Volume 39, number 8
May 2018
Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue:
Cover Story: May program Letter from our President page 2
Midwestern History Conference page 3 Annual Banquet page 4 Baxter Award Winner page 5 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society
Heritage Hill in Grand Rapids History PRESENTED BY: Thomas Logan Thursday, May 10, 2018, 7:30 p.m. Heritage Hill has a long history. It was an early site of what might be thought of as “country houses” outside of the Grand River flood plain. Of course, the designation—“heritage hill”—was only applied at the time of its official designation as a protected historic district. Its boundaries include areas developed over at least 6 decades: large numbers of structures appeared from the 1880s through the 1920s. A few were built as early as the 1840s, and as recently as the 2010s. The preservation movement was a national phenomenon, spurred on by the “Urban Renewal” program funded by the federal government in the 1960s. Physical deterioration and urban patterns which did not accommodate the automobile comfortably led to massive demolition of urban fabric and creation of more open (and often “dead”) urban spaces. Plans to extend this approach from the commercial and civic downtown area to the elegant residential area on “the Hill,” led to the preservation movement, which succeeded in historic designation around 1970.
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members,
The Grand River Times is the newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six times annually. Established in 1894, the Grand Rapids Historical Society is dedicated to exploring the history of West Michigan; to discover its romance and tragedy, its heroes and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society collects and preserves our heritage, passing it on to new generations through books, lectures, and education projects. Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Matthew Daley, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Nan Schichtel, secretary 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 Website: www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
This year it is the 50th Anniversary of the Heritage Hill Association. Our speaker on May 10 is Tom Logan, the author of Almost Lost: Building and Preserving Heritage Hill and Walking Tours of Heritage Hill. This, not to be missed event on the evening of May 10, will be in the historic Sweet House located at the corner of Fulton and Lafayette. Please join us there for our annual banquet, Baxter Award presentation (read the article by Thomas Dilley) and our final speaker for this program year. More information about the evening is elsewhere in this newsletter and reservations are due one week prior to the event. Keeping the theme of the Hill, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the Heritage Hill Association is hosting their annual Homes Tour toward the end of May. Seven private residences and three historic buildings will be open. Advance tickets are $18 for the May 19 and May 20 event. Tickets on the weekend of the tour are $25. I will be stationed at the Voigt House both days. I hope to see you there. To learn more about the tour and to advance order tickets go to www.heritagehillweb.org, visit their office at 126 College SE 49503, or send your check to the Heritage Hill Association at the address listed. IN MEMORIAM: In May of 2009 Milton Ehlert was given the Albert Baxter award at the University Club for his quiet research and writing which led to his recruitment by Z. Z. Lydens in the 1960s to the team that worked on the last major broad-based history of this city, The Story of Grand Rapids. Milton’s section of the book was the histories of the parks and cemeteries in Grand Rapids. Milton died on January 18, 2018 in Phoenix Arizona, where he had resided for the last six years. The Society extends their sympathy to his family and friends who surely miss him greatly.
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 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 Continued from cover While “preservation” is the goal, the theme of the presentation is the constant change that has characterized the Heritage Hill district over its history. Both before and since it gained “protected” status, there has been continuous change: increased density of buildings; additions to single-family homes; construction of duplexes and multi-family structures next to older buildings; conversion of single to multi-family use; adding “style” to simple vernacular buildings; in-fill development; re-conversion to fewer units per building—it has never stopped. Influenced by its geography, surveyors and land sub-divisions, changing housing styles and esthetics, national economic cycles and world wars, the district presents a fascinating tapestry of life. The people who were important in it contributed significantly to the life of the larger community, through public offices held, professions practiced, and non-profit organizations founded and projects pursued. Long-time resident and author of two books on Heritage Hill, Tom Logan will give examples of all of this, illustrating why he loves his neighborhood.
