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The History of Gratiot Community Hospital Part II: “The Drive, 1953”

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The Gratiot County hospital fund drive moves forward (from top): A set of proposed hospital plans was presented to public meetings in late January 1953. From left: Dale Misenhelder, C.L. Seeley, Paul Raycraft, and Mrs. Don Mulholland attended the presentation at the Gratiot County Courthouse; An architect’s preliminary drawing of the new Gratiot Community Hospital. The new hospital would provide care for 75 patients. Paul Raycraft of Arcada Township led meetings in two areas of Gratiot County in February 1953 to discuss the new hospital; Chairman Earle Brenneman signed the applications for federal funds for the hospital. Mrs. Robert Fandell, hospital office manager (left), and Joseph Homminga, deputy director of the Office of Hospital Survey and Construction in Lansing, look on. An architect’s drawing of the hospital is on the wall behind them.

Fundraising Ideas

After Gratiot County residents committed to building a new hospital, the real work began by obtaining a charter and starting fundraising. The newly created Board of Trustees then agreed on the name “Gratiot Community Hospital” and interviewed three architectural firms to develop the new hospital’s design. Ultimately, the trustees hired Clark R. Ackley as architect. The Board then set up the first campaign office for fundraising in Room 27 of the Merchants Building in downtown Alma.

The trustees, consisting of nine prominent citizens, had attorney Gordon Netzorg file for the official hospital charter. They also announced a goal of raising $500,000 in a fund drive planned from March 10 to April 7, 1953. The Board learned that $400,000 in matching federal funds would be available, according to the State Office of Hospital Survey, and this spurred the group on in its goal of raising the large initial sum. This new hospital would have 75 beds, more than the 29 available at Smith Memorial Hospital. Still, as trustee chairman Earle Brenneman stated to the Board, this drive would be a big challenge as it aimed “to secure the largest sum ever sought in a fundraising campaign in this area” of Michigan. Choosing the location of the new hospital also required a central location, like Alma. Before the idea of Gratiot Community Hospital, many people went to different hospitals in St. Johns, Owosso, Carson City, Mt. Pleasant, or Edmore for treatment. Having a new hospital in Alma meant that more people in the county (and even some areas outside Gratiot) would be served, resulting in more patients.

Earliest Donors and Donations

To start the fund drive, the Board hoped that the primary sources of donations would come from advance gifts from firms, foundations, and individual donors, with a focus on both commercial and rural donors. Before the drive started, the Board discussed some early ideas for approaching donors. For instance, medical professionals might give as much as $60,000 if asked. A limited residential canvas would take place later, and the Board believed people tended to offer at their workplaces. A rural campaign was also discussed, and Paul R. Raycraft suggested an introductory meeting for civic leaders in the northern half of Gratiot County on Thursday, January 29, at Alma City Hall. Another meeting for those from southern Gratiot would take place on January 30 at the Gratiot County Courthouse. In both meetings, civic leaders heard about the proposed hospital, had their questions answered, and viewed the architect’s preliminary drawings.

Just before the start of the drive, the Board of Trustees received a personal report from Miss Lou Nickerson about the current conditions at Smith Memorial Hospital. Nickerson, also a member of the new hospital trustees, had been associated with Smith Memorial since 1944. She told the group that Smith Memorial opened in 1934 with only 10 beds. Now, in February 1953, the hospital was operating with up to 39 patients a day and employed 45 full-time employees. In 1953, Michigan hospitals were considered at bed capacity when they reached 85 percent. At Smith, the average capacity in the previous year was 90 percent, and Nickerson added that “R.B. Smith was dangerously overcrowded and any minor epidemic in the county could create a serious crisis.” She also concluded her report by reminding the trustees that Smith was initially built and opened to hold only 10 beds. She also reported that Smith offered to donate $50,000 from its cash reserves as well as its most modern equipment to the new hospital. The Smith Memorial Board of Trustees proposed donating all of this to help kick off the fundraising.

Another New Hospital in St. Louis?

In late February, news about the idea of building a new hospital popped up on the front pages of the St. Louis Leader. This plan involved a 25-bed osteopathic hospital on the corner of South Main and State Street in St. Louis (the current location of the St. Louis Free Methodist Church). The plans for this new hospital began a year earlier, and attorney Alfred Fortino reported that funds were available to start construction and purchase land at the proposed site. This hillside location, measuring 275 feet of frontage on South Main and 410 feet on State Street, would be a two-story hospital staffed by osteopathic physicians. A drawing of the new hospital also appeared in the newspapers. However, over time, discussion and plans for this new hospital in St. Louis ended, apparently due to the idea and progress of a larger one in neighboring Alma.

