Tales of Southwest Michigan's Past

In this episode I explore what life was like at Camp Custer in Battle Creek in 1918.  It was a few weeks after armistance, and the soldiers were returning from the front, and others were stationed at Camp Custer awaiting discharge.  Thousands of soldiers were on the base, and much of what was going on that weekend was published in the Camp newspaper called 'Custer Life' which share some...

Andrew Rees settled on land establishing a farm west of Battle Creek in 1835, bringing with him his wife and nine children from New York.  He would live in this area until his death 40 years later, and he is buried at Reece Cemetery in Springfield, Michigan.  He was respected in his time as being a farmer of thrift and industry, as well as a patriotic and public spirited citizen.  ...

Dave Eddy & Bobbie Mathis join me for a talk on Thanksgiving and Holiday Traditions .  We explore stories of Union City, Albion, Marshall, Battle Creek and much, much more.  Hear the story of Dave's first holiday away from family in the radio business broadcasting remotely in Marshall.  Hear stories of Union City and a Christmas where the entire village was snowed in, and the sl...

In my recent explorations of the Harman Halladay Cemetery in Bedford, Township Michigan I came across a headstone that led me down a path of determined research find the story behind it.  I discovered a man who was lost to all but who knew him, and he had died from an apparent suicide in a nearby marsh.  His name was Svetco Stoyanovitch, and his headstone was crudely carved with misspell...

A native of Albion, Michigan, Gwen Dew became a prolific writer, journalist and photographer in the late 1930's through the 1950's.  She was a world traveler, and served as a Southeast Asian correspondent for the Detroit News and Newsweek Magazine in the early 1940's.  In December 1941, she was in Hong Kong when the Japanese invaded, and was taken prisoner.  She would spend six mont...

Leah Richard from the Vicksburg Historical Society joins me for a talk on Vicksburg history, and the historical village.  We also talk about some of her favorite stories of the past, as well as some of the holiday activities they have coming up this season. For more information on the Vicksburg Historical Society, visit: https://vicksburghistory.org For more information Michael Delaware, visi...

In this episode I explore the history of the town of New Buffalo, located in the Southwest corner of Berrien County, which has long been referred to as the gateway to Michigan.  It has a long and fascinating history which all started with a shipwreck and evolved over the years to be impacted by the railroads, shipping industry and tourism.  Today it is still a beautiful community in Sout...

In this episode I explore the Michigan Convention of Superintendents of the Poor in 1878, and the review of the counties that were represented at that gathering.  The report of the convention offers insight into how the poor were cared for, as well as the differing viewpoints on how they should be treated, from the harsh to the sympathetic.  It is a fascinating chapter in Michigan histor...

In this episode, I interview Dennis Skupinski from Michigan's Military Heritage Museum in Jackson.  We discuss the history of the War of 1812 in Michigan, where the battles were fought, the outcomes as well as discuss how many of the veterans settled in Michigan after the war.   For more information on Michigan's Military Heritage Museum, visit: https://mimhm.org For more information on...

The murder of Nellie Griffin was an event that shocked the state of Michigan when it happened in January of 1891.  A man walked into the Coldwater School, a state institution for children, and adopted a child under a false identity and later murdered her.  This tragic event brought under scrutiny the system for adoption in the state of Michigan, and even sparked a review of the adoption...

The Leila Arboretum in Battle Creek, Michigan celebrated its 100 year anniversary in September of 2022.  In preparation for this event, the Leila Arboretum society reached out to me to create a video on the history of this wonderful park, which I was honored to do.  I decided to made this audio track available in this podcast episode, as it was a wonderful story to research for this very...

In this episode I interview Brian Mohlman , the 1st Vice Commander of the American Legion Post #257 in Battle Creek on the history of the American Legion in Michigan.  He explains the early formation of the American Legion following the Great War (World War 1) and the changes made after WWII.  Today the American Legion has posts all over the country, as well as internationally.  The...

