Postcard, bandshell trivia - and a 'rain dance' plea

Jan Bensinger's vintage postcards of downtown St. Johns that were part of last week's issue captured the attention of several readers, prompting comments and questions - and the submission of a new 'old' postcard.

Claude Pilmore, a long-time area resident, remembers the buildings as they looked in several of the postcards - and lots of other history trivia.

"There were lights above Clinton Avenue at all four intersections - State, Walker, Higham, and Railroad," Claude recalls. "They were supposed to help light up the area better after dark when more and more people used automobiles."

Claude says the lights "didn't really brighten things up too well, but it was better than just having the sidewalk lights."

Judy Bozung of Fowler submitted this week's vintage postcard showing Clinton Avenue from State Street looking north. We're dating the postcard at around 1906, based on the unpaved status of Clinton Avenue, number of horse and buggies hitched along the street, and the trolley car in the background.

That trolley car - the Interurban - also appeared in one of last week's downtown views, and generated questions from several readers.

Officially named the Michigan Surburban, the electric train that ran between Lansing and St. Johns made its first round-trip Feb. 1, 1902. It had 18 seats for passengers and a baggage compartment.

The Interurban made a stop in DeWitt and a number of places along the route - most of which exist today only as names in our history book: Brigg's, Moot's, Clayton, Locher's, Bum's Corner, and others.

A round trip to Lansing in 1902 cost $1 - a value and a deal by today's standards. The Interurban was in service until 1929, making its last passenger run May 29. An item in the Clinton County Republican-News tells the reason for its demise. "The invention of the gasoline buggy made its failure inevitable."

Time marches on.

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Another article from the Republican-News also bears repeating at this time. Readers will recall that several months ago we went searching for the construction date of the bandshell located at the St. Johns City Park. The quest was prompted by plans to build a new performing arts facility at the site.

We posed the question in the Jan. 21 edition - that included a splendid photo of three men putting up the framework for the bandshell. As was the case in last week's postcard query, the answer came quickly from several sources, and was confirmed in an article from the 1939 Republican-News.

The "spherical shell in the St. Johns City Park" was built in the summer of 1939; workmen in the picture were identified as Floyd Patterson, Nelson Jolly, and Carl Krumm.

"It's got more curves than a circus lady," Floyd was reported in the paper as saying - an apt description made by a well-known city resident.

We trust this answers the bandshell construction question once and for all.

Like many others, we're also optimistic about the success of the current fund-raising campaign for construction of a new performance facility. It will be a great addition for the entire community.

As their campaign theme states, here's hoping there's "Music in the Air by June 2002."

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Lastly, I'm having second thoughts about a recent column where I refused to complain about the hot weather we were having at that time. The warm sunshine in late June has turned into a big-time heat wave.

Enough is enough.

Someone, anyone, please do a rain dance or whatever is needed to bring some relief to my poor garden.

Gwendolyn's seeds sure could use Mother Nature's water - and Grandma Rhonda would appreciate not having to coil up a million feet of garden hose every night.