authorities in certain capacities if requested, as well as reporting on the qualifications and capacities” for national defense. All participation was declared voluntary.

For most people, the draft most clearly tied Gratiot County to a possible war. To fill Gratiot County’s third service quota, 14 volunteers left for Saginaw on February 12. They met friends and relatives at Alma draft headquarters, then went to the American Legion Hall. A bus picked them up at 5:45. The group included Marcus Steele of Elwell and Franklin Frank Klein of Ithaca. When four men failed their physicals, three men from Breckenridge (Matthew Feith, Don Eugene Randall, and Tony Zoster) and one from Alma (Selas George Cole) volunteered to replace them. Many from around the state complained that men passed county physicals but failed Army physicals.

The Traveling Flying Cadet Examining Board came to Saginaw to recruit young men to become flyers. The board spent one week in Saginaw and invited young men from Alma College who had at least 2 years of schooling to consider joining and becoming ranked as high as second lieutenants. If a young man was on track to graduate in June, he could apply now and request that his training appointment be deferred until the summer. All these young applicants had to do was get to the Saginaw National Guard Armory. Those who missed this opportunity would have to go to Selfridge Field.

To present Army life after induction as pretty good, the Gratiot Draft Board sometimes published a letter from someone who entered the service. William Leonard of St. Louis wrote, “The Army is not so bad. There is enough to eat and enough to do to keep us out of mischief. We have 13 weeks of hard drilling, and then it is quite easy.” Leonard also loved the weather while serving with the 6th Coast Artillery Regiment at Fort Baker in San Francisco, California. Clarence Husted, 19, of Ithaca, appeared on the front page of the Gratiot County Herald after he enlisted in the Army Air Corps and went off to Scotts Field, an Army training field in southern Illinois. An only son, Husted’s father was a World War veteran who died from tuberculosis contracted during his service. He died when his son was only a year old.

While Gratiot County looked forward to new challenges, it also paused to honor its past. One veteran’s story from the past was published in February, as the county recognized the loss of its last Civil War veteran. Jasper Norton of Elm Hall died at the age of 95 after living an unusually active life around his home and village. Norton enlisted in the Union Army at age 16 as a member of Company D, 12th Michigan Infantry. He saw action in many skirmishes and was wounded at the Battle of Camden, Arkansas. He married in 1871 and moved to Elm Hall. Jasper Norton’s death marked Gratiot County’s last tie to the Civil War.

Life in Gratiot County During the Depression and New Deal Programs

Signs of the Great Depression were still evident among Gratiot residents in February. The welfare committee of the St. Louis City Council and Nonpareil Club called for donations of new or slightly used clothing for adults and children. Donations could be left in the fire department room at City Hall. The AAA office in Gratiot County announced that it received over 600 applications for one carload of cotton mattresses. A group of seven people representing home economics groups in the county went to Mt. Pleasant to learn how to stuff and make cotton mattresses for AAA. Work on creating mattresses for Gratiot County would be done on rainy days and in the evenings during the spring. Anyone who wanted to see what the mattresses looked like could visit the Gratiot County courthouse to view some on display.

Overall job placements in the county exceeded those for January 1940, according to the Alma district office of the Michigan State Unemployment Service. A total of 99 placements for regular and temporary jobs took place. Regular jobs lasted more than 1 month; temporary jobs lasted less than 1 month. The MESC office in Alma advertised openings for skilled positions, including bench molders, floor molders, turret lathe operators, tool grinders, and automatic screw machine operators. How many people in the county actually were qualified was another question. Another concern in February centered on Consumers Power workers, who were rumored to go on strike in early March. What would happen to lights and electricity?

Probably the saddest story involving the Depression involved an altercation between Theodore Adams of Alma for his assault and battery upon C.J. Chambers, Gratiot County social welfare commission director. Adams claimed his family was in dire need and faced eviction from their home, and he had been denied access to the director’s office. After being involved in an argument, Adams waited for Chambers, grabbed him by the neck, and forced him against a wall. Observers called the Sheriff’s department, who soon arrived and stopped the altercation. Theodore Adams went to court, pled guilty, and accepted jail time rather than pay $14.85 in fines and costs. Adams claimed it was now up to the county to support his family. Newspapers reported that Adams had difficulty finding work to support his family. The family apparently received relief while Adams was in jail.

New Deal programs from the National Youth Administration (NYA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) remained very active during the winter months. After a week of preparation by NYA workers, the planned Ice Carnival in Alma had to be postponed due to a February thaw. As a result, the planned speed and feature skating contest above the dam had to be postponed due to melting ice. However, people could come to view the snow sculptures of an igloo and a fortress, as well as use the sled slide at Turck Beach. A week later, the postponed speed skating and novelty contests took place despite a gale that made skating on the river difficult. Approximately 50 girls, boys, and adults participated in the carnival. Loren Eyer and Phyllis Babcock were among several first-place winners. A group of NYA boys was responsible for keeping the ice in good condition, as the weather permitted. Another part of being involved in a NYA program meant that workers in Gratiot County eventually became eligible for NYA health exams. Those employed in out-of-school projects underwent physical exams in Ingham, Clinton, Livingston, and Eaton counties. Designed to find physical flaws in NYA youth, these exams were expected to be offered in Gratiot County in the near future.

The WPA Recreation Department received permission from the Alma city manager to use the public address system during times when people skated on the river. Skaters heard music on Tuesday and Thursday nights and Sunday afternoons. The WPA also set up floodlighting for skaters. The Sawkins Music Company offered the use of suitable records for skating. Other towns in Gratiot County also wanted WPA workers and their programs, but were informed that a WPA leader assigned to that location meant the town had to provide housing and that the worker would first have to complete two weeks of WPA training. A new recreation project began in Riverdale, offering both indoor and outdoor programs under the direction of John Porter of Alma. Some of the work there included plans to bank and flood the school playground for skating. Also, the high school gymnasium would be used one night each week for indoor recreation for adults and young people. The WPA honored its workers by offering its first family night at Alma High School for 300 workers and their families. Children’s contests included cracker-eating and balloon-blowing. Lester Fillhard and Harry Scholtz played their electric guitars for entertainment, and Reverend Gilbert Appelhof gave a short talk on family life. Grace Rowell and Darrell Milstead served as the program’s leaders, as the program was expected to go on monthly.

Farming in Gratiot County – in the Winter!

February 1941 featured a variety of news events related to farmers, even as winter continued. Large crowds of interested farmers visited the new St. Louis Co-Operative Creamery. The new processing plant cost $55,000, and an estimated 800 people attended the Creamery’s annual business meeting in the St. Louis High School auditorium. Over 1,000 people attended the association’s lunches, many of them at local restaurants that hosted the overflow. During the meeting, Fred Pernert retired as director of the Creamery but continued as manager. Pernert had served the association for 25 years.

A big issue for farmers and hunters involved the proposal to ban all Sunday hunting in Gratiot County. If the ban went into effect, even landowners would be prohibited from hunting on their land on the Sabbath. Some in the county saw the ban as a good way to stop careless hunters from damaging their crops and fields, many of whom came from outside Gratiot County during pheasant season. Another argument was that some farmers could only hunt on Sundays because of their work. In response to concerns from both sides, county hunting club officers planned to meet in early March to learn more about the proposal.

A sad bit of hunting news appeared in newspapers when John Young died in a hunting accident north of Elwell. It happened when Young tried to step over a low wire fence, lost his balance, and discharged his gun, killing him instantly. The public recalled that Young worked at Swift and Company in Alma for 26 years as yard manager and was considered a national expert on duck raising. More bad news came from the Ray Swigart in southern Gratiot County when a 2 ½ year boy, Garth Redman, drowned in a creek 1 ¼ miles south of Middleton. The boy had played with a puppy and followed the dog near a stream, apparently falling into the swift waters. While an observer found the lad and called for help, the child failed to respond to resuscitation.

