Remainders of a life of service: Eliud Sanchez’s induction photograph; a blurry photo of Sanchez atop his horse, probably at Fort Dix; two photos of Sanchez during his years at Alma College; Sanchez’s World War I registration card. He greatly desired to serve as an officer; marker for Eliud Sanchez in Alma’s Riverside Cemetery.
He only wanted to finish his studies at Alma College and become a civil engineer. When the country went to war, his biggest goal was to become an officer and fight in France. Today, his marker sits alone in an isolated spot in Section D in Alma’s Riverside Cemetery. His name was Eliud B. Sanchez, and he was the first Mexican-American soldier to die for Gratiot County.
Eliud B. Sanchez was born in Pajarito, New Mexico, in October 1893. Both parents died when he was young, and his brother, Patricio, helped raise him, along with other brothers. In 1907, Eliud was admitted to the Menaul School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a Presbyterian boarding school founded in 1896 for Spanish-speaking boys.
In 1914, Sanchez graduated, and a year later, he came to Gratiot County, Michigan, to attend Alma College. Who helped him to make that decision, and how he got here is a mystery. At the time of Sanchez’s trip, Gratiot County, like many rural areas in Michigan, began to experience a growing need for migrant farm workers after the United States entered World War I. Farmers welcomed migrant workers, but with the idea that they would return to the South at the end of the harvest season.
Someone at the Menaul School saw promise in Sanchez and knew of Alma College. Even though the young man arrived in Alma without a penny, a place to stay, or a job, Eliud was eventually hired as the custodian at the Alma Presbyterian Church. Over the next three years, Sanchez became interested in astronomy and public speaking and was one of 35 members of Phi Phi Alpha Literary Society. One of the speeches he gave in a contest at Alma College was entitled “The City with the Soul.” Yet in most of his other classes, Eliud Sanchez was average at best. He appeared as a student who wanted an education and worked very hard at it, even though he had low grades.
After the United States declared war on Germany, Sanchez volunteered and left Alma College with another student to join the Army on May 13, 1917. Sanchez’s new goal was to become an officer, go to France, and fight the Germans. The Army sent Eliud to Fort Custer, then to Camp Pike, Arkansas, and finally to Camp Dix, New Jersey. By the time of his last assignment in the summer of 1918, he was a non-commissioned corporal and still had not made it to France. Was this because he had not finished his education? Other Alma College students had entered combat and were fighting in France. Or, was it because he was Mexican-American?
Still, Corporal Sanchez awaited going to France as a member of Battery E, 334th Field Artillery. On a warm summer day, August 20, 1918, Eliud was at a lake near Fort Dix, New Jersey, when he drowned in a swimming accident. No explanation or details about his death exist. Learning of Corporal Sanchez’s death back in Michigan, Dr. William H. Mason of Saginaw paid for Sanchez’s burial. Why Mason paid for the burial is unclear. Was Mason an Alma College graduate, a friend of Sanchez, or just someone who came forward to give a fallen soldier a proper funeral?
Upon Sanchez’s death, a photograph of him atop his horse appeared in the college newspaper, the Weekly Almanian, along with a comment that Eliud was remembered at Alma College as being “earnest, smiling, simple-hearted” and was now one of the college’s Gold Star soldiers. In 2013, a letter surfaced in New Mexico, written by one of Eliud’s brothers shortly after Eliud’s death, along with a photograph, the first since World War I.
Starting in 2017, I wrote biographies of the 30 men from Gratiot County on the Ithaca All-Wars Memorial who died in World War I, in remembrance of the war’s centennial. When I later found Sanchez’s resting place in Riverside Cemetery, I was moved by the marker’s location, as no one is buried within 10 feet of Sanchez. His location reflects the solitary life of a young man who worked and studied hard, desired an education, and wanted to serve his Gratiot County as an officer during World War I. Over 500 biographies of Gratiot County’s men and women, written by Fulton students and one teacher, can be found on Facebook at “Understanding Service – Remembering Gratiot County’s Veterans.” Also, “Thirty Who Dared to Serve Gratiot County in the Great War” can be found here at https://goodspeedgratiotcountyhistorical.blog and tells the stories of 30 men who died serving Gratiot County during World War I.
Above from the top: “Michigan Days” promotion for the summer of 1941, courtesy of the Gratiot County Herald; The Stars and Stripes Forever flies even though parts of Europe fall to the Nazis; Michigan migrant school opens again for the second year at the Washington School in Alma; Three Gratiot boys head a group to the annual Boy Scout “Camporee” in Breckenridge.
After the talk about war preparation, the draft board suggested that there might actually be a pause in calling young men from Gratiot County to the military.
Still, Gratiot men moved from Fort Knox to Fort Leonard Wood. Letters from some of the men showed their travels from rural Gratiot County to faraway military camps in the country, a trip not taken since World War I.
Efforts to contribute to the county’s war preparation were led by the Red Cross, and the need for USO centers was recognized.
The number of Gratiot people involved in the NYA and WPA programs appeared to be leveling off as people found jobs in war plants.
People still needed medical care. Farms need workers.
It was June 1941, and Gratiot residents would not know a “peaceful” month of June for over the next four years.
Could Gratiot County just catch a break?
Gratiot County Continues War Preparations
War news did not stop. The government announced that it needed to recruit approximately 40,000 Michigan citizens to work in the growing war plants. A new bomber plant in Ypsilanti was planned to employ 60,000 workers alone. Fifty Alma workers pushed for an Alma unit of the USO (United Service Organizations for National Defense) and raised $1,200 as part of a national drive to raise over $10,000,000 for recreational centers for those in the military. The government also announced the closing of all German consulates in the country, as well as all German nationals associated with those consulates. Concerns over Nazi interference and potential sabotage floated across the country. At the end of the month, the government announced a 20% cut in rubber use for the next six months. On June 21, the Second World War took another turn as Germany launched a surprise and successful invasion of the Soviet Union, which appeared to be caught off guard. Hitler’s early successes with the invasion had people wondering how long the Soviets would last, but Russia was a very big country.
As the summer started, a new draft registration sounded on the horizon. An estimated 300 Gratiot youths were expected to register who were 21 after October 16, 1940, and before midnight on July 1, 1941. This time, registrations would only take place at Alma City Hall. Aliens between 21 and 36 who came to the United States since the first registration now had to officially register as well. Early in the month, a list of 10 volunteers and 35 conscripts appeared in the newspaper. The Navy also wrote a letter to Alma Schools superintendent F.R. Phillips, inviting young men in Alma to help with national defense. Superintendent Phillips encouraged young Alma men to consider joining the Navy now. Two of nine registered conscientious objectors, Clifford Thrush of Alma and Bruce Meads of Riverdale, were to be sent to the Onekama Camp in Manistee County. However, the camp was not ready to receive them when their order went out. Five more conscientious objectors were sent to Camp Bluffton, Indiana, for training. These included Nathan Benner (Middleton), Clifford Hibner (Ithaca), Judson Hill (Wheeler), George Smith (Ashley), and Emerson Yordy (formerly of Alma, now in Detroit).
The Gratiot County Red Cross sought to support war preparations by sending 229 articles to a Jersey City warehouse to aid war-stricken nations in Europe and Asia. Among them were 76 women’s woolen skirts and 30 women’s woolen dresses, as well as 25 bed shirts. When more yarn arrived in Alma to meet the Red Cross British quota, Mrs. William Ellis called for more volunteer knitters. The county chapter also planned to call 120 people who had passed the standard Red Cross exam to form a first-aid unit.
News from the boys already in training appeared with more regularity in the newspapers. Jay Alverson, who was inducted in Saginaw, Chauncey Bradley of Riverdale, and other Gratiot men, such as Harry Bassett and Russell Snook, gave glimpses of Army life. Changes and modifications to West Coast weather, how to roll a Bull Durham, how Army uniforms and shoes failed to fit properly, or off to see the sights when on leave – all were mentioned in the letters. News also told how Ned McKee of Alma fractured his knee at Camp Davis, North Carolina. Harry “Hap” Jones of Alma arrived at Fort Custer and entertained his fellow soldiers by performing juggling tricks, magic, and comedy. Jones had been a circus performer for 14 years. William Keyes of Elwell appeared in the motion picture “I Wanted Wings,” which was shown at the Strand Theatre in Alma. Keyes was a cadet who completed his training at Randolph Field, Texas, and would soon be on active duty at Kelly Field.
Those men from Alma who had been called to service at Fort Knox continued to send updates on their status. Although the wives and girlfriends of at least six Gratiot men stationed with the Anti-Tank Battery, 2nd Battalion, 177th Field Artillery, received a visit, the unit would soon be on its way to Fort Leonard Wood. Private M. E. Hartig sent letters to the Gratiot County Herald informing readers about what the unit was doing as it went to Fort Leonard Wood. Major Howard L. Freeman designated Hartig to be the official correspondent with the county newspapers since so many men were sending letters to the Herald offices. By the end of June, another 36 men, many from Michigan, joined this group, bringing the total to 92 men and 2 officers. Also, in early June, Alma Mayor Charles R. Murphy was promoted to Major Murphy to create a new group of Michigan State Troops based in Alma. This new group consisted of 46 men to replace the 177th Field Artillery Unit that left for Fort Knox. Major Murphy was now assigned to command the areas of Muskegon, Newaygo, Montcalm, Gratiot, and Saginaw counties.
The NYA, WPA Programs
New Deal programs like the National Youth Administration (NYA) and Works Progress Administration (WPA) continued to offer employment to young and old alike. However, the numbers seemed to drop as people left for higher-paying jobs, now that war preparation meant work in defense plants and other workplaces.
Gratiot County now had 902 NYA youth, ages 16 to 24, employed on out-of-school projects. Shirts and garments, as well as photographs of boys’ handicrafts, appeared in the windows of the Perry Building in Alma on the corner of Superior and Woodworth. Those youth working at Turck Park learned the concessions business and raised $18.75, enough to purchase a defense bond. Approximately 75 NYA workers received free health x-rays as part of a statewide health program. All workers at the Washington School received x-rays, as well as some Alma College students.
In order to accentuate the value of WPA projects in Gratiot County over the past five years, a state WPA administrator cited several accomplishments. The building of 40 blocks of streets, 263 culverts and improvements, and 165 miles of road headed the list. Also, sizeable additions were made to Riverdale and Ashley Schools, as well as to the new Wheeler Field in St. Louis. An average of 300 Gratiot residents were employed by WPA projects. Current work in Alma included ongoing work on streets, curbs, and sidewalks, as well as new shuffleboard courts in Wright Park and wading pools for small children.
Health Problems Require Help
Assessing and treating victims of tuberculosis continued in Gratiot County. In early June, 66 people underwent X-ray examinations at Alma Junior High School with help from the Michigan Tuberculosis Association. Bette Spies, field worker, oversaw the operation. Prior to this, two patch testing clinics were held in Alma on the morning of May 21 and again in Ithaca in the afternoon. Readings of those tests a few days later showed 17 positive results in Alma and 16 in Ithaca. Another 33 people also took tests as recommended by physicians. The entire work was financed by the sale of tuberculosis Christmas Seals.
Another attempt to address health matters in Gratiot County involved providing free dental care to over 1,300 children, from preschool through age 16. Ithaca started the clinic and hosted the program for five weeks, then at Alma High School for four weeks, and ended in St. Louis for three weeks. Those living in the countryside could attend the center closest to their home. Another health clinic later took place in St. Louis involving the immunization of children for smallpox and diphtheria. Dr. A.D. Hobbs and two nurses oversaw these free clinics, which operated for an hour on June 16 & 30.
There was some happier health news. Smith Memorial Hospital installed a new 200-watt fluorescent light in the operating room, equivalent to the one at nearby Wilcox Hospital. This greatly helped with operations at Smith. The Smith Memorial superintendent announced that the staff would honor Miss Georgiana Freuhauf, a nurse at Smith, in honor of her upcoming marriage, and she received a miscellaneous shower, complete with pink ice cream. Also, Miss Ellen Rush offered her home to host a steak fry for the Gratiot County Nurses Association and invited all county nurses to attend.
The Long Arm of the Law Continues in Gratiot
When it came to law enforcement, the resulting news was sometimes hard to read. Still, it revealed some of the social problems that Gratiot County had in 1941. During May, Gratiot County courts recorded 51 convictions, 39 of which were for traffic violations. Fines brought in $687.30, and costs amounted to $241.95. While checking forgeries, assault and battery, and drunk and disorderly routinely appeared in the news, it was a collection of several “sordid” cases that readers found disturbing. Alice Sanders of Ithaca was arrested and sentenced to one to four years in the Detroit House of Corrections for administering drugs for unlawful purposes to a child to procure an abortion. Sanders had 16 children and was arrested as a result of another troubling investigation. This one dealt with a statutory crime against a 15-year-old Alma girl by a Mexican field beet worker, Raymond M. Ortiz, 23, who lived on Euclid Street in Alma. The beet worker got five to ten years in Jackson Prison. As this case continued to be investigated, more young men in the Ithaca area were believed to be involved. Another name involved was Ygnacio Reyes, 21, of Ithaca.
In other cases, Dwight Morris of Ithaca got a $10 fine for using indecent language in front of women and children. Four Breckenridge boys, ages 13 and 14, were arrested for breaking and entering the Pere Marquette Depot in Breckenridge. After entering the building with a skeleton key, they stole a quantity of firecrackers. They each got parole in charge of the Breckenridge village marshal. A Vestaburg truck driver, Earl J. Evans, also made the news as a result of charges and conviction of indecent exposure and received $275 fines and costs, or face jail time. Lyle E. Bearup, 19, of Ashley, was arrested at the county jail for stealing chickens from his father. He had to pay a $30 fine and serve 60 days in jail. If he could not make payment, Bearup would serve 90 days.
Life and Challenges on Gratiot Farms in the Summertime
The summer was hot and dry until rain fell intermittently starting June 12. The rain broke a drought in the county, reviving suffering crops. Sugar beets, which had recently been blocked, were now expected to take off and prosper. The county agricultural agent again warned farmers who had not done enough to combat the corn borer problems of 1940. While many Gratiot farmers pledged to work their previous year’s corn fields more thoroughly, too many still failed to take the corn borer problem seriously. Damages in 1940 due to corn borer resulted in a loss of $400,000 in Gratiot County. Other anticipated farm problems included a perceived shortage of farm labor due to the Selective Service and a shortage of migrant workers.
Those who believed farm life in Gratiot County was easy had another thing coming. During the month of June, several farm accidents occurred, with at least one ending in death. Ervin Hoffer, age 8 of Washington Township, tragically died as a result of lassoing a cow on the family farm west of Banister. After milking the cow that evening, Hoffer took a noose of a rope, looped it around his waist, and then threw the other end over the cow’s head. The 1150-pound cow then panicked and dragged the child 60 rods to the back of the farm to a woodlot. When Ervin failed to show up for dinner, the family searched for him and found his lifeless body attached to the cow. The boy suffered a severely torn scalp, and his waist, surrounded by the rope, was only about four inches in diameter, which caused fatal internal injuries. After summoning the coroner, he decided no inquest was needed. Ervin Hoffer left his parents and four siblings.
Another accident in the county involved Cardwell Hoard, 14, of Pompeii. Hoard received serious injuries when his team became unattached to a drag and ran away, after being spooked by the farm owner’s car, where he worked. When found after being dragged 60 rods, Hoard was unconscious, suffered a fractured skull, and was taken to Smith Memorial Hospital, where he remained in grave condition. Young Howard Comstock of St. Louis was thrown by a horse on his father’s farm and received a serious concussion. Carl Cole of Breckenridge injured his arm when he slipped on a load of hay and fell to the barn floor. He was admitted to Smith Memorial for X-rays. In some other very sad news, Odel Snook, 58, a retired farmer near St. Louis, took his own life in the Oak Grove Cemetery as a result of despondency over his own physical health. He ended his life in the cemetery and was found at his parents’ gravesites.