Official Fundraising Begins

To raise funds for the new Gratiot Hospital, Gratiot County needed to know why the public should donate. Why ask the public for money? Why not require patients to pay for their own care and operate the hospital like a business? The answer came in a full-page advertisement in the Alma Record and Gratiot County Herald. First, all patients admitted to the hospital would receive treatment, regardless of their financial situation. All patients received care, and no one would be rejected. The full page ad concluded its explanations for raising money by stating that this hospital was “not a hotel. It is a house of mercy.”  Second, an estimated 80% of the hospital’s costs were for patient care, and the hospital operated 24 hours a day. Unseen services, such as food, laundry, and building maintenance, also required funding.

A large donation from the work sector, a $100,000 gift from the Redman Foundation of Alma at the end of February, launched corporate contributions. Barely a week later, Leo, Joe, and Benjamin Simon’s families of Alma gave the first family gift of $3,600. The Simons announced they wished to have it put toward the new building’s entry. For those who gave gifts of $300 to $600, or bought furniture for the hospital, their names appeared on wall units or bronze tablets. In early March, rural fundraising began with a kick-off supper at Ithaca Presbyterian Church, attended by 200 people. Leaders, like FRED Raycraft, proposed that there be no rural goal and instead encouraged those in the country to pledge to semi-annual giving, starting with a minimum of $60. Those who wanted to make specific monetary gifts could also contribute toward the construction of new hospital rooms, such as $ 1,200 for a single room or $ 3,600 for a private room.

After fielding frequent questions about the exact location of the Gratiot Hospital, the Board of Trustees announced that the hospital would be located near the existing Masonic Home and the new Consumers Power Company building. Some wished that the hospital had been further east of Alma. However, this new location could draw patients from as far away as Edmore.

In early April, the drive passed the halfway point but appeared to be stalling. By April 2, $261,000 had been raised – just one half of the goal. As a result, the Board wanted to extend the drive. A week later, $294,000, or almost 59 percent of the goal, was reached. By April 16, the drive had raised $59,314, bringing the total to $356,312. As more corporate donors, such as Detroiter Coach ($4,000) and Leonard Refineries ($26,000), contributed, the goal topped $400,000. Two more corporate gifts from Michigan Chemical and Alma Piston Company improved the total, along with contributions from employees of various companies and even from the Mennonite community. All of these got the total to $440,000 in early May.

However, the drive hit a bump in early June. The Lansing office of Hospital Survey on Construction, which previously encouraged the new hospital project and anticipated Federal aid, announced that Federal aid for hospital projects had been cut by one-third after the United States House of Representatives reduced aid to all Federal projects. Apparently, the reductions and cuts came at the end of 20 years of Democratic control, as a result of the Depression and World War II. Also, a change in the White House meant a more conservative approach with the new President, Dwight Eisenhower, and the end of the Truman years. Now, the Board of Trustees and supporters of a new hospital faced the challenge of raising even more money to offset the reduction in federal aid.

Search and Confirmation for Final Hospital Site

In late July 1953, the search for the exact site of the new hospital narrowed to several choices. One of these involved a nine-acre site west of Wright Avenue and north of the Masonic Home. Smith Hospital previously purchased the area and offered it as a gift for the location of the new hospital. However, as the Board examined the possibility of this location, it realized that the area was zoned for residential use only. While pondering this problem, the Board was approached by James E. Ryan, President of Alma Trailer, who offered to trade a spot on the opposite side of Wright Avenue on 10.4 acres and approximately 400 feet east of Wright Avenue. Ryan offered to trade locations at no cost to the new hospital. A primary concern in the proposal was that the 400-foot area east of the avenue was held in a trust for a possible future park. The deal was made, and Clark Ackley, Lansing architect, went to work on preliminary plans and drawings of the new hospital, which he submitted in September.

