Volume 39, number 5
February 2018
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue: Cover Story: February program Letter from our President page 2 Black Family History Series page 3 NGS Conference page 3 Taste of Soul Sunday page 4 New Local History Books page 5 Happening in History page 6 Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society Next program: After the
February program, the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s next program will be on March 8, 2018 at the Grand Rapids Public Library. David Bastian will be speaking about: Grant’s Canal: The Union’s Attempt to Bypass Vicksburg Grand River Times
Wagoosh: The Fox: Louis Campau PRESENTED BY: Maureen Shirey Thursday, February 8, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Louis Campau was given the name of Wagoosh by his Native American friends. Foxes are said to be difficult to see in the wild, but not this one. When Louis arrived at Grand Rapids he established himself so prominently that his presence was, and has been since, impossible not to see. Foxes are also known to be cunning, sly and clever. Lucious Lyons called him “a selfish and troublesome Frenchman,” but perhaps he had good reason to feel that way. Various historians sound like the proverbial blind men describing different parts of an elephant: “gentlemanly” (although he was no stranger to fisticuffs), “visionary” (he manifested Yankee settlers and a priest then decried their presence), “irascible” and “inconsistent.” And then there's the story of what happened in Saginaw. And the pesky ongoing presence of firewater. Of course it was a rough and tumble time in 1827 and after all, couldn't yesterday's resume be today's rap sheet? Monsieur Campau (properly pronounced KAHM poe) was also well known as a “generous benefactor” who never let visitors go hungry or sleep in the cold. Many knew him simply as “Uncle Louis.” This presentation will explore the Fox's tracks and his natural habitat at Bowting, the place where the water falls down, while attempting to convince the public that Johnny Depp would be perfect for the part. 1
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members, It is the middle of January and I owe a column to Jessica, who puts our newsletter together, but my brain seems to be as frozen as the weather outside. So, I am going to throw out a lot of bits and pieces. The month of February is often full of weather surprises. It seems like only a few years ago that we all got stuck inside our homes for days when the blizzard of ‘78 hit at the very end of January. My The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids surprise that year was that I was due for my third child as the blizzard struck. Historical Society, published six However she wasn’t born until Valentines Day. That storm was forty years times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society ago yet many of us still remember it vividly. When trading stories about it is dedicated to exploring the history we don’t have to exaggerate because it really was that great an adventure. of West Michigan; to discover its Cleaning up at our house sometimes means putting all the research projects romance and tragedy, its heroes together in a box and then get to it later. My husband has an art studio. He and scoundrels, its leaders and its cleans up that way too. When emptying a box recently he found a thin plastic ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, binder that has on the cover “History of Jazz in Grand Rapids”. He has no passing it on to new generations recollection of where it came from or why he has it. It appears to have been through books, lectures, and compiled by Kim Rush. It was an interesting read. Anyone want to claim it? education projects. Tell me what the photo is on the cover and the binder is yours. My new position at the Public Museum is bringing me a lot of joy. Executive Committee: Two days each week I am at the Community Archive Research Center. This Gina Bivins, president week I led a group of third graders on a tour of the building, dug into old Matthew Daley, vice-president maps for a researcher, identified some photos and added content to the data John Gelderloos, treasurer base to make the photos more searchable, and tried to solve a few mysteries Nan Schichtel, secretary that happen when you are an institution that has been around since 1854. Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Thomas Dilley Marilyn Hamill Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Sytsma Jim Winslow Tony Wright Kurt Yost Jessica Riley, editor Grand Rapids Historical Society c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
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About the Grand Rapids Historical Society. The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight programs each year, beginning in September and running through May, including lectures, audio/video presentations, demonstrations, collections, or special tours.
Membership. Membership is open to all interested persons with annual dues of $30 per family, $20 for seniors and students, or $400 for a lifetime membership. The membership year runs from May to the following May. Members of the Grand Rapids Historical Society receive eight newsletters each year and a subscription to our annual magazine, Grand River Valley History. Members also receive a 20% discount on books published by the society as well as books published by the Grand Rapids Historical Commission. Change of Address. If you will be permanently or temporarily moving to a new address, please notify GRHS before your change occurs. Let us know your new address and the date you plan to leave and plan to return. Email to grhs.local@gmail.com, or mail to Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 2
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Black Family History Series
Vander Veen Center for the Book—Level 4 Grand Rapids Public Library An interest and knowledge of your family’s ancestors is a common question for most American families. What parent or grandparent hasn’t had a child ask about the family history and where they came from? It can be especially challenging for African Americans to find information about their ancestors. Join in for a series of workshops to learn about researching and documenting your family’s history. The series will feature local and regional speakers and offer the opportunity to connect with others around your family history.