The anticipated Mexican school in Alma was delayed as improvements continued at the Washington School building. This was the second year for the school, and it was one of only two in the entire state in 1940. When the school did open, it welcomed 48 children on the first day, only to have 60 the following day. Within a week, 75 children attended the school. Miss Merle Farni, Miss Gertude Herman, Miss Nell Zydyk, and Miss Virginia Coldren all made up the staff. All of the women were from outside of Gratiot County, and a few were from out of state. The Gratiot County Council of Churches and Sunday Schools sponsored the school. Mexican families were invited to attend services at the Alma Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on Sunday evenings. Reverend Albert Mareno of Shepherd led the programs. On Monday, June 30, the Washington Center opened for an open house. The school operated from 10:00 am to 3:15 pm daily.
There was also a selection of tidbits of farm news in June 1941. Rademacher Motor Sales of Alma urged farmers to consider buying a Ford Tractor with the Ferguson System for only $695. The “Our Gang” 4H Club at Banister was organized at the Ensign home. Alma Production Credit Association moved its offices to the southeast corner of State and Center Streets in Alma, opposite the post office. The downstairs offered four good-sized rooms and a hall for offices. Sheep dipping in the county ended in early June with the C.V. Tracy farm of Newark was one of the last locations for the season.
And So We Do Not Forget
The Alma Chamber of Commerce held its first discussions about another possible late-summer celebration. Continuing the “Harvest Jubilee” in Alma had been a tradition in recent years in August…Billiroy’s Comedians made another stop in Alma and set up camp across from Leonard Refineries. The vaudeville show on its 18th tour of the Midwest featured eighty people, “most of them girls,” the handbills proclaimed. Tickets inside the tent theatre cost 25 cents for adults, 15 cents for children, and ladies free with a paid adult ticket…The Thrasher Dairy Bar inside the remodeled Goodenough Store Building in Breckenridge featured new frosted malted milk shakes. Generous servings and dancing privileges allowed…The Meteor Café in St. Louis, owned by Rocky and Charlie Piccolo, now plans to serve “Chick-En-Hand,” cooked in its own grease and served in wicker baskets. Customers received half a chicken without silverware…Police announced that the newly paved Michigan Avenue between Alma and St. Louis would be closely monitored following a tragic accident near the CSA Hall. Speed restrictions and zones are now ordered at 20, 30, and 35 miles per hour in different areas.
The St. Louis Lions Club had one of the biggest memberships in central Michigan. Adolph Schnepp served as president of the 41 Lions in St. Louis…The McLean filling station on M-46 in Breckenridge lost two high-test gasoline pumps when two cars crashed into them on a Friday afternoon. An estimated $500 to $600 in damages occurred…The Gratiot County Herald published a special insert on June 9, 1941, entitled “Michigan Days for Michigan Prosperity.” Several pages featured advertisements of county businesses and businessmen…Little Rock Lumber and Coal Company of Alma sold 8x8x16 cement blocks for eleven cents each…A new state bill required Alma to raise its pay for city policemen. Those on the beat for more than a year had to be paid $17,000 annually, up from the previous $15,000…The St. Louis Hatchery sold “Michigolden Ducks” and chicks. See W.V. Hess at the hatchery…Free softball games were held on a Wednesday night, when the Ithaca All Stars defeated Michigan Salt, 14-6. Games were played four nights a week in Ithaca (Wednesdays excluded for church night)…Alma Chief of Police Earl Willert again warned residents to stop chasing fire trucks that took off to fight fires. A state law banned such activity. A recent fire on Valley Avenue caused such disruption that fire trucks had difficulty getting close enough to the building.
Three Ithaca boys were among a larger group from Ithaca that took part in the spring camporee in Breckenridge. Edward Nestle, Jr., Lloyd Young, and Max Plankenhorn appeared in the Gratiot County Herald…Daily Vacation Bible School opened under the leadership of Pastor Kelsie Martin from East Superior Christian Church. The three-week event was sponsored by the Alma Federation of Churches at the Lincoln and Republic Schools… The twenty-third annual Ola Camp Meeting opened courtesy of the Gratiot County Holiness Association, beginning June 29. A new two-story building was built to house the kitchen and dorm rooms to support the growing work at Ola…Eleven Gratiot graduates of Central State Teacher College in Mt. Pleasant joined the ranks of new teachers. Margaret Todd of Middleton (limited certificate) was one of the graduates…St. Louis Police Chief Edward Barnes completed his fifth year of protecting St. Louis young people at the corner of Washington and Mill streets from being hit by reckless drivers. Barnes first came on staff in St. Louis in 1931 and had been a veteran of World War…Melvyn Douglas, Joan Crawford, and Conrad Veidt starred in “A Woman’s Face” at the Strand Theatre in Alma. Admission was ten and twenty cents…Get the new Gibson Freez’R Shelf refrigerator at Clapp Hardware in St. Louis for only $94.95….Art Farnsworth just moved his Chrysler and Plymouth Dealership to 219 West Superior Street in Alma, featuring a new showroom, sales, and service.
The Ithaca High School track team won the Valley C Conference title. Coach Keglovitz led and coached the team…The Michigan Department of Health planned to conduct its second ragweed pollen count in the summer. Hay fever sufferers hoped for relief as the department planned to determine where the lowest counts occurred in the state…Conservation League Park in Alma planned a Paul Bunyan pancake supper complete with syrup tapped from the park’s own trees…The George W. Myers American Legion Post Number 164 presented “Golgotha,” a full-length movie about “The Passion Play,” which was shown at the Alma High School Auditorium on June 17. Four showings were planned and cost 35 cents. This movie was the first to be based entirely on the four Gospels’ account of the last week of Christ’s life. Many firms and businesses in Alma supported bringing the movie to town…George E. Marr continued to improve the St. Louis GEM Theatre by bringing in up-to-date pictures and attracting many out-of-town patrons. A remodeled front was another hope for the GEM…Barkoot Brothers Shows would be in Alma from June 23 to July 2 on the Pere Marequette Lot south of Center Street, between Lincoln and Prospect streets. The American Legion sponsored the rides and shows. A daredevil, death-defying high wire act took place every night…Ladies, want a new type of dress? Rayon clothing, planned to debut in the summer of 1941, was washable, comfortable, and stylish.
L.W. Hartig, the owner of Alma Tire Service, moved into his new location at 614 East Superior Street, which was formerly the Sadie Soul property. The brick building was built by Henry Soule and once served as the Green Fern Hotel. Prior occupants of the building before Alma Tire moved in were the Gratiot County Social Welfare Commission and the Gratiot Social Service Bureau. Both of those occupants moved their work to the Gratiot County Courthouse…Bannister School voters approved a $13,000 bond to build a new school building, which burned down in the spring. However, a measure to raise the tax limitation of 15 mills for the purpose failed by two votes. What would be the district’s next move?… “Ellery Queen’s Penthouse Mystery” played at the air-conditioned Alma Theatre. Viewers got to see the recent serial of “Adventures of Captain Marvel.” All for only ten or fifteen cents…In a surprise, St. Louis residents were told that Detroit Tigers announcer Harry Heilmann may come to town for a rebroadcast of a Tigers game. Somewhere on Mill Street, Heilmann planned to conduct his popular program “Fan on the Street” early in the evening. This was big news for Tigers fans in town…Business at the St. Louis Park Hotel was shut down for a few weeks as owner William Kesl remodeled the north side of the main floor into a new coffee shop. The kitchen also would be moved from the rear of the building to another spot in the hallway between the main dining area and the lobby…
Breckenridge High School graduated 37 seniors in the class of 1941. Over at St. Louis, 61 graduates made the grade and graduated…A couple of ladders and improved lighting at Turck’s Beach in Alma allowed safer swimming conditions. A false alarm at the beach caused the Alma Fire Department to arrive after a call from the beach was over the leader for ladders and light bulbs…Some Alma teachers took off on their summer vacation outside Gratiot County. Hildegarde Empkie took off for her home in Kalamazoo, and Margaret Laage headed back to Grayling. Some teachers planned to remain at home in Gratiot; others, like Melva Giles, were on trips, traveling to Quebec. Finally, six St. Louis fast-pitch softball teams elected new officers for the 1941 season. Wayne Green served as treasurer; Frank Curtiss, president; Wayne Davis, secretary.
And that was Depression and War in June 1941 in Gratiot County.
People, events and issues during May 1941 in Gratiot County (from the top): Recruiting Services brought in a mobile recruiting station in Alma for one three day weekend; The first citizens in St. Louis buy defense bonds from postmaster Adeline Phillips; Former St. Louis resident and Alma College student Fred Hill poses in what was one of the first photographs of servicemen to appear in county newspapers in the World War II era; Fay Church and Lem Rowley take care of a car at Rowley and Church in St. Louis. They combined to a new name change starting in 1935; Memorial Day was coming, and newspapers reminded locals of how they owed their freedom to those who had served as far back as 1775; The Alma WPA recreation department offered a marble tournament early in May 1941. Just fill out the form and turn it into any of the area recreation centers or the Alma Western Auto Associate Store.
As the nation continued to prepare for war, more Gratiot men were drafted through the Selective Service. Many still volunteered to go, but the draft numbers kept being called.
There were those citizens who believed that the Depression was slowly ending, that more people could find work, and that the county was trying to rid itself of people on public relief rolls. The idea was that if people really wanted to work, they could find jobs in the county – even if it meant signing up for the CCC, PWA, or NYA projects.
Farmers went to their fields after a long winter. People still faced public health issues.
It was May 1941, and Gratiot County continued along the path toward war.
War News in Gratiot
As spring arrived in Gratiot County, citizens heard President Roosevelt’s proclamation of an unlimited national emergency during a Tuesday night fireside chat. Roosevelt emphasized America’s continued commitment to keep Hitler out of the Western Hemisphere, regardless of the cost. Part of this commitment was measured by America’s continued support for England through the shipping of goods, supplies, and armaments to the beleaguered British Isles. One headline that ran in Gratiot newspapers on May 1, 1941, warned readers by asking the question, “IF HITLER WINS THE WAR OVERSEAS, THEN WHAT?” Dr. George Gallup urged Americans to write their congressmen and senators with their opinions on America’s leaning toward direct involvement in the European war. The responses would be used to gauge citizens’ views on war-related issues facing Congress.
America’s continued move toward war was evident in news articles claiming that American aircraft were being prepared to build 500 heavy bombers each month. However, there were other warning signs, such as extended comments by Joseph P. Kennedy, former ambassador to England, who openly said that America could not stop Hitler’s tide of victories over Europe. Another well-known American, Charles Lindbergh, had also previously stated that he did not think America could hope to stop the German Luftwaffe. Both men’s images would be tarnished regarding their Hitler commentary after Pearl Harbor. However, Gerhart Segar, a former member of the German Reichstag prior to Hitler’s assumption of power, spoke to the Ithaca Rotary Club about his experiences in a concentration camp. He urged America to stand with England against Hitler. Fifty people heard Segar’s speech.
The Redman Trailer Plant continued to produce trailers for government contracts and asked the city of Alma for building permits to expand its factory. Requests for the building permits stated that nearly $10,000 would be spent on the additions. Redman’s had a workforce of 170 laborers working day and night to keep up with demand for trailers. Once national defense bonds and stamps went on sale, Captain Charles Reed was the first to appear at the Alma Post Office to oversee sales. Marie Downer of 911 Republic Avenue purchased the first bonds that went on sale. Over in St. Louis, Frank Curtiss bought the first defense bond from postmaster Adeline Phillips. In the first week at St. Louis, Phillips sold over $2,000 in bonds.
County newspapers also printed requests from military leaders asking residents to write to their sons who had left due to the selective service. Major Howard Freeman asked that people write to members of the Alma antitank battery that was at Fort Knox, Kentucky. To boost morale, a group of six Alma women soon traveled to Fort Knox to see their husbands and relatives. Marian Morris, Betty Allen, Alice Nelson, Dorothy Hitchcock, Emma Mix, and Maxine Norse were a few of them. Pictures of these men also began to appear, marking the start of publishing photographs and letters from men in the military, a process that would continue in Gratiot County for the next five years. Fred Hill, St. Louis boy and Alma College graduate, graduated from the U.S. Naval Reserve Aviation Base at Grosse Ilse. His photograph appeared in the Alma Record. Men like Private Elmer Russell of Wheeler wrote home that he was doing well at Camp Lee, Petersburg, Virginia. So did Maurice Bacon, who was stationed at Camp Haan in Riverside, California. News came that Private J.F. Swigart of Alma attended radio training at Cahanute Field in Rantoul, Illinois. One of the first St. Louis letters published by a serviceman was from Private Edward Barnes, who was at Fort Winfield Scott. The Barnes letter launched the mission of publishing letters from World War II servicemen and appeared on May 15, 1941.
Army recruiters visited Alma College to encourage young men to enlist. At that time, 69 men were eligible for the draft; 39 of them were seniors. Some of the students who were enlisted and prepared to leave included Danny Gallagher, Al McCuaig, Bud Howe, Tinker Kirby, Dick Krall, Warren Hartt, Bud McLean, Joe Chester, and several others. Their departures depleted the college’s sports teams, as these men were all good athletes. Naval Reserve recruiting also soon followed to Alma College. Michigan State College in Lansing added another defense education course to help high school graduates who had prepared for the Army Air Corps examinations. Soon, the army sent a recruiting service on wheels to Alma, which parked downtown near the post office on one Saturday through Monday and attracted much attention. Fort Custer also wanted mothers to know that those young men who trained there received adequate spiritual care. The base had eight new churches scattered around its base. Since August 1940, 895 new buildings have gone up on the base, but the churches are easy to find, as their steeples rise to over 50 feet.
To have a Defense, Gratiot had to have the Draft.
One of the recurring issues in supplying an increasing number of young men for the selective service was reducing the number of men rejected on grounds of physical fitness. It seemed that each time Gratiot County sent in its required number of men, several were rejected by doctors at their induction in Detroit. One way the Selective Service corrected this problem was by telling men to engage in “prehabilitation” or to make themselves fit for service. This involved learning the minimum physical requirements, consulting the family doctor or dentist if one believed they fell short, and then following the physician’s advice to maintain good condition. To assist with the growing need for physical examinations in Alma, seven doctors served on the Gratiot draft medical staff. They included: Dr. Don Howell, Dr. Robert Davies, Dr. Charles DuBois, Dr. Bernard Graham, Dr. John Rottschafer, Dr. Spencer Miller, and Dr. Thomas Carney.
A group of 44 men (12 volunteers and 32 conscripts) made up Gratiot’s sixth draft quota and reported on May 5 for Detroit aboard the Ann Arbor train. Howard Salisbury (Bannister), David Church (Alma), and Donald Forest Faye McMullen (Ithaca) headed the volunteer list. Other conscripts included: John Weller (Ithaca), Robert Grossett (Alma), and Alfred Stearns (Riverdale). A week after the group arrived in Detroit, five men were rejected for failing their physicals. Still, the Gratiot board was not worried about having to send five more men, as they had more than enough volunteers waiting to take their places. The ninth conscientious objector in Gratiot County also came forward in early May. This man made out his questionnaire and could be sent to a special camp, such as the one in Manistee, Michigan.
Later in the month, the board announced that 44 more men would be called for the June selectees. July 1 also would be registration day nationwide for those young men who came of age for the selective service since October 16, 1940. These men were now eligible for possible military service.
Continued Effects of the Depression
With the coming of summer and the need for farm workers, the Gratiot County Social Welfare Commission planned a sharp cut in the county’s relief rolls. Employable single persons on direct relief and heads of families with only two members now had to find private employment as of May 1, as the county attempted to close all welfare cases. However, anyone who remained in need of relief had to prove their need to be reinstated. The social welfare commission still believed that up to 200 cases would be reinstated. The director, C.J. Chambers, stated that there had been a significant decrease in the number of relief cases in the last year. By May, 245 cases existed, averaging 1,221 people in the county on relief. The Gratiot board of supervisors also favored cutting relief, supposedly forcing those on relief to seek WPA work.
Work employment also picked up at the Michigan State Employment Service in Alma. William N. Irish, local manager, stated that there had been 45 new placements during National Employment Week, 87 renewals, and 29 registrations for new employment. Something was definitely happening in the county’s economy. Some of the new openings now included farmhands, maids, cooks, waitresses, and machinists.
