Here are some things of interest of old Dowagiac’s past.
1905: New at Dowagiac High School is physical culture work. In the middle of forenoon session each day, 10 minutes is devoted to physical training.
1905: Martin Herold of the Round Oak is in Springfield, Ill., preparing the Round Oak stove exhibit for the Illinois State Fair.
1915: Homer Bonnell and John Harter have been in business for three years as owners of Bonnell and Harter grocery store. (John Harter was an old Orchard Street neighbor of mine in the ’30s. He owned the store that later became the 3-R food store).
1935: Dowagiac will have a new 500-gallon fire truck pumper.
The contract was signed by Mayor A.W. Howell and City Clerk Carrie Huff at a cost of $2,600.
1935: The Wahoo staff for 1936 yearbook includes Donna Miles as editor in chief.
Bernard Donahoe and Alice Evans, assistant editors. Dick Sifford, athletics; Shirley Benner, activities. Other names were Hal Palmer, Jane Reshore and Mary Brechenser on the Wahoo staff (recently the Daily News had a picture of the 1936 class reunion).
1931: Ramona dance pavilion at Sister Lakes has opened for the season.
1931: Due to unemployment, the economic depression and the June heat wave, June marriages fell lower than any other previous June on record.
1931: Fred Hoppe set a record at the Dowagiac golf course (now Elks) for the”long route.” He made the rounds in 36 38 and 37, respectively.
1934: Frank Nevins, who has a summer home at Dewey Lake, was host to 55 local Democrats at Kimball’s Silver Creek Tavern (does anyone know where this tavern was located? Maybe it was the one Mable Stolley had for years.)
1944: A.R. Mead retired with 30 years from Dowagiac High School as the commercial teacher and was named to take over the vacancy of Carrie Huff’s city clerk job after her death.
1951: Al Nischan was painting a sign in the Rudy Furnace Co. He looked down to see a three-foot blue racer snake pushing its way in the front door. He shut the door and took the head off the snake’s body.
The girls working in the office never knew about it until it was all over and Mr. Nischan told them.
In an article I read about Charlie Springsteen (an old friend of mine and a man with a mind for old Dowagiac history) told of the start of Dowagiac, which incorporated Silver Creek, Wayne, LaGrange and Pokagon townships.
Charlie said in the pavement near the west wall of Bell’s Corners shop on Division Street there is a marker which is the four corners of the townships.
I wonder where Bell’s Corner shop was located. If some old-timer who reads my column either knows or has heard of it, please give me a call or an e-mail.

“Cardinal Charlie” Gill writes a nostalgic weekly column about growing up in the Grand Old City. E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.