LOG MARKS Sanford Historical Society
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LOG MARKS Sanford Historical Society www.sanfordhist.org Facebook: Sanford Centennial Museum Sanford Historical Society Board Officers Trustees President: Mary Herkner Ruth Ann Nagle VOLUME 35, ISSUE 5 Vice President: Jan Biggs Jeff Bowen Secretary: Linda Fisher/Sue Muto Karen Ketover AUGUST, 2018 Treasurer: Kendra Melchi Sanford Centennial Museum resides at 2222 Smith Street in Sanford. Mailing address: Sanford Historical Society, P.O. Box 243 Sanford, MI 48657 Email: [email protected] Phone: 989 687-9048 Model Train Display Day there will be people at the museum most of the day… Saturday, August 11, 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. probably until 4 p.m. On the day of the event volunteers can help serve hot dogs and food, plus pass All Aboard for Great Family Fun! out flyers. At the end of the day on August 11th we have to put the small tents, booths, chairs, and tables away and the more people we have the better. The takedown does not start until 4 p.m. You don’t need to be a member to volunteer—come join the fun! Call (989) 687-9048 and volunteer! Founders Day 2018 September 8th & 9th More Great Family Fun in Sanford! Model trains will be running and on display in the 1870s historic depot sitting next to the Sanford Centennial Museum’s full-size track and railroad cars featuring two cabooses, switch engine, and box car. Adults and children are welcome to tour the inside of the cabooses and switch engine. Train buffs if you have train items or trains to display for the day please call the museum at (989) 687-9048. The Train Display and the entire museum is completely free along with free parking and the rest of the Sanford Centennial Museum The Founders Day Celebration event goal is to bring will also be open. people, families, and especially children to the museum Volunteer Opportunities: grounds for outdoor fun and an educational experience. Train Day volunteers are needed to help with setup on The event has been growing each year since its Friday, Aug 10th. Starting at 9:00 a.m. we will be beginnings in the 1970s with estimated attendees now setting up tables, and booths, possibly small tents, plus numbering in the thousands mostly from Midland various model trains, plus sweep and clean the Depot. County. It’s a high quality outdoor family event. The work is basically pretty light but there is enough so See more on page 5 and included flyer. LOG MARKS August, 2018 Page 2 Letter from the President Recent Sites Committee Projects Summer is in full swing and activities are taking place Our Sites committee led by Chuck Dinsmore has even with the high heat and humidity. Log Cabin Day accomplished much during the warm weather months. was held with the attendance at around 50 people. Here are some of the recent projects: The Sites committee has been busy painting the Felix Nick Kraemer and Chuck Dinsmore painted the 1924 School, Township Hall, and brown caboose; mowing caboose, and John Billingsley made new signboards for the lawn and planting trees. the outside lettering. Mary Hughes made new informational signage showing the 1924 caboose working in West Virginia for the interior. Chuck painted the black box car roof, spot painted the side rust spots and then repainted the white C&O signage. Chuck painted the window, window shields, and steps of the yellow caboose, along with the hood of the Whitcomb switcher engine. The exterior of the 1924 C&O caboose has a fresh coat of brown paint thanks to the volunteer work of Nick Kraemer and Chuck Dinsmore. Work continues improving the exhibits by the Library/ Museum committee and taking inventory for the Olson Store. There is a new exhibit in the glass cabinet inside the front entrance to the museum. The display includes women’s hats, gloves, shoes, and a toy pistol exhibit. The Hostess desk has been moved to the Main Exhibit room to improve the visibility of the Hostess. This desk is close to the door by the parking lot and gives the hostess a better view of the outside grounds area plus gives Mary more room. The upcoming months include Model Train Day on August 11, and Founders Day on September 8 and 9, 2018. If you would like to volunteer to help at either of these events, please contact a board member or leave a message on the museum’s answering machine at (989) Chuck scraped and painted the Main Museum building 687-9048. bell tower. John made new windows for the east end of the Log Mary LOG MARKS August, 2018 Page 3 Cabin, Nick and Chuck installed them, and cleaned the The electric service to the front mercury light pole and attic and