Plans Appear Ready/Federal Funding Improves

After Ackley submitted the hospital plans and the Board approved them, the Board learned that the issue with reduced federal funding had changed and would now be available up to 48 percent of the drive, or $454 656. What caused the change in stance on Federal funding was unclear, but the availability of the previously announced aid now eased concerns of many on the Board and within the drive. However, the Board learned that, to qualify for this Federal aid, another $60,000 in pledges had to be received by January 1, 1954. The drive also had to raise its maximum number of pledges by April 1. In addition, 75 percent of the local share for the project had to be in cash before the release of Federal matching funds. With these deadline requirements, the drive now asked people to prepay their pledges. As winter approached, the main project for the new hospital involved water main construction in the north section of Alma, and the hope was that pledges would come in by the Federal aid deadline.

As 1954 approached, those involved in fundraising for a new hospital in Gratiot County hoped that the dream of the first county hospital would soon enter its construction phase.

Copyright 2025 James M. Goodspeed

Gratiot County in Depression and War, November 1940: “NO THIRD TERM! Elections and Draft as Winter Approaches”

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November 1940 in Gratiot County from the top: President Franklin Delano Roosevelt loses Gratiot County for the first time in his three elections, but wins the Presidency in the rest of the nation; John Giles of St. Louis, Vice President and General Manager of Michigan Salt Company, wheels George Hart down Mill Street from Washington Avenue. Giles bet on Wendell Willkie for President, and had to wheel Hart through downtown St. Louis. George Hart, as manager of Hart Brothers Elevator, prepares Gratiot’s first Selective Service Group to leave Alma for the military. Grant Angelus, Forest Proctor, Roy Bigler, and Wyomah Vick made up the group. They received their draft notices early – all near Coleman, Michigan. Derwerd Cary, Charles Van Deventer, and George Cary showcase their successwith a Thanksgiving poem and prayer as it appeared in a local newspaper near the Holiday.

The Nazi Luftwaffe increasingly bombed and decimated English cities as the air war over Great Britain continued.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was nominated and ran for an unprecedented third term as President of the United States. The prelude to the national draft began as several thousand Gratiot men registered in each township.

A terrible November storm struck Gratiot County as the holidays appeared on the horizon.

It was November 1940 in Gratiot County.

The World at War

As the war raged in the battle over Great Britain, foreign correspondent Orin W. Kaye, Jr. of Lansing, told members of the Alma Rotary and Lions Clubs that he believed England would not be dismembered or conquered by the Nazis. Kaye had been in Paris when the Germans invaded and stated that he believed that morale would be the deciding factor in the war. Before and after the dinner, the group sang patriotic songs and other popular numbers. The program came on the heels of German bombings on Birmingham and Coventry. The Nazis boasted that the attack on Coventry was the “greatest air attack in the history of aerial warfare” as it laid waste to the city and resulted in over 1,000 casualties. 

In other news, state budget director Gus Hartman announced that he rejected any plans to build new armories in Michigan in 1941 due to the war. The state military establishment requested $3.5 million to develop and improve armories across the state. To commemorate Armistice Day, students at St. Louis High School held a program in the high school gymnasium with help from the William Fields American Legion Post. Commander Milton Townsend was one of two speakers. The program concluded with the playing of Taps. Over at Alma, plans for an Armistice parade with floats, bands, and American Legion members had to be changed due to the weather, even though the Alma City Band and Alma High School Band marched downtown and arrived at East Superior Christian Church, where a service was held.

With the war continuing in Europe, Sheriff William Nestle set out for Washington, D.C., where a national defense conference took place. Much of the conference centered on how police and sheriff’s departments would step in to cover duties previously performed by the National Guard in their areas. William B. Kyes, formerly of Elwell, left for the Officers Training Corps of the Air Division of the United States  Army at Parks Air College in East St. Louis. Kyes took a three-month course, then would go to either Texas, Alabama, or California to finish his training. Since June, Kyes had taught at Freeport High School.

Alien registration continued in Gratiot County, with 601 aliens registered as of November 21. All aliens age fourteen and older had to register in person. Those under the age had to be registered by their parents or guardians. Any change of address needed to be reported to one of three post offices in the county.

New Deal Life During the Depression

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) announced that the Stillwell Junior High gymnasium opened on Monday evenings to boys and girls not attending Alma schools. While NYA boys and girls were encouraged to use the gym, the facilities remained open to other students from 7 pm to 8 pm for girls and 8 pm to 9 pm for boys. Lester Fillhard, WPA recreation director, served as supervisor.

