The Hastings Banner — Thursday, September 16, 2021 — Page 7RUTLAND CHARTER TOWNSHIP
TRUSTEE VACANCY
Rutland Charter Township is seeking an individual to serve as Trustee on the Township
Board. Applicants must be a resident and a qualified elector of Rutland Charter Township.
Interested residents may apply at the Township Clerk’s Office, Monday through Thursday
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Applications must be received by 1:00 p.m. October 6th. The
position will be filled by Township Board appointment at the October 13th, 2021 Board
Meeting.Rutland Charter Township
2461 Heath Road
Hastings, MI 49058
269-948-2194 167815Seeking Worship Leader
Green Street is seeking to fill a new Worship Leader position. The person
in this position is tasked with planning, preparing for, and leading both
in-person and on-line worship services that proclaim the message of the
Gospel, especially to the unchurched. This is a part-time position paid a
weekly salary based on working 10-15 hours per week.Green Street is a Christian fellowship
community that serves people in the
Hastings area in many ways, places, and
at many different times.
To receive a job description or to send
in your resume, please email: office.
[email protected]County’s lakes and streams
source of pride, ‘veritable utopia’
Kathy Maurer
Copy Editor
Barry County doesn’t border a Great Lake,
nor can any of its water bodies be found on a
list of the 20 largest inland lakes in the state by
surface area. The county cannot even lay sole
claim to its biggest bodies of water: Gun Lake
extends into Allegan County, and most of Gull
Lake lies within Kalamazoo County. And those
two, at 2,680 and 2,046 acres of surface area,
are about half the size of No. 20 among the
state’s largest inland lakes.
However, this little county has long been
noted for its abundance of lakes, and, according
to some articles from decades’ past, the
productivity of smaller lakes shouldn’t be
overlooked.
Last week’s column featured clippings on
anglers pulling big catches out of local lakes,
as well as work by local volunteers to cull, with
permission, some area water bodies of
“obnoxious” fish, specifically carp, dogfish
and gar. As tourism was getting attention in the
1930s and 1940s, the Banner frequently printed
articles on fishing news and local lakes,
sometimes promoting the nearby treasures.
The July 7, 1938, Banner included statistics
supporting the economic value of area lakes:
County lakes are valuable assetRestocking lakes increases tourist
appeal; provides additional incomeProbably no other county in Michigan,
perhaps no other county in the United States,
could more appropriately celebrate the opening
of the fishing season than could Barry, with a
bluegill festival, such as was held here for two
days recently.
More and more are the people of this
county realizing how highly favored we are
with the practically untouched “gold mines”
within our border. As the vast possibilities are
recognized and these unused resources are
developed, the coffers of this city and county
will be reached.
There are within the borders of Barry
County, more than 200 lakes, this county
ranking second only to Oakland in this regard
[in the Lower Peninsula]. And from a tourist
and recreational standpoint, Barry County
would seem to have the edge, due to the natural
setting of our many lakes, situated as they are
away from the noise and bustle of the larger
cities, yet within easy driving distance of many
of the larger centers.
Those seeking natural beauty, combined
with a restful quiet and plenty of good fishing,
can find a veritable utopia among our lakes and
streams.
At many of these lakes, there are cottages
for rent, hotels for the accommodations of
overnight guests, and other attractions for the
tourist and vacationist.
Besides these more than 200 lakes, Barry
County also offers beautiful Thornapple River
and many other smaller streams that furnish
additional fishing area for the sportsman.
Thornapple River is known, not only throughout
Michigan, but in several other states, as well,
as an exceptionally good bass stream, and each
year is visited by many tourists from Ohio and
other neighboring states, who enjoy fishing
between its wooded banks.
These lakes and streams are replenished
each year with thousands of fingerlings reared
at the state hatchery here and their rearing
ponds at Gun Lake, in the Rod and Gun Club
rearing ponds at Orangeville, and with some of
varieties not reared here that are brought in
from other hatcheries.
