2019-01 GRHS Grand River Times 40-04

Volume 40, number 4

January 2019

Grand River Times The Newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society Inside this issue: Cover Story: January program Letter from our President page 2 Meet the Trustees page 4

Mackinac Island’s Historic Cottages of the Rich and Famous PRESENTED BY: Tom Buettner Thursday, January 10, 2019, 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Library

History Detectives page 5 Happening in History page 6 Photo Sleuth page 7

Search: Grand Rapids Historical Society

Next program: After the January program, the Grand Rapids Historical Society’s next program will be on February 14, 2019, at the Grand Rapids Public Library.

George Bayard will be speaking about: Riot, Race and Reconciliation

Grand River Times

Summer cottages for the rich and famous mid-westerners began to be established in northern Michigan in the 1880’s in Harbor Springs, Petoskey, Charlevoix, and Mackinac Island. On Mackinac Island, the cottagers generally came for two months, each year bringing with them servants, cooks, maids, and nurses.

Whereas Michigan’s northern area previously only offered summer camps run by religious organizations, now with the new cottages being built, the vacationers were able to 'kick up their heels.’

In the beginning, inquiries were made from influential people to the Fort Mackinac officials requesting non-military use of the grounds near the idled Fort Mackinac, particularly on the prominent bluffs.

In recognition of the Island’s growing popularity and in an attempt to preserve this burgeoning resort, the United States government created the second National Park after Yellowstone in 1875. Senator Thomas Ferry of Michigan, who was born and raised on Mackinac Island, introduced the bill creating the park. 1,000 acres of federal property on the island was to be set aside for a public park.

Continued on page 3 1

GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY Dear GRHS Members, New Year greetings. 2019 is here. Are you ready?

I am writing this toward the end of December 2018 and am late getting it to Jessica, who puts the newsletter together, gets it off to the printer, and sees to it that you receive it. Thank you Jessica. You do a great job. I did a good job of getting my column to her on time, until now.

Do you have a New Years resolution? Meeting deadlines through the end of the year will be mine.

Our January program will transport us to The Grand River Times is the Mackinac Island and give us a chance to learn about some of the grand cottages newsletter of the Grand Rapids Historical Society, published six that are found there. It is an idyllic summer destination that is lost in time. I have times annually. Established in 1894, fond memories of visits there. What are your summer memories of going there or the Grand Rapids Historical Society elsewhere? Particulars about the program are elsewhere in this publication. See is dedicated to exploring the history you on the second Thursday at 7:00 p.m. of West Michigan; to discover its I would like to encourage you to attend a second history event in January, romance and tragedy, its heroes specifically Saturday the 19th. The Historical Society is sponsoring History and scoundrels, its leaders and its ordinary citizens. The Society Detectives along with several other local history organizations. This event happens collects and preserves our heritage, at the Grand Rapids Public Library main branch. Each talk is forty-five minutes passing it on to new generations long including Q and A. There are six talks total. The library opens at 9:00 a.m. through books, lectures, and and seats fill up fast. Presentations start at 9:30 a.m. Come for one or come for all. education projects.

Lunches can be ordered through the library.

Executive Committee: Gina Bivins, president Matthew Daley, vice-president John Gelderloos, treasurer Nan Schichtel, secretary Board members: Alan Bennett Charles Bocskey Thomas Dilley Matthew Ellis Chris Kaupa Gordon Olson, emeritus Wilhelm Seeger, emeritus Jeff Sytsma Julie Tabberer Jim Winslow 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

A quick run down of titles: Lawrence C. Earle is Grand Rapids First Artist, African American Women in Turn -of-the-Century Grand Rapids, What Did They Know and When Did They Know It. Grand Rapids and the Holocaust,, Hot Spots in a Cool City: Evening Entertainment in Grand Rapids 1940-1970, Fresh Air, Thrift, Exercise, and Innocent Delight: School Gardening Programs in Progressive Era Grand Rapids, WWll: When Patriotism Was the Norm More information is on the Grand Rapids Public Library website. The website for the Historical Society is: grhistory.org and has information about our programs. Please visit!