Foreman and timekeepers from WPA projects met at Alma’s city hall to form a national defense council. Organized by the federal government, the councils were formed mainly “for the purpose of detecting and nipping any subversive activities” within federal aid groups. Even though some WPA workers faced layoffs for a week, upon returning to work, they continued preparing the grounds in Wright Park for new tennis courts. The group removed trees and stumps, then waited for the excavation and grading of the ground to be completed before installing the courts.

The NYA (National Youth Administration) role in Gratiot increased by 100 people to carry out new projects, such as rehabilitating used toys for Christmas gifts for needy children and expanding girls’ sewing and home economics projects. Project workers earned $18 a month, and some foremen, aged 17 to 24, received as much as $24 for 60 hours of work. The NYA program provided young people with practical experience through useful work and aimed to encourage good work habits. Jack Acker, WPA recreation leader at Alma’s Republic Recreation Center, oversaw a new club called the “East End Canaries.” Eighteen boys and girls participated in the first meeting that promoted recreational activities of a “wholesome nature.” Benie Simons served as president of the newly formed club, and its first project was to host a Christmas party. In November, fifty NYA workers received Red Cross first-aid training, and a notice went out that any youth over the age of seventeen could receive instruction.

Two WPA recreational leaders from Alma went to Flint for a special recreational training institute. Lester Fillhard and Jack Acker represented Alma at the meetings. Darrell Milstead, county WPA leader, announced that NYA workers continued repairing Christmas toys in the basement of the Salvation Army (toy shop). The NYA and the Salvation Army hoped that every child in Alma would have a toy for Christmas.

At the Gratiot County Courthouse, the Bureau of Social Aid moved to make way for the Community Welfare Department. Both had new locations due to changes in the courthouse basement. The bureau had two NYA workers.

The Election of 1940 – No Third Term?

In November 1940, Gratiot County and the rest of the nation faced an unprecedented situation. Should the United States re-elect the President of the United States to a third term in office? The United States Constitution then did not bar Presidents from a third term. However, by tradition, two terms of office had been the maximum that any then-sitting President held. Now, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had been called by his fellow Democrats to run again for office – and Gratiot County was floored.

Roosevelt won convincingly in the county in 1932, and then by a much narrower margin in 1936. Now, Republicans everywhere warned people of the threat of a Democratic “dictatorship” with mounted signs and advertisements in Gratiot County that read “No Third Term!”. Another issue bantered by Republican opponents centered on the continued deficit that Michigan and the nation ran in operating Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Republicans asked, why was the deficit as high in 1940 as it had been in 1932? The answer was the Great Depression—an economic nightmare the nation had never experienced before. Unfortunately for Roosevelt opponents in Gratiot County (which elected Republican Wendel Willkie), FDR won a third term in office.

The Draft

Following the national draft lottery in Washington, D.C., 155 Gratiot men were among the first called to military service. The public found out who these men were by reading the long lists printed in the Alma Record-Alma Journal. Three men from Alma headed the list: Russell Swinson, Joe Prahin, and Louis DeRosia. However, before any of the list were officially called,  at least a half dozen men volunteered. Soon, four men stepped forward as the first volunteers from Gratiot County. The four included Grant Angelus and Roy Bigler of Alma; Forest Proctor of Ithaca; and Wyomah Vick of Alma, who recently moved to Edmore. A special program at the George W. Myers Post of the Alma American Legion recognized the volunteers, and each received a gift package from the Alma Community Christmas League. Inside were things like writing paper, a fountain pen, candy, and two packages of cigarettes. The Salvation Army chaplain also gave each volunteer a small testament. On this wet, snowy day in Alma, a parade assembled at Alma City Hall, then made its way down to the bus station on East Superior Street. The four volunteers rode in an automobile with signs on the side that read “Gratiot’s First Volunteers” along with their individual names. It was not long after this that another 12 men requested that the Gratiot County Draft Board accept them as Gratiot County’s following volunteers.

Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas

Over in St. Louis, 500 children drank nearly 40 gallons of cider and ate 100 dozen doughnuts. Just before the Halloween festivities, someone threw a cabbage head through Colonel J.M. Thrasher’s large front window on Main Street. Police continued to investigate who the culprit might be. New Deal programs like the NYA and WPA helped sponsor a Halloween gathering in Alma, where 500 children also turned out for a parade from the Tourist Park to Rademacher Motor Sales garage starting at 7:30 pm. Helpers inserted toy balloons with prize slips into the balloons, then let them loose from the tops of several downtown businesses. A bonfire back at the Tourist Park concluded the night.