During the past year, more than 1,168,
game fish were planted in the lakes and streams
of Barry County. Of this number, more than
230,000 were bluegills reared at the three
ponds at Orangeville conducted by the Barry
County Rod and Gun Club. It is hoped to
double that number this year. About 600,
pike perch and an additional 151,600 bluegills
were planted in the lakes while more than
50,000 trout and more than 60,000 bass were
planted in the streams. Several other kinds of
fish also were freed in varying numbers.
Besides this, large numbers of obnoxious fish
have been taken from those lakes, making
fishing more pleasant and also more profitable.
Fishing and hunting are Michigan’s finest
recreational attractions. Both are assets that
cannot be too carefully preserved if our state is
to cultivate what has become its largest single
“cash crop” tourist trade.
To show more clearly the almost untouched
wealth of resources that these more than 200
lakes in Barry County contain, one example
may be given.
Wall Lake, located in the southern part of
Hope Township, is one of the largest in the
county, containing an area of approximately
700 acres [current information puts the surface
area closer 530-550 acres, depending on the
source. Still, only Gun, Gull, Pine and Crooked
lakes are larger]. Situated as it is on M-43 only
a short drive from Kalamazoo, it has been a
favorite mecca for a large number of
vacationists as well as many who make their
summer homes on its beautiful shore.
According to official figures, the average
annual income per acre for the best farming
land is $20. Supposing this 700-acre tract of
water could be converted into fertile farmland
producing the average income per acre, this
farm income would be about $14,000 per year.
While we have no figures to prove our
statement, we venture to say that the income
from the lake in its present form is a great deal
more than that. And what is true of Wall Lake
is true of in varying degrees of other lakes in
our county and could be made true of others.
The lakes of Barry County are her best
asset, bringing the tourists into her borders to
spend their cash with a very small cost to the
taxpayer for the returns received.
The farm income for the state of Michigan
last year was approximately $246 million,
which included the cash benefits paid by the
national government, about $6 million.
Compare this with the conservative estimate
placed upon the tourist business in our state
during the same period, $300 million, and one
can readily realize the possibilities that are
unfolding for Barry County.
This is not to be construed as derogatory to
the farming interests of Barry County, which is
fundamentally agricultural. Our lakes furnish a
source of income that is additional to farming
and all other interests, and Barry County can
well afford to expand its program to meet
increased demands upon these recreational
assets.~~~~~
Don Gillies, sports editor for the Detroit
Times, wrote in his “In the Open” column for
the June 13, 1943, issue, reporting on the latest
census of lakes by the forerunner of the
Michigan Department of Natural Resources:Count shows state has 11,037 lakesThe announcement Saturday by the
conservation department that the state now has
11,037 lakes, or twice the number with which
it is usually credited, brings to mind a story
tourist officials like to tell about J. Lee Barrett,
manager of Detroit’s Tourist and Convention
Bureau.
Barrett, who has been mentioned
considerably of late in press stories out of
Washington for the appointment of United
States minister to Canada, was attending a
tourist convention in Minnesota.
Now Barrett is far from a novice when it
comes to telling the world of the beauties of
Michigan and what a fine city Detroit is for
conventions. On Barrett’s automobile was a
sticker, “Visit Michigan, the land of 5,
lakes.”
A Minnesota tourist expert collared Barrett
as he was getting out of his car.
“That might be all right in display in other
states,” the Minnesotan said, pointing to the
sign, “but you are in Minnesota now, the land
of 10,000 lakes.”
Land of lakes
“That might be true,” Barrett shot back,
“but what state in the country has the most
shoreline?”
The argument ended. The Minnesota man
strode to the convention hall, his face slightly
red.