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 Continued from front page

The park was placed under the jurisdiction of the War Department, which would grant leases for small parcels of property for the purpose of constructing summer cottages. The leases were not to exceed ten years.

The proceeds from the leases would be used for the upkeep and development of the park. Prospective leasers were becoming impatient as the government was working to get the leasing process in place.

Then in came Gurdon Hubbard from Chicago. After working for Mackinac Island’s American Fur Company in Chicago, he eventually bought out the Chicago outpost. He later became known as a pioneer in the development of Chicago. When the Chicago Fire destroyed all of his assets, he returned to Mackinac Island.

In 1855 Gurdon had purchased an 80 acre farm land overlooking the straits. He took advantage of time-lag of the Federal Government leasing system started-up. In 1882 Gurdon developed his property into 129 building lots. He named this plat Gordon S. Hubbard's Annex (to the National Park). He immediately found ready buyers.

In 1882, the East Bluff, West Bluff and the Annex were little more than cedar-covered bluffs overlooking the Straits of Mackinac.

Within ten years, interested parties could receive leases on park property. So many cottages were built that the straits became congested with barges of lumber. There was such a shortage of workers and builders, some cottagers brought their own from their own hometown.

A cottage community was established inhabited by prominent and wealthy families from Michigan and the Midwest. Families included meat packers Armours, Swifts, and Cudahys. The Annex, supported with its own resort association, grew quickly while the East and West bluffs began later and more slowly.

In 1895, after 115 years of service, soldiers were removed from Mackinac Island. The Federal government transferred Fort Mackinac and the second National Park to the State, the park becoming Michigan’s first state park. Then the Mackinac Island State Park Commission was created.

When cottagers came to Mackinac Island, they were on vacation. For two months they were free from the demands of their jobs, their hometown social obligations, and the humdrum of everyday life. Most cottagers wanted a relaxed and informal domestic life during the summer. They took great pride in the fact that they were in the rustic northern woods, but were also careful to bring the necessary luxuries of life.

Delos and Daisy Blodgett always brought a force of servants, carriages, and other conveniences to entertain their friends royally.

The ‘Daily Resorter’ of Petoskey, published June thru September, provided the hype and gossip to keep tourists and summer residents appraised of the comings and goings of the Island. The newspaper provided a portal to an important aspect of the industrial era: industrialists at play. Owners often arrived in groups from the same cities, their children married, and business deals were made on the verandas.

The scale of growth which the cottage community experienced in the 1890’s was characterized by the use of Victorian Queen Anne architecture. This style represents a break from the previous box-like symmetrical gothic cottages by emphasizing variety and irregularity designed to create a more picturesque appearance.

Continued on page 4 Grand River Times

3

GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Continued from page 3 The Michigan Central Railroad, Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and Detroit and Cleveland Steamship line formed the Mackinac Hotel Company in 1887 to build a destination for their passengers – The Grand Hotel. Charles Caskey, contractor from Harbor Springs, built the Grand Hotel and most of the 'Carpenter Gothic' cottages. The owners erected cottages on either side of the Hotel, not only as retreats, but to keep an eye on their new business. The hotel gave an impetus for some cottagers to tear down their original cottages and replace them with cottages that emulated the Grand Hotel style.

Today these cottages stand proudly on Mackinac Island - each unique and each with a story to tell.

Meet the Trustees Every month we will spotlight a different member of our Board of Trustees for our members to get to know.

Matthew Daley, vice president of the GRHS, has served on the board since September 2005.

I was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan and grew up between Bay County on the east side, and Mackinac and Luce Counties in the eastern Upper Peninsula. My family helped to foster my interest in history by traveling throughout Michigan and books on the Great Lakes shipwrecks.

