100 years ago in The Monroe Evening News
Following are items from The Monroe Evening News, forerunner to The Monroe News, that published in July, 1922. These are actual items that appeared in print.
County villages to celebrate 4th
Business will practically be suspended in Monroe on the Fourth of July. Most all the store will be closed all day. Some of the factories closed down on Saturday and will remain closed until Wednesday morning. No special observances of the day have been arranged for this city.
A number of the villages in the county will hold celebration. Among them will be Dundee, Temperance and Lambertville. St. Joseph Church in Maybee, St. Charles Church in Newport, East Ida Lutheran Church and the Sandy Creek Lutheran Church will hold picnics and are making arrangements for a big time. Supper will be served by all the churches.
In the evening at Maybee there will be a display of fireworks, and the Arbeiter Society will give a dance.
At the Monroe Yacht Club, catboat and swimming races will take place and, in the evening, there will be dancing.
The Detroit Monroe and Toledo Short Line will run extra cars to the piers on the fourth to handle the crowds.
At the Monroe Country Club, a golf tournament will be held. If the weather is nice, many Monroe people will be spending the day at the resorts along the shore of Lake Erie.
The fourth will be observed by Monroe Post Office. There will be no city or rural deliveries. The general delivery and stamp windows will be opened between nine and ten a.m., central standard time only.
The merchants dealing in fireworks were practically sold out on Monday morning. There have been big demands for fireworks this week, it was stated. Ten families residing on E. Elm Ave. will hold a lawn picnic for the kiddies of the families Tuesday evening with a fine display of fireworks.
Authorize sale of $300,000 bonds
The city commission has authorized the sale of $200,000 municipal water bonds and $100,000 storm water sewer bonds.
At the meeting of the commission on Monday evening, the city clerk was instructed to advertise for sealed proposals for the sale of the bonds.
Each bid must be accompanied by a certified check in the amount of $10,000 on the $200,000 issue and a check in the amount of $5,000 on the $100,000 issue.
Monroe observed peaceful fourth
Monroe had a sane, quiet and cool Fourth of July. It was the coolest fourth in five years.
No serious accidents the result of fireworks were reported.
Many people spent the day at the Monroe Pier and the other resorts along the lake.
Many visited the Yacht Club in the afternoon and evening. Catboat races were sailed in the afternoon, off the piers and, in the evening, dancing took place in the Yacht Club’s clubhouse hall room.
At the Country Club, golf was the attraction. The links were dotted with players all day long.
Many motored to the churches for picnics. Toledo Beach was also a mecca for many Monroe people.
Many homes had fine displays of fireworks.
In the afternoon, the downtown streets were practically deserted.
The firemen spent a peaceful day. No alarms were turned in.
Society
Dalton-Greening
The many friends of Mr. George A. Greening of this city will be agreeably surprised to hear of his marriage yesterday evening to Mrs. Kate M. Dalton.
The marriage was quiet, only the witnesses being present. The pastor of the groom, Rev. Henry Frincke of Trinity Lutheran Church, performed the ceremony.
Mr. and Mrs. Greening left this morning on the early train for an extensive trip to the Pacific coast where they will visit relatives and friends besides taking in the sights. They expect to return in a few months.
Social-supper
The social and supper given last evening by the ladies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church was very well-attended. After the supper, games, contests and other amusements furnished the entertainment for the evening. Quite a large sum was realized from the affair.
Glee Club concert
Monday evening a concert was given at the Evangelical Lutheran Church by the Men’s Glee Club of Northwestern College, Naperville. It was one of the best ever given in Monroe, for the numbers proper were of the finest kind and the encores were snappy, witty and extremely out of the ordinary. One of the things that went toward making the program the decided success that it was the spirit that all of the members seemed to have. They were so full of good-humor and fun that the program couldn’t have helped being good, even if the music had not been of the highest quality.
The director, Mr. C. Charles Pinney, who was taken to the hospital last week, joined the club Monday while they were in Monroe.
The club consists of males from New York to California. They were given a fine yacht trip on Lake Erie. In addition to the concert, they staged a fast baseball game with one of the church leagues.
Swimming and beginners diving lessons. Mabel Hochraedel, Phone 888-M.
Everything passed off quietly in Carleton the Fourth, as nearly everyone left town.
Mr. and Mrs. W.J. Spillson of the Custer Hotel have gone to Boston to visit Mrs. Spillson’s mother and sisters.
James Brancheau Jr. has accepted a position with the Catholic Art Manufacturing Co., collecting in Monroe and Detroit.
A Proclamation
By official action of the Commission of the City of Monroe, it becomes my very agreeable duty to direct the attention of our citizens to the “Lakes to Oceans Carnival and Festival,” to be held under the auspices of the Monroe Yacht Club during the week of July 10.
It is easily apparent that no other governmental undertaking, either proposed or perfected, can be laden with the multitude of potential benefits and advantages for this immediate community that are included in the planning joining of Lakes and Oceans by a gigantic commercial waterway. Our interests demand that we, individually and collectively, do whatever in our power lies to hasten this project to a successful completion.
This Carnival and Festival directed by one of the state’s leading aquatic organizations, promises to accomplish much in the way of public education as to the advantages and necessities of the “Waterway.”
Let us, then, make the observance of all activities of the approaching week an item of individual duty and pleasure and let us by word, by action, by the appropriate decoration of our homes and stores, convince the visitor within our gates that we are solidly and energetically behind this project and the Monroe Yacht Club, which so ably sponsored it.
James Gilmore, mayor
July 6, 1922
Lakes to Ocean Water Festival and Carnival
Monroe Piers, July 10-15
Under the auspices of Monroe Yacht Club
A solid week of fun. Water sports of all kinds. Shows galore. Dancing every evening. Seymour’s Orchestra—the kind that’s made the Yacht Club famous.
