Copemish Area Historical Society
Tuesday, February 8, 2022
Monday, January 10, 2022
Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Copemish Cyclones Basketball Team's run for the Class D State Title
From the January 9, 2022 Record Eagle -
Trip down Memory Lane: 1952 Copemish Cyclones went to state finals
BENZONIA — A glass backboard, a hotel and Fowler.
Those are three things Copemish players on the former school’s historic 1952 team hadn’t seen before.
The Copemish Cyclones played in the 1952 Class D boys basketball finals at Jenison Fieldhouse on the campus of Michigan State University, falling to Fowler. They were honored at Friday’s varsity boys basketball game between Benzie Central and Kingsley.
“Us kids were farm boys,” said Ben Blaho, a forward on the ‘52 team who now lives in Petoskey. “You didn’t go anywhere. Our parents didn’t take vacations. It was everybody’s first time in a hotel.”
They also hadn’t seen a glass backboard before, and they were surprised when the starters were announced prior to the championship game in a darkened arena with a spotlight.
Most of the former Copemish district would be consolidated into Benzie Central in 1963, but the Cyclones won district championships every year from 1951-56 with a school that only had around 80 students.
The large Class D runner-up trophy held by Merle Smith in postgame photographs was lost in the school’s consolidation.
Benzie Central head coach Josh Crocker unveiled a new banner for the ‘52 Cyclones that’ll permanently have a place in the Huskies’ gym. Coincidentally, Copemish beat Kingsley in the 1952 regional championship game at Traverse City Central, back when regionals were three rounds long. The Huskies topped Kingsley 60-35 Friday night.
“We’re grateful to the Benzie athletic department and for the ones who can’t be here,” Copemish 1953 grad Chuck Bigelow said. “I’ve seen more people here in 15 minutes from Copemish than I’ve seen in years.”
Bigelow, an 86-year-old Mesick resident, was one of three 1952 team members on hand Friday night for a pregame ceremony honoring that team, along with Blaho and Larry Maginity. Fred Scarbrough, a player for the 1951 Cyclones that advanced to the Class D quarterfinals, was also there. Scarbrough’s younger brother Tom played on the 1952 squad.
The Cyclones set the state single-game points record with a 140-24 win over Bear Lake in the 1952-53 season, a mark eclipsed by several teams since, but that still stands tied for seventh in Michigan history. The Cyclones broke the 100-point barrier four times in the 1953-54 season, with three others in the 90s. All without the benefit of 3-pointers.
“I got hired a few years ago and started digging into the history of the program right away,” Crocker said. “And that was one of the ones that jumped out because, obviously, they had the deep postseason run. And No. 2 was because we hadn’t missed the opportunity to commemorate it. So that really stood out as an opportunity to celebrate something that most no one else really knew about. ... Most of the kids weren’t aware that Copemish ever had a school, let alone a good basketball team.”
Benzie did similar events for two past football teams — the Honor Knights in 2017 and Benzonia Hilltoppers in 2018 — that were also from small community schools consolidated into what is now Benzie Central.
The Copemish basketball teams that made history started on the playgrounds of the school that first opened in 1889 in a one-room schoolhouse that burned down and was replaced in 1910 by the building with grades K-10 that still stands in Copemish under private ownership.
Bigelow’s father, Charles Sr., was in Copemish’s first 10th-grade graduating class (he later went back when 11th and 12th grades were available and graduated a second time), and his younger twin siblings Kenneth and Karen graduated in the school’s final 1963 class.
“When I was in the fourth grade, on the playground we’d play basketball,” said Blaho, just weeks before his 87th birthday. “And the fifth graders always wanted to play. There would always be a fight if we were beating them.”
So Copemish superintendent Earl Jewett assigned a varsity player to coach each grade and had games played in front of the entire school. Fights went away, and the level of basketball play increased.
Varsity coach Wilfred Fish also helped turn the group of rival grades into teammates.
“I didn’t know it at the time, but I do now,” said Blaho, who’d later play in a game against the Harlem Globetrotters. “He molded us.”
The Cyclones featured three sophomore starters on the 1952 state finals team — Ed Suchy, Jerome Jakubik and Blaho, a 5-foot-11 defensive forward who sometimes also played center. Those three could have played as freshmen the year before, but freshmen weren’t allowed to play on varsity in those days.
Sharpshooting junior Mickey Finan led the team in scoring and set the Manistee County single-game points record at the time with 56. The Cyclones’ only other loss that season was their 51-40 season opener against Dickson, a school that’d be consolidated into what’s now Brethren, also in 1963. In between Dickson and Fowler, the Cyclones won 19 straight games, including eight in the playoffs.
Fowler won the Class D championship game 55-20.
