May 1911: Colby Milling Co. built a fish chute or ladder connecting the Dowagiac Creek and the upper mill pond through the dam at the upper mill.

It was one of the longest ladders in this area because it went across a highway. (It had to go under the highway and I’m sure it didn’t go over it.)

It extended from the creek bed to the pond, enabling the fish to travel upstream.

August 1960: At a special meeting, Dowagiac City Council rejected an offer to buy the Beckwith building for $45,000.

It was turned down because there were no funds available for such a project.

Chunks of stone had fallen from the building and the state fire marshal had required repairs to be made.

(I wonder if it would be turned down if we had the chance once again?)

June 2, 1910: It snowed, breaking all records up to that time for the latest snowfall.

Snow began to fall at 15 minutes and 28 seconds after 1 p.m.

Some people said flakes were as large as handkerchiefs clustered on the pavements and sidewalks and melted slowly.

Something I’ve always wondered about over the years was the sign on M-152 by Dewey Lake saying Irish Village.

I read it was started by the Irish Chicago families who came weekends and holidays in the 1930s. Eventually, they became like a family.

In 1954, the Daily News had an “Outdoor Notebook” column about hunting and fishing.

In 1968, Jack Mell was the Daily News outdoor writer.

His column was called “Afield and Afloat.”

In 1853, population was 300.

In 1855, it was 608 and described as a post village on the Do-wa-je-ak River and on the Michigan Central.

March 19, 1966: A group of Dowagiac High students including Dorothy Dietrich, Betty Lee, Ann Kaniuga, Valerie Polk, Elise Thor, Dorothy Tabor, Bob Wright, Jim Welsh and Jack Mullen were to present a program over station WKZO, Kalamazoo.

Also appearing on the program was Rosemary Trowbridge, who was to play a piano solo, and Eugene Shroyer, a cornet solo. Willis Dunbar was master of ceremonies (looks like these kids were from the classes of 1946, 1947 and 1948).

P.S. To last week’s article on popcorn, I saw an ad where Orville Redenbacher now has a Pop Up Bowl similar to Jiffy Pop.

His is a throwaway bowl that comes in a bag for your microwave.

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