Fenton Historical Society
September 2005 Vol 1, Issue 4
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Fenton Historical Society Newsletter

Coming Events
 
September meeting, on the 28th at 7:30 pm at the museum.
 
Mr. Ed Davison, great-great grandson of Wm. Fenton will present 2 items to the museum from the Fenton Family. Also, Ken Seger will give us an update on his WWII book with a few stories. If you have any pictures of WWII Fenton soldier, please bring them to the meeting.
 
October meeting, on the 26th at 7:30 pm at the museum.
 
Mr Ed Whalen, Native American Indian, will tell us about his history and show us the many Indian artifacts he has made. Please join us.
Refreshments will be served.
 
Historical Home Tour in Flint - on Sept 25, from 10 am to 5 pm. There will be 6 homes on the tour, cost is $20.00, proceeds to benefit the Whaley House. This is part of Flints Sesquicentennial Celebration. Other events include an Art Show, Carriage Rides, Car Show, Capital theater will be open, Civil War Living history, and ice cream social. You may check this out at www.cityofflint.com/150

Announcements
 
Welcome to new members
Ruth Martin - Fenton
Mary Kaye Pellet Schmelzer - Holly
Rosemary Ball Opperthauser - Grand Blanc
 
We are sorry to announce the death of our Life Member, Betty Canever.
She died on Aug. 22, 2005 at the age of 87. She always enjoyed her visits to the museum. She and her late husband, Vic Canever, were generous supporters of the Fenton Historical Society.
 
Tours at the museum
 
On June 6th, three groups from the State Road Elementary School toured the museum with Ken Seger as guide.
 
On May 26, Tomek Eastern Elementary School second grade toured the museum with Ken Segere as guide.

Historical Tidbits
 
Homes found for orphans - The Fenton Independent - April 27, 1875
 
Mr. R. B. Graham, visiting agent from the Baldwin Place Home for Little Wanderers at Boston Mass., found good homes for 13 of his little orphans in Fenton and vicinity as follows.
 
H.P. Story and Benj. Story with Oliver H. Perry, Tyrone, MI
Thomas Durkee and Annie Durkee with John M. Barrows, Fenton, MI
Rose Moulton, with John B. Remington, Fenton, MI
Thomas Pitt Bryant with John R. Cole, Fenton, MI
James E. Wade with H.C. VanAtta, Fenton, MI
Edgar Bird with Joseph Rider, Fenton, MI
William Bird with James S. Day, Linden, MI
 
Enlisted Men from the Civil War - From the Michigan Messenger, Newsletter of the Sons of Union Veterans.
 
 

10 yrs of age and under
25
11 yrs of age
38
12 yrs of age
228
13 yrs of age
300
14 yrs of age
1,523
15 yrs of age
104,987
16 yrs of age
231,051
17 yrs of age
844,891
18 yrs of age
1,151,438
21 yrs of age
2,159,789
22 yrs of age and over
618,511

Do You Remember These Restaurants ?
All info obtained from Eileen Roddy's Business History Project
 
Pig and Whistle - where Sweet Variations is now, 1930-40's
 
Hamburger Inn - 521 N. Leroy St., owned by Ed and Hilda Giles. Sold in 1944 to Steven Bain, then Belle Foley owned it in 1951. Sold to the Blackburns in 1963 and it became the Pearl Diner.
 
Wander Inn - Owned by Harry and Martha McGregar at 146 S. Leroy St., located in the Walcott Mill Bldg. and was torn down in 1937 to make way for the Community Center.
 
Hole in the Wall - Was Hazel Merrill's Coffee Shop located next to Pellett's Dept. Store, 1937 - 1942.
 
Pink Poodle - 401 S. Leroy St., Operated by Robert Meade. It was open 24 hours a day. He also operated the Hoskins Restaurant in the 1960's.
 
Star Restaurant - 121 N. Leroy St., ran by Andy Brown in the 70's. Fish & Chips, all you can eat, $1.29.
 
Merrill's Lunch - 121 N. Leroy St., owned by Lowell and Hazel Merrill, 1929 - 1933, then it became Hoskin's Restaurant, Chicken Dinners for 50 cents.
 
Hoskin's Restaurant - 121 N. Leroy St., In 1945 it was sold to Hazel Kirby, then in 1969 it was sold to Robert Meade, who also ran the Pink Poodle.
 
Does Anybody remember the Fenton Coney Island and Fenton Barbeque and where they were ?

A Special Thank You to:
 
Jane Reed and Lyle Chapman for taking such good care of the museum gardens. They have never looked better.
 
Chris Wren, Assistant City Manager, for getting SBC - Yahoo DSL Internet service for the museum.
 
Sue Phillips, for her donation of the large lighted cabinet. We sure will have fun filling it up!
 
Matt Adair, Doug Tebo and Ken Seger for cleaning out the hedgerow at the South of the museum. Doug even planted grass seed there.

Website Update
 
Check out the website, https://fentonhistsoc.tripod.com/ for updates. Cheryl has added The Wall of Honor, a board with all the names of the servicemen from Fenton from WWII. She has also added the History of The Grand Army of the Republic with pictures. We have also added two projects we are working on. Matt Adair will be adding his project to this list soon. Matt plans on moving the cannons to the cemetery with the Civil War statue where the cannons were supposed to be in the first place.

Fenton Historical Society Projects
 
World War II project by Ken Seger, I am working on a book of all the Fenton servicemen that were in WWII. I need pictures and info. Please contact me at 810-629-8458 or kenseger@prodigy.net . I will return any pictures that you give me or you can send them to me by e-mail. Thanks, I need your help.
 
Silver Drive In project by Donna Seger. Wanted, pictures of the Silver Drive In theater. Copies of your pictures will be displayed in the museum. Please contact Donna Seger at 810-629-8458 or kenseger@prodigy.net . The pictures will also be on 2 internet sites, www.michigandriveins.com and www.driveintheater.com . Thanks for your help.

Acquisitions 
By Ken Seger
 
Coming as soon as I can get them all typed online!

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President
    Donna Seger
 
Vice President
    Nat Woodward
 
Treasurer
    Jane Reed
 
Secretary
    Donna Seger
 
Curator
    Ken Seger
 
Assistant Curator
    Harry T. Bidelman
 
Historian
    Marjorie Nierescher
 
Research Room
    Eileen Brown
    Cheryl Canty
 
 
 
Trustees
 
    Pauline Foley
    Jill Gibbs
    Nellie Gould
    Phyllis Schaefer
 
Webmaster
    Cheryl Canty

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