FINDING THE LOST REGION Wednesday, June 6, 2018 Fourth Annual Midwestern History Conference sponsored by the Midwestern History Association and the Hauenstein Center at Grand Valley State University For the fourth consecutive year the MHA will meet in Grand Rapids, giving locals the opportunity to stay on the cutting edge of the reviving field of Midwestern studies. This assemblage of scholars—including those from the Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council—is dedicated to re-energizing study of the role of the Midwest in American history. Attend all or just part of the day-long offerings—but don’t miss the GGRWHC’s presentation. Courtesy of GVSU’s Hauenstein Center, admission will be open to the public and free, including a complimentary lunch—if you RSVP at www.gvsu.edu and search: Finding the Lost Region. The Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council at the MHA Conference GVSU DeVos Campus Downtown Wednesday, June 6, 2018, 7:00 p.m. When in 1917 the American wartime government established the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense, 17,000 local organizations sprang up immediately. Invited in because of military needs, the nation’s women citizens made contributions ranging far beyond specific war needs. Midwestern Women and the Children’s Programs of the WWI Council of National Defense will be the second in GGRWHC’s three-year project illustrating the little-credited but incredibly important American women's initiatives to create a home defense by guaranteeing healthy food sources, raising healthy children, and ensuring the health of women in the work force. This year’s focus will be on how women’s programs benefited children, ensuring the future health of the nation in the wake of a public health disaster. When one third of American male draftees failed their physicals, the better care of American children became an important aspect of an ongoing home defense. Melissa Fox, Jayson Otto, and Sue Caldwell will report on a variety of 1918 “Children’s Year” initiatives in urban Grand Rapids, MI, and rural Jasper County, Indiana. Grand River Times
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Grand Rapids Historical Society Annual Meeting and Banquet Thursday, May 10, 2018 Women’s City Club, 245 Fulton St. SE $32/ticket—Members $35/ticket—Non-members 6:00 p.m.—Gathering 6:30 p.m.—Dinner Short Meeting Baxter Award Presentation 7:30 p.m.—Presentation
Menu House Salad, Artichoke Chicken, Garlic Smashed Red Skin Potatoes, Roasted Vegetables, Crème Brulee Vegetarian option available
Mail reservations no later than May 4, 2018 to: Grand Rapids Historical Society 111 Library NE Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Name (s )____________________________________________________________________ Phone______________________Email____________________________________________ Number of Tickets_____________ Amount Enclosed_________________________________ Number of Vegetarian Options______________ Include check or money order no later than May 4, 2018
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GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Baxter Award Winner: Angela Yondo By: Thomas Dilley As seems often to be the case, a childhood experience of then 8-year-old Angela Yondo, comical in the telling, may present an explanation for her interest in, indeed her passion for the understanding and preservation of cemeteries of all kinds, but particularly those that are old, and seem neglected. She and her family lived in Chicago at the time, and were on a snowmobile vacation in northern Wisconsin. They were out for a ride on that sunny, but wintry day, Angela positioned on the rear seat of her father’s machine. The trail they were following led through the lush snow-covered countryside, and at one point traversed what appeared to be a seemingly abandoned rural burial ground. At the critical moment, Angela was paying closer attention to the snow-covered markers they were passing by, than to her father’s directive to ‘hang on tight’, and when the sled sped over a small hillock, she was summarily ejected from her rear-end seat. Landing safely in the snow, she watched haplessly as her father, unaware of her departure, sped along the trail ahead. Undaunted, young Angela stood up and dusted herself off, and in the few minutes that elapsed before she was safely retrieved, quickly realized that where she had landed was far more interesting than creepy, and that the burial markers that she briefly inspected carried messages and stories that were worth reading and preserving. So it was there, in a snowy Wisconsin graveyard that the hook was set for Angela. She carried the experience home with her to Chicago, and when her family relocated to Grand Rapids in her late high school years, her interest in burial sites, and how they were appreciated, maintained and preserved, continued. Happily for all of those interested in our history, Angela’s interest in these sites grew and prospered through the years, as she completed her education, and with her husband Ward, raised their family. Over the years since, Angela’s efforts as a dedicated volunteer have resulted in the restoration of St. Andrew’s Cemetery, as well as the completion Grand River Times