Extra car service
Thursday will be Monroe County Day. Prominent speakers will talk on the big waterway. R.J. MacLean of Detroit, director of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, for the past six years will explain the benefits to be gained by Monroe County if the project goes through. Don’t fail to hear him.
Meet your pals at the Piers. Come to come out Monday and every day following. Don’t miss any of the fun.
Free admission. All are welcome
Oldport
The annual 4th of July picnic at St. Charles Church was largely attended. Many people from out-of-town cam to enjoy the day and to have a good meal which the ladies of the congregation are quite famous to provide.
Many of our people from Oldport and Newport attended the funeral of Arthur Mercure at St. Mary Church of Rockwood, last Saturday the 8th, which was very largely attended. The Rev. T. Rose delivered an eloquent sermon and highly praised him. A choir from Detroit, all cousins of the deceased, sang the Mass, accompanied by a nephew on violin, which was very impressive. He was the youngest of the family of nine children of Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Mercure of Rockwood. In prime of his life, only 21 years old, he met his death by a sad accident when he was struck by a fast train at 11 p.m. last Thursday.
Monroe takes golf tourney
In a consistency played golf tournament between Adrian and Monroe golfers, played on the Lenawee Golf Course at Adrian Sunday, Monroe won by a score of 50 to 11.
The Adrian golfers were all around good sports and it is putting it mildly to say that the Monroe players and their friends who accompanied them were royally entertained.
The Adrian club has only been organized for little more than a year and their players displayed their ability as golfers.
In a few lines
Luther Breeden of Toledo was fined $5 and costs when he pleaded guilty on Monday morning to operating a motor vehicle on Dixie Highway at an excess rate of speed. Ora Longley of Monroe was given the same fine when he pleaded guilty to the same offense.
$100 reward for information concerning anyone breaking into and damaging my cottage at Monroe Piers. Dan Massi, Phone 1033.
Miss Loretta Crimmins returned to her position in the county school commissioner’s office on Monroe morning after 10 days’ vacation spent in Northern Michigan. Miss Crimmins has an enjoyable vacation.
Someone in the Sixth Precinct is poisoning dogs and cats. Two dogs were poisoned early Sunday morning. Three cats were killed by poison Saturday. Last summer, several dogs were killed by poison in this precinct. It is a serious offense to willingly scatter poison with the intent to kill dogs. According to the statute, a person found guilty of this offense can be sent to prison for five years of pay a fine of not to exceed $1,000.
Yacht Club fete visited by crowd
Despite the threatening weather, a large crowd attended the opening of the Lakes to Ocean Festival and Carnival at the Piers’ clubhouse.
More than 400 people were present, and the booths all did a nice business. The clubhouse and the booths are very prettily decorated and attracted much attention. The festival will continue all this week.
There are many booths such as dolls, candy, fancy work, refreshments, country store, blankets, fruit, race track and others.
The Detroit, Monroe and Toledo Shortline Railroad handled the crowd in good shape last evening and during the entire week will have plenty of cars to take care of the crowds.
The Monroe Yacht Club Band played during the course of the evening. The band played on the downtown streets, previous to the start of the festival.
Every evening dancing will take place in the ballroom at the club. Seymour’s Orchestra of Toledo will furnish music for the dancing.
Telephone rates in Michigan reduced today
Monroe rates slightly pared; cut to become effective on Aug. 1
Telephone rates were reduced throughout Michigan today by an order issued by the Michigan Public Utilities Commission. The reduced rates will go into effect Aug. 1 and will mean a savings of approximately $1,125,000 to telephone users.
New rates for Monroe and some other cities:
One party business, was $3.45, now $3.25
Four party business, was $2.88, now $2.75
Farm rates, was $2.30, now $2.25
A new rate for cordless switchboards, reduction from $6 to $3 a month.
Girl Scouts go to camp July 29
On July 29, the Girl Scouts will go into camp at Vineyard Lake.
A year ago last May, the Girl Scouts were organized in Monroe and have had a very successful history. More than half a hundred girls have been members and have benefitted by Scout work which makes for higher development, morality and physically.
Local paper plant may close next week due to strike
Effects of the coal and railroad strikes are just beginning to pinch Monroe industries, according to information coming from some of Monroe’s largest factories on Saturday morning.
The Consolidated Paper Co. is getting low on coal, which may necessitate closing down one of its plants next week, throwing out of employment about 30 people, according to officials at the plant.
Inquiry at the River Raisin Paper Co. showed that company is fairly well fixed on coal, but if the strikes continue much longer, this company will also be short of fuel.
Amendt Milling Co. has a good supply of coal on hand.
The Monroe Gas Light and Fuel Co. has a supply which will last about 30 days. This company will not be handicapped at the present, as it has a good supply of oil which it can use in the making of gas.
The coal dealers have a fair supply of soft coal on hand, according to reports.
In a few lines
So far this month, only two transients have applied at police headquarters for night lodging.
Dr. Charles T. Southworth, who has been very ill, is now able to see a few friends each day at his home, corner of Washington and Sixth Sts.
W.E. Swasey of Milan lost the tip of his finger when bitten by a colt to which he was feeding clover on Friday.
Brand new player piano, oak case, $395 for quick buyer. Grinnell Brothers, 125 S. Monroe St.
Rev. Reuben Crosby, pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, was aroused from his slumber at midnight Thursday to perform a double wedding ceremony. The parties motored here from Toledo, arriving at midnight. The brides are sisters.
School operation last year cost city $171,377, report
It cost $171,377 to operate the Monroe High School and grade schools last year, according to the annual report of the board of education for the school.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: 100 years ago in The Monroe Evening News