After high school I moved to Detroit and attended the University of Detroit Mercy for civil engineering and later history completing my history degree in 1997. As an employee of the university library, I was fortunate to work with Fr. Edward J. Dowling, S.J., one of the largest collectors of Great Lakes ship photographs, helping to preserve his collection and I remain its curator to the present day. The library also funded my education and provided a host of opportunities that have shaped my career. I also worked in the Detroit Public Schools as a high school social studies teacher.

I attended the Wayne State University from 1997 to 2000 and earned a master’s degree in history with an emphasis in historical archaeology, modern U.S. history, and archival administration. This degree allowed me to be appointed University Archivist at UDM in 1999. I organized a records management program for the university, web-based databases, notably for Fr. Dowling’s collection, and consolidated historical records from several campuses to a central repository.

Intending to remain in archival work, but needing an advanced degree, I attended Bowling Green State University in Ohio from 2000 to 2004. There I continued my studies, but also commuted between my home in Toledo to Detroit for both work and research. It also moved me into teaching including courses in Michigan and Ohio history, the history of technology, and the history of cities. These also had me on the move between Bowling Green, Wayne State University, the University of Detroit Mercy, and additional schools in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan.

Living and working in Detroit for many years had led me into history as a profession, and I continue that work on Detroit and Grand Rapids along with other cities, particularly smaller communities. Within Detroit, I continue to work with the Brightmoor and Fitzgerald neighborhoods on the city’s West Side. Much of my work as a researcher and writer concentrates on neighborhoods in Detroit and Grand Rapids, along with the lives of sailors on the Great Lakes.

I opted to leave archival work and joined the history department at Grand Valley State University in 2004.

Here I teach courses in Michigan, Great Lakes, urban, historical archaeology, and local history. My students work extensively with the collections of the Public Library, the City Archives, and the Public Museum to examine the history of Grand Rapids and its surrounding communities. The goal is to have students work directly with historical materials, and to learn from these experiences to place events in perspective and obtain skills for the careers.

Grand River Times

4

GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

12th Annual History Detectives Saturday, January 19, 2019, 9:30 a.m.—4:00 p.m.

9:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.

Lawrence C. Earle is Grand Rapids’ First Artist Presenter: Don Bryant “But dis art is serious business, my boy, and you must learn to traw goot first of all and traw, traw some more, and always traw, traw, for dat is de foundations of everything.” Master Dutch painter Marinus Harting wrote those words in 1857 to a 12-year old student here in Grand Rapids. This inspired Earle to dedicate his life to artistic expression. Don brings this artist’s fascinating life and diverse art career to light through glimpses and illustrations of Earle’s family, upbringing in Grand Rapids, his training and career highlights.

Sponsor: Western Michigan Genealogical Society 10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.

Undercurrent: African American Women in Turn-ofthe-20th-Century Grand Rapids Presenter: Sophia Ward Brewer African American women have received little attention for their cultural and political contributions to 19th century reform movements. Sophia will explore the undercurrents created by a small community of African American women in Grand Rapids as they made their marks on local history.

Sponsor: Greater Grand Rapids Women’s History Council 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.

What Did They Know and When Did They Know It? Grand Rapidians and the Holocaust Presenter: Rob Franciosi

Scholars have established that American political leaders knew a great deal about the fate of millions of Jews under Nazi occupation. Contrary to popular myth, so did average Americans. Events, as they happened, found their ways into many American daily newspapers between 1933 and 1945. Rob and GVSU students researched the two Grand Rapids newspapers to discover what our community knew as the Holocaust was being perpetrated.

Sponsor: Kutsche Office of Local History at GVSU Grand River Times

1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.