of the many records that assist greatly in telling the stories of the many who are buried there. Without her efforts, and those of her family, the resting places of our city’s founders, the Campau family, its pioneer priests, Fathers Viszosky and McManus, and entire generations of Irish families, the first real wave of immigrants to arrive locally, would have sunken beneath the turf in neglected silence and obscurity. But Angela would have none of this. She, and those who joined her in the battle, chopped and sawed, dug and trimmed, and then x-rayed the ground until she could with admirable authority, record who among our earliest residents was buried where, and when. All of this was led and undertaken by a ‘citizen historian’, whose only compensation was a sore back, and the indefinable satisfaction that came with knowing that she had helped greatly to snatch back from obscurity a healthy slice of our history. Happily, Angela’s quest to secure and honor some of our earliest local burial sites continues, now as an employee of the Grand Rapids Diocese, and has focused on the Holy Cross and Resurrection sites, as well as the historic and unique St. Andrew’s Cemetery. Her success in this process has awakened a similar interest in those she works with, and a great number of others in the community who, because of Angela’s continuing efforts now clearly see the treasure to be found within these local burial sites, and the great value that lies in their exploration and preservation. Angela Yondo’s status as a ‘citizen historian’ provides the clear basis for her being granted the 2018 Albert Baxter Award, awarded to one who has fought to find and preserve the history of Grand Rapids, and has worked to share that history with the community. Please plan to join us at the GRHS Annual Banquet on May 10, in the dining room of the Women’s City Club, when the award will be presented, and Angela’s important work will be honored. 5
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HAPPENING IN HISTORY: MAY 2018 Western Michigan Genealogical Society Wednesday—Saturday, May 2—5, 2018 Devos Place 303 Monroe Ave NW
West Michigan Postcard Club Monday, May 14, 2018, 7:00 p.m. Faith United Methodist Church 2600—7th St. NW
National Genealogical Society 2018 Family History Conference: Paths to Your Past
Topic: Buster Keaton—Home Presenter: Ron Pesch
Join thousands of family historians and genealogists at the DeVos Place from 2–5 May 2018, for the National Genealogical Society’s 40th Annual Family History Conference. Choose from more than 175 lectures and special programs. Topics range from local, state, regional, and general genealogy to broader topics on genetic genealogy, technology, records and repositories, ethnic, religious, military research, and much more. The conference program also offers you the chance to enhance your research techniques, and fine-tune your analysis and problem-solving skills. Participate in the Consummate Genealogical Networking and Learning Environment. The conference provides a great opportunity to share your success stories and discuss road-blocks with fellow family history researchers. Explore the latest products, online resources, books, and courses at exhibitors’ booths. Learn about NGS online courses and publications. Access all information about the conference at conference.ngsgenealogy.org. Pre-registration is required but the expo floor is free and open to the public and will have many different genealogy and history related vendors.
Before there was a film industry, there was vaudeville. In 1908, vaudeville star Joe Keaton established the Actors’ Colony in Muskegon. Today largely forgotten, it would immediately become the summer home to some of the top American stage stars of the day. “The best summers of my life were spent in the cottage Pop had built on Lake Muskegon in 1908,” wrote film legend, Buster Keaton in his autobiography, published in 1960. This is the story of that magical place. Historian for the Michigan High School Athletic Association, Ron Pesch has written on local history for Michigan History magazine, MLive and a variety of other publications. A graduate of Western Michigan University, he is a board member of the New York—based International Buster Keaton Society. Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, May 16, 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 Dave Jordan will be presenting to the group.
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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
GRAND RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY PHOTO SLEUTH May’s Photo Sleuth presents an undated photo from the A & P women’s softball team from the Robinson Photographic Studio Collection. If you know any of these young people, please email the Grand Rapids Public Library's Local History Department at localhis@grpl.org
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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
Heritage Hill in Grand Rapids History PRESENTED BY: Thomas Logan
Thursday, May 10, 2018, 7:00 p.m.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: May program Letter from our President page 2 Midwestern History Conference page 3
Annual Banquet page 4 Baxter Award Winner page 5 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7
For more information on Historical Society programs, please visit www.grhistory.org Grand River Times
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