“It’s been written that they could beat any team, even Class A,” Blaho said. “In the first quarter, we knew it was over. We were just hoping to get a shot off against their tall guys. ... We were proud to hold them to 55 points. They averaged 80 or 85 a game.”
Star left-handed guard George Fox would go on to coach Magic Johnson at Lansing Everett and earn induction into the Greater Lansing Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
“He was as mystifying to our defense as the glass backboards,” Bigelow said. “Fowler was devastating. The glass boards were very new to us. The game before against Spring Arbor, there weren’t glass boards. We were just in awe of the whole situation.”
The 1952 team consisted of John Rodgers, Gordon Nordbeck, Finan, Bigelow, Blaho, Smith, Patrick Egan, Edgar Morris, Suchy, Jakubik, Tom Scarbrough and Herbert Milks.
Maginity was the manager under coach Fish, who posted a record of 89-18 in five seasons.
“It was a great team,” said Maginity, a 1953 grad. “Fowler outran us and they had a big center. We just couldn’t keep up with them. We had a great run.”
Friday, November 6, 2020
Michigan Railroad.com Link
I am searching for more information about the Copemish train station or stations from the 1880'3 through the 1920's. In my search, I found a link to a Michigan Railroad site that I thought some of you might find interesting - http://www.michiganrailroads.com/stations-locations/115-manistee-county-51/1337-copemish-mi
And, here is a link to a train web page with information about the Copemish to Glen Arbor depot move in 1965- http://www.trainweb.org/annarbor/bibliography/Newspaper_Stories/AARR%201965.html
August 9, 1965
Railroad Depot Begins New Career
DEPOT MOVED – The Ann Arbor railroad station at Copemish found a new home last week when it was moved from the Manistee Country community to Glen Arbor in Leelanau country to become an addition to The Country Store antique and gift shop complex. The picture was taken as the venerable station reached the end of its highway journey of some 50 miles.
Glen Arbor has a new railway depot, but no railroad . . . nor any sign of one at any time in the future.
The station has been brought to this resort town in Leelanau county by two enterprising local businesswomen. Charlene Baker and Mrs. Virginia Hinton, who operate The Country Store on M-22 between the village and the Glen Lake Narrows bridge.
The Country Store is designed in the manner of an old-fashioned store, and is furnished with original antiques including a potbellied stove, cracker barrel, coffee mill, and an old cash register.
The hunt for these antiques has been a fascinating one for the women, but the the greatest find by far has been the railroad station from Copemish. It has all the classic lines and nostalgia of the kinds of railroad depots which dotted the Michigan landscape at the turn of the century.
The station was built at Thompsonville by the Ann Arbor railroad by the Ann Arbor railroad and moved to Copemish, which was then a thriving lumber center. The Manistee & Northeastern railroad came through Copemish about 1889 from Manistee, en route to Traverse City, and according to Mrs. Almira Digby of Copemish, local historian, the Toledo and Ann Railroad raced to get to Copemish first and making it a bit ahead, controlled the crossing. The Manistee & Northeastern has been discontinued for several years, but the Ann Arbor still manages a freight business at Copemish, with the bulk of the freight crossing Lake Michigan by carferry from Frankfort. Copemish today is a quiet farming town, a livestock center, and famous for its annual Strawberry Festival, but it not longer has a passenger train and therefore had no need for a depot.
The Copemish depot, now attached to the Country Store in Glen Arbor, will house a few special art shows this summer and go into full operation as part of the store next year. It is a quaint and colorful addition to an already picturesque gift shop. Now safety preserved from destruction, the depot can live in gracious and useful retirement after its long years as a bustling little center of travel and commerce.
Tuesday, April 14, 2020
Friday, April 3, 2020
I was undertaking. The more I talked to people, the more research I did, the more convinced
I became that I couldn’t tell our story in one short article. I am going to be as brief as I can,
and if I forget someone’s favorite memory or someone’s name, please forgive me. Some
Post records were lost so some of my information is sketchy. If anyone can fill in names or dates, etc.,
give me the information and I will add it to the record.
to belong to and organization such as the American Legion. Most of them and their families lived in
the Copemish area and surrounding townships. The first meetings were held in a building owned by
Estle and Anna Milks. This building was once a studio where Mr. Armstrong had a photography
business. Later, they met in the Copemish Council Rooms where facilities were better. The men
began to dream of a Post Home of their own. Headed by Cass Zabik, the thirty-three members set
out to make their dream come true.
in World War II. One of them was Pvt. Loren Read, Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Loren Read, of Cleon
Township. Pvt. Read entered the army in March, 1943, and was assigned to the Medical Corps as
First Aid Man and Medical Aid Man. In July, 1944, he was sent to Hawaii. He was in the invasion of
Leyte, where on November 4, 1944, he gave his life going to the aid of a wounded comrade. He was
awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. His parents received a letter of condolence from
General Douglas MacArthur.