A Woman’s Page Editor in the Alma Record-Alma Journal suggested an ideal Thanksgiving menu with four types of dishes. Just how many were realistic for most people’s Thanksgiving dinners was a matter of conjecture. Turkey, duck, and chicken were the main choices. Gilmore’s Grocery in St. Louis (“Where Values are Quality”) urged shoppers not to forget that they could get all their Thanksgiving trimmings at Gilmore’s. For Thanksgiving, the Gratiot County Herald published a copy of “The First Thanksgiving Proclamation” by President George Washington.

By golly, Christmas was just around the corner in Gratiot County, and the Santa Claus Club held its first meeting in Ithaca’s village hall to plan the community programs. Alma led all the festivities with its Window Night on November 29, featuring new flashing lights on the main street, a parade, and the debut of Christmas trees along light poles. The Strand Theatre offered a free matinee to children who donated a canned good. St. Louis planned to kick off the official Christmas shopping season on December 6 with Window Night. At 7:15 on that Friday night, the fire siren would sound and Santa would appear on the streets. The St. Louis Lions Club and the GEM Theater planned to sponsor a free children’s movie. Merchants with the best decorated windows also received prizes, and the St. Louis Trade Association expected visitors from throughout Gratiot and Midland counties. St. Louis also planned a home lighting contest for the best-decorated homes in the city. Ithaca planned its Window Night with Santa on December 14. Breckenridge sponsored its annual Christmas lighting contest sponsored by the Breckenridge Garden Club.

 November Storms and Farming

On Monday, November 11, 1940, a storm with cyclone-level winds descended across parts of the United States. Gratiot County was one of the places that bore the full brunt of this 50-60 mph storm. In St. Louis, Mary Hoffman was sent to Smith Memorial Hospital after a gust of wind shoved her against the wall of a building with enough force to break her arm. Telephones, signs, and poles across the city were seriously damaged. The storm toppled the brick chimney of Alma’s First Baptist Church, sending it crashing through the roof of the church’s east room. The Beebe store in Emerson Township had its entire roof torn off by the weather. High winds also attacked the farm of Valois and Paul Todd, outside of Middleton, which also had the roof ripped off of their east barn. Other county farmers who lost their barns included John Wilk (northwest of Alma) and Fred Flegel (Sickles). The first estimates placed the damages in the county at tens of thousands of dollars, and according to the Gratiot County Herald, “hardly a single community escaped without some damage.”

Michigan Sugar estimated that 40,000 tons of beets sliced so far only accounted for one-half of the expected yield in the Alma region. Beet fields yielded an average of 8 ½ to 9 tons per acre, which was then considered average production. A freeze-up resulting from the hurricane storm that hit Gratiot delayed the harvest by about a week; however, warmer temperatures allowed farmers to complete the remaining 2,000 to 3,000 acres left in the Gratiot area. In other harvest news, Herman Hoffer of Ashley had a tremendous corn yield of 60 bushels per acre. Reports said that Hoffer’s yield from five acres of ground was as much as the average American farmer received from ten acres. Hoffer planted and harvested DeKalb 204 on his farm. When it came to milk production, the Gratiot Dairy Herd Improvement Association recognized Ralph Densmore and his Holsteins of Elwell for leading the area with an average production of 1569 pounds of milk and 48.79 pounds of fat. A.J. Neitzke of Breckenridge was second with his Brown Swiss yielding 1040 pounds of milk and 41.66 pounds of milk fat.

Newspapers highlighted other farming news in November. Evart Denney, a recent graduate of Ohio University, took over the duties as manager of the 700-acre Balmoral Farms. He replaced Peter McClelland, who had managed the farm since 1925. Instructors prepared for a ten-week night class at St. Louis High School sponsored by the Smith-Hughes Agricultural Program. The program prepared teachers at the area high schools to teach students with help from the Michigan State College extension department. The Future Farmers of America Chapter at St. Louis High School also held its fifth annual community fair on November 28-29. The Breckenridge FFA also helped provide the program of free movies, corn husking contests, music by their bands, a style show, and ended with a school judging contest. At least 65 boys and girls participated in the fair.