Registration is not required; however a free lunch will be provided if you RSVP to rsvp@grpl.org. Saturday, February 3 10:00 a.m. Why Genealogy: An Introduction to Researching Your African American Ancestry 1:30 p.m. Uncovering Your African American Genealogical Treasure Trove Hiding in the Attic Saturday, February 10 10:00 a.m. Even Gangsters Had to Register: WWI Draft Cards and Selected Service 1:30 p.m. Freedman’s Bureau Saturday, February 17 10:00 a.m. Schedules, Wills, and Probate 1:30 p.m. The Census: How to Use It and Track Family Members Saturday, February 24 10:00 a.m. The ABCs of DNA 1:30 p.m. African Americans in Grand Rapids, Pre-Civil War and Post Slavery Grand River Times
NGS Conference—Save the Date
Registration is now open for the National Genealogical Society’s fortieth annual Family History Conference, Paths to Your Past, which will be held 2–5 May 2018 at the DeVos Place Convention Center In the nineteenth century, the Great Lakes were strategic waterways that aided Americans moving west and immigrants coming from overseas through Canada to settle and develop the Midwest. Cheap land, mining, and the timber industry made the area attractive. Water power from rivers and rapids and access to grain and lumber furthered Michigan’s growth. The cereal and furniture industries, breweries, and ultimately, automobile manufacturing brought wave after wave of migrants from the South and immigrants from abroad. During the second half of the twentieth century, manufacturing slowed down and many left Michigan, moving west and south. These migrations inspired the conference program, Paths to Your Past. The program will focus on ancestors’ migration paths with an emphasis on the states that border the Great Lakes. Some lectures will enhance your proficiency as a researcher and your methodological and analytical skills. Other presentations will broaden your understanding about your ancestors’ ethnicity, occupation, religion, military experience, economic status, and associations. In addition, the program will also feature tracks that highlight DNA and technology. REGISTRATION: http://conference.ngsgenealogy.org/
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
TASTE OF SOUL SUNDAY Sunday, February 18, 2018, 1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Grand Rapids Main Library – 111 Library St NE Come celebrate African American history and culture at Taste of Soul Sunday. Sample African American art, music, literature, history, and food. Performances by Karisa Wilson, Zion Lion, Noel Webley and Jazzy Friends Quintet, and Julius Hight featuring Bedrock in the Ryerson Auditorium. FOR MORE DETAILS VISIT: www.grpl.org/tasteofsoul
A Team of Her Own: Minnie Forbes & Negro League Baseball The last female owner of a Negro League baseball team will talk with former Grand Rapids Press columnist Jaye Beeler at Taste of Soul Sunday about playing softball at fifteen for Cook’s Brown Dolls, a traveling team from Grand Rapids, and playing baseball with the Kansas City Monarchs against the Grand Rapids Black Sox. When in 1956 Minnie Forbes took over her uncle Ted Rasberry’s team the Detroit Stars, black baseball was winding down because of integration into the American major leagues. But, along the way from player to owner, Forbes interacted with such players as Satchel Page and Ozzie Guillen and visited the White House as the guest of President Barack Obama. This program will have two sessions, at 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Co-sponsored by the Grand Rapids Study Club and the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council.
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Save our African American Treasures 1:00 p.m.—4:30 p.m.—Level 4 Vander Veen Center for the Book GRPL and GRAAMA invite you to bring in your family photographs, letters and journals during Taste of Soul Sunday. They will digitize your items and talk about how your family history contributes to the story of our community.
The Spirit of South High School 2:15 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.—Lower Level Quiet Study Room
From Jackie Robinson to Kaepernick: A Brief History of Athlete Activism 2:15 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.—Level 2 Storytime Room
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
NEW LOCAL HISTORY BOOKS For Better For Worse: Stories of the Wives of Early Pastors of the Christian Reformed Church by Janet Sjaarda Sheeres Unlike the biographies of early male ministers of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, which have been well documented and honored, the stories of their wives, who were important community builders in their own right, have been sadly ignored in the historical writings of the church. Now Janet Sjaarda Sheeres pulls them out of obscurity in her new book, For Better, For Worse. Adding to her increasing body of historical work on invisible Dutch women, Sheeres highlights the living conditions of these women and the challenges they faced. Previously, Janet Sjaarda Sheeres has reported on early Dutch women midwives and single women immigrants, also sidelined in early historical records. Born in the Netherlands, Sheeres is the author of three books and over 70 articles in national and international journals. Among her many service positions, she has been president of the Association for the Advancement of Dutch American Studies, chair of the Christian Reformed Church Historical Committee, and is the associate editor of Origins, the historical magazine of Calvin College’s Heritage Hall Archives.