The defense class in carpentry at St. Louis High School created a 10-week shop class attended by 16 boys. At the end of the class, several of the boys received employment at places like Lobdell- Emory and Alma Trailer.
More practical help and relief for many at this time could be found at the Open Mattress Center in Riverdale. Applicants who wanted a mattress were required to come for a demonstration on how to make and receive a free mattress. These programs, which resembled an old-fashioned quilting bee, were held in other townships, such as Washington Center and the Newark Grange Hall. Women at the Washington center site worked to create 41 mattresses under the direction of Mrs. J. Van Beck. When finished, the new mattresses were said to be as soft as a feather bed.
New Deal Projects Continue in the County
The WPA, NYA, and even the CCC were visible in the county in May. WPA (Works Progress Administration) projects dominated the headlines during the month. Glen Ellsworth of Alma qualified to be hired as a full-time WPA attendant at Conservation League Park after passing a state conservation department exam. He was in charge of picnic grounds cleanup, reservations, and campfire fuel, and in June, he attended the state conservation department nature guide school at Higgins Lake. A luncheon at the Wright Hotel kept the WPA’s work in the forefront and supported its leaders and sponsors. A total of 57 workers and sponsors attended the affair that highlighted the importance of WPA projects in Gratiot County.
Dr. Thomas Carney announced that he would provide free monthly health physicals for children ages 3 to 6 at the WPA preschool program at Old Republic School. The center also anticipated establishing a milk fund to provide at least one important meal a day. WPA authorities also moved to immediately complete six tennis courts and six concrete shuffleboard courts in Wright Park. A crew of 40 men would be needed right away, with more likely to be hired. Sewer and water construction, along with widening Pine Avenue and Downie Street in Alma, also needed to be done. This involved a work crew of 80 men on the project. A new WPA-supported project was proposed to set up a practical nursing and home aid program for a selected group of 12 or more people on relief. Other WPA-related work involved an essay contest for Alma youngsters entitled “Why I Am Glad to Be an American.”Karl Miller, a sixth-grade student, won the contest and received free tickets to see “Land of Liberty” at the Strand Theatre. Harry Scholtz of the recreation department headed a marble tournament from May 3 to 10. Harlan Sabin, 15, a ninth-grader at Stilwell Junior High, won the championship. Margaret Dean won the girls’ division. Each received a large ribbon reading “CITY MARBLE CHAMP.” The recreation department also worked with 18 Alma youths to construct soapbox derby cars for a contest during the Alma Harvest Festival. Finally, need to cool off? WPA workers prepared for the opening of Turck Beach in Alma, complete with lifeguards and first aiders. The beach was open from 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. until school ended for the year.
The National Youth Administration (NYA) had 85 youths aged 16 to 24 working on out-of-school projects. Many of these were participating in activities at the new work center in the former Washington school building in Alma. A sewing workshop for girls and a woodworking workshop for boys both operated there. Finally, the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) wished to enroll up to eight young men ages 17 to 23 from Gratiot County in its program. It paid $30 a month, with half going home to his dependent(s), $8 for spending money, and $7 put into a type of savings to be paid when enlistment was completed. As part of a change in CCC policy, members could choose to re-enlist for up to 2 years.
Health News in May 1941
One of the largest health concerns in the county continued to be the battle against tuberculosis. The Michigan Tuberculosis Association brought a free X-ray clinic to Alma, with Miss Elizabeth Speiss acting as the association’s representative and field worker. Speiss spent the month of May holding TB clinics, contacting families with TB, and inviting them to attend testing. Some locations for free testing in Gratiot County included the American Legion Hall in Alma and the Ithaca Village Hall. Speiss told the public that testing involved the Vollmer “patch test,” which was painless and felt like adhesive tape on the arm. Speiss also reminded the public that those who contracted the disease did so through contact with an infected person. The test easily showed whether a person was positive or negative, and the results in Alma showed that of 86 people tested, 17 tested positive. In Ithaca, 68 people were tested, and 16 tested positive.
Two Alma hospitals, R.B. Smith Memorial Hospital and Carney-Wilcox-Miller Hospital, held an open house to allow the public to see how they treated the sick and injured. The open houses took place on National Hospital Day, and Mayor Thomas Carney issued a mayor’s proclamation to honor that day. At Smith Memorial, refreshments were served, and the public viewed the new baby incubator that it recently acquired. At Carney-Wilcox, an X-ray demonstration was given. An estimated 400 people, including several high school groups, toured the hospitals and enjoyed refreshments.
Several Gratiot residents battled or encountered health issues. Laurel Hastings of St. Louis sought treatment at Smith Memorial after being accidentally struck by a baseball bat while playing at home. Clayton Bunce of Alma was also sent to Smith after he accidentally amputated part of a toe on his left foot. Bunce was treated and released. Will Robson of Elwell had things much tougher, as he lost his right eye when a cow hooked him. Better news appeared when Emily Humphrey, 91, of Elm Hall, left Smith Memorial after making a fine recovery from an appendectomy. Dr. C.F. Dubois performed the first surgery of its kind using local anesthesia on a person who was advanced in age. Doctor, staff, and family all marveled at how well Humphrey was doing after surgery and considered it a success.
Good news came to the county when county school commissioner Donald Baker announced that this year’s Easter seal sale exceeded that of 1940 by over 1,473 sales. The Kellogg School in Newark No. 5 placed first in the largest sale, as each student sold at least 25 seals. Mrs. Ruth Heilman was the teacher.
Gratiot Farming in May
An estimated 1800 Gratiot County farmers united in a plan to dispose of corn stalks and stubble by May 15 in an effort to combat the corn borer. Farm officials hoped for a warm April so that the borer would lay its eggs early and thus be destroyed during early farm plowing and tilling of the soil. County farmers signed cards confirming their decision to attack the problem. At North Star, 96 farmers signed the agreement, while 72 farmers did so in Fulton Township.
The government also urged farmers to expand their bean acreage for 1941. Claud Wickard, Secretary of Agriculture, asked farmers to consider increasing their acreage by 35 percent to meet anticipated needs in the United States, for Lend-Lease sales, and for the American Red Cross. Gratiot farmers also went to the polls on the last Saturday in May to vote on whether to be subject to federal wheat marketing quotas.
The Gratiot County Council of Churches and Women’s Council of North America for Home Missions planned for a larger migrant school for the summer of 1941. Last year, the summer educational plan had 100 Mexican children enrolled for the eight weeks the school was open. It cost $800 to operate, and contributions and additional funds were welcome. Miss Gertrude Herman of Grand Rapids planned to supervise the school.
A hodge-podge of farm news dotted county newspapers. Bill Harper’s Hardware and Implement Service Store, located five miles west and one mile north of Ithaca, advertised the John Deere No. 999 corn planter. A total of 990 sheep were dipped on opening day at the Delbert Pullman farm in Bethany Township. Barn fires at the Homer Bupp farm in East Sumner and Lester Thompson’s place at Fulton Center took down the buildings and resulted in the loss of stock. Bupp’s fire came from embers driven by the wind from bean pods in his barnyard. Finally, state conservation leaders warned farmers that hunters should work more closely with landowners about hunting and the potential harm caused by inconsiderate hunters, rather than institute “blue laws” that banned Sunday hunting in Gratiot County.
The Long Arm of the Law
Court reports from April provided insight into the status of violations of the law and crimes. In April 1941, 37 convictions and 2 dismissals were recorded. Most of these included 22 traffic law violations. But, there were 17 other penalties, including two cases of arson, two people arrested for illegal cohabitation, and another for illegal hunting of a pheasant. Fines and costs for the month amounted to $605.45. At the start of the month, the Gratiot County jail held only 7 inmates, well below the winter average of 20.
Many of the crimes told sad stories of victims and offenders. John Duflo of Middleton called the sheriff after a trio of gypsy women showed up at his door and managed to steal his pocketbook containing $360. The gypsies did it by coming to his door to buy a chicken, then offering to give Duflo a free fortune telling. In the process, one of the women lifted his wallet. Juan Alcoser, 28, Mexican beet worker from Elwell, was arrested for wife beating. He got 40 days in jail and a $37 fine.
In Ithaca, the sheriff’s department, state police, and village police started enforcing double parking on state highways. This meant that more Ithaca visitors needed to use the new large parking lot on North Main Street to alleviate accidents, pedestrian crossings, and the difficulty drivers had pulling out of parking spots into heavy traffic. Drivers who lived outside of Gratiot County were increasingly picked up for drunken driving, such as Gail Hutchinson, 24, of Saginaw, and Paul Bohnhoff, 33, of Freeland. After side-swiping a car belonging to Kenneth Bebow, Hutchinson got a fine of $70.45 or 65 days in the county jail. Bohnhoff only had to pay $15.45 or spend 15 days in jail.
The situation with Roman Pung, 43, of Pung Motor Sales in Alma appeared to be coming to a conclusion. Pung had been in the county jail for several months over the issuing of a dishonored check for $2,550 to Sgainaw Finance Corporation for false pretenses in a car deal with the Sun Motor Company in Detroit. A settlement sounded imminent between Pung and his creditors. Two Seville residents, Gilford McQueen, 52, and Mary Simpkins, 33, were brought for trial for illegal cohabitation without a jury and were found guilty. Queen was sentenced to three months in the county jail while Simpkins received two years’ probation.
The guardian case for Miss Henrietta Kirby of Arcada Township was resolved, with a guardian appointed to her estate. Kirby, age 92 and in failing mental health, was in a controversy over her $20,000 estate, until Probate Judge Roy Matthews of Shiawassee County ruled that her nephew should be in charge. Family members were concerned that Kirby was involved with others who obtained a deed for the farm while living with Kirby in 1938.
A daylight thief snuck in and stole $12 from Jennie Schiff’s apartment on State Street in Alma. Within a two-hour span on a Monday afternoon, the thief crept into her house, found a key to an unlocked drawer, and lifted the money. While Chief Willert was optimistic that he would soon find the villain, Alma residents were urged to lock their doors when they were not home. Kenneth Gross, 19, of Ithaca, was bound over for trial in circuit court as the driver of a car that instantly killed a four-year-old boy, Clarence Quibell, Jr., of Ithaca, on May 17. Gross was let out on a $1,000 bond. Abuse of relief checks also made court news. Marion Offill, a deaf mute, 24, of both Gratiot and Isabella counties, was arrested for forgery of a federal relief check for $20.72, which belonged to her father-in-law. Another check was also stolen, and both a federal agent and local postal authorities identified the culprit. Other sordid court news involved Earl Evans, 33, of Riverdale, who was arrested in downtown Alma with indecent exposure. A truck driver, Evans, was held on a $1,000 bond and jailed after he failed to appear in court. A 14-year-old Forest Hill girl said she was a victim of statutory rape by John Ward, 41, of Houghton Lake. Ward also posted a $ 1,000 bond, defaulted, and was held in the county jail.
And So We Do Not Forget
The St. Louis Kroger Store held its second anniversary sale. Mr. Boyd, the manager, started his job in St. Louis on June 10, 1937, and would soon join the “Old Timer’s Club” after 10 years of employment with Krogers…The Rathbone Indians began a new softball season and played on their new field east of Rathbone. The Indians turned on the lights to play that evening on what was considered one of the best fields in the area…Buy a pair of Boys Smart Wing Tip Oxfords for $1.98 at Penney’s in Alma…Fresh sliced pork liver, 2 pounds for 25 cents at Barrone’s Market in Ithaca…Clarence Muscott was featured in “Gratiot Men at Work” on the front page of the Gratiot County Herald. Muscott and his two sons, Edward and Dean, operated the Ithaca Dairy, which he began in 1926…The village of Ashley received $328.13 in weight and gas tax money from the county. Perrinton was next with $272.30…Ithaca rural mail recipients were urged to improve their mailboxes during Rural Mailbox Improvement Week. Protect your mail, put your name on your box, and have it visible to carriers.
Mr. and Mrs. Sidney Brown of Emerson Township were surprised by guests to celebrate their 42nd wedding anniversary. A potluck supper with two cakes was provided, along with Chinese checkers and a late-night mock wedding. The Browns received numerous gifts, including a scatter rug from their son and wife, Elton and Marguerite Brown…Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart all starred in “Philadelphia Story,” playing at the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca. Admission was 15 and 10 cents per customer…The Kennett School received a splendid set of encyclopedias for winning a county-wide contest. Kennett School was located in District No.7, Hamilton Township. Mrs. Mae Horn was the teacher…A fire lasting four hours caused $10,000 in damage on one Sunday morning at the Alma Trailer Company. The fire took out the boiler room, destroyed the roof and smoke stack, and ruined parts of the brick building. The building was formerly used by the Republic Truck Company…Fred E. Guild, Jr., who attended the Lewis School in Newark Township, had perfect attendance beginning in kindergarten through the eighth grade. County School Commissioner Donald L. Baker believed that Guild was the only 8th-grade student in the county with perfect attendance this school year. Miss Elvera Teachman was his teacher at the Lewis School…The Ithaca Chamber of Commerce, Ithaca Public Schools, and the Village of Ithaca all joined together to purchase new outdoor bleacher seats to hold 550 spectators for baseball and track meets.
Buy a new Kalamazoo furnace from W. J. Moote in Alma. Only $64.80 cash with three years to pay (and nothing down)…A new flagpole made of Cyprus timber with a 10-inch butt and a 3-inch top graced the yard of Glenn R. Miner at 603 State Street in Alma. The pole was cut near the town of Vanderbilt and brought to Alma by truck…The Ithaca Baptist Church planned an “America Back to God Crusade” in Ithaca to run for one week in May. The America Back to God Quartet planned to sing each night…The Chisholm Funeral Home Chapel opened in Breckenridge, seating 200 people with overflow for another 100 if needed. Mr. Ralph Chisholm was the owner…A total of 36 people completed the American Red Cross Standard First Aid course sponsored by the St. Louis Community Council. Darrel Mildstead, area WPA project supervisor, acted as instructor…Fulton School graduated a class of 60 seniors at the Perrinton Community Hall on May 21…Brauher and Purdy sold Pontiac “Torpedo” Sixes and Eights at their dealership located on East Center Street in Ithaca…A Decoration Day service was planned for Payne Cemetery south of Middleton on May 30. The program included music from the Carson City High School band, prayer, reading, an address, and a concert…Eat good food at the Meteor Café in St. Louis, including strawberry shortcake…Phyllis Amspoker was announced as valedictorian and Fern Sharp as Salutatorian at Ashley High School…The cost of tuition at Breckenridge schools for the 1940-1941 school year was $11.72 per student…Bert Hicks and Son in Alma reminded those going on a picnic on Memorial Day that they could get one pound of Monarch Coffee for 25 cents; club steaks at 29 cents a pound; and fresh California lemons, 6 for 15 cents…Carpentry students at St. Louis High School completed a 16×20 garage on the Glen Worden farm after working only on Saturdays. Arthur Stinson, high school shop instructor, directed the project as part of the national defense training course.
Knapp’s Bakery in St. Louis had pies and cakes for Mother’s Day…Maurine Stovall of Alma was honored by being admitted to the Michigan Photographers Society at the Anderson Studio in Saginaw. The group only admitted based on distinctive service in the field, then by vote of membership…Philip Morton, a student at Alma’s Republic School, was honored as school patrol captain by the Automobile Club of Michigan. He received a free trip to Washington…Efforts to begin an Alma Softball Association kicked off with a membership drive to form teams, sign membership cards, and display window placards in Alma stores. Harry Flansburg was trying hard to get men to sign up. Flansburg was the newly elected president of the Alma Softball Association… Over in St.Louis, softball season began under the lights with Frank Curtiss as president. Younger players would be scarce as a result of the draft…Recently appointed chief of police, Earl Willert, sold his Mirror Barber Shop at 212 East Superior Street in Alma to Donald Ellsworth. The two worked together cutting hair for the previous eight years…The Michigan State Homeopathic Society honored Dr. F.C. Thornburgh in Grand Rapids. Thornburg was a member of the association for 28 years.