In other farm news, Fulton farmers watched moving pictures at the Fulton Farmers Club at the home of W.G. Troub. Up at Alma FFA held a father-son banquet in the Junior High Gymnasium on February 20. After dinner, Walter Illsley, a Muskegon farm boy who lived in Germany for 10 months, planned to talk about his experiences in Germany, Denmark, and Norway. Illsley attended Michigan State College. The Gratiot County Social Welfare Commission struggled with the issue of 125 Mexican beet migrant workers who stayed in Gratiot County during the winter and applied for relief. As state laws permitted them to return home, sugar beet companies were contacted to ask how to return the workers. The problem of employing underage field workers in beet fields has resurfaced, this time in claims that farmers and companies received federal subsidies and violated the law by using young workers. If confirmed, growers in both St.Louis and Alma could be affected by these penalties, dating back to 1939.

Farmers received invitations to attend a special spring meeting at Ithaca High School Gymnasium on March 7, and a free lunch would be served. On the other end of the village, “Get Acquainted Day” took place at Johnson Farm Equipment Store on a Saturday. A group of 600 people attended the program, received a cafeteria-style lunch, and listened to music performed by the Johnson family. In other news, education programs continued at the state and county levels, and farmers were warned again to be on guard against the corn borer problem in 1941. As a reminder, Gratiot County suffered more damage from corn borer in 1940 than any other Michigan county. People were also told that last year’s six-month dog quarantine effect seemed to be wearing off in the 47 lower Michigan counties. A rise in rabies-related infections occurred after 32 dog heads were sent to Lansing for rabies testing. This all meant more quarantines in the future.

The Long Arm of the Law

Reports in local newspapers showed that 48 cases appeared in county courts in January. Most of the violations involved traffic incidents, but five involved illegal trapping and transporting venison. As a result, fines and costs raised $299.45 for the county. However, there were disturbing cases like the theft of Mrs. Ruth Hutchins’ 1935 Chevrolet Coach from in front of the Alma Library on a Friday night. Thanks to a tip, the car was later found in the front yard of the home of one John Delmont Evans, 18, of Edmore. It turned out that Evans was home from training at Camp Custer and took the car when he discovered it running on the street in Alma. Upon discovery by the State Police, the Mrs. Hutchins’ Coach was found outside of Edmore missing its spare tire (which had been sold), stalled in a snowbank and covered in mud, had a broken front bumper, a torn rear fender, and contained a dry radiator. Basically, Mrs. Hutchins’ car was ruined. In response to this, John Delmont Evans found himself locked up in the guardhouse at Camp Custer while his father continued to hope that Army life would settle down his wayward son.

Another tough case in the county involved Miss Henrietta Kerby, 92, of Arcada Township. Kerby’s nephew asked the Gratiot probate court to appoint a guardian for the elderly lady, as her mental faculties had declined. An estate worth an estimated $20,000 was the reason family members became concerned about the lady’s decline, and that she had somehow deeded 280 acres of land near Houserville to Mr. and Mrs. Clark Wood on a life lease. As Kerby was bedridden and unable to conduct her affairs, Judge Matthews was now involved and heard the matter. The ever-drinking, ever-driving Cornelius Eichorn of Emerson Township received a $20 fine, $30 in costs, and 15 days in jail for driving without a license. Eichorn was a very familiar name in the courts in 1940-1941. Mrs. Mazel Ellsworth’s story continued in the local jail and in the courtroom as her arson charges progressed, even after she had spent almost two months in jail for failing to provide a $1,000 bond. After considerable time in jail, she confessed to starting a fire in her home to collect insurance money, then she changed her mind and renounced her plea in front of the judge, talking in a barely audible tone of voice. The drama continued. In another case, William Farrell, 50, of Alma, was charged with committing offenses with two CCC boys who were hitchhiking on a trunk highway. Farrell’s attorney said the story and charges were false and would be proven in a March trial.

In other lawful matters, a total of 29 descriptions sold at the state land board’s auction at the courthouse for $4,869. Most of the properties were in Alma, and more than 100 people attended the auctions. The last day to pay 1940 taxes for Alma taxpayers was February 28. Pet owners ere were warned that unpaid dog licenses would be returned to the county treasurer for final settlement. Then there was news that a new citizenship program for aliens who wanted American citizenship was held at St. Louis High School. Fourteen people then received cards to take their final examinations under sponsorship from the Jean Bessac Chapter of the DAR. Some of those who later attended their naturalization hearing at the Ithaca courthouse included Joseph Hassen, a native of Syria and resident of St. Louis; Joseph Witschi, a native of Switzerland and resident of St. Louis Route 2; and John Pappademetrakopoulos, a native of Greece and resident of Alma. In the end, nine of the candidates received citizenship, three continued the process, and two were denied. At the end of their confirmation, the group learned about the American flag, took the Pledge of Allegiance, and received a miniature flag of their own.

Twenty-three years after Gratiot County’s “Trial of the Century,” Alma attorney J. David Sullivan found a link to the trial in a table drawer in the Gratiot County Circuit Court chamber. Notes regarding the trial of Albert Eichorn for the murder of Beatrice Epler could be found on a yellow sheet of paper that somehow survived over two decades. Strangely, the current Judge Kelly Searl served as the attorney in the case and identified his own handwriting after viewing the paper. Another then participant, Attorney Charles Goggin of Alma, also remembered the case and Albert Eichorn’s involvement when he was shown the document. The paper had been inside the drawer since 1918.

Issues of Health and Living in Gratiot County

Warnings and consequences about poor public health remained in the news. Doris McCumber of Fulton Township lost her 2 ½ month old baby to sudden pneumonia.  She and her family were devastated. A St. Louis woman, Mary Koval, 52, lost her two-year battle against tuberculosis at the Ingham County Tuberculosis Hospital in Lansing. She was born in Austria-Hungary, came to Chicago at age sixteen, returned to Austria, and then came to the United States for good. The Kovals lived near St. Louis for the last five years.

The creation of a countywide health department and the presence of a county health nurse for everyone remained a topic of discussion and debate. Smith Memorial Hospital announced that the new incubator at the hospital was serving the Switzer twins, who were born prematurely. Jimmy and Johnny Switzer were the sons of Franklin Switzer of Mio and formerly of Shepherd.

And So We Do Not Forget

The county planned on six more weeks of winter as the groundhog saw his shadow on Sunday, February 2…Rowley and Church in St. Louis planned to enlarge and improve their gas station. They just received a wholesale and retail distributorship of products from Roosevelt Oil Company in Mt. Pleasant. As a result, the station planned a three-day sale of its new products…The Alma Ministerial Association planned to lead a series of inter-church preaching mission services from March 17-21. Services would take place in different Alma churches each night…Charles L. Delavan, age 89, died in Florida after being hit by a car in Fernandino, Florida. Delavan was active in Alma business affairs for nearly fifty years and was the son of the man who built the first brick store in Alma…Wyllys’ Distributing Company in Alma advertised Firestone tractor tires and tractor oil for $2.50 per 5 gallons. Wyllys’ did business across from Leonard Refineries.

“Gone With the Wind” returned to Gratiot County for the second time at the Strand Theatre for three days. Movie receipts equaled those received in the spring of 1940. Matinees cost 40 cents and evening showings 55 cents (down from 75 and $1.10 in 1940). Some in the audience watched the movie for the second or third time. Ithaca’s Ideal Theatre also featured a short run of the same movie…Hickerson Chevrolet on Gratiot Avenue in Alma advertised their new 1941 Chevrolet – “Eye it, Try it, Buy it!” with its 90 horsepower engine, Tiptoe-Matic Clutch, and box-girder frame. No price advertised….Talented actress Cornelia Otis Skinner held the attention of over 600 people in the audience at Alma High School’s auditorium as she gave a one-person performance of character sketches and monologues. Skinner largely used scarves of different sizes, shapes, and colors to affect the characters she played. Four Gratiot County Rotary Clubs sponsored the event…Alfred J. Fortino, 26, of Alma, married Mary Alice Damon, 24, of Romeo, Michigan.