In this episode I explore stories of what Halloween was like in the 1800's in Southwest Michigan.  I include stories taken from newspapers in Battle Creek, Marshall, Albion, Athens, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Grand Rapids and South Haven.   The dates range between 1877 to 1890.  Halloween was so very different than what we are used to in present day.  Take a journey back i...

In this episode I explore the Lewis Cass Expedition of 1820 which was a survey of the western part of the Michigan Territory, led by Lewis Cass, the Territorial Governor.  The expedition was approved by John Calhoun, the Secretary of War, and had as its purpose to survey the geograohy and topography of the region in order to produce a complete map, as well as survey the flora and fauna, the N...

The Brass Band of Battle Creek was founded 30 years ago, and has been an incredible source of musical entertainment in the country since that time.  The BBBC was founded by Bill and Jim Gray, who join me in this interview.  Also joining me is the Executive Director of the BBBC, Shannon Aikins. The three guests explain the early history of the BBBC, and how it has grown to become an inter...

In this episode I explore the history of the Calhoun County Poor Farm which was established in 1849, and lasted through at least 1912.  I include some of the early history of the establishment of the farm, as well as some of the stories of the people who lived there.  It is an interesting chapter in Southwest Michigan history.  At one point in 1878 there were 24 counties in Michigan...

In this episode I explore some of the early history of Constantine, Michigan.  Governor John S. Barry, who was the only governor elected to three terms was a prominent businessman in the early foundation of the village.  I also explore some of the other early merchants, the Harvey Hotel, the shipping industry on the river, the early milling history, newspapers, banking, churches and much...

Author Amberrose Hammond joins me again to talk about some of her amazing books on Michigan history which is often interwoven with ghostly tales, true crime and fascinating legends.  She is the author of Wicked Grand Rapids, Wicked Ottawa County, Ghosts and Legends of Michigan's West Coast and also Mysterious Michigan.  In this interview we talk about some of the ghostly stories she has...

In this episode I explore a true crime event from 1886 in which a man by the name of Dr. Martin White murdered his family with an axe.   It is dark and brutal true story that shocked the Battle Creek community when it happened.  This is also the 100th episode of this podcast, and I chose to feature a story that is fitting for October. For more information on Michael Delaware, visit:...

The Battle Creek House was built in 1836 by Leonard Starkweather, and served as the first framed hotel in the village of Battle Creek.  The building would stand 30 years in the central heart of the village, and serve as a gathering place for all social activities.  Starkweather remained owner of the hotel, although several different men served as managers over the years.  The hotel...

In this episode I interview Bobbie Mathis and Brian McCombs from the Union City Society for Historic Preservation on their upcoming Dead Man's Hollow Walking Tour , and we also explore some other ghostly tales from Union City history.  The Dead Man's Hollow Walking Tour is October 15th, with the two showings.  Tickets can be acquired at locations described in the interview.   You wi...

The first settler to arrive in the village known today as Augusta, Michigan was Dr. Salmon King, originally a Vermont native in 1833.  A land deal between Dr. King and three industrialist land speculators occured in 1836, and those three men would all became prominent in Michigan politics in the coming years.  Oen would become a state representative, another Speaker of the House and the...

Mike Cox, a story teller and historic reenactor with the Eaton County Historical Commission joins me to talk about the history of the man known as Sam Hill.  The expression many may have heard: What in Sam Hill? is attributed to his uniquely colorful character, and his story is a fascinating one that explores the history of copper mining in the Upper Peninsula, as well some of his life in Mar...

The Temperance Movement began in the early 1800's as a part of a religious movement to abstain from the use of alcohol.  Over the years this movement grew into legislative action which brought into existance the 18th Amendment to the Constition being ratified in 1919, which ushered in the era of Prohibition which lasted until 1933. In this episode I explore some of the early Temperance moveme...

Leonidas Dibble led a fascinating life.  He was an attorney, and spent many years in school in New York, and established himself in a practice after passing the bar in that state.  He then was stricken was a case of gold fever and sold everything to move with his father to California.  After recovering enough fortune to pay for his trip, he returned home by way of Michigan and settl...