St. Louis schools mirrored the efforts of Alma and Ithaca schools in attracting students from rural areas by providing transportation. At the moment, St. Louis had only two buses to carry out the work…Clifford Dickens, manager of the St. Louis D&C Store, planned to leave for Lansing to manage a new $85,000 store located in the northern part of the city. The promotion meant that he and his family planned to leave the city in early June…Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Bob Hope starred in “The Road to Zanzibar” at the Strand Theatre. News, cartoon, and movie for 10 and 20 cents…Charles Barrone, who had been in the meat business for 40 years, told Gratiot County Herald readers that “If a man doesn’t like the business he is in, he better quit, for he will never make a success of himself.” Barrone was one of the month’s features on “Gratiot Men at Their Work”… Eleven high school bands and 600 musicians appeared in Ithaca for an open-air concert in late May for the tenth annual band festival…The Middleton Methodist Church held a Mother and Daughter banquet sponsored by the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Approximately 70 people attended. Earl Lucas presided over the kitchen duties…A total of 37 seniors graduated from Breckenridge High School in the Class of 1941.
Champion Ithaca Bowlers made the news in Ithaca. Florence Arnold captained the women’s team and Bernard Cummings led the men…School boards across the county are preparing for the annual school census to be held on May 12…Virginia Rose and Barbara Marolf (valedictorian and salutatorian) led the Riverdale senior class at graduation…The North Star Bearcats prepared to defend their 1940 title as Gratiot County baseball champions. They started off their season with a 6-3 win over St. John’s…Jean Cooper, a 1941 Fulton High School graduate, received a scholarship to attend Central State Teachers College in Mt. Pleasant. Cooper served as class president and participated in basketball and dramatics. Applicants only had a 20 percent chance of being awarded the scholarship, so the Cooper family was excited…Visit Willie’s Hamburg Shop in Ithaca, located on North Pine Street. The business just moved to larger quarters to accommodate its growing clientele…The Gratiot County Road Commission received a fleet of five new trucks with low bids from Greening Oil Company in Breckenridge, Kernen’s Garage and McCormick-Deering in Ithaca…Leslie Reeves of Ithaca was the proprietor of Oldsmobile and Case Farm Machinery Sales and Service in Ithaca. Reeves started working with an anvil and forge when he was 16 years old…The Fulton School eighth grade graduated 43 students. The program took place in the Middleton gymnasium…Beebe Furniture and Undertaking Company offered 18th-century dining suites starting at $44.50. Free delivery to customers…Caris (Dick) Brown received a life membership in the Knights of Pythias in Ithaca. Brown received recognition for 50 years of continuous service.
The freshly painted white building with the large “Roc” bird drew in the cars to this St. Louis business. Started as the Rowley gas station in 1929, the name changed to Rowley and Church in 1935…Laurel Hastings, 12, of St. Louis, received a skull fracture after being hit with a thrown baseball bat. He was taken to Smith Memorial Hospital in a dazed state and in fair condition…Maps, ferry schedules, and other tourist information awaited drivers at the new information booth in St. Louis. The green shingled, white-painted building featured three signs to draw the attention of drivers passing through the town, with the largest reading, “St. Louis Welcomes You – Information and Police.” At least 14 drivers stopped in the first few days to gather information or ask questions, according to Police Chief Ed Barnes…Other “Gratiot Men at Work” featured on the front pages of the Gratiot County Herald included P.C.Wilson, retail businessman for 19 years in Ithaca, along with C.G. Larry, proprietor of Larry Hardware, also of the same village.
And finally, for the first time in Gratiot County’s history, Memorial Day took place without a single remaining member of the Grand Army of the Republic. Jasper Norton, Gratiot’s last link to the Civil War, passed during the winter in Elm Hall. There were now no living veterans of that time to thank or think about.
And that was Depression and War in Gratiot County during May 1941.
From the top: The fifth group of young men to leave Gratiot County as a result of the Selective Service. Unfortunately, no names go with this photograph; members of the Gratiot County Draft Board wanted the public to know that they served without pay; a cartoon from the April 17, 1941 issue of the Gratiot County Herald asks the question, how long can Gratiot County stay out of the war?; a group of boys from Alma Boy Scout Troop 101 formed a first aid team to complete in state contests. From left: William Fishbeck, Tom Stein, Scoutmaster David Gainey, Vance Fulton, Paul Kaufmann, and Dale McClure.
The numbers started growing: 48, 67, 56, 44, representing the number of men who volunteered or joined the Selective Service. All the while, more families confronted the possibility that these young men might soon see war.
Defense industry jobs kept cropping up in advertisements. However, many of them appeared out of state at this point. Who would leave Gratiot County to go that far to find work?
There was significant activity in Gratiot County as a result of the WPA and NYA New Deal programs. All of the programs kept people busy and paid a small wage. Most of all, the programs gave people something to do.
Health needs and problems made the news, as did those who broke the law in the county.
It was April 1941 in Gratiot County, and spring was coming.
The War in April 1941
The sights and sounds of young men going off to the military, many as a result of the Selective Service, increased in Gratiot County. A group of 48 men left the county on April 1 and appeared in a group photograph taken on a street in Alma. Two of them were volunteers, who included Darwin Hagerman of Ithaca and Henry Russell of Wheeler. Two men in the group failed their exam, and two failed admission because they were too young or had no draft numbers. Carlton Van Horn of Alma and Floyd Ludwick of Breckenridge, both volunteers, took the place of those rejected from the April 1 contingent.
They were not gone long before a community testimonial dinner was held at Alma College to mark the Alma National Guard unit’s departure. The George W. Meyers American Legion Post sponsored a dinner for 65 men who composed the 177th Field Artillery and were scheduled to go to Fort Knox. A crowd estimated at 400 attended the dinner. When it was time to depart from Alma, several hundred people gathered on Friday, April 18, to see the young men off to Detroit. A week later, news emerged that the May quota required 44 men for its next part in the draft. Oral B. Smith of St. Louis was sent with the group of 48 men early in the month. Still, he was a member of the National Guard and failed to include that he had already enlisted through the Guard. His Selective Service questionnaire did not contain that information. The Gratiot Draft Board hoped to get him back so he could join the group headed to Fort Knox, meaning another would have to take his place.
The Gratiot County draft board added eight more members to make it easier for registrants to seek guidance without having to travel far. Some of those added to the board included: George Cordray of Ashley, Fred Passenger and Dr. Howard Burchard of Ithaca, and Alfred Wolansky of North Star. None of the board members held paid positions; they were only doing their patriotic duty.
During World War II, newspapers began publishing stories about the status of individuals who left Gratiot County to serve their country. Former Alma attorney William R. Kelley is prepared to leave his practice in Ann Arbor for Fort Benning, Georgia. Kelley had been a captain in the Army Reserve. Private Ray Ward of St. Louis was part of a group of 290men sent to Camp Lee, Virginia. Edsel Marvin Alma made the news for replacing Vincent Battle of Riverdale for the March selections because Battle played professional baseball. Marvin took his place as a volunteer, and Battle’s appeal was yet to be heard by the appeal board. Privates Carl Brown, Clarence Malone, and Joseph Mazey of Alma were all sent to Camp Livingston, Louisiana. Another group, consisting of Steven Monarik and Joe Jisa of Bannister, Paul Harp of Ashley, and Darwin Hagerman of Ithaca, was part of a group of 258 men sent to Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland.
The saddest story involving future service members dealt with Bruce Harper, 20, of Alma, who was in the Alma National Guard. Harper was one of several men who helped to deliver a caravan of house trailers from the Alma Trailer plant to Wilmington, North Carolina, as part of a defense contract for shipyard workers. Fifty of the gray and silver trailers, measuring 15 feet long, left Alma on March 29 on the first consignment, and the caravan made headlines in Washington, D.C., and Wilmington. Tragedy struck when he began his return home in a car belonging to Willard Blakely of 110 State Street, who only drove as far as Washington, D.C., because Blakely’s driver’s license had expired. Bruce Harper was killed in a traffic accident near Frostburg, Maryland, which involved several cars and the death of another local driver. Just a week after being inducted into the Army, Harper was dead. A funeral with military rites took place in his honor in Alma, before being laid to rest in Clinton County, where he was born. Harper left behind his mother and two sisters. His father died three years earlier and was known for operating an Alma gas station.
A variety of news bits dealt with Gratiot County and the war. Defense Bonds and Postal Savings Stamps were to go on sale starting May 1 at local post offices. The local Red Cross schools offered first-aid courses to the public. These courses lasted 12 weeks, and Alma Boy Scout Troop 101 was pictured in the Alma Record and Alma Journal demonstrating what they learned. The Alma team participated in several Michigan contests and took first place in Saginaw. The Greek Relief fund, led by James Stamas, noted that the drive in Alma had raised $909.69, with Banner Liner Service and Harlan Niles each donating $5. Eleven other people participated as recent donors. More defense jobs opened in a list of out-of-state positions in the St. Louis Leader. Designers, Marine pipe fitters, clerks, clerk typists, and more were on the list. Apply at the Alma office of the Michigan State Employment Service in the city hall. Finally, there was still talk in Alma about building a new armory, even though the cost appeared to be $180,000. Mayor W.E. Reynold discussed the possibility with a United States Army official from Lansing.
The Depression and the New Deal in April 1941
To continue combating unemployment, the Gratiot County Board of Social Welfare budgeted $78,400 for welfare recipients and purposes. Direct relief accounted for most of the budget, totaling $32,000. Another $10,000 went toward repairing the county farm buildings, the infirmary, and a new dairy barn. The committee had a long discussion about issuing welfare stamps instead of cash, and Chairman C.J. Chambers proposed that a state or federal representative come to the board to discuss the idea. Cotton mattress-making programs opened in seven centers across the county to begin planning the production of cotton mattresses for those who needed them. At the first meetings, a tick-making demonstration was held at Newark Grange Hall, and each group selected a supervisor and an assistant for that location. Originally, the Gratiot County Fairgrounds stored the cotton for the mattresses.
The WPA remained active in Gratiot County through various activities. A group of 24 boys and girls at the Republic School and the Salvation Army worked under WPA direction to create their own archery equipment. The WPA also sponsored kite tournaments in Ashley, Riverdale, Breckenridge, Perrinton, and Ithaca, a week after a successful tournament took place in Alma. Over at Riverdale, Virgil Jessup was in charge, with Robert Nunn and Mr. Wood serving as judges. Eighteen students participated, and 25 people attended the event. Lyle Raby had two first-place awards. The second annual marble tournament was planned for May 3 to 10 in Alma. An entry blank appeared on the front page of the April 24 issue of the Alma Record-Alma Journal.
To keep up with WPA art and craft training, three Alma leaders (James Carter, Sadie Colburn, and Andrew Brenner) attended a conference at Turner Hall in Flint. The Lincoln School P.T.A. Donated roller skates to the WPA to be used as part of the toy library, lent to boys and girls. Now, a section of pavement needed to be blocked off so that boys and girls could skate. “Bird House Building” in St. Louis was also a WPA program, which ran until May 15 under the direction of Reverend Wayne Davis. The rules stated that each contestant must do their own work, be of school age, and may create any birdhouse that they want. Prizes totaled five dollars, and the houses would be returned to each contestant. Adults also benefited from WPA programs and wanted to use the WPA centers at Wright Park, the Salvation Army, and the Republic Center on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings. Attendants had to be over the age of sixteen. The WPA also turned the Washington School playground into a softball field. Clifford Sain and Francis Van Horn oversaw the use of the diamond from 3:30 until dark, including on weekends. The diamond and backstop were repaired, and the WPA Department furnished catching equipment, balls, and bats.
The NYA also sponsored outdoor activities by planning a new Michigan National Youth Administration junior baseball program that would take place in Alma, St. Louis, Ithaca, Breckenridge, Riverdale, and Ashley. The woodcraft department began construction of a replica model farm to be purchased soon by the Alma Rotary Club as a youth fresh-air camp. The Rotary Club used the model for display purposes related to the new fresh air camp.
The Long Arm of the Law in April 1941
The Gratiot County Prosecutor, Robert H. Baker, reported that the county had 66 convictions in March. Of these, 48 were traffic law violations, and the rest were miscellaneous offenses. Some of the latter included creating a disturbance at an ice rink, malicious destruction of a steam engine, and checks issued without funds. Four men who became involved in an oil truckers’ strike all faced the judge and pleaded guilty. They were all from outside Gratiot County and attempted to stop, pull over, or halt local workers involved in their deliveries. Two chose to pay fines, but two others received up to 90 days in jail.
Area youth also found themselves in trouble with the law over the theft of magazines, which had been occurring for some time. In fact, one justice of the peace discovered that a “lending library” of stolen magazines occurred in Breckenridge, where the items circulated among young readers. One youth got 15 days in jail while another went directly to the county juvenile court. Two more St. Louis youths found guilty of theft received only a good lecture because of the small amount of stolen items.
The Mazel Ellsworth arson case seemed to finally head to its conclusion when Ellsworth planned to appear in court and plead guilty. Ellsworth had been held in jail since early January for setting her furniture on fire to collect insurance. Ellsworth was sent to the Detroit House of Corrections for a term of 8 months to 20 years. After pondering evidence for 3 ½ hours, a jury acquitted Nicholas Buckler, 50, of Gaylord, on a statutory charge against a Riverdale girl, and he received his freedom. The Gratiot Board of Supervisors approved a plan to obtain a new detention home for delinquent, unfortunate children in Ithaca. The previous plan to find an adequate home failed, and now a committee has been authorized to buy a dwelling with rent not exceeding $25 a month and to pay no more than $500 for remodeling the structure.
Health and Gratiot County
Some people in the county continued to promote the idea of a county health department by holding a panel discussion at the Gratiot County Courthouse. Those on the panel included a local dentist, school superintendent, county school commissioner, and a mother. In another event, the county commissioners appropriated $200 toward the county’s share of funding a free dental clinic for underprivileged children for 12 weeks during the summer. Dr. Thomas Carney received recognition in the Detroit Free Press, which would soon name him Alma’s mayor on May 1. Carney received recognition and praise for his work in Alma, which started in 1915, not only as a local doctor but as the city’s health inspector.
Local newspapers carried a variety of health-related issues as they affected people and their families. Mr. and Mrs. Ford Antes of Ithaca welcomed their 19th child to the family, 13 of whom were still living. Mrs. Antes gave birth to her son at 46. Other stories were not as kind. Sandra Simmons, 2, of St. Louis, suffered severe lacerations to her face as a result of being thrown through the back window of a car during an accident. She remained in fair condition in Smith Memorial Hospital. Other patients could be found at Smith Memorial. Steve Soliak of Ithaca fractured his left femur when a sheep he was attempting to shear knocked him down. Ivan Monroe of St. Louis suffered a gunshot wound in his left knee while trying to clean a revolver that discharged. Near Middleton, young Gene Dowling experienced an attack of the measles. Since Christmas, Gene had endured scarlet fever, influenza, chicken pox, and the mumps.
Those who died from sickness reminded people to take their health seriously. Mrs. Francis Weaver, 26 of Lafayette Township, died from an attack of ptomaine poisoning related to canned meat. Her death came after giving birth to a son on March 29. Weaver could not survive the attack, and other family members also suffered from the poisoning but lived. The deaths of infants also happened. Jane Anne Kent of Ashley, 2 months old, died from strangulation due to phlegm. She was found dead in her crib. The suicide of Joseph W. Plott of New Haven reminded residents of the issue of mental health. Plott was despondent over his physical health, went to Alma and purchased a .22 rifle, and stopped 1 ½ miles from home, where he took his own life.
