Here are a few items of Dowagiac in the early years of 1913:
At the racetrack in Hartford attended by 1,000 spectators who came in 100 automobiles and 200 rigs to see three of the fastest racing events ever pulled off in southwestern Michigan.
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A new six-passenger Studebaker touring car model 35, direct from the Detroit factory, arrived in Dowagiac today to become the property of its purchaser, the Rev. Fr. Wall.
It is one of company’s latest makes and is a beauty, with electric self cranking, electric lights and an electric horn attached.
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Commercial Street has been ordered to vacate the buildings in 60 days because the U.S. Treasury is about to start construction of a new post office on the corner of Commercial and Pennsylvania Avenue.
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Mrs. Bert Keith of Volinia holds the record for hatching chickens.
In the “wooden hen” she placed 98 fertile eggs and 91 chickens hatched.
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Douglas Ely farm now has 1,000 peach trees and is adding 1,500 more.
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A ton of butter was turned out at the Dowagiac Creamery yesterday.
The weekly output is more than 4,000 pounds, which is sent to eastern markets.
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Frank Potter owned a Rhode Island hen. She went to her usual nesting place and laid the record egg of the season.
This specimen of hen fruit is 7 5/8 inches by 6 1/2 inches in circumference and weighs four ounces.
Mr. Potter keeps his poultry in the rear of his blacksmith shop on Penn Avenue.
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While playing on the steam pipes in the Central school’s basement, Kenneth Marshall, 12, fell and was seriously injured.
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May 29: Dowagiac Drill Co. issues alfalfa book.
It gives information on growing alfalfa.
An acre of it will yield three times as much as three acres of clover.

1933

Sept. 1: Reorganization plans for the opening of Lee State Bank of Dowagiac were approved here today by the banking commission.

“Cardinal Charlie” Gill writes a nostalgic weekly column about growing up in the Grand Old City. E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.