January 1959
- charliebunton
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
A thin winter light was just beginning to seep through frosted windows when Rogers City stirred awake on New Year’s Day. In a quiet room at Rogers City Hospital, that pale dawn was broken by the bright, insistent cry of a newborn—Paul Eugene Ellis, delivered by Dr. Arthur Foley II in the early hours of January 2. His arrival, warm and loud and full of promise, made him the community’s first baby of the year. Soon the scent of a dozen roses gifted to his mother would fill their home, mingling with the sweet tobacco of a fresh box of cigars for his father and the soft powdery smell of new baby blankets and toys donated by local merchants. Rogers City had always celebrated its first child of the year, and little Paul was welcomed with generosity that felt almost like a collective embrace.
Beyond the hospital walls, winter was alive in its own way. Families bundled in wool coats and scarves flocked to the Black Mountain Ski Area, eager to squeeze in every hour of holiday freedom before school resumed. The air there carried the sharp, exhilarating scent of pine from the surrounding Black Lake State Forest, and the snow glittered like crushed glass under the sun. Skiers carved their way down nine winding runs, each stretching between 1200 and 1800 feet, their laughter echoing across the 400-acre park. The hum of seven electric rope tows buzzed steadily, pulling skiers back uphill with effortless glide. For newcomers, the ski shop’s racks of boots and skis clattered softly as they were fitted. A brand‑new run opened that season, and with night skiing and ski school classes, the mountain felt almost electric with possibility.
For those seeking warmth instead of winter’s bite, the Rogers Theater offered a different kind of escape. The aroma of buttered popcorn drifted through the lobby as townspeople stepped inside, shaking snow from their coats. For seven straight days, the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments lit up the silver screen once more, Charlton Heston’s commanding presence filling the darkened room. It was a chance to revisit a story many had missed the first time—a chance to sit together, breathe in the cozy heat, and let the glow of Technicolor sweep them into another world.
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