Alma Production Credit Association prepared for its sixth annual meeting at the Strand Theatre. The meeting gave members updates on the organization’s business and financial reports. It featured a free noon-day luncheon for several hundred farmers and their wives. In some unfortunate news, Harzey Fisher of Crystal was seriously injured while working on the Henry Tompson farm near Sumner. Fisher got his coveralls caught in the drive shaft of a corn picker as it went around a tree. Harzey held onto the lever until the shaft stopped; however, the force of the shaft stripped off the coveralls, pants, and underwear, and heavily lacerated his leg. Fisher was transported to Edmore Hospital for observation and treatment.

If it is November, the Nimrods are Here

As the nimrods descended upon Gratiot County to hunt pheasants, so did the game warden. However, overall pheasant hunting was considered poor in Gratiot County. Still, George Howe and Robert Lee of Alma were arrested for stalking on lands northeast of St. Louis without permission. They each paid a fine of $14.85. On the last day of pheasant season, Gus Claerhout and Claude Taylor jumped a fox on the Jack Dicken farm south of Ithaca. The male fox fought the collie the pair had with them until Taylor shot the nice male. Some of those from the county who went deer hunting came home with a buck. Leo Podgoresek led a group of successful hunters from Riverdale, including Vera Johnson, who shot her first buck five times to make sure he dropped. Charles Smith of Elm Hall brought in a very nice 16-point buck. A group of 16 game wardens enforced a blockade at the intersection of M-46 and US-27, northwest of Alma, to monitor illegal hunting. The wardens did a car check on each vehicle and found eight violators that day. Violations included carrying a loaded weapon in the car, removal of the sex of a deer, hunting without a proper license, and possession of birds shot out of season. Fines ranged from $10.85 to $50.00, depending on the case.

The Long Arm of the Law, Health Matters

During the previous month, Gratiot courts reported 91 convictions, including 20 for game violations. Some of the less common offenses included possession and sale of adulterated food, failure to send a child to school, and failure to pay a dog license. Fines and total costs brought in $287.55 to the county. Daniel Fisher, age 70 of Ithaca, suffered a concussion and lost both of his horses when his wagon was hit by a Stockbridge driver on a hill just north of Ithaca. While the wagon was unlit, the driver was cited for driving too fast and for causing the accident. Edward Vela, age 18, Mexican beet worker, and Geraldine Pego, of Indian descent and age 19, were arraigned on a morals charge. Vela got four months, and Vela received sixty days in the county jail. St. Louis police picked up a trio of violators on a drunken driving spree in a car with small children. Jessie Joseph (Fisher), Joseph Williams, and Edwin Burr, all of Mt. Pleasant, were arrested and served thirty days each for failure to pay fines of $25 to $35 each. Joseph (Fisher) and Williams were identified as being Indians. On a more positive note, Mrs. J.H. Keep, janitress at the Strand Theatre, turned over to management a wallet containing $106. A light cable and aisle seat kept the wallet out of sight until Keep found it. It turned out that the wallet had been lost by a Detroit salesman who watched a movie at the theatre some ten days earlier. Mrs. Keep was commended for honesty in turning in the wallet to Strand manager V.A. Jaeckel.

One of the most critical health issues in the county remained the battle against tuberculosis, and the Michigan Tuberculosis Association held a clinic at Alma High School. Tuberculin tests were given, and the Vollmer patch test was used for the first time. A total of 215 students at both the middle and high schools took the tests conducted by Dr. Charles DuBois. After examinations, anyone who tested positive had to undergo an X-ray. At Smith Memorial Hospital in Alma, the R.B. Smith Auxiliary purchased a modern incubator for premature babies. The incubator, engineered by the Ford Hospital, allowed the hospital to transport babies 20 miles without changing the incubator’s internal temperature. The device had an automatic thermostat, humidity control, and oxygen intake controls.

And So We Do Not Forget

Murray Brown of Kalamazoo moved to Alma to open a photographic studio in the southeast corner room of the Wright Hotel. Go to the first floor to find his studio…Henry Fonda and Jackie Cooper starred in “The Return of Frank James” at the Strand Theatre in Alma. Tickets were ten and twenty cents – all for a movie, news, and cartoon…Mrs. Reid Brazell served as chairperson of the Alma Red Cross. Brazell urged the Gratiot community to support the Red Cross as it helped with disasters across the country…A new brick covering went up over the office entrance to Carney-Wilcox Hospital. With the latest addition, the staff could now keep the area clear of snow and slush during the winter…Alma Iron and Metal Company solicited muskrat, mink, and skunk hides. Highest prices paid.