Michigan’s last published lake directory
listed 6,454 “named” lakes, but by careful
check of all recently corrected state and county
maps, C.J.D. Brown of the conservation
department’s institute for fisheries research,Situated on M-43 only a short drive from Kalamazoo, Wall Lake “has been a favorite
mecca for a large number of vacationists as well as many who make their summer
homes on its beautiful shore,” a 1938 Banner article noted. The article used Wall Lake
as an example of the untouched wealth lying among the county’s bodies of water.The Thornapple River, running through the top half of the county and fed by streams
from many townships, has long been a source of recreation. A 1938 Banner touted the
Thornapple as being known throughout the state and beyond as “an exceptionally
good bass stream.” This undated post card shows children piloting a rowboat, while
two adults stand nearby on a bank. A plank bridge is in place slightly upstream.arrived at the 11,037 figure.
And he warns against underrating the
smaller bodies of water.
“Acre for acre,” he said, “they will produce
a greater quantity of fish than large lakes.”
No lakes
Only two Michigan counties, Sanilac and
Saginaw, were found to be entirely without
inland lakes [although both border Lake
Huron]. Arenac, Bay, Midland, Huron, St.
Clair and Monroe each have less than 10
[again, all but Midland bordering a Great
Lake]; Emmet Macomb, Missaukee, Tuscola
and Wayne each has less than 25.
Seven counties have more than 300 lakes
each: Marquette, 835, Luce, 571; Iron, 528;
Gogebic, 488; Oakland, 447; Schoolcraft, 340;
and Barry, 327.
Half of Michigan’s lakes are less than 10
acres in surface area, only 19 cover more than
5,000 acres, and the average size for all
Michigan lakes is about 66 acres. There are 41
artificial lakes over 200 acres in area, 182 of
less than 200 acres. The other 10,814 are
natural lakes.
~~~~~The Aug. 1, 1946, Banner had several
fishing-related articles, including one on results
of a recent creel survey:Resident anglers have better luck; more
lady nimrodsResident anglers who know when and
where the fish are likely to be biting continue
to hold a definite edge over visiting fishermen,
the Institute for Fisheries Research 19th
General Creel Census report for 1945 reveals.
Local fishermen averaged 1.1 fish per hour
while nonresidents fish-per-hour rate averaged
only 0.9.
The general creel census is based on reports
by conservation officers who last season
interviewed 42,283 fishermen and tabulated
their catch. With travel still limited a year ago
[due to restrictions imposed by World War II],
one in 10 of the fishermen checked came from
outside the state.
Yellow perch continue to fill more space
than any other species in northern Michigan
creels, while southern Michigan anglers are
still catching more bluegills. For the entire
state, these two species made up 68 percent of
the total catch.
Fisheries men have concluded Michigan
has six different kinds of fishing, divided by
waters as trout streams, trout lakes, non-trout
streams, non-trout lakes, Great Lakes, and
connecting waters of the Great Lakes. Each has
special characteristics that are not statistically
comparable, they say.
Seventeen percent of the anglers
interviewed last season were women, an
increase of nearly 2 percent over the year
before.
~~~~~
After the old solid-walled ice shanties had
been hauled back home and anglers were
organizing tackle for open-water fishing, the
April 22, 1948, Banner ran another tally of
lakes in the region. This account focused on the
local state conservation department district:
“Barry County has 327 lakes covering
11,939 land acres,” the headline announced.
“Supervisor Robert Fortney and his District
10 crew of fish experts supervise 716 lakes in
the district and 1,805 miles of streams. The
district includes Barry, Eaton, Ingham, Calhoun
and Jackson counties, with headquarters at the
state fish hatchery here.
Of the total number of lakes, Barry County
has 327 covering 11,938 acres, and 400 miles
of streams.
A summary of the waters below:County Lakes Acreage Miles of streams
Barry 327 11,939 400
Eaton 34 755 275
Calhoun 138 5,056 500
Ingham 29 987 280
Jackson 188 10,307 350
Total 716 29,044 1,Sources: Hastings Banner, chroniclingAmerica.com, Michigan.gov/dnr, Wikipedia.com.This undated post card may be giving a nod to the legendary musky catches in Thornapple Lake. “I won’t say anything about the
fishing here. Come and try it,” the card reads across the top, with “Greetings from Hastings, Mich.” along the bottom. (Images from
Fred Jacobs’ post card collection)