December 1958
- charliebunton
- Jul 23
- 4 min read
Snow drifted softly over Rogers City, laying a fresh, quiet blanket across familiar streets and rooftops. The town seemed to glow under it—porches lit with Christmas bulbs, shop windows frosted at the edges, and the lakefront shimmering like a sheet of glass. Even in a year marked by heartbreak, winter still found a way to make the community look like a wonderland.
At the center of that wonder stood a long‑awaited joy: the grand re‑opening of the Presque Isle County Library in its new home, the former Bradley House on West Michigan Avenue. Michigan Limestone had gifted the residence to the city the year before, and ever since, townspeople watched with anticipation as crews worked tirelessly to transform the elegant old home into a library worthy of its 10,000‑plus books. Furniture was refinished until it gleamed again. Shelves were rebuilt, expanded, and even custom‑fit over radiators and window ledges to make use of every inch of space. County Librarian Kathryn Nowak, along with assistants Barbara Merchant and Dorothy Brege, spent countless hours sorting and arranging the collection—children’s books filling what had once been the living room, adult reading materials occupying the former dining room. It felt as though the house itself had been waiting for this new purpose: to become a place where imagination lived.
Meanwhile, children across town were deep in their own holiday rituals. The Sears Catalog lay open on kitchen tables, pages dog‑eared and circled with hopeful pencil marks. Some wishes were shared directly with Santa himself, who made his annual appearance on the grounds of the Presque Isle County Courthouse, handing out bags of candy and nuts to eager little hands.
Cowboy and Cowgirl toys were among the most popular requests—anything tied to Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, Gene Autry, or Hopalong Cassidy. Dollhouses, View‑Masters, and the season’s hottest craze, the Hula Hoop, filled the lists too. WHAK played “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” on heavy rotation, and children giggled every time Alvin declared he wanted a hula hoop of his own.
Yet beneath the sparkle of the season, grief lingered. Just weeks earlier, the Str. Carl D. Bradley had sunk, leaving families across Rogers City facing their first Christmas without husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons. The tragedy drew reporters from across the country, and the constant attention weighed heavily on the community. But compassion rose just as swiftly. Journalists from the Detroit Times, moved by the stories of the families, worked with their publisher Phil DeBeaubian to establish the Carl D. Bradley Ship Disaster Children’s Fund. DeBeaubian opened the campaign with a $1,000 donation, and by Christmas, more than $154,000 had been raised—funds that would later help 52 children pursue college educations and futures their fathers would have been proud of.
Locally, neighbors rallied in ways only small towns can. Holiday baskets filled with food, gifts, and treats were delivered to the families, with Santa himself ensuring the children felt remembered, cherished, and supported. In a season meant for togetherness, Rogers City made sure no one felt alone.
As Christmas wound down, life began to regain its rhythm. On December 27, students from Rogers City High School gathered for their annual winter prom, held in the Rogers City Elementary gymnasium. This year’s theme—“The Crystal Ball”—felt fitting: a night of sparkle, hope, and looking toward the future.
And as the year came to a close, Rogers City found one more reason to cheer. Local native Mark Smolinski, starting fullback for the Wyoming Cowboys, helped lead his team to a 14–6 victory over Hardin‑Simmons in the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. Smolinski capped his first season with an Honorable Mention on the All‑Skyline Team, a proud moment for both him and the hometown that followed his achievements closely.
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