More window-soaping in St. Louis prompted Mayor Sumner to warn that repeat offenders would face harsh punishment if caught. While Halloween had been fun, the continued soaping of windows was too much, and Sumner asked the St. Louis police force to apprehend all “soapers”…The Brice Store in North Shade Township burned to the ground on November 13. Owner Henry Fockler was awakened by his dog at 3:00 am and called the Perrinton and Carson City fire departments for help. Unfortunately, a strong west wind quickly fanned the flames, resulting in a total loss. Fockler had some insurance on the building, which was a landmark in North Shade Township.

The Alma First Presbyterian Church held its annual bazaar on November 7. A roast chicken dinner costs fifty cents for adults, twenty-five cents for children twelve and under…Denver Hole of 412 Ely Street in Alma announced that he was returning to the blacksmith trade. Following training with his father in the old Charles Fishbeck shop,  and after trying another job, Hole opened a shop in the back of the Consumers Power Company and was turning out trailer hitches for motorists…Tex Ritter starred in “Rhythm of the Rio Grande” at the Alma Theatre. Shows cost only ten and fifteen cents—and it was air-conditioned…Art Farnsworth of Alma moved his used car headquarters to a new location on East Superior at the Bridge Street approach. He advertised nine vehicles, including a 1940 Plymouth 2-door…Mrs. Fred Bennett filled in for her husband as a truck driver for the St. Louis Fire Department while he went on a hunting trip. Mrs. Bennett was the only known fire truck driver in the United States.

Professor Arpyal Toth wrote from Budapest, Hungary, to the Alma Chamber of Commerce requesting copies of local newspapers. The card came written in legible English…Mr and Mrs. P.H. Deal of Elwood, Indiana, arrived in Alma to take over the running of the kitchen at the Wright Hotel. Vern Daymon of Elwell was hired as the new night clerk..Oliver Haight of Alma celebrated his 87th birthday by going deer hunting with his grandson near Oil City. The pair brought home a buck on the second day of hunting…New Christmas toys started to appear in Alma as Santa and “Window Night” on November 29 approached…The sale of deer licenses in Alma was up by approximately two-thirds from a year ago. Dick’s Package Shop sold 285 licenses, with Mapes Hardware close behind at 225.

Gene Autry and Smiley Burnette starred in “Carolina Moon” at Ithaca’s Ideal Theatre…An estimated 300 volunteers for the Gratiot County Red Cross fanned out across the county in an attempt to increase membership in a drive from November 11-30…The Ithaca Methodist Church invited the community on Thanksgiving Night  to see the new motion pictures, “Life of Christ” and “Passion Play.” The film was produced in Europe, the Holy Land, and Egypt…The McCormack Store in Ithaca had a new, modern black-and-white glass front. New modern lettering was added to the top of the entrance in black on a white background. The owners stated that the new glass brick admitted 74 percent natural light.  Also, dry goods and vegetables would now be placed on one side of the display window…Stovall Studio and Camera Shop of Alma advertised itself as “The Old Reliable Studio of Central Michigan.” Photographs made great Christmas gifts…The Ithaca Yellow Jackets finished their season 5-0-2 and did not give up a single point.

The Alma Theatre wanted patrons to know that a new seating plan included only one aisle through the center of the theatre, replacing the old two-aisle pattern. This allowed for closer seating to the screen, which raised seating capacity to 324 people… Redman Trailer planned to build a new building on East Superior Street that would cost $6000. Made of cinder blocks, it would measure 70×90 feet and stand 10 to 14 feet high…After 20 years of planning and wishing, a new Gratiot County Road Commission building opened in Ithaca, and an estimated 1,000 people attended a two-day open house. Music and dancing were provided, along with tours.

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

Copyright 2025 James M. Goodspeed

The History of Gratiot Community Hospital, Part I: “Birth Pangs, 1952”

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Above from top: Gratiot County Herald headlines the history of Smith Memorial Hospital in a 1955 article; photograph of Smith Memorial Hospital as it looked probably taken in the 1940s; Dr. R.B. Smith, doctor, mayor of Alma, Alma school board member for whom Smith Memorial Hospital was named.

The babies were loaded to the rafters, someone said after a trip to Alma’s Smith Memorial Hospital in the summer of 1952. In fact, the hospital staff wondered just where to put the next baby to be born in the nursery.

