Replies to notes on Centennial Farms, Olive bridge, and Crazy Jack

Time to open up the mailbag and reply to some notes from readers.

Our package of articles two weeks ago on Centennial Farms that featured the Sesquicentennial Farm of Don and Alma Davis received a number of favorable comments from readers - along with some additions and corrections.

We appreciate that, because we knew the list that was complied from information maintained by the Michigan State Historic Preservation office had the possibility for some errors - thanks to the following who are helping set the record straight.

Mary Louise Hanses of Portland dropped us a line to let us know that the Hanses farm located at 14364 Hanses Road in Westphalia Township is in fact a Sesquicentennial Farm. It is owned by William M. and Mary Louise Hanses.

Also on the subject of the centenarian homesteads, Jean Cobb of Elsie called to put in a plug for the Michigan Centennial Farm Association. This organization of centennial farm owners meets on a regular basis and has also published a directory of its farms in the state.

We appreciate Jean's bringing the information to our attention - as a past president of the association, she's doing a good job.

Our County Road series continues to receive positive reviews - and it appears we may finally have the answer for the mystery bridge in Olive Township on DeWitt Road near Jason Road.

Clarence Trumble, a lifelong county resident who moved recently from Riley Township into St. Johns, provided a reason for the location of the bridge that is now situated just south of the current road bed. The reason for that is simple - when the new bridge on DeWitt Road was built, they simply moved the road to accommodate the bridge and left the old one standing.

Our readers will recall that John Chimko had initially passed along information given to him that indicated the bridge had been moved to the spot after being used on the old Interurban rail line that ran between St. Johns and Lansing.

It may take some time, but our readers always come through with 'the rest of the story' eventually - thanks, Clarence.

A final piece of correspondence came from Connie Kinney who lives in St. Johns. She dropped off a 'Get Well' card in its original envelope dated June 7, 1953 that was sent by Crazy Jack Hyatt to her husband, Lyle Leonard, while he was a patient at the Veteran's Hospital in Dearborn.

Connie also had newspaper clippings from the Clinton County Republican News that told the story of how the ringleader of the Jackson Prison riot came to be lodged for "one year and 13 days" in the Clinton County Jail - verifying the stories related by Dick May in our article from several weeks ago about the 'old jail tales.'

Connie vividly recalls the stories Lyle told about Crazy Jack's stay at the jail that took place while the now deceased law enforcement officer worked there. She remembers them "playing checkers through the bars - Lyle said he (Crazy Jack) was very good."

Thanks to Connie for sharing the card - that includes a unique poem-story written by Crazy Jack which we surely will not print here. It put a smile on our face during the rainy weather last week.