Comstock in the 20's
A community with opportunity. Established in 1834.
Hop into a time machine and hear some things from Comstock's past. We'll take the past and bring some important things about Comstock history to your computer screen! Here we go!!!!
First stop-Kalamazoo River. It has changed very much since the twenties. Now, it is so polluted you would probably get sick if you swam in it. But it wasn't always like that. Back in the twenties there used to be clams and snapping turtles that lived in the Kalamazoo River. The Kalamazoo River's sandy bottom sloped eight to ten feet. In the twenties children used to swim in the river. They used to swing on a rope and jump off. They also used to jump off the railroad bridge into the water when a train was coming.
All aboard! Next stop is Roe's Island. Once there was an island named Roe's Island. On that island there were houses. Also there was a hill called Indian mound. Then, on a beautiful day Consumers Energy made a dam on the Kalamazoo River and the island got flooded. When the island was flooded only Indian Mound could be seen. Then the Consumers company named the pond Morrow pond.
Next stop is the general store! The owner of the store was Archie Peer. Located in the store was a soda fountain, tobacco counter, and candy counter. Archie Peer was very nice to anybody who stepped into the store. He would hold the bill for people who didn't have the money right then. The store was so dirty because Archie had a coal yard just across the street. The coal dust stuck to his clothes and got carried into the store. Usually he didn't bother to clean it up.
Last stop. Do you have a refrigerator in your kitchen? Well, back in the 1920's, in Comstock ice boxes were used instead of electric refrigerators. The ice boxes stored food in the summer to keep it cold. In winter, people kept food in window boxes in the kitchen windows. Most ice boxes had drainage that went into the basement. They used cakes of ice. Ice cost 1 cent per two cakes.
Whether or not you live in Comstock, it is very interesting to learn about the past.
By Caitlin and Theron May, 2003
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