He entered the Air Corps in January, 1943. In October, 1944, he was assigned to the 15th Air Force
and was sent to Italy. He was in air raids on aircraft and tank factories in Germany, the Styx Ball-Bearing
Works, and the Ploesti oil fields. He lost his life when his plane was shot down over Austria.Lt. Osborne
was awarded the Distinguished Unit Badge and one Bronze Cluster. His group twice received the
Presidential Citation for outstanding performance of duty.
Post 10, the new post became a reality. It was officially Read-Osborne Post 531. Now, a building was
needed and they set out to build one. Headed by Cass Zabik, the thirty-three Charter members went to
work.
obtained CCC buildings from Wellston, tore them apart, and sold the lumber to get money to build their
Post Home. All labor was donated and people who owned a truck or other equipment loaned them to
the veterans. People gave money, time, and labor. It seemed as if everyone wanted to help. Cleon
Township and the Village of Copemish each donated $500.00. People say Springdale Township gave
$500.00 also. I have tried, but so far haven’t been able to verify that.
basement was dug and then partly filled in for lack of money to buy extra blocks and cement. The
building was put into use about 1948. That summer, the Auxiliary was formed. The first organizational
meeting was held at the home of Vera Rogers in Thompsonville, with Pearl Holly of Manistee who
helped us in many ways.The meeting was attended by Audrey Hysell, Bea Doneth, and me. Our first
officers were:
tickets, held family dances, and made a dollar wherever they could, the women worked in the
lunchroom at the dances, produced plays, served dinners and chili suppers, held box socials, and so
on. Those were days of hard work and real dedication.
up through the tile, loosened the wax and created a muddy, slippery mess. People slipped and skidded
around, but no one seemed to mind because they were having a good time. When the problem
continued, a hardwood floor was laid.
were ready for the big night. We had problems with acoustics because we had no ceilings, but we did
our best. Things went well for a bit, but then it started to rain, and the noise of the rain on the tin roof
made it impossible for us to be heard. As I remember, we gave the play again in the school gym. I don’t
believe we made a lot of money on that project!
pitcher pump in another room, and we had to go to Thompsonville for ice to cool the pop we sold. Our
sink drain was a pail we emptied out back, which was where the outdoor plumbing facilities were located.
poppies are made by veterans who are hospitalized. We buy poppies from them and they use the
money for little things they may need. For many, it is the only money they can earn. If a veteran is too
disabled to make poppies, his family is allowed to help him. The money we receive from the poppies
when we sell them is used to help disabled veterans and their families.
income for us. We held our games on Friday nights; later, men started their Sunday afternoon Bingo
games. It now became easier to pay the bills , to improve the building, and to increase our investment
in the lives of people in trouble. We began to spend money in schools as well. We help anyone who is
in distress because of accident, illness or misfortune. That is the creed of the Legion and Auxiliary.
building and the parking lot. We have a well-equipped kitchen, clean, attractive restrooms, and tables
and chairs in plentiful supply. The hall is used for clas reunions, various meetings, and Christmas parties
for children and adults. It is also available for EMT classes, Scout meetings, etc. At one time, our hall
and Bingo equipment were used by firemen to earn money for a new fire truck.
volunteer workers are not paid. Our Bingo funds are used for community service projects. Out of Bingo
has come a project dear to me, our Scholarship Program. Having been a teacher, I value education and
have been in charge of the Scholarship Program from the beginning. Our eldest son, Herb, at the time
Principal at Maple City-Glen Lake Schools, suggested to me that we start a scholarship program. He
helped me set it up so that I could avoid probles or pitfalls. Then, I was lucky enough to have a good
committee to help me. This committee consists of Edna Chandler, Alice Dixon, and Gloriette Drobena.
They are able, faithful helpers and they have never let me down.
each. To be eligible to apply, a person need only be related to a veteran of the United States Armed
Forces.
I mean the Auxiliary and the Legion who have been helping us since they began their Sunday afternoon
Bingo. We have helped educate - Teachers, Nurses, Social Workers, Secretaries, Mechanics,
Engineers of all kinds, Public Relations People, an Artist, a Chemist, and Optometrist, and Architect,
and a Psychiatrist.
Office. They then go to surrounding towns and to cemeteries where they repeat the service. They are
there in any weather to attend the funeral of any serviceman. I have stood and watched these men,
most of them no longer young, and as the sound of Taps echoed through the air, I have always been
so proud. They will repeat the ritual, no matter what the weather, for any veteran whose family requests
it.