October 1953

The crisp autumn air carries the sharp scent of wood smoke and fallen leaves as a small army of bear hunters descends upon Rogers City, their boots crunching over sidewalks dusted with the first hints of frost. The Presque Isle County Sportsmen's Club and Chamber of Commerce have orchestrated a weekend that hums with anticipation -- rifles gleaming in truck beds, voices rising in eager conversation outside the Travelers Hotel where registration headquarters buzzes with activity.

The Travelers Hotel

Inside the hotel's warm embrace, the aroma of coffee and pipe tobacco swirl through crowded rooms as hunters gather for the pre-hunt assembly. All eyes turn when Carl Johnson, President and Founder of the Michigan Bear Hunters Association, rises to speak, his weathered hands gesturing as he delivers instructions that guides and hunters then lean forward to catch. In the back, pen scratching across notepad, sits Ben East -- the legendary outdoor write from Outdoor Life Magazine -- his keen eyes absorbing every detail to carry this northern Michigan adventure to readers across the nation.

Ben East of Outdoor Life Magazine

Charley Sorgenfrei and family with his bear, 1953

Earl LaLonde and his crew with his bear, 1953

Kotwicki's Department Store Bear Hunting Ad, 1953

Down at Lakeside Park, the rhythmic thwack of hammers and the rasp of saws announce a transformation in progress. Workers from Vogelheim Lumber Company are raising the skeletal frame of a magnificent new band shell -- its graceful curved design inspired by the sweeping lines of California's famed Hollywood Bowl. When complete, the $4,385 structure will be able to cradle the rich harmonies of a fifty-piece band, sending music cascading across the water's edge where Lake Huron's waves lap against the shore.

Construction of the Bandshell at Lakeside Park, 1953

Construction of the Bandshell at Lakeside Park, 1953

Across town at St. John's Lutheran Church, the rich resonance of German Hymns fills the sanctuary for the 80th anniversary celebration. Pastor Louis Linn's voice rises and falls in the ancestral tongue, followed by Pastor Robert Weller's English service, before the ladies of the congregation unveil tables laden with refreshments -- the clink of glasses and warm laughter spilling into the October afternoon.

St. John's Lutheran Church

Pastor Louis Linn

Pastor Robert Weller

At Rogers City High School, homecoming fever has taken hold. The gymnasium throbs with music and celebration as Barbara Friedrich, radiant in her crown, accepts her scepter from Coach Dick Abraham, his proud smile reflecting the glow of the dance floor. Football captain Myron Smolinski stands tall at her side, while her court -- Carol Bruning, Diane McLennan, and Joan Sobeck -- sweep across the polished floor on the arms of their player escorts: Dominic Micketti, Anthony Fuhrman, and Kenny Kerr.

Homecoming Queen Barbara Friedrich, 1953

Football Captain Myron Smolinski, 1953

Homecoming Court, 1953

The rhythmic clack of typewriter keys echoes in the classroom of the school newspaper as sixteen determined students of The School Static race to capture it all for their late October Friday issue. Editor in Chief Gwen Larke surveys the organized chaos with satisfaction, knowing tomorrow morning these stories will be pressed into eager hands, ink still fresh with the week's excitement.

Members of The School Static, 1953

Editor in Chief Gwen Larke of The School Static, 1953