Farming News
What did a farmer do during the last month of winter? Why, go smelt dipping, of course. Approximately 150 commercial fishermen on Little Bay de Noc in the Upper Peninsula were busy supplying fresh smelt for the Lenten season in places like Ithaca. A single pound net could yield 1,000 pounds of fish if fishermen were in the right place at the right time. Smelt dipping was fast becoming one of Michigan’s fastest-growing sports as area residents moved to different places in the state to dip smelt. Farmers could also go to see Leslie D. Reeves in Ithaca for a Friday night showing of free moving pictures in Reeves’s showroom. The movies featured the new Case pickup hay baler and the new V-C and S-C tractors. A total of
More activities took place. Don Sharkey Farm Machinery of St. Louis had at least eleven pieces of used farm machinery for sale, as well as four good horses. A total of 99 new members joined the Gratiot County Farm Bureau, bringing the membership to 240. A victory meeting was held at Bethany Community Hall, with a potluck dinner. Sugar beet farmers received good news from Michigan Sugar Company in Alma and from the Lake Shore Sugar Company in St. Louis. They received checks for fifty cents per ton for their 1940 crop. This money raised their total payment from the factories to $5.50 a ton for the last season. The Gratiot County Ministerial Association held its meeting at the Alma Church of God and heard Reverend Floyd Drake of Breckenridge talk about “Migrant Work in Gratiot County.”
Getting out and doing things impacted many in the county, including farmers. Spring break-up, winter frost, and water created some of the worst conditions in recent history. Cars and trucks became bogged down in holes on roads as boils and mud holes gave drivers fits. In an attempt to help prepare Gratiot’s roads, the county highway department’s drivers worked 60 hours a week on them.
Life on Gratiot County farms could also be dangerous, with its share of injuries and even death. Raymond Schneider, 17 of Ithaca, had his arm mangled and broken when it got caught in a lime spreader while working southwest of town. He was admitted to Smith Memorial Hospital with fractures in many places.
And So We Do Not Forget
Lanshaw Hardware reminded area fishermen that the trout fishing season starts April 26. Get your fly rod, flies, reels, and kreels at Lanshaw’s…Fleming Shoe Company in St. Louis offered the largest array of saddle shoes in white buck with brown or black calf saddle, and with sueded soles. Shoes started at $1.98 a pair…A terrible fire destroyed the Bannister public school, resulting in a total loss of $14,000. Custodian Lewis Cox arrived at school and unlocked it before 8 o’clock, only to discover that the south wing and the top of the building were aflame. Most items inside the school were quickly lost…The Gratiot County Herald installed a new automatic press nicknamed the “Little Giant.” Walter O. Brown of Ithaca appeared in an installment of “Gratiot Men at Work” in the Gratiot County Herald. Brown, a World War veteran, operated his shop over Goodwin’s Drug Store in Ithaca…Fresh smelt at Winget’s Market in Ithaca cost only three cents a pound. Buy all you want – no limit…A Donkey basketball game in the Riverdale gymnasium drew one of the largest crowds ever on a Thursday night. Area farmers challenged Riverdale business men. In overtime, the farmers won 22-20…Fulton school athletes were honored at a sports banquet in Middleton. Participants from football and basketball (boys and girls) received their letters, and Mrs. Holliday and her freshman girls gave a nice dinner.
Doud’s Drug Store in Alma put up a new sign advertising Swift’s ice cream…An addition to Hicks’ Brothers Grocery went up at 630 East Superior in Alma. The addition measured 20×50 feet and was one story high… Mr. Erickson took his St. Louis High School students to a debate contest in Ann Arbor. The group planned to spend the day on campus, then watch a championship debate in Hill Auditorium…Philip Morton, 12, of Alma represented Alma Schools’ patrols by going on a trip to Washington, D.C., courtesy of the Automobile Club of Michigan. Morton, who attended Republic School, was the first Alma Republic student to be so honored…Spencer Tracy, Mickey Rooney, and Bob Watson starred in “Men of Boys Town” at the Strand Theatre. Tickets were ten and twenty cents, which included the news…The Gratiot Conservation League planned to transplant 350 white pine and jack pine trees that were formerly seedlings on the 53-acre park outside of Alma. Boy Scouts originally helped to set the seedlings in two large 4×50-foot frames…The Alma High School Senior and Junior bands planned to perform a double concert on April 23. The performance included 95 instruments and R.A. Yoder directed…The George W. Meyers American Legion Post in Alma wanted to purchase a resuscitator for the county. There were no plans for fundraising as yet, only a desire to inform residents of the plan.
The sun came out, and the thermometer shot up on April 13 when the temperature hit 83 degrees by six o’clock that Sunday evening. Two days later, the temp hit 78 degrees, but little rain covered the area in that span…The St. Louis City Council designated May 5-9 as “Spring Clean-Up Week” in town. Residents were urged to clean up their property and place non-burnable rubbish in containers for pickup…Dr. B.N. Robinson opened his new clinic in St. Louis on East Saginaw Street, located in a remodeled section of his brick residence…Reverend R.J. Tuttle and Reverend W.T. Roberts spoke at Good Friday services at the Alma Methodist Church, courtesy of the Alma Church Federation. Each spoke on the topic “Seven Last Words”…Alma Schools were prepared to take a five-day Easter vacation and allowed teachers to go home for the holiday…Lobdell Emery of Alma planned to add a $10,000 addition to their plant. The area provided space for bicycle rims…The Alma Rotary Club proposed purchasing a 30-acre farm in Montcalm County to serve as a fresh-air camp for underprivileged children in the area. The farm was located 17 miles northwest of Alma, and the total cost for purchase and improvements would total $2500…A new mayor and council members took office at St. Louis City Hall. Photographs appeared on the front page of the St. Louis Leader…Carson Clapp spoke to the St. Louis Rotary Club about his journey as part of a long line of hardware merchants in his family. Born in North Star, Clapp’s father set up a store in Alma. Clapp graduated from Alma Schools and Culver Military Academy.
The St. Louis Hatchery hatched 30,000 chicks weekly and had 39 years of experience in the hatching business. See W.V. Hess for your order of chicks…Alma city employees constructed a dip net and placed it at the State Street Bridge to help game fish swim over the dam. Last year, people started using small hand-dip nets, but bigger nets were better because they helped the fish reach their spawning areas…Carl Bush, Consumers Power county lineman, suffered bad burns on both hands when he contacted a live wire on a pole north of Alma on Bridge Street. He was taken to Carney-Wilcox Hospital for treatment. Bush’s safety equipment saved him from other serious injuries.
And that was Depression and War in Gratiot County during April 1941.
Above from the top: Percy Kiter in an undated photograph that appeared in the June 8, 1922 issue of the Gratiot County Herald; a very young Adolph “George” Wallaghen in a photograph taken years before his murder; looking northwest along the Pine River in toward the possible area of the St. Louis “high banks,”; opposite of the former location of Velsicol plant; family burial plot of the Wallaghen family in Oak Grove Cemetery in St. Louis; the only marker on the family plot belongs to the Wallaghen parents.
“Murder on the St. Louis High Banks”: The Percy Kiter Murder Case, 1922
Gratiot County newspapers called it a bloody and shocking juvenile crime which was unequaled in the history of mid-Michigan. And it happened because of a missing pipe and nine cents.
It happened in 1922, in St. Louis, and this tragic murder left a deep mark on the city’s history for the next thirty-five years. For many people living in St. Louis, the death of a young boy was the most terrible event since the town’s earliest settlement.
An Early Summer School Day in St. Louis
This murder took place on an early summer’s day as the school year came to a close at the Oak Grove School northwest of St. Louis. The compact, square box-shaped school, with its three narrow windows on each side and a small set of steps leading to the front door, was located near the Oak Grove cemetery. Because of the school’s location, students frequently walked a short distance to the nearby Pine River or to town by crossing the millpond bridge.
As summer approached and the school year ended, young boys went swimming in the Pine River. One of these spots, known to many as the local swimming hole, was on the north side of the Pine River and sat near a spring. Farmlands abutted the river, and the northern area on that side contained what locals called the “high banks” shores. These river banks sometimes dropped by 20 feet or more in some spots to the edge of the Pine.
Before the 1920s, it was not unusual in Alma or St. Louis for youth to engage in activities in town that concerned the merchants. Theft, vandalism, and horseplay all caused business owners to be on the lookout for unaccompanied children. Youthful offenses ranged from stealing money from an unattended cash register to taking fruit without paying. Knocking over stands and even breaking windows put businesses on alert. Incidents became so frequent in Alma that the police chief stepped up efforts to crack down on misbehavior by arresting youngsters.
On May 31, 1922, young Percy Kiter made a trip into town and back after finishing his examinations. Two other boys, Alex Wallaghen and Donald Smith, also left the school with Kiter and also wanted to have a good time, so they pooled their money, and Kiter went into town to purchase a pipe and tobacco. However, this morning, their time together changed their lives.
Three Boys, Tobacco, and Nine Cents
Percy Kiter, 12, was the second of eight children. The Kiters moved to St. Louis from Grand Rapids, and his father, Perry Kiter, worked on a tile ditching machine, also known as a “ditcher.”
Following Kiter around on that morning was Adolph “George” Wallaghen, age 13, one of two sons born to Alouis and Sidonie Van Wallaghen. The family moved to St. Louis from Detroit sometime before 1920. Both parents were immigrants from Belgium, but appear to have arrived in Gratiot County during a time of Belgian immigration early in the World War I era. An immigrant train arrived in Alma in February 1915, bringing 30 families courtesy of the Burt, Sharrar, and Moore Company. Although the Wallaghens were not on that train, they were one of several Belgian families in the county. The Walleghen family spoke Flemish at home, and later changed their last name to just “Wallaghen.” Alouis Wallaghen worked as a laborer in the St. Louis area.
The third party in this story was young Donald Smith, who was 10 years old. Little is known about Smith’s background, and his name does not appear in any records tied to the Oak Grove School. His father’s name was Ira, and Ira Smith had a farm not far from the river. Donald Smith appears as the young follower who went along with the older students just to belong and for fun. Due to his youth, Smith was intimidated by his peers. One interesting aspect of this story of these boys is that newspapers described them as being a bit older than they really were. For instance, Van Wallegen was about 4 months away from turning 14. Likewise, Percy Kiter was only 3 months shy of being 13, yet newspapers “rounded off” their ages. Consequently, the reports portrayed a story involving childhood and early teenage years.
During a break from morning examinations on Wednesday, May 31, the three decided to go for a swim and a smoke about three-quarters of a mile above the St. Louis dam. Although the boys obtained the tobacco and pipe, they had no matches. That job went to Donald Smith, who made the trip into town but returned empty-handed. Percy Kiter then decided to make another trip and came back; this time, he had just three matches. As the boys gathered close to the bank upon Kiter’s approach, George Wallaghen teasingly accused Kiter, saying he would tell Kiter’s parents about Kiter stealing things in town and about his smoking. A war of words immediately broke out between the two boys over Kiter’s thefts and smoking.
As Wallaghen bent down to take off his shoes to go swimming, Percy Kiter hit him hard in the head, knocking him down. When Wallaghen attempted to get back up, Kiter hit him a second time, then kicked him, sending Walleghen backward down a steep bank that extended fifteen to twenty feet deep toward the water. On the way down, Alex Wallaghen hit a branch of a tree that jutted out of the water, which had come to rest there after winter storms. As Kiter jumped down the bank after Wallaghen, he approached Wallaghen and continued choking him and hitting him. It was then that Kiter saw blood come from Wallaghen’s ears and nose. As Kiter examined Walleghen, Kiter realized that a sharp tree branch had lodged in the back of Wallaghen’s head. Kiter then checked for a heartbeat, but Wallaghen was dead.
The Cover-Up
Upon realizing that George Wallaghen was dead, Percy Kiter instantly ordered Donald Smith to come down to help him and dispose of the body. Young Donald Smith also came down the bank, frightened and intimidated by Kiter. Kiter and Smith then stripped the body, folded the clothes, and took a moment to try to wash the blood off the back of Wallaghen’s shirt. The two then pushed the body out into the Pine River with a large forked stick in an attempt to make the incident look like a drowning. The stick left gouge marks on Wallaghen’s neck. Just before they climbed and left the high banks, Percy Kiter went back to Alex Wallaghen’s clothes. Kiter took nine cents out of the pocket (another report said a dime), and the remaining tobacco, pipe, and matches they were going to use that day. The two boys then made their way toward school, where Kiter attended another session of school examinations after lunch. Just as the two boys left the high banks, Percy Kiter threatened Donald Smith again, telling him never to say anything about what happened. One boy was dead, another intimidated, and a third just went about his business at school.
By late evening, George Wallaghen’s parents began searching for their son, who had not come home for dinner. The search continued into the next day, when a farmer, while dragging his ground near the high banks, went to the nearby spring for a drink and found Wallaghen’s clothing. Soon afterward, some men returned to the location, and Wallaghen’s body was discovered and removed from the river. Soon, a woman recalled seeing the three boys walking toward the high banks, prompting the police to question Percy Kiter and Donald Smith. Smith seemed very nervous, under pressure, and unwilling to talk. Once the police separated the two boys and questioned them separately, the story gradually came out, especially from Donald Smith. The two boys’ stories seemed to agree – Kiter did the kicking, pushing, and choking of Alex Wallaghen. Smith helped move the body due to pressure and threats from Kiter. It took until Friday afternoon to learn the full story of Alex Wallaghen’s death. But once in jail, Percy Kiter finally confessed fully to his role in the murder of his school “chum.”
The inquiry and police work covered six days from the murder until the official announcement that appeared in local and state newspapers. The delay in releasing the investigation was due to the police and the prosecuting attorney wanting to make sure they had the facts, the story, and the guilty party all in line. One of the hidden aspects of the murder investigation involved the fact that the coroner’s jury judged that Wallaghen had no water in his lungs. This fact ended any speculation of the event being an accidental drowning. Instead, it was declared a murder, and a violent one at that.
Prosecution, Judgment, Consequences
Although Percy Kiter confessed to the death of his schoolmate, Wallaghen, there were limitations on what charges Gratiot County prosecuting attorney Romaine Clark could bring before Judge James G. Kress due to Kiter’s age. When Kiter appeared before the judge ten days after the murder, as a minor, Percy Kiter could only be sent to the Industrial School in Lansing until his eighteenth birthday. That length of sentence would be true if Kriter proved he could be a “model inmate.” If not, he would remain there until age twenty-one.
Life was hard for the Wallaghens after the death of their son, who was buried in the family plot in the North Section of Oak Grove Cemetery under what today are several trees. Alouis, the father, died in 1929 and was buried next to his son. He left his wife, Sedonia, who worked as a housemaid for others until she died in 1948 in St. Louis. Strangely, George Wallaghen never had a marker placed on his grave, but his parents’ names appear on theirs. Their other son, Emil, moved out of the St. Louis area and became a social worker.
Donald Smith disappeared back into history, old enough to have witnessed a murder, seemingly granted grace as a child who was intimidated under threats and pressure into helping to cover up a crime. Nothing appears on Smith in any school records. However, Donald Smith’s name appeared in the news again in the 1930s when he suffered a serious injury in a traffic accident.
There was more to the story of Percy Kiter, who served his time and was released back into life in St. Louis by 1930. It is not clear whether he left the Lansing Industrial School at age eighteen or twenty-one. Still, in the 1930 census, he is listed as a common laborer and the eldest of the remaining Kiter children still at home in St. Louis. Married by 1940, Kiter, his wife, and two children moved to Carson City, where Kiter worked as a truck driver for Guy Gossett. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the Kiter family held reunions outside St. Louis. By 1950, Percy Kiter moved to California, where he worked as a mechanic and did auto repair at a garage. He eventually died on November 23, 1974, in Riverside, California.
A Wallet, $22, and a Small Boy
However, in retracing Percy Kiter’s later years, a strange story was found. One day during the Christmas season in 1933, Kiter worked on a CWA project in St. Louis. The Depression was on, and money was hard to come by. On his way across town to a gas station one day, Kiter lost his pocketbook that contained $22 and papers. After advertising for its recovery in the newspaper, Kiter gave up and forgot about his loss. About a month later, a ten-year-old boy appeared at the CWA worksite and asked if someone had lost his wallet. It turned out the boy had found the wallet, but his mother insisted they keep the money, as times were hard and Christmas was coming. A month later, the mother regained the money and sent her son to find Kiter to return the wallet, cash, and papers. Upon finding the owner, the boy handed over the items to an astonished Percy Kiter, who wanted to give him a reward, which he refused. Kiter was so excited at the return of his money that, as he showed his fellow workers, he had failed to get the boy’s name.
