50 years ago band represented U.S. in Canada

Published 1:07 am Tuesday, March 3, 2009

By Staff
Not too long ago I had a call from a friend and reader of my weekly column.
Roger Jenison asked me if I would like to look through a bunch of old Dowagiac Daily newspapers he had from when his father, Eugene Jenison, was mayor.
I said a big yes, I sure would.
A few days later he came with a good-sized box of them.
They went from 1955 to 1964.
I have been spending quite a few hours going through them and taking many notes of things that I found of interest and am sure some of my readers will also enjoy.
Besides the local news of these years, I also found lots to write about Berenice Vanderburg's column, "Here and There about Dowagiac," which was always on the back page.
I'm sure folks remember this.
Also, the papers use to have "Looking Back in Dowagiac," which folks and myself enjoyed, so a lot of the things I'll be writing will come from there also.
Headline: July 11, 1955, Police shakeup here. Chief Paul Spencer and Don Merriman, patrolman, have been requested to turn in their resignations because of conduct unbecoming an officer.
July 11, 1955: $3.5 million racetrack is planned at Five-Mile Corner. It would be at the corner of M-40 and M-152. Plan was to stable 800 horses and employ 750 persons. A trailer camp to house 400 year-around families, a restaurant, facilities and a large picnic ground, plus a parking area for 6,000 cars.
Didn't happen, did it?
Nov. 25, 1958: Headline, Berry may oppose Mayor Fred Horner.
Dec. 6, 1958: Jenison to run for mayor. Cobb enters council race. Jenison will oppose Mayor Horner and Dr. Berry.
Feb. 5, 1959: Plane crash in the icy waters of the East River at New York. Sixty-five of 73 aboard died. Capt. Albert H. Dewitt of Decatur, Mich., pilot, was among those presumed dead.
April 7, 1959: Jenison is elected mayor. Attorney Lewis James loses to Attorney David Anderson of Paw Paw.
Permission to sell liquor by the glass won in Pokagon Township.
April 24, 1959: Eight hundred give band big sendoff. The Chieftain band is lauded as the city beams. It is the only band in the United States honored to play at the Canadian Bandmasters Festival at Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Mayor Jenison received a letter from President Eisenhower, when he learned through Congressman Clare Hoffman that our band was to play at the Canadian Bandmasters Association in Canada.
Jenison also got letters from Gov. Williams and Sen. McNamara saying how nice for the Dowagiac Band to be the U.S. representative at Canada.
June 16, 1959: Council told of sewer needs.
July 7, 1959: Council moves on sewer plan. Council gave contractor Earl Keyser authority to close Front Street and the alley for the remodeling of the big Fair Store.
Sept. 25: Mayor Jenison, Dr. Mathews, Pete Weaver and Kenny Clark went to the dedication ceremonies of the Kinross Air Force Base to be named Kincheloe Air Force Base.
In later years, my old classmate and friend Col. Rolland Ash was in charge of the base.
1919: Did you know that in 1919 a new law in Michigan was you had to have a license to drive a car?
1909: Work started at F.E. Lee mansion, the Rockery on High Street.
It will be three to four feet high of fieldstone.
Russell Van Antwerp of Route 4, who has piloted "Old Dobbin" since 1904, now has a new Maxwell to deliver the U.S. mail.
E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.