The men during the feminine advance

Published December 13, 1995

It would be pretty hard, after growing up in a “Sir Galahad” culture in which you were expected to protect, care for and even think for the women in your life, to be forced to look at the injustices in this system and reconsider your basic philosophy AND your actions. We have all had to face similar honest appraisals as we deal with racial prejudice, growth in our political and religious beliefs, even dealing with the generation gap.

I grew up with the idea that I must assist older people, but I have found that I must be careful not to offer an arm to my friend Winnie or try to help her out of the car as she is very protective of her independence. And my dear daughter, Nancy, must be careful not to jump into the driver’s seat of my car without my first suggesting it, just as I had to face the trauma of seeing her off alone when she first had a driver’s license.

We’ve heard the negative reactions of some men to women finally getting the vote. What were the men of the Shingle Diggin’s area thinking and doing? If Karl Bayer had asked this question at Harding’s in 1875, again in 1900 and once more in 1925, I’m sure he would have had different answers each time, even from the same men – “Do you think it is wise for women to have equal rights with men, including the vote?” – It takes a while to change, especially when your own ego is threatened.

The men here appreciated their women. I’ve mentioned the Shooting Club in the 1890s, who loved to have their post-hunting dinner at the Brayton House, with Mrs. Brayton’s famous Oyster Stew as the main course. Other hunting clubs sprang up all the way into the twenties. Often, Ladies Aid societies of local churches served them dinners. The purpose was usually to improve their skill, in hunting, just as the women joined clubs during these years devoted to self-improvement. Both men and women joined a variety of lodges, from the Masons and Star to the Rebekahs and Maccabees. (The Maccabees spoke out in favor of Woman Suffrage in the 1918 Record.) They are often seen working together, although separate organizations. The Royal Neighbors and Modem Woodmen in a 1917 Courier reported a joint installation service with Mrs. A. E. Blake and John V. Wright as installing officers. In the Grange, the Lyceum, the various churches, where both men and women were involved, the men retained positions of leadership, the women served meals and were often involved in the entertainment sector of the program. In the above meeting of 1917, Mrs. Charles Smith, Mrs. Harry Hill, Miss Leta Fritz, and Carroll B. Grant (the only man) “furnished delightful music and Mrs. Ethel Grahl gave pleasant readings.”

At the turn of the century, a large group of men came together for the purpose of fighting crime and protecting the weaker members of the community. It started out as the Coloma Detective Union but, examining the names in the paper, it appears to include men of Watervliet, Paw Paw Lake, and beyond. The first officers were as follows: President, J. H. Jones; Vice President, M. Fish; Secretary, A. H. Sutton; Treasurer, P. O. Bowe; Trustees, Abram Yates, George Hewitt, M. Miller; Chief of Police, W. G. Clapsaddle; and Assistant Chief of Police, William Baldwin. Then there were the Minutemen which included: I. W. Lee, B. Ingraham, D. Boyer, J. G. Furman, J. H. Jones, J. Grant, J. G. Vandervere, P. O. Bowe, J. W. Smith, D. Tinkham, and Wilson Bridges. A long list of members follows, with names connected to the history of the community. All were devoted to the idea of watching crime and reporting to the Minutemen and police.

These men were sincerely doing what they thought was right to meet the needs of the community. It never occurred to them to include women. Nor did it occur to the women to question their role as “servers of meals,” which promoted the men’s fellowship, or staying with the children or milking the cows so the men could attend.

In 1916, a Record article tells of the Friday Club entertaining their husbands at a social evening. Miss Ruth Geisler, in a Mother Goose contest, remembered the most rhymes. Dr. Peer on violin; Henry Hartburg, cornet; and Mrs. Enos, piano, rendered selections. Mrs. Edna Case and Miss Ruth Hammel gave vocal solos. “The women of the club,” said the Record, “only hope that their ‘better halves’ obtained as much pleasure as they did in planning and carrying out the evening’s entertainment.”

This was typical of the “feminist” attitude in the Shingle Diggin’s area, even in the Friday Club I have cited before as one of the more activist groups – studying government and mildly promoting woman suffrage.

Here are some of the topics presented by activist women in the Clover Leaf Club during the years when some women in the U.S. were going to jail for their protests: 1914, “Child Welfare” – Mrs. Clara Ball; 1914, “Michigan Laws Protecting Motherhood” – Mrs. Clara Hewitt; “Should a Wife Have an Allowance?” – Mrs. Grace Shoup; 1914, “Mormonism” – Mrs. Sarah Miller; 1910, “The Relation of Family Life to National Life” – Hulda Vinton; 1912, “Is Divorce an Evil or a Remedy?” – Mrs. Julia Arent; 1913, “The Beauties and Wonders We Have in the Country” – Mrs. Ellen Krake; “Father’s Place in the Home” – Mrs. Jennie Friday.

No wonder we find little local opposition among the men to woman suffrage. The men and women here just got along too well.

Coloma Public Library news

The 2025 Summer Reading Program themed “Color Our World” will start at the Coloma Public Library on June 14 running through July 26. All ages are welcome to join in the fun all summer long!

Summer Story Times with Miss Sara are on Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for interactive books, music, movement, and fun activities for Toddlers and Pre-K! The summer series starts June 17 at the KOA on Coloma Road, in the clubhouse. Please note that locations will vary throughout the summer. For more information, please call the library.

Join library staff on Wednesday, June 18 from 4-6 p.m. to learn how to create your own junk journal.

Kids ages 5-9 will enjoy the STEAM programs that will make learning fun! Programs will be on the following Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. - June 19 and 26 and July 17.

Tweens ages 10-12 won’t want to miss the fun and educational STEAM events geared for them. On Thursday, July 10 at 10 a.m. the Air Zoo will present the science of color.

The public is invited to join the Coloma Public Library Book Club every other Thursday in the Community Room at 4 p.m. The next discussion is June 19 and the title to read is “The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley.

Join the Not Your Mother’s Book Club every second Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. To be put on the list and get the month’s book club pick, please call the library. The next date is June 10.

For those who love writing and want to connect with other writers for inspiration, join Pageturners Writers’ Club on the second and fourth Monday each month at 5 p.m. in the Community Room. Next session will be June 9.

Program schedules are on the calendar at: colomapubliclibrary.net. Contact staff at 269-468-3431 or readcoloma@gmail.com for more information.