 During June 1952, a total of 68 babies were born. The nursery overflowed with flowers for each of the mothers, brought in by the husbands, who were forced to sit on their wives’ beds due to overcrowding during visitation. An observer noted that many of the babies born on one late June Sunday belonged to patients of Dr. Budge, who had been very busy at Smith delivering babies. Throughout its history, Smith Memorial Hospital was the place where thousands of babies were born in Gratiot County.

During the summer of 1952, many young men from Gratiot County served in a far-off war in a place called Korea. The county would soon prepare for centennial celebrations in a series of towns and villages. Twenty years of Democratic rule in the White House, which started with the Great Depression and encompassed the Second World War, began to change as Dwight D. Eisenhower announced his intention to run for President.

However, at Smith Memorial Hospital, overcrowding led to the need for a new hospital – one large enough to serve a community (or county) that then comprised 33,000 people. It was not just the nursery that was overcrowded at Smith. It was not uncommon for patients to be placed along a narrow hallway or packed into other rooms in the house,  once built and lived in by Alma businessman A.W. Wright.

After the passing of the last member of the Ammi Wright family, the Wright House was purchased in 1934 for $5,000 by the widow of the late Doctor R.B. Smith, a well-known Alma physician who had served as Alma’s mayor and a long-time school board member. Mrs. Smith donated the hospital, which initially operated with only ten beds. By October 1937, the hospital’s growing needs meant an addition to the building. However, by the 1950s, if one wanted treatment at a proper facility, county residents would have to go to St. Johns, Mt. Pleasant, Greenville, Midland, Saginaw, or Owosso.

It became increasingly clear that Gratiot County needed a modern hospital. In November 1952, Smith Memorial initiated the idea of a new hospital by purchasing ten acres of land north of town, where Consumers Power and Alma Production Credit Corporation would be its main neighbors. The new location was chosen because it offered potential for sufficient parking, access to water and sewer, and was a quieter area than downtown Alma.

Also, in November, a group of physicians and area residents had been meeting to discuss the idea of a new hospital. The first formal meeting took place on Friday, November 7, at the Park Hotel in St. Louis, where Alma Mayor E.E. Thompson presided over the gathering. A total of 31 people, including doctors, supervisors, mayors, the county nurse, and other interested individuals, all attended. A recent survey conducted by the American City Bureau, a specialist in hospital fundraising projects that had completed 260 campaigns before advising people in Alma, recommended a hospital with 140-150 beds. Some in the group thought the number of beds and the costs were too high and advised going for a 75-bed hospital due to the expected cost of $1.125 million. However, a survey and some doctors mentioned that federal funding for such a project could lower the amount of money to be raised to 45 percent of the projected cost. The remaining funds would need to be raised by the residents. A fact-finding committee was established, and its members visited other modern hospitals, including those in Lagrange, Indiana, and Gaylord, Michigan, to observe their operations. To keep the idea of a new county hospital alive through future meetings on the first Wednesday of each month.

One month later, on December 16, 1952, anyone interested in the idea of a new community hospital was invited to a meeting at the Midwest Refinery offices to hear reports from the committee. The question presented at the end of this meeting was whether people in Gratiot County should agree to the project and how to proceed with it. The answer was overwhelmingly yes, and a nine-person committee was appointed to begin working on articles of incorporation and further organizing the promotion and financing of a $900,000 hospital. The committee hoped to secure federal funding to cover half of the cost, and the rest to be raised through donations and subscriptions. Those placed on the more permanent hospital committee included Earle Brenneman (chairperson), Paul Raycraft, Dr. Harry Wahlman, James Redman, Lynn T. Miller, Frank Curtiss, Miss Lou Nickerson, Gordon Netzorg, and L.R. Kamperman.

However, the first financial help to build the new hospital came from the Smith Memorial Hospital Board. As early as 1952, the Smith Hospital Board stated that it had purchased the land for the new hospital and would be able to donate an estimated $125,000 through its cash, equipment, and accounts receivable. Newspapers later recorded that the amount donated in 1955 was $100,000. The first official fundraiser for the new Alma hospital took place on Friday, December 11, at 10:00 a.m. at the Gamble Store in Alma. Smith personnel members held a bazaar and bake sale to raise money for the children’s wing at the new hospital.

As 1952 ended, many people came together as the journey began to build a new county hospital.

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