Did Kiter pause at any time to remember that this boy was the same age as Donald Smith, whom he had coerced into helping to cover up a murder almost twelve years earlier? How often did Kiter think about the other boy he murdered, George Wallaghen, by knocking him down a steep bank on the high banks and choking him as he died?
These questions were all part of the lives of children and teens in St. Louis’s past. And so the story of a murder on the St. Louis high banks moved into history, where a kid killed a kid for a smoke and nine cents.
Gratiot Community Hospital events in 1955 from the top: A photograph of the hospital as it appeared in late February 1955. The new entrance was in the light colored area in the center; the dedication ceremony took place on August 28, 1955, with 500 people in attendance. An open house took place afterward; the first patient admitted to Gratiot Community Hospital was William Raycraft of Alma. Dr. Kenneth Wolfe, who admitted the first patient to Smith Memorial 22 years earlier, was honored for bringing the first patient to GCH; Mrs. Charles Hinton of Vestaburg (center) had the first baby in GCH, a girl. The family received several gifts from Alma merchants; the Hospital Lobby Shop was one of the early projects handled by the Gratiot Community Hospital Auxiliary. Mrs. Donald Nelson and Mrs. David Van Slyters wait for Mrs. Ray Bentley from St. Louis early in the shop’s opening.
The start of 1955 marked a pivotal chapter in the effort to build Gratiot Community Hospital, as the community rallied around a common goal and took meaningful steps toward making a new county hospital in Gratiot County.
The year began with the first baby born in Gratiot County at nearby Smith Memorial Hospital. Charles Fay Thompson arrived at 7:48 p.m. on New Year’s Day, weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces, and his parents were Mr. and Mrs. Harold Thompson of 112 Winsor Street in Alma. This birth was unique: the Thompson child would be the last “first baby of the year” at Smith Memorial, which closed later that summer.
Throughout the winter, to ensure progress continued, builders completely enclosed the hospital and installed temporary heating so interior work could advance despite the cold. During this stage, Hospital Administrator Art Allaben kept his offices in the Alma City Hall, maintained a full-time secretary, and offered hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Some people either came to the office or mailed letters of interest to seek positions at the new hospital, but hiring did not begin until late spring. In early March, public interest grew when a new photograph of the hospital, taken from the west, appeared in the Alma Record under the headline, “New Hospital Has Fine Appearance.” Donor recognition efforts continued during this period, including an announcement that James E. Ryan, president of Alma Trailer Company, fulfilled his pledge by donating $25,000 to the project, and he commented that the donation was an example of what the entire trailer industry could do to be involved and active in the community.
As spring turned to summer and construction continued, a change in the timeline became necessary. In June, the Board of Trustees realized that the hospital would not be ready by the original July 1 date. They set a new target of September 1, attributing the delay to the need to procure the necessary equipment to begin construction of the hospital. Around this time, Administrator Allaben announced that Alice LaPaugh had been hired as director of nurses, having previously held a similar position at Smith Memorial Hospital. Miss Constance Lucia of Ann Arbor was hired as LaPaugh’s assistant. The hospital also introduced a program to recruit and train a group of Grey Ladies under the direction of the Gratiot American Red Cross. These volunteers needed to be over 21, have a doctor’s note confirming their good health, and be “willing to help their fellowman.” The gray poplin uniform each Grey Lady wore cost them $7, and the Gratiot Red Cross furnished the insignia. Additionally, the new hospital launched a call for teachers for “Home Care for the Sick,” introducing a five-day training program to help people care for their own sick and others during a disaster.
Near the end of summer, the Board of Trustees announced the dedication ceremony for the new hospital would be held on August 28. Planning entered its final stages as the hospital anticipated large crowds, and it asked Consumers Power Company for permission to use its parking lot for potential overflow parking. An open house was planned so everyone in Gratiot County could tour the new facility, which now featured 86 beds and 20 bassinets. The first patients were expected to arrive by early September, especially from Smith Memorial Hospital.
On August 28, 1955, Gratiot Community Hospital opened. Despite overcast weather, a large platform hosted officials and speakers. Reverend Bernard Didier was the toastmaster, and Dr. Edward T. Thompson delivered the dedicatory address. The $1,000,000 project was celebrated as a joint effort of industrialists, civic groups, and citizens. After the ceremony, the crowd toured the new hospital.
After this dedication, the first patient, William Raycraft, arrived by ambulance from Dewey Funeral Home on September 19. Dr. Kenneth Wolfe oversaw his admission, who admitted the first patient at Smith Memorial Hospital 22 years earlier. Also starting that day, patients and equipment were moved from Smith Memorial to the new hospital, temporarily cluttering the facility as staff organized it.
Early in the hospital’s opening, Mrs. Charles Hinton delivered the first baby, a girl, on September 21, with Dr. Silvert and Mrs. Delores Jones assisting. Alma merchants honored the family. On October 7, Mrs. Leon Woodbury had the first twin girls, delivered by Dr. Loren Burt and RN Doris Jessup. Jessup was also the mother of Alma’s triplets, born in town some years earlier. Admissions reached 57 patients by this milestone.
By October, a new lobby shop opened for short daily hours, chaired and staffed by Mrs. David VanSluyter. The Women’s Hospital Auxiliary held its annual meeting, with 90 attendees, and recruited volunteers and requested sewing machine donations. The auxiliary focused on public relations, fundraising, and volunteer services, and later introduced a room-service cart for patients through the lobby shop.
As 1955 came to a close, more activities took place at the new hospital. Earle Brenneman, chairman of the hospital’s fundraising efforts for two years, was recognized at a dinner held at Van Dusen Commons at Alma College. Brenneman served dutifully and led the campaign to raise funds for the new hospital. The hospital also needed nurse aides and offered training classes beginning in early December. Applicants were preferred to be at least high school graduates. An enlarged Board of Directors held its first meeting and, among its first tasks, started a search for a new hospital administrator after Arthur Allaben, who had held the position for a year, resigned. The board set hospital rates for multiple rooms at $12 each, semi-private rooms at $15 each, and private rooms at $20 each. Most of the hospital’s rooms were semi-private.
Just before Christmas, Gratiot Hospital received a $20,700 grant from the Ford Foundation to enhance facilities, train staff, and conduct research. The hospital also named Dr. Bernard J. Graham as chief of staff for 1956, with Dr. R.L. Waggoner as vice chief.
Gratiot County now had its community hospital up and running after years of planning, fundraising, and building.
From the top: The St. Louis Park Hotel prepared for the annual “President’s Ball” to raise money for the fight against infantile paralysis; the New Year began with more calls from President Roosevelt to prepare and arm the great “arsenal of Democracy” in wake of the war over England; “Gone With the Wind” made its second appearance in Alma – a tradition of reappearing at least once each decade until the Strand (II) closed in the early 1990s.
Christmas and New Year’s ended quietly in Gratiot County, but talk of America’s involvement in the European war increased.
Another group of young men left for the military even as a line of volunteers dwindled, meaning that the draft board would soon be forced to call men to serve.
The National Youth Administration remained very active by taking in young people to work on various projects.
And winter hit Gratiot County, sometimes shutting down towns and villages, even for just a day or two.
It was January 1941 in Gratiot County.
The Holidays Pass Peacefully
Just before New Year’s, local towns and villages revealed the winners of their Christmas home lighting contests. Milton Townsend, chairman of the St. Louis contest, announced that Carl Johnson of 422 East Washington won first place and was awarded five dollars. For the first time in St. Louis, the city sponsored the contest, but for some reason, there were fewer entries than in 1939. The Alma Chamber of Commerce awarded first place to Paul Woodland of 510 Republic Avenue (personal home) and to the Michigan Masonic Home (institution/business category), which received $10. Over at Breckenridge, the Garden Club rated B.C. Wood first place for the most original display; Mary Shepard got second for the most appropriate; Doctor E.S. Oldham placed third for the most individual; and Walter Neitzke won fourth for the most extensive display.
On Christmas Day, the St. Louis Leader noted that the St. Louis Knights of Pythias Lodge Number 49 held a dinner for 86 children in the lodge quarters above city hall. Following the dinner, each child received a free theatre ticket and a sack of candy from Santa Claus. The lodge put on the entire program and dinner.
“A Nation in an Undeclared War?”
That was what a column in the Alma Record-Alma Journal declared in early January. “We are at war without having declared war” with Nazi Germany, claimed the columnist, by helping Great Britain, and that “the die is cast.” When will war be declared and by whom? In response to concerns that America would soon be involved in a war, President Roosevelt called up America to be “the great arsenal of democracy” and to prepare to defend the nation as Nazism threatened the entire globe. The race to help Great Britain, according to President Roosevelt, had to include the construction and export of more planes, ships, guns, and freighters.
Across Gratiot County, the tone of speeches and presentations also implied that war was not far off. Professor Ray Hamilton of Alma College described Nazi Germany as having a pagan government as he spoke to the Ithaca Rotary Club. Hamilton also said that a former Alma College professor was now being investigated for un-American activities. Other voices, formerly from outside the United States, warned the county about Imperial Japan’s status and actions. Dr. K. Ping spoke to the Alma Rotary Club about why he believed the Japanese would ultimately be defeated, in part because they took over too much of China and could not control it. Ping also stated that both the Communist and Nationalist Chinese had put aside their own differences to unite to fight the Japanese. Doctor Elmer Boyer, recently from Korea, gave a pair of talks in Alma about the harsh life under Japanese rule. As Christianity grew in Korea, the Japanese were very oppressive toward Koreans and extremely distrustful of all Americans.
The Gratiot County Draft Board invited men to volunteer early and join the Army or Navy, even as nineteen men made up the January quota and prepared to leave for Saginaw. Among them were Carl Deline, Herbert Wolford, and William Keon, all of St. Louis. As men were called, the Draft Board realized it would soon be interviewing men who were not volunteers. Members of the board, such as Lyle Whittier, attended meetings, including the one at the Alma Rotary Club, to explain the examination and classification process for the next 14 men to be called in February. Already, Alma lost some of its young men, like Captain H.L. Freeman, who headed the National Guard in Alma and who had been called to Fort Custer.
In other events related to the theme of war, the Redman Trailer Company of Alma became one of eight businesses nationwide approached by the government to build house trailers capable of holding eight bunks for soldiers. Such a contract meant that the Alma Company would need to expand its plant and employ day and night shift workers. A letter from David Glass, Alma College graduate, arrived home explaining his training with the aviation corps at Pensacola, Florida. A total of 976 aliens had registered in Gratiot County by the late December deadline. Ithaca postmaster James O. Peet announced that 415 aliens appeared to register as required by law. Many of those registered were of “foreign extraction” who worked in the sugar beet and farm fields. In other words, they were migrant workers. The Greek Relief Fund in Alma continued to grow from donations. By mid-January, the fund had raised $831.94 to buy supplies for the relief of the families of Greek soldiers who died as a result of fighting Italy. Over 500 local communities across the United States organized Greek relief funds. In Alma, James Stamas, George Goutis, and James Stavros formed the committee. The Alma Record openly endorsed the relief and asked readers to do the same. Doctor and Mrs. B.N. Robinson of Alma received word that Mrs. Robinson’s parents were safe and living in Southern France. It was the first word they had had of the parents since the Nazi invasion in June. The DeWachters formerly resided in Paris and had evacuated from the city. Word reached Alma through American citizens who met the DeWachters in Biarritz.
Life in the Great Depression/New Deal Programs
During the winter of 1941, the National Youth Administration sought to expand its work in Gratiot County by providing young people with work experience through gainful activities. One of these events involved planning the Alma Ice Carnival on Saturday, February 1. Several NYA boys worked as a crew to get an arena ready on the Pine River. The boys sought to create a track almost 300 feet long for various events, including speed skating, sled events, and several novelty events to take place that afternoon.
Alma Schools embraced the idea of using the old Washington School for classes that could enroll up to 100 young people. By offering woodworking classes for boys and home economics for girls, this NYA program dovetailed with the idea of preparing young people for the national defense program. As such, the federal government would cover almost all the expenses associated with ten-week classes that ran for eight hours a week. A.C. Heying would oversee shop work there while Mrs. Marvin Utter would have charge of the home economics classes.
The Works Progress Administration and the St. Louis City Council discussed spring work projects for eight city blocks, including curbs, gutters, and storm sewers. It would cost St. Louis $12,386, but the WPA covered $8,112 of the amount. Areas around North Pine, Washington, Mill, and Center streets were targeted. At the same meeting, city clerk Frank Housel told the city council that 15 able-bodied men owed the county labor on the roads, which amounted to $2 per day. This “work or no relief” policy in the county emerged earlier in 1940. On a lighter WPA note, Darrell Milstead, County WPA recreation director, said the WPA was testing a “toy lending library” at the Republic School recreation center. In this program, a boy or girl would check out a toy for up to two weeks, then return it to the school. If no one was waiting for the toy, the boy or girl could check it out again.
The Long Arm of the Law
During December 1940, 46 people were convicted of crimes, bringing in $222.75 in fines and $232.80 in costs. Three people were sent to Jackson prison and three to the county jail. A number of the court appearances involved game law violations such as carrying a loaded shotgun in a vehicle, violating the Horton’s Trespass Law, or transporting dressed venison. William Batten, 21, of Detroit, and Charles Van Atter, 31, of Eaton Rapids, stood mute to stealing a calf from the George Bates farm during the past summer. Batten got a $25 fine and costs, or 30 days in jail (where he initially went), and Van Atter went to prison on a $200 bond default. The two men picked up the Bates calf, which stood near the edge of the road, and made off with it. There was no word on what had happened to the calf.
Three area men were arrested, and more details emerged about the February 1939 break-in at the Lobdell-Emery plant, where 960 pounds of Downmetal and scrap aluminum were stolen. Arrests of Carl Baker, formerly of Alma, Charles Langin of St. Louis, and Charles Thompson of Alma meant more appearances in front of Justice Howard Potter in Ithaca. Baker had been the key suspect in the cases and was finally apprehended in Kalamazoo. The other men denied knowledge of the crime and requested an examination. This 1939 crime amounted to $100 worth of stolen metals.
Other various crimes and situations made the January newspapers. Russell Smith, Alma’s “heating engineer,” again caused trouble for officers and appeared in court on pretenses for not completing heating repairs. Smith had still not paid his nearly $10 fine for court costs. Hazel Ellsworth remained lodged in the county jail on charges of arson. Ellsworth appeared to be off her hunger strike, but continual attempts to harm herself meant she was under constant watch by a jail matron. Norman Skaggs, 22, of Cheboygan, appeared in court and pleaded guilty to starting a December 1939 fire on the Clarence Clark farm, three miles south of Alma. Skaggs claimed he started the fire while Clark was away, all on a whim. Skaggs hoped he might gain more work by rebuilding a barn to better support his wife and child. Skaggs left the area after the fire and could not make it on being paid five cents a bushel for husking corn. Skaggs now made a complete confession, asked for his punishment, and wanted to clear the matter.
The biggest news of the month concerned a strike by sixteen drivers at the Kress and Son trucking operation in Grand Rapids, which transported Midwest Refineries’ products. When replacements were hired for the striking drivers, several Kress and Son trucks were stopped in Alma and south of Ithaca. When a group of five men stopped a car south of Ithaca and told the driver he had better leave for his own good, the driver walked to the sheriff’s office and filed a complaint. In another instance, one Kress truck was sabotaged while enroute from Owosso. The A.F. of L. union called for the strike, and later that month, fifteen men appeared in court, charged with infringements against Kress Trucking. All seemed to have attorneys supported by the union, and they were released on bonds ranging from $250 to $ 1,000 each. Later, Roland Reitz, 45, of Saginaw, received a $50 fine and $60 in costs for his involvement in a truck holdup in Alma. The sheriff’s department called in special deputies and the Alma Police Department to address a strike situation.
Gratiot Farmers and the Winter
The snow was deep, and the weather was cold, but Gratiot farmers turned out for different programs to get them thinking about the 1941 farming season. The St. Louis Beet Growers Association held its 10th annual program at St. Louis High School and was impressed by the 1,100 people who attended – well above the anticipated number. International Harvester had a meeting for forty dealers at the Park Hotel in St. Louis, with luncheon served in the main dining room. Adolph and Henry Schnepp organized the meeting’s program. The St. Louis Co-operative Association held the city’s second big program of the winter, also at St. Louis, and planned to offer a tour of the new $50,000 creamery on North Mill Street. A group of 500 farmers and wives was anticipated for the February 1 assembly.