Healthy Horehound Candy was again in the news from St. Louis. A Detroit News columnist bemoaned the lack of places still making the famous candy. Walter H. Fuller of St. Louis wrote to the columnist to remind him that St. Louis had been a center of the candy industry for over forty years and sent the paper samples. The editorial staff agreed that the St. Louis candy was the best…The Gratiot County Rural School Festival is planned as six district events, beginning the week of May 12. The performances featured chorus singing, folk games, and high school bands. The program shifted to different locations after two years in Alma…A Boy Scout pancake supper at St. Louis High School drew over 100 eaters for over 500 pancakes and raised $27.25 for new troop equipment…Mrs. W.G. Troub of Middleton suffered a serious injury when she was hit by a Newark Township driver as she crossed the street in front of her home…The rush was on as people waited until the last minute to renew their license plates before the March 1 deadline. Applicants got them on the second floor of the Alma Record building and the County Clerk’s office in Ithaca. Better get there early!

The St. Louis High School basketball team won the Valley C Championship title by defeating Ithaca, 30-18. The win was the team’s ninth league victory in a row. Elliot Oldt coached the young St. Louis men…The Danceland Ballroom in Alma underwent changes in management and entertainment. Jim Hanners took over the management while Bernie Blair led as the new “sax man.” Gents cost 35 cents, and ladies are admitted for only 15 cents…See Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette in “Ridin’ on a Rainbow” at the Alma Theatre for 10 and 15 cents for news, cartoon, and picture people…The Varsity Shop in Alma offered Ernest Hemingway’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls” as the first installment of the Book-of-the-Month-Club for $2.75…The thermometer in Alma on early Monday morning, February 17, hit two below zero, only a degree away from the coldest day so far in Gratiot County…For St. Valentine’s Day, pick up your red heart-shaped boxes at almost any candy, drug, or dime store in the county.

The Vestaburg Independents beat the Riverdale Tartars in basketball in the Riverdale gymnasium on a Monday night. The final score: Vestaburg 38, Riverdale 31…Delbert and Darrell Towersey found out that guns caused problems as they engaged in target practice on the way home from school. After school one Friday, the boys aimed for one target, hit it, and then a ricochet hit Delbert in the eye. Medical treatment indicated no permanent injury, and he returned to school the next week. Fredrickson Motor Sales of Alma moved again, this time to the old Elks’ temple building at 315-317 East Superior Street. Prior to this, Pung Motor Sales occupied the location, which was originally home to John Hall’s McHugh Motor Company…People in the county mourned the death of young Maurice Slavins, 18, an active 4-H leader and participant from New Haven Township. Slavens, who attended Ithaca High School, died from diabetic complications.

Buy an ABC Washer for $59.95 from Consumers Power Company in Alma. Save $20, pay $5 down, and as little as 53 cents per week…Optometrist Harvey B. Thompson of Ithaca debuted as the first in a series of “Gratiot Men at Their Work” in the Gratiot County Herald. Thompson learned to become an optometrist through diligent study at home, correspondence courses, and the best available books…Tom Worden of Pompeii lost his garage in an early Tuesday morning fire. While moving to the rooms over his garage, he built a fire in the living room and went down to unload his truck. By the time he returned, the entire upstairs was engulfed in flames. He saved many of his contents in the garage but had no insurance on the house or its contents…The Gideons held a rally in Ithaca on February 9 and also supplied speakers to many churches in the county. A group of Christian businessmen and salesmen, the Gideons, placed Bibles in many places for people to encounter and read…Edward G. Robinson starred in “A Dispatch from Reuters” at the Ideal Theatre for three nights. Admission costs 10 and 15 cents for a movie, news, Merrie Melody, and a Pete Smith Specialty.

The Fulton Pirates basketball team defeated Laingsburg 39-16 at home. Many fouls on both sides marred the game. Babcock, McKenna, Brauher, Kennett, and Cole made up the starting lineup for Fulton…John L. Allen, age 80, died in Flushing, Michigan. Allen was believed to be the first white child born in Gratiot County, the son of Hamilton and Phoebe Allen in Wheeler Township…Buy a DeSoto from N.J. Roth in Breckenridge. Drivers did not have to use the gear shift lever or clutch for normal driving.

And that was February 1941 in Gratiot County, during the Depression and War.

Copyright 2026 James M. Goodspeed

We Remember “Those L & L Laws: Lewd and Lascivious Behavior in Old Gratiot County”

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Above: A post-World War I circuit court record of one Gratiot County couple who were arrested and tried for the crime of cohabitation. Ellis Mumby, age 26, was found guilty and sentenced to six months in the Ionia Reformatory.

In December 1921, there came a knock at the door of the dwelling of Joseph Yucek and Sophia Lastuk, who then lived in a remote part of North Shade Township. The Gratiot County sheriff, along with his deputy, tells the couple, “You are both under arrest.” The couple is loaded into the sheriff’s car, and the group begins the trip back to Ithaca. Upon arrival, Joseph and Sophia are held in custody until their court appearance.

Once in front of the judge, the pair is asked how they desire to plead. The pair face a potential judgment of either jail time, fines, or being sent to Jackson State Prison or the Women’s Reformatory in Detroit. If they are lucky, they get only a fine.

What was their crime? Joseph Yucek and Sophia Lastuk have been found in violation of lewd and lascivious behavior – the crime in Gratiot County of living together outside the bounds of marriage.

For many at that time, it was called cohabitating. However, the public might later call it “shacking up,” “living in sin,” “moving in,” “a trial marriage,” or “living together.” Today, most people find it absurd that such a law would deal with a couple’s personal lives, as it did for Yucek and Lastuk. However, arrests for cohabitating did happen here in Gratiot County, and they happened frequently in the 1920s and 1930s.

 Starting during World War I and running up until World War II, Gratiot County circuit court records show that at least 33 couples appeared in court for the crime of cohabitation. It is often difficult to determine the exact consequences for many of these cohabitating couples who were arrested for “L and L” or “L and L (lewd and lascivious) behavior.” Many experienced consequences for being caught. Upon examination, these circuit court cases frequently only reveal the names of the offenders, where they lived, and the charges brought against them.

The following is a brief list of some of the couples in Gratiot County who were brought to court for “L and L.” In the spring of 1922, Earl Berry and Mildred Lyon were the first in the group to each receive a sentence of six months to a year in prison. Berry spent his time in Ionia, but it is unclear where Lyon went. In another case in 1925, a couple identified as Archie Bell Johnson and Lena Dunkel were found not only guilty of violating the marriage law, but also were taken into custody to be treated for a social disease (syphilis). In 1926, Durwood Jones and Genevieve Dickerson from St. Louis were each sentenced to four days in jail and subsequently served probation for their offense. They got off relatively easily. Possibly, they agreed to separate or get married. In late 1926, Steve Skibinski and a young girl named Clara Cass were busted after checking in at the Wright House in Alma after someone tipped off police because they looked suspicious. Their contrasting age differences were probably a tip-off, and someone contacted the Alma police. Skibinski was quite a bit older than Cass. It is not clear what their consequences were.

 In October 1927, Donald Girvin was arrested for being unlawfully wed to another woman while trying to remarry and was convicted of committing perjury. As in similar cases, one of the parties involved did not disclose their actual legal age for marriage. Usually, the girl was sixteen or younger and might only wed with the permission of her parents. By lying about her age, the girl was guilty of perjury. There were also cases where someone faced arrest for lying or claiming ignorance about not being legally divorced in another county before getting married and committing bigamy. In one case, Donald Robinson and Mabel Ottinger were arrested for “L and L.” Still, they also got off relatively easily in January 1932, paying only a $25 fine. In another case in 1936, Levi Hunnnicut and a girl named Geraldine got a $40 fine and had to pay 50 cents a week in probation fees as part of their punishment. In still another case in late 1937, two couples were caught cohabiting in Gratiot County at the same time. It is unclear what the connection was between the two arrests, only that their charges came under “L and L.”

