Mid-Michigan History: August 2011

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The old "Shepherd curve" where Mission Road meets Blanchard Road south of Mt. Pleasant

Above is a picture labeled "Tommy's Sandwich Shop - Shepherd curve". If this is the same place, I think it weas later Frank's Place where Mission Road ised to curve to the east before encountering Blanchar Road back when it was US-27.
I remember in the mad-1940w, my granddad Walter Scott Westbrook, picking me up to take an early Sunday morning ride (we used to do that a lot) and him stopping at Frank;s Place for (in the first time of my young life) a steak and egg brakfast. I think it stayed a restaurant for awhile before the shift of US-27 to en expressway east of Shepherd and Mt. Pleasant made the eatery and the curve obsolete so they disappeared.
Note the old roadbed framed by the snow in the photo below of the area in early 2011.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Pioneer Mt. Pleasant flight instructor Don Peltier celebrates 91st birthday at EAA Fly-in Breakfast August 14, 2011

The annual Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 907 Fly-in, Drive-in Breakfast at the Woodruff Lake Airport Sunday August 14th had an added attraction this year. Legendary local pilot and flight instructor Don Peltier and his family celebrated Don's 91st birthday with the Breakfast attendee with a specially decorated cake to top off the meal of pancakes, ham, cheese potatoes, fruit cups, juice and coffee.

When the Central Michigan College’s Civilian Pilot Training Program began in 1939. 19 year-old Escanaba, Michigan, native Don Peltier, a pioneer pilot who had received flight training through a United States Government program, came to Mt. Pleasant to train the students. Training took place at the Mount Pleasant airport, one of the few in Michigan adequate for the training.

Peltier, recipient of the Department of Transportation Federal Aviation Administration Wright Brothers Master Pilot, recalls the students went to classes in the morning, below, and flight training in the afternoon. The first student in the program to solo, January 10, 1940, was Mount Pleasant's Lucille Davidson.

Later, Navy V cadets were housed at Central from 1942 until 1944 while receiving basic military and Peltier-instructed flying techniques training. The V plan of enlistment was open to physically qualified 17 to 20 year old students, requiring those students to take courses directed by the Navy.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Isabella County received $1,854,862 in 6 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants the past 35 years

In 1976, Michigan became the first state in the nation to earmark state revenue generated through mineral, including oil and gas, activity for acquisition and improvement of environmentally sensitive and/or public recreation lands. The Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF) was created by the Kammer Recreational Land Trust Fund Act, signed by Governor William G. Milliken on July 23, 1976. Through 2010, the Fund has awarded 1,601 MNRTF project grants either active or closed (completed) in each of Michigan's 83 counties totaling more than $816.6 million.

From the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula to a harbor park in downtown Detroit, more than 1,600 public recreation facilities from rail trails to parks to fishing piers statewide have benefited from the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund, born of a unique alliance of government, environmental groups and the Michigan oil and gas industry in the mid-1970s serving as a solution to a seeming impasse.

Now the history of the MNRTF has been brought to life by a new book from retired Michigan Oil & Gas News magazine Managing Editor Jack R. Westbrook, who covered the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund from embryo to adulthood. In his “Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 1976-2011: A 35 year Michigan investment heritage in Michigan’s public recreation future”, Westbrook takes the reader on a tour of the places to play in Michigan's great outdoors made possible by this historic Fund, listing the projects in each county with general, and oil and gas, histories of their county home venues..

According to the new book, with 574 square miles Isabella County is 38t^th largest county and 28^th largest in population with 70,311 residents.

The discovery of the Mt. Pleasant Field in 1928 brought an influx of people and equipment to the county, sheltering the area from the worst financial stress of the Great Depression. Since then, 1,678 holes have been drilled in the search for oil and gas. Isabella County has produced 46,209,912 barrels of oil and 38.146 billion cubic feet of natural gas, ranking 9^th and 29^th respectively among the 64 oil or gas producing Michigan counties. Isabella County has received $1,854,862 in 6 Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants, ranking 33^rd in number of grants received and 55^th in grant dollars awarded.

Isabella County has received $1,854,862 in 6Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund grants, ranking 33^rd in number of grants received and 55^th ^th in grant dollars awarded.

The 222 page soft-cover book, Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund 1976-2011, published by Jack R. Westbrook ORSB Publishing and printed by Createspace.com, is available in bookstores now and at Amazon.com now. The book officially launched on the anniversary of Governor Milliken’s signing of the bill, with a book-based slide presentation by Westbrook at the Michigan Historical Museum and Library auditorium in Lansing on Saturday July 23, 2011

One of the last standing traditional oil derricks in the state with a sign declaring Mt. Pleasant – Oil Capital of Michigan” along US-127. The sign has now been converted to a Mt. Pleasant commercial promotional sign while the derricck still stands.

One of the last standing traditional oil derricks in the state with a sign declaring Mt. Pleasant – Oil Capital of Michigan” along US-127.

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Have I got a book for you

All are available from or through your local bookstore or at Amazon.com.