In other farming-related news, Breckenridge offered a 10-week adult education course in agriculture. It started on January 15 and was held on Tuesday evenings. Frank Longnecker of Vestaburg made the county newspapers when he announced that one of his pullets laid two oversized eggs in one month. The latest measured 6 ½ and 8 ¾ in circumference and weighed six ounces. A rabid skunk attacked Robert Monroe’s heifer southeast of St. Louis. Monroe saw the skunk bite the heifer on the head, then killed the skunk. The head was then sent to Doctor Frank Erwin, who had it analyzed in Lansing. The skunk was positive for rabies, and Monroe was told to give his heifer a series of shots to save the animal. He also watched the rest of his herd for fear that other rabid animals had attacked and bitten them.
Health Matters
Much of the Gratiot news about health in January centered on infantile paralysis. During the Depression, the annual President’s Benefit Ball took place in St. Louis on January 30 at the Park Hotel to raise money to combat the disease. As a result of recent fundraising, the Gratiot County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis supported seven cases without making the recipients’ names public. As of January 1941, the group had $300 in its balance and hoped to raise more money through the President’s Ball to support those who needed braces, special shoes, or appliances. Tickets for the ball went on sale, and members were asked to fill coin collection boxes and folders that held $2 each in dimes. Vere Nunn, cashier at Commercial Savings Bank in St. Louis, served as treasurer of the chapter.
Still, other people and events related to health matters were tied to Gratiot County. Two people who were x-rayed at a recent Michigan Tuberculosis Association clinic in the county faced immediate hospitalization. A total of 39 people attended the clinic; 25 of them had been x-rayed before. Of that group, two were deemed active, three were suspect active, and five healed of tuberculosis.
A wave of influenza hit Alma Public Schools hard, with four teachers out and fifteen percent of the student body absent on one day. By mid-January, local doctors believed that the worst of the flu had passed. William Lator, an Ashley High School sophomore, was in critical condition at Smith Memorial Hospital with blood poisoning. Lator had been sick for two months after receiving a scratch or prick while working in the woods. After admission, he improved slightly after a blood transfusion. Two-year-old Alfred Roberts of Middleton also nursed an infected arm. When his mother left the little fellow alone for a moment, she found him caught in the wringer. The rollers caused nasty wounds and required seventeen stitches to close, and then became very uncomfortable due to inflammation. This toddler also fell into a bucket of boiling water a year earlier, then later drank kerosene. Needless to say, young Alfred had seen more than his share of troubles. Another sad Middleton story involved the discovery of Charles Luscher, 69, who was found frozen to death in a ditch southeast of Middleton. He had been there approximately 2 ½ days and was found carrying bottles of beer and some meat, only two rods from his shack. Another sad story took place near Sumner, where Melvin Blackburn was found in a snowbank on the Ben Humphrey farm. Little hope of recovery was given due to prolonged exposure to cold weather and snow.
And So We Do Not Forget
Basketball games between two Fulton teams and Fulton alumni took place before New Year’s. In both cases, the alumni won: the girls’ alumni defeated the Fulton girls 26-16, and the boys’ alumni defeated the Fulton boys 28-23…The Gratiot-Clinton Bar Association feted Circuit Court Judge Kelly S. Searl by having a dinner in his honor at the St. Louis Park Hotel. A collection of approximately 175 circuit court judges, lawyers, and friends attended the dinner…Seventeen people enrolled in citizen classes at St. Louis High School on Monday nights. Three in the group took a course on “English for Newer Americans” led by Grace Niggeman. Some of the students included Anna Sabatavich, Mary Yanik, Anna Simonovic, and Cyril Sedlacek…The city play “Womanless Wedding” was again a big hit at St. Louis High School under the direction of the St. Louis Lions Club. John Brown starred as the bride and Doctor T.D. Gilson is the groom. Proceeds went to the Sight Conservation and Health Welfare fund of the Lions Club.
The final cost of the new county road garage outside Ithaca was $53,871.73 and was primarily funded by state funds. A complete financial report appeared in the St. Louis Leader…A group of 153 people in Porter Royalty Pool, Incorporated, found themselves dividing oil royalties after the state Supreme Court ruled on a case dating back to 1933. In a unanimous decision, the court dismissed charges by Glenn and Mildred Hathaway and 24 others, thus releasing the money…The Kroger Grocery and Baking Company moved to a new location on Mill Street early in 1940 and introduced self-service, which many customers liked. Oren L. Boyd worked as a manager and appeared in the newspaper…A wet, soggy snow left six inches in Gratiot County on Sunday, December 29, and lasted into the evening. It took workers in places like St. Louis most of the night to clear enough roads and streets for people to get around the next day.
A group of 400 people attended the annual stockholders meeting of the Redman Wholesale Grocery Company in Alma. The meeting took place at the Alma Methodist Church, which offered the group a free meal and entertainment after listening to financial reports and the election of officers…Two different groups of Alma people headed to Mexico for a few weeks to avoid the Gratiot County winter. Lester Welch, assistant manager at Martins, led a group of tourists to Durango, Monterey, and Mexico City. James Clark, JC Penney assistant manager, took his family on a three-week trip to Mexico…Temperatures in Alma on January 13 dropped to zero, but rose to 18 degrees above two days later…Alma’s ice rinks opened after the freeze south of the State Street bridge and on one above the dam. Snow had been removed to allow skating there, and it proved very popular with skaters…Cupid’s arrow struck Maynard Peackock, 23, of St. Louis, and Bertha Dickens, 22, of Alma as they tied the knot.
The Gratiot County Herald checked up on the 1940 winners of the baby contest. One year later, Judith Joan Russell, Elm Hall, Lee Arnold Cowles of Alma, and David William Seaman, also of Alma, all had their photographs and biographies as one-year-olds on the front page…The winner of the 1941 Baby Contest went to Raymond Kennedy, Jr., son of Mr and Mrs. Raymond Kennedy of Alma. He appeared at 2:56 a.m. at Carney-Wilcox Hospital and weighed 8 ½ pounds…Doctor Lewis Berg, psychiatrist, sociologist, lecturer, and columnist, spoke during the Town Hall Series at Ithaca High School gymnasium on “The Successful Personality.” Rotary clubs from around Gratiot County sponsored the presentation…One of the Detroit Tigers’ “G-Men,” Charley Gehringer, was the first Detroit Tiger to sign a 1941 contract…Jay Stahl of Ithaca received the Ballard Trophy at Ithaca High School for his football season, as well as being the team captain…A collection of former Ithaca High School football players from the 1906 to 1909 championship teams showed up for the all-sports banquet sponsored by the Ithaca Chamber of Commerce to honor Coach Steve Keglovitz.
”Gone with the Wind” for the second time reappeared at the Strand Theatre in Alma for three dates on January 28-30. Evening tickets cost 55 cents, and one showing took place at 7:30 pm… George Gates took over the location of “Bill’s Popcorn Stand” in Alma on the Masonic property south of the Consumers Power Company building on South State Street. Gates now mainly sold apples and sweet cider…Ben East, wildlife lecturer and writer, appeared at Alma High School on January 14 to show moving pictures on “Islands of the Inland Seas.” The Gratiot County Conservation League supported the presentation…Mrs. Rebecca Louise Stevens, age 107, and the former wife of Dr. L. S. Stevens in Alma, passed away in San Diego, California. Doctor Stevens passed in 1899 and was buried in Riverside Cemetery…Lem Rowley of the Rowley and Church gas station in St. Louis did a neighborly thing for a person in need. Walter Gibbs lost his two Irish Setters and had little hope for their coming home. When neighbor Don Keane heard noises in his father’s barn a week later, he found the two dogs in a holding box, in poor shape and worn out. When called upon by Keane, Lem Rowley helped find the rightful owners of the two setters. Needless to say, Walter Gibbs was thrilled and grateful for the return of his two dogs.
And that was Gratiot County during the Depression and the War in January 1941.
Gratiot in September 1940, from the top: Going back to school again and learning about impending warfare, September 12, 1940, cartoon from the Gratiot County Herald; Gratiot County Conservation League Park is dedicated. A combination of members, volunteers, along with NYA and WPA workers, made the use of the park possible in late September 1940; Elwood Mellinger, captain of the Ithaca football team, as it prepared to face St. Louis on September 20, 1940.
Another cold, wet fall meant it would be a challenge to bring in another Gratiot harvest.
It was a time when America prepared for a peacetime draft – its first draft since 1917.
What, Roosevelt runs for a third term as President? No President had done so in the nation’s history.
Residents also learned that the WPA programs would soon come to an end after five years of operation.
What was going on?
It was September 1940 in Gratiot County.
Europe at War, Preparation at Home
As Hitler continued to attempt a conquest of Great Britain, the only remaining obstacle to his domination of Western Europe, Gratiot County prepared for war. Although the Führer boasted to England that “I am coming,” England countered by conducting another of its early air raids upon the city of Berlin.
Even before entering the fall elections, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spoke freely and openly about the need to prepare the nation for war, and instituting a peacetime draft now became a reality. All American young men between the ages of 21 and 35 had to register for possible conscription by October 16. Roosevelt’s initial goal was to mobilize 400,000 men by early 1941 and 900,000 by the spring of that year. All registrants would carry a registration card, and those who failed to register would be considered evaders.
As a result, Gratiot County received approval from President Roosevelt to form its first draft board in twenty years. Four men, Dr. C.F. Dubois (medical examiner), Charles R. Murphy, A.D. Smedberg, and Robert Reed, headed the Alma board. All served without pay. Ahead of the draft, six local men signed up at the Alma post office on one weekend to join the United States Marine Corps. Robert Hennigar, Burson Youry, Paul Dintaman, and Lyle Goward of Alma, along with Donald Zinn and Richard Horton of Vestaburg, expected to go to Saginaw for their formal physicals. If they passed the examination, the group of men would be sent for Marine training at Parris Island, South Carolina.
Men involved in Troop B, National Guard, of Alma, returned from drills in Wisconsin. However, Captain Howard L. Freeman believed that the unit would soon be called into service as part of the 210th Coast Artillery, an anti-aircraft unit. Two weeks later, that assignment changed again, and the group would be known as Battery B of the 177th Field Artillery. The Alma battery needed to increase its strength from the current roster of 60 men to a total of 122 men between the ages of 21 and 35. At this time, one Michigan newspaper reported that many National Guardsmen would be sent south in October to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, for a year of training. President Roosevelt soon signed an order calling up over 60,000 men in the National Guard for a one-year period of service. Sadly, a result of this order meant that the horse cavalry unit, long a part of Alma and Gratiot County’s history, would soon depart for Illinois.
Photographs in county newspapers, such as the Alma Record and Gratiot County Herald, demonstrated the hardships of war as well as this nation’s preparation to be drawn into the conflict. In an attempt to feed its population during war, England used all of its land to raise food, including growing wheat in London parks. Londoners also paid an admission fee to see a recently shot down German Messerschmitt fighter for the “Buy a Spitfire” fund. In Santa Monica, California, one plant worked to produce the world’s largest bomber, a four-motored aircraft with a 210-foot wingspan. It held a crew of ten men and could fly 6000 miles on a bombing mission. In Springfield, Massachusetts, a plant there produced 1000 Garand semi-automatic rifles daily. The plant commander urged the War Department to expand production. Two inventors of the concrete pillbox, a concrete dome-shaped shelter that builders could set in five hours, demonstrated it in front of the Army and congressional leaders. These small fortresses could be used in America to guard its borders.
Depression Life Continues
The New Youth Administration (NYA) continued work in the county as 80 young men and women received permission from the program to work more hours, and therefore, more pay. Thirty-five young women worked on various projects, including recreational activities at Conservation League Park and maintenance tasks at Alma City Hall. All project workers were required to take and complete their initial air courses. A few NYA members worked with WPA supervisors at places holding girls’ activities at Wright Park for handicrafts or at wood games activities for young people at Republic School. James Carter oversaw the woodcraft project at the Salvation Army Center. As Halloween approached, the NYA staff led interested children in creating paper masks using clay, which would be displayed at the indoor recreation centers. Two Gratiot County students, Elroy Prince of Ithaca and Darwin Snyder of Breckenridge, attended a short NYA agricultural course at Michigan State College. A total of thirty students made up the group, attended class, lived in a barracks, and worked part-time. At different Gratiot County high schools, student aid workers on the NYA payroll earned $6 each month once they received NYA certification.
The Works Progress Administration (WPA) offered further training to members from Gratiot County who traveled to Hoyt Park Field House in Saginaw. Director Darrell Milstead, recreation director, led the group as it learned about fall sports activities, arts, crafts, administration, and first aid. Among those who attended were Hazel Markham (from Ithaca), Henry Sholtz and Lester Fillhard (St. Louis), James Carter, Jack Acker, Lowell Williams, and Eldon Lott (Alma). The WPA program, which had operated nationally for several years, received news in late September that all WPA work would end by June 1941. The program director urged WPA leaders across the nation to complete their existing projects within the allotted time and avoid initiating new ones. An increase in funds for defense appropriations and an overall atmosphere of the need to train for national defense meant an end to WPA programs.
People who had past accounts with the Elwell Bank received good news from Charles H. Goggin, President of Alma First Bank of Alma. He announced a possible agreement to disperse the liquidated assets of the former Elwell Bank. Litigation continued in court in Ithaca, but an announcement was expected soon. A hundred former bank depositors had filed suit to get money from the Alma Bank, which they claimed was also tied to the Elwell bank’s collapse. The judge granted ten days for any other former depositors to file their claims for money.
Over at the Ithaca courthouse, work began on the new social welfare offices and Gratiot Bureau of Social Aid, which planned to relocate from Alma. The two new offices, expected to open in the courthouse basement, and the remodeling meant that a new entrance would be created on the south side of the building. The new rooms would now occupy what was formerly known as the youth detention area and janitor’s living quarters.
Health and Gratiot County
The Children’s Free Dental Clinic continued its work in the county after completing its time in St. Louis. A dentist worked on a total of 222 St. Louis children with 335 cavities filled and 185 teeth extracted. Another 29 children had their teeth cleaned. The Child Study Club sponsored the clinic, which provided free healthcare to underprivileged children. Doctor G.V. Barrows did the dental work and was assisted by Beth Hicks. Several children from Wheeler and Breckenridge attended the clinic as well.
The public received warnings about outbreaks of infantile paralysis in sixteen different Michigan counties. Believed to be a seasonal disease that peaked in late August and early September, a total of 272 cases were discovered in the state during September. In related news, Leonard Hubbard, 29, a popular Vestaburg musician, died of the disease only one week after contracting it. He left behind a wife and three children. In other health news, a Bannister man took his own life after years of battling illness. Frank Goldman, age 67, hung himself in his barn early one morning. Goldman suffered from being unable to eat and sleep due to health problems. In another twist, he was scheduled for the next step of becoming a naturalized citizen the day after his death. Goldman farmed in the community for 28 years.
The Long Arm of the Law in Gratiot County
August 1940 proved to be a busy month for the courts as a variety of offenses resulted in 47 convictions. Only 18 in the group were found to have committed serious crimes, and most of the others were due to traffic offenses. Fines totaled $258.30, with an additional $162.80 for costs. Some of the serious crimes involved one man being sent to Jackson Prison and four others to the county jail. Otis Andrews was sent to Jackson for violating probation for a third offense of drunk driving and got six months to two years. Andrews was warned that if he ever showed up in court again, he would be immediately sent back to Jackson.
Lawrence Lutz, 18, of St. Louis, was found guilty of carrying an unloaded concealed weapon without a license. He only got a year’s probation and was ordered to attend church with his parents every Sunday. Four men were convicted of fishing law violations for setting an illegal set line on the Maple River. They each paid $10 for a fine and $6.85 for costs. Another person unlawfully used an automobile and got three years’ probation and $200 for damages to the car.