Hot Spots in a Cool City: Evening Entertainment in Grand Rapids, 1940-1970 Presenter: M. Christine Byron Today Grand Rapids is known as a “cool” city for ArtPrize, craft beer, and live music. But even in the mid-20th century the city offered a “cool” range of entertainment from cocktail lounges, music venues, diningand-dancing spots, and movie theaters. Chris will take us back to such venues as the Log Cabin Cocktail Lounge, Club 21, Hattem’s Cafe & Cocktail Bar, the Parkway Tropics for the music of Bennie Carew, and Civic Auditorium to imagine Louis Armstrong’s performance there. Or maybe we’ll catch a movie at the Regent Theatre, bowl at the Fanatorium, or roller skate at the Coliseum!

Sponsor: Grand Rapids Historical Commission

2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.

Fresh Air, Thrift, Exercise, and Innocent Delight: School Gardening Programs in Progressive Era Grand Rapids Presenter: Jayson Otto In the growing movement of urban gardening in the early 20th century, Grand Rapids became a model for its school-led gardening programs. By the 1920s the movement was in full bloom and every grade school in the city had a school garden.

Jayson will walk us through the school garden programs and the organizations and individuals, including women’s clubs, local banks, and the Michigan State Agricultural College.

Sponsor: Grand Rapids City Archives

3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.

WWII: When Patriotism Was The Norm Presenter: Sandra Warren We Bought a WWII Bomber: The Untold Story of a Michigan High School, a B-17 Bomber & The Blue Ridge Parkway author Sandra Warren was a student at South High in the 1960s, long after the federal government’s “Buy a Bomber” program was over. She was inspired to dig into the story of South High student’s purchase of an airplane during WWII after she discovered that plane met its demise less than three hours from her home in North Carolina.

Sponsors: Grand Rapids Historical Society and the Grand Rapids Public Museum 5

GRAND RAPIDS HISTORICAL SOCIETY

HAPPENING IN HISTORY: JANUARY 2019 Western Michigan Genealogical Society Mini-Class Saturday, January 5, 2019, 12:00 p.m.

Main Library-Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE Topic: Genealogy Resolutions Presenter: Linda Guth

Grand Rapids Civil War Round Table Wednesday, January 16, 2019, 7:00 p.m.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

De Witt Student Center Kuyper College 3333 East Beltline NE This meeting will be an open round table and will also be about GRCWRT membership.

The new year is about to begin and it’s time for some genealogy introspection. What will you do this year to enhance or expand your family history research? What will be different about how you do that research in 2019 versus 2018? What genealogy lessons did you learn in the past that you will be implementing this year? Join in on this discussion and share your ideas.

Western Michigan Genealogical Society Saturday, January 5, 2019, 1:30 p.m.

Main Library—Ryerson Auditorium 111 Library St. NE Topic: What’s in a Dutch Name?

Presenter: Janet Sjaarda Sheeres The program details information regarding the origins and meanings of Dutch surnames as well as the provincial/regional differences of these surnames.

What do all the “van”, “vander” and “de” prefixes mean? What ancestor decided your last name? Were the names changed upon entering the United States?

The program is illustrated with photos of the related provincial and regional costumes.

Janet Sjaarda Sheeres is an independent scholar, genealogist, and freelance author who researches and writes on the subject of family, church, and Dutch emigration/immigration history. Since she began writing about thirty years ago she has published three books, over 70 articles in various national and international historical and genealogical journals. Janet was born in the Netherlands, speaks fluent Dutch.

Grand River Times

New Members Please welcome the following new members to GRHS:

Matt Campbell Roger Danielski Paul Keep Michael Kopinski Bob Patterson Norma Patterson Samuel Pilczuk

6

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 Our January Photo Sleuth selection comes from the Robinson Studio Collection's negatives. In this undated photo, a group ranging in age from young children to adults, possibly family members, pose for a group picture. If anyone in this picture looks familiar, please email the Grand Rapids Public Library's Local History department at localhis@grpl.org.

Grand River Times

7

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

Mackinac Island’s Historic Cottages of the Rich and Famous PRESENTED BY: Tom Buettner Thursday, January 10, 2019, 7:00 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Library

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover Story: January program Letter from our President page 2 Meet the Trustees page 4 History Detectives 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

8