One would ask today, why would these people be arrested, and why was this particular “crime” such a concern in Gratiot County? Looking back, there could have been several reasons why couples faced prosecution for “L and L” crimes.

First, the role of the church in early 20th-century Gratiot County likely had a significant impact on why couples hid or concealed this behavior. In both Catholic and Protestant churches, marriage was considered in high esteem. It was what couples were supposed to commit to at the appropriate time. Yet, cohabitation in Gratiot County happened and was most likely an open secret in many areas. Another reason for prosecuting this crime involved both legal requirements and health considerations. One similarity between getting married in 1925 and 2025 is the process of applying for and paying for a valid marriage license. Marriage licenses, like other licenses, remained a public record, but also brought in money as a source of county revenue.

 Gratiot County’s frowning upon cohabitation may also have been health-related. The period starting in the 1910s in Gratiot County saw considerable reform in personal health, as people survived the influenza epidemic and still battled numerous diseases like smallpox, diphtheria, and tuberculosis, among others. Going another step, confronting, confining, and treating what were then called “social diseases” (venereal diseases) increased in the World War I era at the local, state, and federal levels. Alma was particularly involved in arresting and confining women who possessed social diseases during World War I, a result of the increase in prostitution due to the presence of Army men who came to town to pick up trucks for the Republic Truck Company. The need to regulate social diseases made the front page of newspapers like the Alma Record.

Still, the topic of cohabitation in Gratiot County overlooked one intriguing aspect of Gratiot’s society, which involved identifying cohabitating couples. How would the Gratiot County sheriff’s office in Ithaca ever know that a couple like Joseph Yucek and Sophia Lastuk, who lived in a farmhouse in a remote section of North Shade Township in 1921, were cohabitating? Who told the sheriff, and how did he find out?

The answer is that there was a “hotline” in Gratiot County, which reported cohabitation, as well as other crimes, such as alcohol during Prohibition. This “hotline” (or telegraph or gossip line)  was operated by individuals in Gratiot County who reported what they thought they knew or saw directly to the sheriff. In effect, this Gratiot County grapevine often tipped off law enforcement and regularly reported on fellow citizens.

Since residents told the sheriff that they thought someone was brewing moonshine whiskey, transporting, or selling it in Gratiot County, many had no problem reporting that their neighbors or the new people in their section were unlawfully living together. A bigger historical question is how many people knew about these cohabitating couples and how concerned these couples were regarding their personal lives.

Whatever readers think about cohabitation in 2025, today it is viewed as a private matter.

But back in our past, it was treated as a crime in Gratiot County.

Copyright 2025 James M Goodspeed

Gratiot County During Depression and War, August 1940: “Summer and Life Goes On”

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Above from the top: Wheat harvest was coming in, and young Beverly Kay Gulick of Ithaca lacked nothing to eat. The two sacks represented how much wheat the United States had in its possession (left) and how much it would consume in the next year (right). The message was that the country had much to avoid a famine – unlike parts of Europe who suffered from the war; a new county highway garage went up in Ithaca with the goal of completion by November 1; “One Out of Every 28” was the title of this cartoon, which foretold an impending draft of young American men in the wake of the European war.

A warm late summer in Gratiot County provided what crops needed after a poor start.

As war spread over Europe, most people in Gratiot County seemed unconcerned; even talk of a draft was in the works.

And FDR appeared to be willing to run for a third term as President. What would Gratiot County voters do to avoid a dictatorship?

It was August 1940 in the county.

War News Comes to Gratiot

Plenty of news articles and photographs warned Gratiot County that a world war covered parts of Europe as the Nazis now threatened to invade the British Isles. As “the Blitz” continued over parts of England, citizens prepared to handle both early morning “feeler raids,” as well as more brutal attacks over northwestern England and up and down the coasts of Scotland. Cities like Southampton, Dover, and Hastings all became targets as barrage balloons tried to deter German planes.

The Alma City Commission continued discussions of the city’s involvement with a new National Guard Armory for Troop B, 106th Cavalry. Because the federal government talked of taking the National Guard, combining it with the training of army recruits, and removing horses due to mechanization, the commission did not favor a push for a new armory. Soon, Troop B left Alma in early August for intensive maneuvers in Wisconsin. A total of 63 members went on this trip. Captain Howard L. Freeman led the Alma group.

A photograph of the original glass jar used in 1917 by the Secretary of War to draft Americans for World War I appeared in the Gratiot County Herald. How long before young men would be drafted for another war? A U.S. Army recruiting party came to Alma and St. Louis to demonstrate the use of a searchlight for aerial spotting of aircraft. For this two-hour demonstration, the recruiters also brought along two scout cars, rolling equipment, anti-aircraft, and anti-tank guns. Byron Bradley of St. Louis made the news for being accepted into the Air Corps division in Lansing. He left the same night to begin training at Scottsfield, Illinois.

With Hitler’s conquest of Europe, attention turned to millions of people who were already hungry, and fall was coming. The Michigan Children’s Aid Society announced that it would be discussing the issue of care for refugee children during its summer conference in St  Joseph, Michigan. The Children’s Bureau of the Federal Government asked the Society to make facilities available for refugee children.

In news of another war in another part of Gratiot County’s past, Jasper Norton of Elm Hall, believed to be Gratiot County’s last surviving Civil War veteran, celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday. Norton was born August 2, 1845, and entered the Union Army at the age of sixteen as a private in Company D, 12th Regiment, Michigan Infantry. He reenlisted in the Army in 1864 and was honorably discharged on February 15, 1866. Private Norton was wounded in the right thigh in a battle near Camden, Arkansas. Up until a few years ago, Norton regularly helped with work on his farm and still took daily automobile trips out to his farm outside of Elm Hall.

New Deal Social Programs at Work in Gratiot

New Deal social programs such as the NYA (National Youth Administration) and WPA (Works Progress Administration) continued to be active in Gratiot County during the summer months.

Much of the NYA work dealt with recreation programs. Wheeler Field in St. Louis saw much community activity with programs like a doubles tennis tournament, horseshoe pitching tourney, shuffleboard, men’s night activities, and the town’s first public dance. NYA workers built the new shuffleboard and equipment, then they went and painted the court on the west walk near the grade school. More than 90 NYA workers were on the monthly payroll, with young workers receiving either $24 a month for 80 hours of service in the “A” class or $18.40 monthly for those in the “B” class. Several of these NYA workers were involved in activities in both the St. Louis and Alma recreation departments.

WPA projects and workers continued in the county. The Gratiot County Road Commission applied to the WPA for help with the construction of a bridge in Lafayette Township, three miles south of Breckenridge. It was hoped that the WPA would authorize a dozen men for help with this needed project of widening the bridge area and modernizing the bridge’s structure. St. Louis planned to use WPA workers for its sidewalk project to start at the end of August. The city also wanted work done, lengthening sewers and water mains in St. Louis. Over 100 men worked in Alma, pouring concrete on Walnut Street and River Avenue, as well as widening streets in the city. An increase in workers now meant that the city might be able to complete the forty-block project, which started in 1939. When this was finished, the city wanted to start work on another 15 blocks. WPA workers also planned to construct six tennis and six shuffleboard courts in Wright Park.

 WPA workers were also authorized to help with alien registration at local post offices in the county. Each worker’s job was to assist aliens in filling out registration forms, fingerprinting, and explaining the requirements of the registration law.

With summer in full tilt, recreation programs in Alma, Ithaca, and St. Louis all continued to draw large numbers of participants. Over in Ithaca, a new recreational center opened at the county fairgrounds. A new softball field with lights has now become the place to play softball each night of the week except Wednesday. Alma held another water carnival, which drew many people to Turck’s Beach on a Friday night. The beach drew in the crowds. During a hot August spell from August 22-28, the count showed that 6,400 people attended activities or went swimming at the beach.