Gone Before Spring by Sheila Solomon Shotwell Grand Rapidians might enjoy reading this book by local author, Sheila Solomon Shotwell. The novel is set in 1967 in Alger Heights. The coming of age story is set against the background of the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, and the rising counter culture. Although written with the young adult reader in mind, anyone growing up in the 1960s might have flashbacks to the music, movies and fashion that are written about with clear detail. Shotwell mentions real places in Grand Rapids, including Alger Heights, Garfield Park, Burton Heights, Herpolsheimer’s, Wurzburg’s, Kewpies, Kresge’s, Woolworth’s, Four Star Theatre, Pantlind Hotel, Beverly’s, Jacobson’s, Seymour Square Library and many others. The book presents historical fiction of the not-to-distant past that is a joy to read. The book is available from Books and Mortar on Cherry St, Amazon, and soon from the Grand Rapids Public Library. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
HAPPENING IN HISTORY: FEBRUARY 2018 Western Michigan Genealogical Society Mini-Class Saturday, February 3, 2018, 12:00 p.m. Main Library-Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, February 12, 2018, 7:00p.m. Faith United Methodist Church 2600—7th St. NW
Topic: Black Fashion History
Topic: State Historical Markers in Grand Rapids
Presenter: Linda Guth Slide show during lunch – not a formal class. This video features some of our most beloved and popular trends, showing how black fashion evolved since the 1920s with iconic styles inspired by jazz, Motown and hip-hop. It also provides a look back through black history using the lens of fashion. Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, February 3, 2018 1:30 p.m. Main Library-Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE Topic: Uncovering Your African American Genealogist Treasure Trove Hiding in the Attic Presenter: Janis Minor Forté African Americans often think they don't have any genealogical information to begin their research. This lecture is designed to dispel that myth by presenting an array of strategies, methods and techniques to research forward. At the end of this lecture participants will have developed an appreciation of his/her historical past and the vast array of ancestral, artifacts, heirlooms, family memorabilia and other treasures. Janis Minor Forté is a genealogist, writer and lecturer who has received awards and citations for her research achievements. The granddaughter of a slave, Forté has been researching the history of her family since the late 1970s. Using a compilation of traditional and non-traditional sources, she has successfully traced her maternal ancestors to 1754; and her paternal ancestors to 1810 and has documented one line of her family to the African Island of Madagascar. Grand River Times
Presenter: Jeff Neumann
Located all around Michigan are over 1700 historical markers that tell the story of the state and its people. Each and every one of them provides a wonderful reminder of our history. Fifty of the historical site markers are located in Kent County, both in and around Grand Rapids. We will take a virtual tour within city limits of Grand Rapids to seek out and highlight these wonderful hidden gems that represent a great deal of our local area’s history. Jeff is a Master Electrician and a retired professor of Electricity and Electronics at Grand Rapids Community College. Now he spends his summers helping folks appreciate rivers and lakes in the Grand Rapids area via GR Paddling, a kayaking & canoeing business that he and his wife began operating in 2013. His interest in local history sprang from his desire to provide local historical information to this out-of-town paddling customers. Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, February 21, 2018, 7:30 p.m. NOTE CHANGE: Doors open at 6:30 p.m. De Witt Student Center Kuyper College West Dining Room 3333 East Beltline NE Al McGeehan will be speaking about: The Siege of Charleston
Be sure to check out the Round Table at: www.grcwrt.com
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY JOIN THE GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY OR GIVE A MEMBERSHIP AS A GIFT The Grand Rapids Historical Society sponsors eight lectures each year. Members of the society enjoy these benefits:
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society. Published and mailed to members eight times a year, it includes current items of historical interest, details of upcoming lectures, historically relevant activities, and short articles.
The Grand River Valley History is the society’s annual magazine. Featured are illustrated articles by local history researchers and contributions from the Grand Rapids Public Museum, the City Archivist, the Grand Rapids Public Library, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum.
20% Discount on all books and other items published by the society.
Please enroll me as a member of the Grand Rapids Historical Society: ____ New ___Renewal ____Gift _____Lifetime:
$400.00 one-time fee
_____Individual/Family Membership
$30.00 per year
_____Senior Citizen or Student
$20.00 per year
Name: _______________________________________________________________________________ Address: _____________________________________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ________________________________________________________________________
Please make check payable to the Grand Rapids Historical Society and mail it with this form to: Grand Rapids Historical Society, c/o Grand Rapids Public Library, 111 Library Street NE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Continued from page 2 The Society program on February 8 is about Louis Campau, the fur trader who settled on the east bank of the Grand River in the 1820s. There are a couple of maps in the Museum’s archive that reference him and there is a reproduction of a Bill of Complaint by Lucius Lyon against Louis Campau, I wonder if it is part of their feud. When I checked the data base just searching for Campau, 204 objects came up. If you want to do a search simply go to GRPM.org click on the menu, click on explore, click on collections, type your topic in the search bar. More stuff is going on line nearly every day.
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NEW MEMBERS
Antionette Amodeo Barbara Beineman Gary Carey Kathy Goralski Sondra Loucks-Wilson Michael Page
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Non-Profit Org. U.S. postage PAID Grand Rapids, MI Permit No. 234
Grand Rapids Historical Society, Inc. c/o Grand Rapids Public Library 111 Library St. NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Wagoosh: The Fox: Louis Campau PRESENTED BY: Maureen Shirey Thursday, February 8, 2018, 7:00 p.m.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: February program Letter from our President page 2 Black Family History Series page 3
NGS Conference page 3 Taste of Soul Sunday page 4 New Local History Books page 5 Happening in History page 6
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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