The Alma City Commission had its first reading of a proposed ordinance regarding trailers in the city. If accepted, the new ordinance would regulate trailer families and individuals from taking up residence on vacant lots or yards. Those wishing to reside in trailers had to do so at a licensed trailer camp and pay $15 for a yearly license. The trailer camp owner was also required to provide a service building, showers, toilets, laundry facilities, drinking water, and a list of other amenities. Anyone parking a trailer next to a homeowner in Alma could only do so for two weeks at a time.
Regarding elections and politics, Gratiot County gave favorite son O.L. Smith a nearly 2-1 advantage over incumbent Luren Dickinson for the Michigan Governor’s race in the state primary election. Unfortunately, Dickinson trounced his opponents across the state to gain the nomination. He would face off against Democrat Murray D. Wagoner in November. One of the most interesting and spirited contests involved three candidates for Probate Judge. Mildred Taft, daughter of the late Probate Judge James G. Kress, won the primary election after being appointed by the Governor to fill out her deceased father’s remaining term. Taft would serve as Probate Judge until 1963.
Naturalization hearings continued at a good pace in the county as ten residents from six different countries applied to become American citizens. For this ceremony on September 19, something new happened. This time, DAR chapters from Alma and Ithaca organized a short march to the court. At the same time, bugles played and Boy Scouts accompanied the group. Alma DAR chairman, Miss Lou Nickerson, gave a brief talk on the Constitution, then Mrs. Floyd Barnes explained the meaning of the American flag. Each new citizen received a citizen’s manual with a copy of the Constitution, which included the Pledge of Allegiance. Each citizen also received a small 4×6-inch flag. Although fifteen candidates faced examination for citizenship, these ten were accepted, while the other five continued further study. Members in the group originally came from places like Croatia, England, Russia, Germany, Poland, and Slovakia.
Alien registrations also continued at post offices across the county. In Alma on one Wednesday afternoon, a total of 18 aliens registered. The Alma postmaster, J.L. Winslow, commented that several persons believed they were American citizens, but upon investigation learned they were not.
Farming
Farmers were urged not to cut their alfalfa but to wait at least until the end of September, unless used for silage or molasses. It was essential to let alfalfa store up root reserve for 1941. Sugar beets appeared to have a later-than-usual harvest due to low sugar content. The heavy rains in late August and early September meant a delay in harvesting. The Michigan Sugar Company announced it had 9,000 acres set aside for raw material for the Alma plant. A new beet dump and piler took care of a load of beets in one minute. Over at St. Louis, the Lake Shore Sugar Company had 10,000 measured acres of beets to harvest. Still, a late white frost hit Gratiot County at the very end of September. County Agent C.P. Milham announced that the enemy of all farmers, the corn borer, caused over $200,000 in damage to county farms. For many in the county, the amount could have meant profit or loss for the season. To combat the corn borer, shredding dry stalks and plowing under others by June 1 had to be a goal for all farmers, according to Milham.
In other farm news, a group of nine Junior Farm Bureau members attended Waldenwood Leadership Training Camp at Hartland, Michigan. A total of seventy-eight young people from thirteen countries attended. From Gratiot County, John Kelly, Gerald Lake, George Cox, Marion Wang, Eugene Oberst, Margaret Douglas, Edward Hooper, Lowell Quidort, and Dorothy Gibson all went. Another 24 schools proposed forming 4-H clubs in the county, bringing the total number of 4-H clubs to 42. The Beebe 4-H Club had 11 members and was led by Mrs. Helen Muscott.
Mexican night entertainment took place in Alma on September 28, coinciding with the dedication of Conservation Park. Mexican talent, recruited by Pastor Albert Mareno of Shepherd, performed a program at the Alma Tourist Park, located west of the Christian Church. Finally, pheasants surprised Dick Brown and his daughter in Alma as a rooster and three hens were flushed from behind the Brown home inside the city. Young daughter Brown is very excited to see the pheasants.
And So We Do Not Forget
Thirty boys showed up for the first St. Louis football practice of the year. The Labor Day practice marked the beginning of preparations for the season’s first game against Ithaca, just three weeks away. Coach Elliot Oldt was seeking guards and tackles to fill the ranks vacated by last year’s graduating seniors…Fulton School in Middleton and Perrinton started school on September 3, and Superintendent Eberly announced the school had four new teachers. Fulton had a total enrollment of 434 students. Grades seven through nine met in Middleton, while grades ten through twelve had classes in Perrinton. The district had five school buses…” When the Daltons Rode,” starring Randolph Scott and Kay Francis, appeared at the Strand Theatre in Alma. Tickets were ten and twenty cents…Ithaca Public Schools opened with an enrollment of 597 students. Kindergarten had forty-eight students; the senior class was made up of sixty students…The Perrinton softball team finished first and was the winner of the 1940 fastpitch softball season in St. Louis. Rowley and Church finished as runners-up.
The public was invited to observe the dedication of the Gratiot County Conservation League Park in Alma on September 28 at 1:30 p.m. Activities included a flag presentation and raising, public address, and horse pulling contest…The Pentecostal Faith Riverside Tabernacle church dedicated its new building at 523 Michigan Avenue in St. Louis. The new building seated 100 people…Students, buy your new fountain pens at Green’s Jewelry in Alma. The fountain pens only cost 29 cents each…Work on the new Gratiot County highway garage continued. The $65,000 structure is planned to open on November 1. Situated in East Ithaca on the south side of US-27…The Lincoln School in Alma received a trophy from the Automobile Club of Michigan for the number of safety contacts it had during the previous school year. One of the achievements of the Lincoln School was its use of school safety patrols by children. Lincoln placed first among forty other Michigan schools for the award…Harold Woodley of Alma saw the excavation for his new house begin in late September, marking the start of construction on his $6,300 residence on West Superior Street. The new home would be just east of the Lester Purdy Riverside Dairy farm.
Alma Schols began the new school year with approximately 1,750 students. This included 225 non-resident students who paid tuition to attend school in Alma…A “Pageant of America” was planned to be performed on the Alma College athletic field on October 4. An estimated 500 people from Alma organizations and leading citizens were involved in presenting this program. The Jean Bessac DAR Chapter led the organization of the pageant…Radio station WJR, the state’s most powerful radio station, planned to have two announcers in Alma for its “Michigan Speaks” series. Jack Garrison and Duncan Moore planned to broadcast from the streets of the city to gauge county voting preferences for the upcoming 1940 Presidential Election between President Roosevelt and challenger Wendell Wilkie…Otis Brantley, chef at the Main Café in Alma, and Claude LaVoy of Riverdale hit it big while fishing on the Maple River near Matherton. They caught two of the largest catfish seen in Alma in a long time. One was over 4 ½ feet long and weighed 45 pounds…The Michigan Masonic Home has a new V-shaped electronic sign in front of the home. It turns on automatically at 7:30 p.m. so that anyone passing by on US-27 can see it.
An open house was scheduled at George W. Stewart’s new home on 612 Liberty Street in Alma. James Medcoff, a contractor and builder, designed and built the new house using materials from the Little Rock Lumber and Coal Company in Alma. The new home cost $3,500 to construct…Senior Elwood Mellinger, left tackle, served as Ithaca football captain for the team…A tragedy occurred in Elm Hall when an explosion and fire took out the Hoxie General Store on a Friday morning. A combination of a kerosene heater and cook stove malfunction caused the fire, which resulted in $4000 in damages. George Mack and his wife had insurance on the building and contents, but it would only cover part of the loss… Roy Rogers and Gabby Hayes starred in “Saga of Death Valley” at the Ideal Theatre in Ithaca. Catch a Saturday matinee for only a dime…James Redman, 20, Alma, married Opal Jean Hahn, age 18, of Alma, and became the latest of Cupid’s victims…Miss Virginia Hetzman of Alma was runner-up at the State Fair for the dress she made and wore for the style revue. Hetzman had been involved in Martha Jean Conklin’s 4-H club for the past seven years…A representative from the Saginaw field office of the Social Security Bureau, Alma, will be Available on September 18 for two hours to answer questions and provide assistance to those applying for Social Security. Meet the rep at the office of the Michigan State Employment Service in Alma’s city hall…Finally, someone (or something) shut down ten telephone lines and twenty-five telephones in Ithaca. In this case, a fox squirrel ate through the leaden sheath of an aerial cable on St. John’s Street. The squirrel gnawed through the lines, exposing them to water. It was the second time in five years that Union Telephone had to address this problem.
And that was Depression and War in Gratiot County during September 1940.
Above: August 14, 1913, headline from the Gratiot County Herald; in 1915, A.M. Derry & Son of Ashley sold lightning rods to interested farmers.
Some say lightning never strikes twice in the same place. Others do not worry about being hit at all. Unfortunately for many in Gratiot County’s past, death and destruction by lightning strikes were common and something to be feared.
In 1913, Gratiot historian Willard Tucker cited over a dozen instances of lightning disasters in a book of the county’s history up until World War I. However, his short collection of lightning stories is only a small sample of the many stories that can be found later in twentieth-century Gratiot County.
Tucker started his coverage with a terrible incident that took place in Elba Township in 1896, which claimed more than one victim. A young boy, Charles Hubbard, age 9, was working with his father in the family’s granary when a bolt of lightning hit Charles, killing him instantly. His father, Stephen Hubbard, was also hit by the same strike but eventually survived, in what was the first story of those who shared lightning strikes. It happened again five years later when Walter Price and John Cumberworth both died on the Roy Cumberworth farm near Ithaca on July 5, 1901. In that case, Roy Cumberworth, who was standing near the other two men, somehow avoided being hit by the same bolt of lightning.
Records show that houses in towns and villages were sometimes hit. Sol Eicher’s house on St. John Street in Ithaca was struck by a tremendous lightning bolt, which Eicher and his wife barely escaped in August 1912. That night, Eicher awoke thinking he had heard a loud noise outside his window, got up, looked outside, saw nothing, and then returned to bed. Another loud crash soon occurred, and this time he awoke to find his bed covered in plaster, a result of the entire ceiling and side walls of the bedroom falling on him and his wife. Upon going outside, Eicher saw that a lightning strike had stripped the siding twelve feet down the side of the house. Upon more inspection upstairs, Eicher found that two big holes could be seen above his bed as well as in the neighboring bedroom. As the family started cleaning up the mess, they ended up removing three bushels of plaster just from their daughter’s bedroom alone. Down below the upstairs windows, the Eichers saw that the porch floor had been split in two.
There are stories of other homes that were also hit by lightning. William Carroll in northeast Seville Township had the top of his chimney and shingles torn off his roof in March 1904. Carroll had just stepped onto his porch after returning from the barn with a lantern after returning from the barn when the force of a strike nearly threw him to the ground. Still, Carroll survived. In November 1924, the DeArmond home, located at 136 Allen Street in Alma, was struck by a bolt of lightning that entered through an open window and then started a fire. Luckily, the entire family was on the ground floor when the incident happened, and DeArmond activated the fire alarm. On the way to the house, the fire truck en route stopped at South Woodworth Avenue for a train when a Chevrolet Coupe driven by Earl Clapp hit the back end of the fire truck. No one was seriously injured, and firefighters safely arrived and extinguished the fire.
Across Gratiot County, there might be no limit to the number of barns struck during a lightning storm. A terrible storm lasting nearly twenty-four hours in August 1913 struck over a dozen barns across the county. During the ordeal, E.A. Stowe of Forrest Hill lost his barn and ninety tons of hay worth $1500. Almost all of the barns or homes hit in this storm were total losses, and the Gratiot County Herald estimated that lightning caused at least $50,000 worth of damage. A year later, in late August 1914, lightning storms covering two successive nights destroyed another six barns in the county.
In most cases, Gratiot farmers lacked sufficient insurance to cover the full damage to their property, while many farmers often had no insurance at all. In one instance, William Holliday and his wife from Alma wintered in Kalkaska in April 1905. They prepared to return to their summer home near Alma just before it was hit by lightning. A neighbor who witnessed the strike attempted to salvage some of the things inside. Still, the fire was too intense and resulted in a total loss as it had no insurance coverage. James Greenlee, near North Star in 1925, lost $4,700 in a fire caused by lightning from his 40×70 barn, which contained farm tools, wagons, straw, shovels, hoes, and cultivators. Luckily, Greenlee had let all of the livestock out of the barn earlier that night, or he might have lost them as well. His insurance covered $3,000 for losses, more than most farmers had at that time.
The result of a lightning strike often left tremendous physical damage, especially for livestock. A.K. Overmeyer of Emerson (Beebe) was able to get his two horses and buggy out of his barn after a strike in June 1913. Still, he lost all of his harnesses and 65 chickens. He received $362 in insurance claims, but it would not cover all of his losses. In July 1923, several county farmers experienced significant personal losses from lightning strikes. A 6:00 a.m. storm caused a fire on the Kinney farm near Ithaca, which quickly went up in flames. The family watched as their barn and a shed burned, which housed a cow and calf, as well as several farm implements, and four tons of hay. All of it quickly went up in flames. Sadly, insurance only covered half their damages. Clarence Shields of Emerson noticed that his horses and cows were acting strangely after the same storm. He then figured out that two of the horses were now deaf. It was not uncommon for other Gratiot lightning strikes to leave farm animals severely burned, blind, or deaf if they had been standing near a lightning strike.
Encounters with lightning sometimes created almost unbelievable stories in the newspapers. William Gephart of Breckenridge was struck and killed in July 1913 when he returned home from a day on the Pine River. While one and a half miles north of Wheeler, he headed to the Chase residence to take cover from the approaching storm. Gephart hitched the horse in the barn, stepped to the buggy to get a rubber blanket to cover the lunch basket, and then was hit by lightning. Strangely, Gephart had no visible marks on his body, just a torn hat and shirt. A Mexican migrant worker, Ysac Rojo, was killed by lightning, and another worker was seriously injured in Fulton Township in July 1926. Rojo and his brother made the mistake of taking shelter under a tree during a storm on the R. C. Blank farm when lightning struck the tree. The strike then burned a hole through Ysac Rojo’s cap, shattered his shoes, but left the rest of his body unmarked. Joe Rojo, who survived, was taken to St. John’s Hospital after suffering severe burns.
Some places in Gratiot County were hit twice by lightning. Ellsworth Wright’s barn near Breckendridge was destroyed in July 1924 for the second time in five years. In both cases, Wright’s barn burned to the ground, and the second time, he lost all of his barn’s contents. Another Breckenridge farmer, Frank Oberst, suffered $7,000 in damages from an August 1925 lightning strike. During the storm, a tenant on the Oberst farm was able to rescue Oberst’s Durham cattle and horses out of the barn. This second barn, measuring 40 feet by 84 feet, had a cement floor with a basement. Unfortunately for Oberst, insurance only covered part of the second loss. In a strange twist, Oberst lost his first barn on the same spot two years earlier.
A Gratiot farmer’s defense against lightning strikes was to buy lightning rods and insurance from county agents, such as W.H. Tenney of St. Louis. Just before World War I, Tenney sold lightning rods made of 98 percent pure copper, which came with patent curved brackets. H.J. Zubler of Breckenridge also sold U.S. Government Lightning Rods, claiming, “If these rods were good enough for government buildings, they ought to be able to fill the bill for you. (The) Same make of rods are used on Gratiot County Farm Buildings.” In March 1915, A.M. Derry and Son of Ashley sold lightning rods and advertised that “Now is a good time to come in and get an estimate, before spring work commences. We sell them—and guarantee the best price.” In the 1920s, businesses like Boothe and Binger of North Star also advertised the sale of lightning rods. They handled 18-gauge, 32-strand cable rods.
About twenty years ago, I visited my paternal grandmother’s last surviving sibling, who still lived on the old Bliss family farm west of Ithaca in Newark Township. As I spoke with my great-uncle about family history, he pointed out the lightning rods and insulators that sat overhead above his porch, then the trio of lightning rods that appeared on the top of the old barn. Aaron Bliss smiled about how some local antique collector with an eye for old lightning rods and insulators had stopped more than once to encourage him to sell off the rods. My uncle only smiled, suggesting that he was happy to keep and trust the devices that had probably spared the Bliss family’s home and barn from hard Gratiot County lightning storms for many decades.
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