For those who wanted to stay indoors in August, another Townsend Club meeting took place for Progressive Townsend Club Number 2 in Ithaca at the village hall. “Very good attendance” resulted in choosing delegates for the 8th congressional district convention in Saginaw.

Health and Gratiot County

Most of the health news during August 1940 dealt with hospitals and the topic of rabies.

Carol Jean Harrington, age 5 of Ithaca, fell off her bicycle and fractured her left elbow. She was x-rayed at Smith Memorial Hospital in Alma and then sent home. Dean Breidinger of St. Louis was the victim of burns to his body and left hand while trying to clean a paint brush in the boiler room at Leonard Refinery in St. Louis. His condition was satisfactory. Gerald Smith of Alma, like Dean Breidinger,  was treated at Smith Memorial Hospital for injuries suffered while riding his horse. The horse stumbled, threw Smith, and he fractured his left leg below the knee. John Wilberding, his mother, and grandmother, all of Shepherd, were also treated for a traffic accident on US-27 three miles south of Shepherd while on their way to a Catholic picnic. Wilberding’s party was not at fault for the accident.

Newspapers said that reports of rabies declined by 33 percent since May; however, there was no immediate ban on the free movement of dogs in Gratiot County. Law enforcement officials stressed that dogs had to be kept on a leash in public and boarded up while at home.  Some dog owners hoped for a reprieve in terms of allowing dogs to train for the upcoming hunting season, which was on the minds of Gratiot County hunters.

To support children in the county who needed dental care, the free twelve-week dental clinic continued. After five weeks at Ithaca High School, the clinic relocated to Alma Junior High School for the next four weeks. This dental treatment was given to underprivileged families in the county.

Farming

What would Gratiot County farmers do without such often unpredictable weather and tragedy, especially in the heart of summer? A large fire in New Haven Township at the Arthur Akin farm did $20,000 worth of damage to five buildings. Electrical problems may have been the cause, and Akin had only partial insurance. Akin also lost his sheep barn, hay, and grain, along with three cattle and a hog. Another fire at the George Baker farm in Emerson Township, at nearly the same time, was caused by children playing with matches and a cap gun. Luckily, the children narrowly escaped the fire.

Above-normal heat and moisture helped the summer’s crops catch up after a poor spring weather. The sugar beet crop looked very good, and the beans showed significant improvement. More rain at the end of the month appeared to be helping; however, farmers wondered if the crops would be ready before the first freeze and the onset of cold weather in the fall.

 All seemed well until Monday, August 19, when an unusual wind of “tornadic proportions” came from the northwest and hit Alma, taking out 13 Union Telephone company telephone poles between the city and along US-27 on the old Ithaca Road. Fred O’Boyle’s trailer camp east of Alma was hit the hardest with flying limbs and downed trees near the surrounding trailers.

In other Gratiot farming news, St. Louis beet growers enjoyed a picnic sponsored by the Lake Shore Sugar Company. A group of 650 people came to the Gratiot County fairgrounds in Ithaca for three hours of entertainment. One of the best friends Gratiot sugar beet growers had was United States Representative Fred L. Crawford, who came out against Eastern seaboard refiners who took too much sugar from places like Cuba. Crawford feared the government would turn the sugar market over to Cuba and that the United States would stop producing sugar. A group of 28 boys returned from a five-day trip sponsored by Future Farmers of America. The group traveled through the Upper Peninsula and into Wisconsin. Omer Garberson and Leroy Roslund were just two of the young men in the group.

Farmers were warned about the damaging effects of the corn borer on the county’s corn crop. Farmers had limited options to control the pest, except to place corn in the silo, run fodder through shredders, or to clean plow all stubble and stocks under in early summer.  Turkey growers in central Michigan gathered for a meeting at the Gratiot County courthouse to plan the grading and marketing of turkeys, which would be shipped to Detroit. Thanksgiving and the Christmas season were not that far away. A.J. Neitzke led the ten highest herds in the Gratiot Dairy Herd Improvement Association during the month of July. Neitzke’s Brown Swiss yielded 999 pounds of milk and 39.52 pounds of fat on one test. On a more sober note, Hill’s Fox Farm in Alma offered $5 and $8 for dead horses to feed animals at their fox farm. Just send a card to Hill’s, and they would make contact.

The Long Arm of the Law in August 1940

The Gratiot County prosecuting attorney, Robert H. Baker, reported 79 violations of the law and subsequent cases. Of that number, 76 resulted in convictions, with fines totaling $294.65 and costs amounting to $246.

David Lavoy, 17 of Alma, pled guilty to stealing Ray Updegraff’s pocketbook. He got a fine of $31.15 or 345 days in jail. The law came down hard on Roched Alvey, 52, a Cleveland, Ohio, rug salesman who failed to have a peddler’s license. Alvey claimed his World War I veteran’s peddling license was sufficient. He spent 20 days in jail instead of paying the $30 fine and costs. His tune changed after two days in the county jail, and he was able to raise the money to get out. Ganro Mejia, an Alma Mexican, 43, was arrested by Alma police for carrying a loaded revolver. He received a ten-day jail sentence and two years’ probation. Meija was not to retake a weapon unless he had a license. Harmon Burrell, 27, an Alma man of color, was arrested for carrying concealed weapons and was sentenced to Jackson Prison for six to eight months. Burrell had a homemade dagger that he exposed during an argument in the Alma Coney Island Restaurant. More violence occurred when Staley Druska, 51, of Bannister, was arrested for having a bloody fight with Steve Gruska. Druska attacked Gruska with a knife and hammer. That trial was assigned for later in the month.

 Patrick Long of Alma made the news for being arrested for two different cases on the same day.  First, he briefly escaped from the Alma jail after being arrested for passing counterfeit checks, but was rearrested and brought before a judge. He had to pay $36.85 in fines and costs in addition to the amounts of the checks. After arraignment in Alma, he was taken to Justice J.L. Smith’s court in St. Louis for failure to appear for a traffic violation ticket on July 4. He had to pay $8.00 or spend ten days in jail. Finally, Maynard Isham, Lloyd Willert, and M.H. Sheridan, all of Perrinton, pleaded guilty to a fine of $16.85 each for violating state laws by fishing with set lines in the Maple River.

Several articles in local newspapers addressed the issue of alien registration, which became a state and federal requirement. Part of this need to register seemed tied to events in Europe as the United States slowly drifted toward war. The St. Louis Leader stated that it believed many aliens existed in Gratiot County. Starting August 27 through December 26, aliens of all ages had to register at one of the post offices in Alma, St. Louis, or Ithaca. All had to register and be fingerprinted, and those under the age of fourteen had to be registered by a parent or guardian. Also, those who could not speak English had to furnish their own interpreters. Aliens who started the citizenship process but had not completed it still had to register with the authorities.  The Department of Justice would mail a proof of registration to each person who completed the process in the form of a receipt card. Some of the questions that aliens had to answer involved how long they anticipated being in the United States, and for how long they planned to stay. Other questions asked about their method and ways of transportation into the country, whether they had any military service, listing organizations they belonged to, and how these activities helped a foreign government. Failure to register by the end of December may result in a six-month jail term and a $1,000 fine.

The Alma postmaster claimed that each registration would take approximately thirty minutes to complete, and fingerprinting was part of the process. There was no cost for the Gratiot alien registration process. On the first day, registration took place at the St. Louis post office. Postmaster Adeline Philips reported that ten aliens had registered so far.

In sad news, Judge James G. Kress, a probate judge in Gratiot County for twenty years, passed away after a prolonged illness. Kress was born in Alma in 1866 and had a long career as an attorney and judge. He was laid to rest in Alma’s Riverside Cemetery.

