Sesqui meeting prompts questions, trip down memory lane
Old photos are in demand

A preliminary "exploratory meeting" this past week about the 2006 St. Johns Sesquicentennial produced plenty of comments and suggestions about events for the city’s 150^th birthday bash – and more than a few questions.

As might be expected when you’re talking about an occasion where all the principal players have long since departed life’s scene, there are several variations in the "facts" related to the city’s founding.

In determining the correct birthday year, do you use the initial visit made by John Swegles and his merry band of compatriots to what would become St. Johns? If so, the city should have been cutting its 150^th birthday cake back in 2003 – Swegles and company made their first trip here in 1853.

Maybe the correct date should have been in 2004. After all, the site for St. Johns was cleared in 1854, and a steam sawmill produced timber that resulted in the construction of the town’s first buildings.

Since the only reason Swegles and his friends initially visited the area was knowledge they had about the Oakland & Pontiac Railroad being extended westward to Grand Haven – passing through the land where St. Johns eventually was situated – maybe the year of record should be 1857. That’s when the first railroad train entered St. Johns.

In the end, choosing 2006 as the year for the city’s sesquicentennial is the most correct response. Records show that the Village of St. Johns was platted by the land company on March 25, 1856. That’s as official as it gets.

Discussion at the preliminary meeting was wide-ranging and comments were free-flowing, but the topic of history always resurfaced – as it should. Who were some "famous" St. Johns residents from years ago? Where were the Irish Hills and Emmonsville areas located in St. Johns? What type of celebration was held for the St. Johns Centennial back in 1956?

Thoughts about the upcoming sesquicentennial prompted a personal trip down memory lane to 1956 and the St. Johns Centennial. I must confess that my memory is pretty limited to that occasion – except for one particular event. For little four-year-old Rhonda Lee Kloeckner, the Centennial meant riding on the float from St. Peter Lutheran Church in the big centennial parade.

A photo from that special day came to me several years ago, courtesy of John and Linda Fitch. In talking about the reprints that John makes of historic places and events in and around Clinton County, he mentioned that he had several negatives from the centennial parade. I commented on the fact that I had ridden on the float from St. Peter, noting it was a favorite childhood memory.

A few weeks later, I was very pleasantly surprised to receive a lovely 8x10 photograph of the float and the little girl who had the honor of riding on it in the centennial parade.

I didn’t know it – or certainly appreciate it – at the time, but the individuals who were selected to ride on the St. Peter float each had family ties to the early members of the congregation that isn’t too much younger than St. Johns. St. Peter just celebrated its 135^th anniversary last year.

Along with yours truly on that float were Rex Mohnke (the other little kid in the photo, also four years old at that time) and his mother, Rosina (Martin) Mohnke; Leon Shumaker; Gordon Light; Doris (Marten) Mohnke; Gaylord Kleuckling; and Barbara Martens.

It’s photographs like this that will help St. Johns Sesquicentennial memories come alive for this generation of area residents. We encourage readers to submit story ideas and photographs that will be used in a variety of venues during the coming year. Photos may be sent via email to mail@sjindy.com or mailed to The Independent, PO Box 306, St. Johns, MI., 48879.

Celebrating a 150^th birthday is a pretty momentous event – it will require lots and lots of community involvement by lots and lots of people. Submitting an old photo is one way that many current and former residents can be part of the sesquicentennial process.

Plus, it’s fun looking at those old photos, don’t you think?

We all looked a little bit better back then.