sealed it for bat control. then to the church was repaired by Victor Caney. Dave Haskin, Chuck, and Nick replaced the newly The next time you visit the museum we hope you will painted (by Mary Hughes) directional fin on the take a moment to appreciate all the work that goes into windmill along with new cabling. keeping the museum’s grounds and Sanford’s history in such beautiful condition. You might even be inspired to lend a helping hand! Volunteers are always needed and welcomed! Please call (989) 687-9048 and join us. William H. Allswede Story By Rick E. Goodwin January 5, 2018 Born to Jerome Township (Midland County, Michigan) pioneer parents William H. Allswede was the son of George and Dora (Snyder) Allswede. His Dave and Chuck used a power lift to raise the newly parents had bought a painted directional fin for reattachment to the farm near what is today windmill about 35 feet off the ground (pictured the ghost town of Wrights Bridge in above). The photograph below shows the completed Jerome Township in project. 1861. The family moved to Red Keg (in Lincoln Township it is known today as Averill) in the 1870s where William was born on January 22, 1874. He would work on the family farm for 3 years before engaging in the grain and produce business in Sanford, Michigan with Dave, Nick, and Chuck weather treated the roof his brothers, Fred and shingles on the Church and Bunkhouse. Frank Allswede. The business was called Nick and Chuck removed a sick tree between the Allswede Brothers and William H. Allswede as a Church and Town Hall and prepared the spot with William was in charge young businessman in black dirt for a replacement tree to be provided by of the local elevator. Sanford in the early 1900s. Linda Fisher. Lola Sanford, a local Photo from the Sanford Nick painted the doors on the Bailey Chapel. teacher and the adopted Historical Society photo Nick and Chuck painted the tractor shed. daughter of the Village archives. LOG MARKS August, 2018 Page 4 of Sanford founder, Charles S. Sanford, married Motor Car franchise in Sanford circa 1914. William on June 30, 1897. They would have one son, Elected to the Michigan State Senate in November of George Lason Allswede. 1912 on the National Progressive Party ticket, William William expanded the elevator business in 1908 when served a two-year term from 1913 to 1915. During his he built an additional elevator at Delwin, Michigan. time in the senate he was a champion of roads and This new elevator was on the Flint & Pere Marquette highways and was instrumental in the “Good Roads Railroad line between Coleman, Michigan and Mt. Movement” effort of the time. He also tried, Pleasant, Michigan in Isabella County’s Denver unsuccessfully, to bring a state tuberculosis sanitarium Township. to the Sanford area. While still in Sanford he and his wife, Lola, platted the In 1918 he sold the elevator in Sanford (he had sold the Allswede Addition to the Village of Sanford. He served Delwin elevator in 1916). It was time to move on and his Sanford community in many ways including in 1919 he moved his family to Hersey, Michigan (near serving as the general manager and treasurer of the Reed City) where he engaged in the gravel business. Sanford Mutual Telephone Company in 1909. He invented and patented a machine in 1935 to sort gravel. In 1949 he moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan The first car in Sanford was owned by William where he spent the rest of his life serving the Allswede. William and brother Frank had the Overland community, and especially his church, giving of his time and skills (just as he had done in the Sanford community). William H. Allswede died on July 22, 1962 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is buried in the Fairplains Cemetery. The caption of this Midland Daily News photo of October 20, 1960 is “Looking over the north-south 2018 Membership and 2018 Save These Dates Grand Rapids freeway are William Allswede Aug. 11 Board Meeting Dates Train Day 11 am - 4 pm (foreground) formerly of Sanford and now of Grand August 15th Rapids and State Highway Commissioner John Sept. 8 & 9 September 17th Founders Day Mackie. Note ‘hard hat’ Allswede is wearing as a “Early” to 6 pm October 17th Dec. 11, 12 & 13 present of Mackie.” Santa Express November 21st 3:30 pm - 7:30 pm LOG MARKS August, 2018 Page 5 Founders Day — September 8th & 9th, 2018 A Sanford Area Tradition parking cones, working on a numerous list of items that are needed each year to put on a good show. Volunteers are needed to help with assorted tasks throughout the event on Saturday and Sunday. Takedown of the event is on Sunday, September 9th at 5:00 p.m.