And So We Do Not Forget

A.H. Beebe, the caretaker of the Alma Pine River Country Club golf course, described his ten-year collection of golf tees. He currently had 210 different tees made of wood, wire, rubber, bakelite, white bone, tin, plastic, and celluloid…Alma’s New Moon Trailer published a new illustrated folder of new trailers for sale. The Alma Record printed 20,000 folders for distribution…James Kline of Ithaca was now in charge of the new locker storage plant, the first freezer plant in Gratiot County, and had 200 lockers to rent…Gay’s 5 & 10 in Alma had a new American flag in the window made out of red, white, and blue jelly candies…Three Ashley residents, Kenneth McComber, Lyden, and Wendal Wright sang ballads on the Prairie Farmer-WLS Home Talent program over radio station WLS in Chicago on Saturday afternoon, August 10…Leonard Refineries held its first annual employee picnic for workers in the Alma and St. Louis plants. Approximately 300 people attended the picnic at Lake Lansing…The 1940 District Class C softball tournament started at Conservation Park Field in Alma on Sunday, August 11. In the opening game, Lobdell-Emery played the Newsboys…Matthews, located at 222 East Superior in Alma, had a daily fountain feature of a double peach sundae for only ten cents.

The 1940 Gratiot County school census had 9,568 students, a drop of 260 students from the previous year. Alma had a gain of 29 students and a student enrollment of 2,216…Ira Nusabaum, a twenty-year employee at the O.E. Buccaning’s Beehive Restaurant, was found dead in his apartment over the Alma establishment.  When he did not appear for work, another employee went to check on Nausbaum, who had passed from an apparent heart attack. Nausbaum had worked for the Buccanings for twenty years…Alma Bowling Alleys are prepared to reopen for the fall bowling season. “Mauling the maples” was soon to start in Alma…The contest for the oldest battery in Gratiot County ended when Robert Fisher of Sumner Township, who produced a thirteen-year-old battery from a 1927 Model T Ford…Jack Catlin, formerly from Alma, signed a contract with the St. Louis Cardinals farm club and was assigned to Worthington, Minnesota, farm club. Catlin formerly played for the Pure Oil baseball club on Sundays in St. Louis…A group of young men from Ithaca formed a flying club on the George Reed farm in North Star.  Reed, a licensed pilot, began working with ten young men to complete their eight hours of dual instruction courses before flying an airplane…Several news articles appeared in county newspapers about the apparent 1940 Republican nominee for President, Wendell Wilkie…Marian Smith, daughter of the late Dr. R.B. Smith, married Alton Norris in the Smith family gardens in Alma. Miss Smith was given in marriage by her brother, Lieutenant Reynolds C. Smith. Seventy friends and family attended the wedding.

In Alma, the Beehive Restaurant at 322 North State Street and G.J. Maier at 115 East Superior Street both installed fluorescent lighting. Maier was using Westinghouse lights…A busy harvest season in the county meant that members of the county’s board of supervisors were forced to postpone their first annual picnic at Conservation League Park…In Michigan Mid-State Baseball action, Beal City played St. Louis in a double header at the St. Louis softball field on Sunday, August 4…A new sign sponsored by St. Louis Lions Club and Frank Champion was placed two miles south of St. Louis on US-27. The sign read, “The Lions Club welcomes you to St. Louis, Michigan, center of the Nation’s Playground, straight ahead, scenic route to Mackinaw”… St Louis schools planned to open Tuesday, September 3, for the upcoming school year. The teaching staff had only one new addition from last year…The annual August Northrup Birthdays took place at the home of Lyle Bartrem. While the plans originally were for an outdoor party, weather changes forced it indoors…Mid-West Refineries acquired two new refineries as part of a business expansion.  The six-year-old company voted to purchase the stock of Imperial Refining Corporation of Grand Rapids, along with its two refining plants…The intense late July heat resulted in lower attendance at the Republic Truck Reunion. Approximately 900 people attended a Sunday picnic at Conservation Park. A total of 438 former Republic workers participated in the picnic…In an unusual yet sad story, a double funeral was held for Mr. and Mrs. Peter Brillhart in Ithaca. The elderly couple passed away within six hours of each other. J.L. Barden and Sons handled the services.

A new St. Louis restaurant, the Colony House, opened with an exterior in the Colonial style, featuring knotty cedar panels. The business had room for 42 people at one time. While it featured meals and lunches, the Colony House also had a soda fountain service…Marriage licenses included John Hein, 25, of Bethany Township, and Margaret Kostka, 25, of Emerson Township. Good luck to Cupid’s victims…Walter Brown, Ithaca tailor and World War I veteran, gave a talk at the Park Hotel for the St. Louis Rotarians about the history of clothing, as well as his exhibits on button types, including the potato button…Claire Trevor and John Wayne starred in “Dark Command” for two nights at the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca. Tickets were ten and fifteen cents…A new lighted softball diamond in Ithaca, located at the county fairgrounds, hosted games every Wednesday night, except on Wednesdays, which were avoided due to the free programs offered in downtown Ithaca. The official opening of the new field took place on August 5…The 47th annual Central State Camp Meeting of the Church of God ran August 16-25 east of St. Louis. Reverend. W. T. Wallace of Louisville, Kentucky, served as camp evangelist…The new Ithaca Post Office opened on August 1 in the old Ithaca National Bank building…The village of Perrinton held its fifth annual homecoming days on July 26-27. The event was primarily sponsored by the Perrinton firemen, who managed to break even with the cost of the event through a Ladies Aid Society dinner. Events included a free show, a softball game between Perrinton All-Stars and Rowley and Church, a tug of war, free music from the Vocational Band, a popularity contest, and a contest to catch a greased pig…and St. Louis saw its biggest building boom in ten years with several home and businesses were going up in and around the city. Most of the new homes cost between $3,000 and $6,000 to construct. Many of the new buildings were made of brick.

And that was Gratiot County during the Depression and War in August 1940.

Copyright 2025 James M. Goodspeed

Gratiot County in Depression and War: “The Good Old Summer Time in July 1940″

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From top to bottom: Doctor G.V. Barrow of Ann Arbor works on one of his patients during the Gratiot County free dental clinic in Ithaca. Barrow treated eighteen cases each day for several weeks. The clinic then moved to Alma and concluded in St. Louis; this FFA showmanship event at the Gratiot County Fair featured stock raised by young future farmers from Gratiot; meanwhile, the Battle of Britain was in full swing in Europe. Could England survive Hitler’s bombings?; would President Franklin D. Roosevelt be nominated for a third term as President? The Democratic Convention in Chicago soon revealed that the President would indeed accept a run again for a third term.

The late spring and summer of 1940 proved to be cooler and wetter than many residents in Gratiot County wished. Newspapers warned readers that the war in Europe could soon escalate into a global conflict. Across Gratiot County, Depression-era programs continued to operate, providing respite, entertainment, and activities for both children and adults.

People could enjoy the isolation of quiet country towns, villages, and hamlets.

It was July 1940 in Gratiot County.

The World at War

Gratiot residents began reading about a potentially growing global conflict. A group of 30,000 United States troops was now placed on high alert in the Panama Canal Zone. Bombing raids by Hitler’s Luftwaffe upon Britain became known as “The Blitz.” Maps illustrated the time and distance it took to fly German bombers from their bases to targets in England. Then, there were maps illustrating how Americans, Soviets, and the Japanese all had potential areas of conflict in the Pacific. Would there soon be a “Pacific War” involving the United States? In all of this, most Americans seemed to forget that the Japanese Empire had been at war in places like China since 1937.

Here in Gratiot County, the Red Cross said that it needed only $400 to reach its goal for the War Relief Fund. They hoped to raise the balance to $1,920 by July 10. Twenty-two Michigan communities in southern Michigan agreed that military education for high and junior high school students was beneficial and necessary. The government hoped that between 10,000 and 15,000 defense workers would receive training in this way. The only question was what kind of training to provide and how far it should extend. Some, like Professor Howard McLusky from Michigan, argued that a long ideological fight involving dictatorships and democracies would soon start, and courses in high schools should prepare students for it. State Superintendent Dr. Eugene B. Elliott argued that Michigan schools had to prepare students with both strong minds and strong bodies; however, he failed to mention that he believed the United States would be directly involved in a war.

The issue of a third term in the White House arose in newspapers regarding President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s status at the Democratic Convention in Chicago. Keynote speaker Senator Alben Barkley spoke on behalf of Roosevelt and stated that the President had declared all delegates free to vote for the Democratic candidate of their choice. Still, the President did not say he would refuse a renomination. As a result, newspapers ran the headline “Way to Third Term Cleared by Roosevelt.” Within a week, FDR accepted the renomination and left the issue of a third term up to the voters.

Over at Ithaca, a hefty call for copies of birth certificates nearly swamped the county clerk’s office. Why? Numerous Gratiot residents needed them to demonstrate their citizenship status to work in plants supplying materials to Britain, as well as for anticipated home defense needs. Requests for birth certificates were received in Ithaca by phone, in person, registered mail, and air mail. Birth certificates were also necessary for those traveling to Canada for vacation or fishing. These certificates cost fifty cents each.

Depression Life, July 1940

The Gratiot County supervisors okayed the move of the county welfare office from Alma to the basement of the courthouse in Ithaca. Part of the reason for the move was a cost-saving measure that eliminated the need to rent space. The final move was contingent upon state approval.

The terms “recreation” and “recreation programs” gained a lot of attention in Alma for Turck’s Beach, and places across town where miniature golf, tennis, playgrounds, wading pools, as well as boys’ and girls’ softball and baseball all took place. There were also activities such as handicrafts, dancing, and an interest in archery. These activities took place across Alma in various locations, including Wright Park, Alma High School, some elementary schools, and the basement of the Salvation Army. The month of July, usually hot and steamy in Gratiot County, soon turned unseasonably cold and wet, thus dampening some of the swimming at Turck’s Beach. Despite the cooler weather, a large crowd gathered at the beach to enjoy a swimming show and water carnival, as well as demonstrations on how to operate a canoe and perform a rescue from drowning. Bill Moody, the head lifeguard, conducted some of the performances. At the same time, Dr. W.E. MacInnes gave a brief talk about Red Cross safety. A second water carnival was planned for early August at Turck’s Beach. Many of those who worked at these places that offered recreation had NYA workers or were tied to NYA projects.

Are you older and concerned about your finances in old age? Attend a Townsend Club meeting in the county. Townsend Club Number 2 held meetings every Monday at the Ithaca village hall. Doctor Townsend himself appeared on the front pages of local newspapers under “Doctor Townsend Says…”. Townsend billed his old age pension plan as “a movement to unite the peoples of the earth in one great brotherhood” – and ensure that every older American received an old age pension.

WPA work continued on the 1939 paving project, even though it was the summer of 1940. A crew of 65 men built new curves and gutters on streets where they paved last year. The project poured a slab on three blocks of River Avenue, then planned to move on to shorter works on Walnut, Euclid, Allen, and Orchard streets. Work was progressing more slowly in July, according to City Manager W.E. Reynolds, because in 1939, he had between 90 and 130 men working on projects. Now, regulations lowered the number to only 50 workers. Alma petitioned for an additional fifteen blocks for paving. Still, the city had not yet received approval from the federal government.

Migrant Workers, Weather, Fair in July

A reasonably large turnout was observed at Alma’s Washington School for the county’s migrant school open house held at the end of June. Almost one hundred visitors came to the open house on a Thursday night. Following this program, another 126 Mexican workers and their children attended the program’s first Family Night. Migrant center workers from Mt. Pleasant and Kenton, Ohio, joined with the Alma staff to discuss work in their respective centers. The Alma school officially enrolled up to 100 children in woodcraft, English, citizenship, table manners, and singing. This group also included sixteen toddlers and babies. By the end of July, the numbers dropped to 55 children as migrant families moved on to other work in the state. Gertrud Herman,  Merle Farnie, and Grace Rowell lead the programs at the center. Rowell, accompanied by Reverends Drake and Moreno, took a group of the older migrant children to the Gratiot County Fair to see the rodeo. A field day was also held for the older children from Alma and the Mt. Pleasant centers before the centers’ closing. The center held its final Family Night on July 25, marking the end of the program. By the time the Alma Center closed, over 400 visitors from across the state of Michigan came to Alma to see how the Washington School’s migrant center worked with children, and many migrant mothers hoped that Alma would open another program like this in 1941. This migrant center was the first such project supported by the Gratiot County Council of Churches and the Council of Women for Home Missions.

Gratiot County’s weather continued to challenge area farmers that summer. A cold and wet late spring had crops lagging during planting season, while hay, oats, wheat, and barley were unusually heavy due to the rains. A warmer July was allowing crops to start catching up, but many appeared to be below average and needed a warm late summer and an extended growing season. More Gratiot farmers planted soybeans, but the increase was not as significant as in other parts of the state. And then came a classic Gratiot cloudburst on July 8, which flooded a large section of Emerson Township. The storm affected an area in Emerson Township that measured 2 ½ miles north and south and 5 miles east and west, and it was hit with heavy winds. The Riley Aldrich farm was completely submerged in water, as were the farms of other farmers in the area. Aldrich’s grandson appeared in a Gratiot County Herald photograph with water standing halfway up his boots.

Many farm families not affected by the storm later requested help from the Gratiot Road Commission to spread spot oil in front of their homes and down their roads to deal with the dust. Farmers paid one cent per square yard, and the final cost depended upon how many times the road was oiled.

Visiting the 75th annual Graiot County Fair in Ithaca was a highlight of summer and took place from July 23 to 27. Before opening the fair, officials installed a new automatic starting system for horse racing, which would take place over four days of the fair. The fair featured the most extensive 4-H exhibits, the C.R. Ranch rodeo, Roman chariot races, horse pulling, and a large midway. Children’s Day on July 23 offered free admission to children under the age of twelve, and rides cost only a nickel.

In other news, the Farm Security Administration announced the expansion of the Farm Tenant program in Gratiot County. This program allowed former farm tenants to buy their farms under government long-term contracts. Tenant farmers were encouraged to apply to the program. Need to dip sheep? A sheep dipping demonstration took place on the Paul Burnham farm in Bethany Township and Max Church’s farm in Arcada. County Agent C.P. Milham asked Gratiot farmers to declare war on sow thistles, urging them to seek out and destroy the plants. Sow thistles grew to three feet in height, and had yellow blossoms like dandelions, which could smother a crop due to their dense mat of leaves.

The Long Arm of the Law in July 1940

The Fourth of July weekend in the county was rough on several drivers. Overall, a total of six traffic accidents injured seven people and claimed one life. Franklin Kunkel, age 22, of Riverdale, was killed in an accident when his Ford roadster crashed into another car near the Honeyoye Bridge, miles west of Alma. Kunkel tried to pass another vehicle before entering the bridge, then went off the road after striking another car. Instances of drunkenness made their way to court as a group of people from Owosso were arrested east of Alma for drunk driving. A familiar sight in Alma, Frank (Frenchy) LaBart returned to Alma after eight years. LaBart managed to bang up several cars in front of the Kroger Store while trying to park his vehicle. He was charged with drunk driving and served 45 days in jail rather than pay $56 in fines. Lillian Berted, age 29 of Alma, was arrested in Breckenridge for public drunkenness. Although initially pleading not guilty, she later changed her plea and paid a fine of $13. R.L. Lalonde of Ithaca received a fine and costs of $28.85 for driving wildly past a WPA flagman and road workers south of Alma. Lalonde was cited for reckless driving.

 Leo Gusman, a Mexican from Eaton Rapids, was arrested for driving without a license. Gusman’s penalty was paying $12.30, and he still had to spend five days in jail. Howard Sparks from Clinton County was arrested for illegally selling fireworks. He paid $16.45 rather than go to jail. Jenasio Mejia, “an Alma Mexican,” was arrested near the Michigan Sugar Company factory for carrying a concealed weapon. He was held in the county jail for having a loaded revolver and six extra shells. Someone, an itinerant peddler in Alma, was passing forged checks in Alma on behalf of Parke, Davis, and Company of Detroit. The forger had already passed one in Clare for $15.00. Be on the lookout for the crook. Two beet workers, Steve Grusky and Stanley Druska, got into a heated battle just south of Bannister. Both were arrested and hauled off to jail. In late July, Otto Morro, St. Louis street commissioner, announced that the first crop of wild marihuana in town had been located in an alley between North and Center streets. A citizen identified the plants and reported them to the authorities.

In some other instances that involved calling for the police, an 18-year-old girl in Alma jumped off the Superior Street Bridge just after midnight on July 17. Thankfully, the water was only four feet deep, but the fifteen-foot drop did more damage. She later admitted that she wanted to take her own life after parting with her male escort. Still, a sister arrived at the police station and escorted the jumper home the next day. In another tragedy, the first drowning of the summer took place at the Washington Township gravel pit, just east of the B-Z-B gas station. Herman Wallen of Perrinton, age 22, was probably killed after diving into the bottom, as a cut on the head suggested he had hit bottom; possibly he also suffered an epileptic seizure. Wallen was considered an excellent swimmer.

Another story in the Dewey Glinkie case appeared in local newspapers. Ginkie, who had stolen over $3,000 in county funds several months earlier, was in the news as Sheriff William Nestle traced a lead to Canandaigua, New York, where someone found Ginkie’s Social Security card and notebook in a mailbox. The card had been issued in Ohio, and the notebook contained Glinkie’s handwriting. Yet, the collection of notes failed to specifically tell who was helping Glinkie or who knew of his whereabouts. Before this, Glinkie had connections to Port Huron and Detroit. So, the hunt for Dewey Glinkie continued.

The county got excited when former county prosecutor Ora L. Smith announced that he was running for the Michigan Republican gubernatorial nomination for the 1940 election. Smith formally announced his candidacy on the radio station WJR in Ithaca. Several parades took place in the county to honor and support Smith. In other court news, Kelly S. Searl, a circuit court judge, began his 26th year as a judge in Ithaca. The Alma City Commission denied the use of its tourist park for house trailers. The city only charged $1.50 per week for short stays or 25 cents per day. The commission was concerned that long-term occupancy by house trailers would run up the cost of electricity and turn the area into a “trailer park.” Currently, there are 75 to 100 families or groups in Alma living in trailers.

Gratiot County Health Matters

A pair of Gratiot County residents, Vere Allen (Arcada Township) and Ruth Johnson (St. Louis), each suffered bites from their dogs. Both animals were euthanized, and their heads were sent to Lansing for rabies testing. Thirteen-year-old Anna Macey of Alma was also bitten on her thigh while riding her bike near the Wright Hotel. Police impounded the dog for observation for ten days due to concerns of rabies. The county sheriff was increasingly concerned that residents were becoming more careless about letting their animals roam rather than being quarantined. In St. Louis, many residents complained about the number of running dogs in town. Doctor D.K. Barstow warned residents that the only way to be safe from rabies was to get their dog(s) vaccinated. For those who resorted to only leashing or penning their dogs, Barstow reminded them that a leash could not keep another rabid animal from biting the family pet. Rabies vaccinations were good for a year. A statewide quarantine had been in place for 47 counties since April. During the first three months of the quarantine, County Dog Warden Howard Evitts of Pompeii announced that 160 dogs had been euthanized in Gratiot County so far.

Better health news came from the news of lower TB death rates in Gratiot County. A report showed that eight people died of TB in 1938 and seven in 1939. Vera Karajoff of Alma had to be admitted to Smith Memorial Hospital for a serious injury to her ankle. Initially, a fracture was a concern; however, Karajoff only had a severe sprain. How she did it was not reported. Charles Federspiel was released from Smith after an X-ray check-up on his fractured left arm. Federspiel broke his arm in a jumping incident. In sad news, in Ashley, grocery store owner Clarence Duprey, age 46, took his own life. He left a wife and three daughters. Newspapers listed no cause for the death.

The Gratiot County free dental clinic entered its third week in July. Dr. G. V. Barrow of Ann Arbor saw an average of eighteen cases each day in Ithaca. The clinic soon planned to move on to Alma and then to St. Louis. Approximately 400 young people received dental care in Ithaca alone from the clinic.

And So We Do Not Forget

The new C.S.A. Hall in St. Louis planned a two-day celebration for its dedication with a grand opening. A Grand March from the Park Hotel to the hall on Michigan Avenue kicked off the activities on Saturday, July 6…Notices for the upcoming performances on the Chesaning Showboat appeared in local newspapers. A cast of 125 performers, along with Jimmy Raschel’s Band, planned two-hour shows from July 11 to July 14 in Chesaning…Jean Arthur and Fred Mac Murray appeared in “Too Many Husbands” at the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca on July 4 for a one-night show. Roy Rogers appeared July 5-6 in “The Days of Jesse James.” Tickets were ten cents for matinees…The Saginaw Black Socks edged the Ithaca Independents by the score of 2-0 in a special Sunday game in Ithaca. North Star defeated the Balmoral Indians by a 7-0 score…Cupid’s victims included Marvin Neal, age 22, of Alma, and Narlene Tracy, age 19, also of Alma. Good luck to the newlywed.

Mrs. Clifford Brewer of St. Louis became the new Central Michigan women’s golf champion at Clare. Brewer defeated two previous champions on her way to the title…Vera Patterson of Ithaca set a new ladies’ golf record at the Gratiot Country Club by turning in a 37 on nine holes. Muriel Pettit held the previous record with a 39…A Reverend F.R. Davidson petitioned the Alma City Commission to set up a portable tabernacle of Masonite pressed wood for religious services in Alma. Davidson represented the General Council of the Assembly of God…The Gratiot County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution allowing the closing of county offices and the driver’s license examination bureau in the courthouse on Saturdays. While some offices in the courthouse had previously been closed during a slow summer season, the supervisors stated that some offices could remain open on Saturdays as needed in the future…George Stewart, J.C. Penney’s manager, took a two-week vacation to spend time with family on Crystal Lake…More new paint jobs in Alma included work on Wilkins’ Economy Market, Reed’s Popular Priced store, and Gay’s 5 & 10c store.

Sidney Toler and Marjorie Weaver starred in “Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise” on July 7-8 at the Alma Theatre. Tickets were ten and fifteen cents…The Alma Chamber of Commerce announced an outline for the program and activities for the 1940 Harvest Jubilee in late August…Former employees of the Alma Republic Truck Company planned to hold a reunion on July 27-28 in Conservation Park in Alma. A total of 1,313 letters were sent to former employees in 23 different states, inviting them to the reunion. This reunion would be the third such one held in Alma…Buy a new single-wall washing machine at Walker’s Electric Shop for only $39.50. A double-wall machine only costs ten dollars more.

Finally, over at St. Louis, a balloon ascension and jumper captivated the city on a Saturday night. The St. Louis Trade Association sponsored the event on July 6. Large crowds turned out to watch the balloon, put together by the Winkler Brothers of Lansing, fill with hot air next to the newly erected bandstand. After it filled with enough air to allow it to tower above all the buildings in St. Louis, it began to rise skyward and headed northeast. Many feared the jumper would end up in the Pine River. However, after reaching its maximum height, the jumper bailed out. It deployed two parachutes, the second of which was decorated in red and blue. How did it end? The jumper found himself in a cornfield just north of the city. The balloon ascension was just one of a series of regular Saturday night programs created by the St. Louis Trade Association that summer.

And that was Depression and War in Gratiot County in July 1940.

Copyright 2025 James M Goodspeed