River Rouge in the News - 1949
River Rouge - Wikimedia Commons
by Kathy Warnes
In December 1949, the Ecorse-River Rouge Advertiser summarized some of the news of the year for River Rouge.
January 6, 1949. Roy Cheff, president, and Commissioners Roy Hamel and Dean Flate resign from River Rouge Housing Commission after charging city officials with putting politics into the commission.
January 20, 1949. William Duncan is named setting director of River Rouge Housing Commission. Ken Swartzbaugh, Herbert Smith, and Hugh Mullen are appointed assistant cashiers for the Ecorse-Lincoln Park Bank.
February 3, 1949. River Rouge Council tables plan to provide city with voting machines. Pyramid Clubs ruled lottery by Wayne County Prosecutor.
February 16, 1949. Donald Cock and Kirby Wilson, Jr. receive Key-Man awards from River Rouge Jaycees.
February 17, 1949. River Rouge set for primary elections. Duncan and Wilson vie for Mayor’s chair. Plans for Rouge Days begin.
February 24, 1949. M. Warren Duncan leads Kirby Wilson, Sr. in River Rouge primary race. River Rouge wins Twin Valley Basketball championship- shares cup with Dearborn.
March 17, 1949. River Rouge High School wins regional basketball title. River Rouge Council fights over alleged misuse of funds in city street repair.
April 7, 1949. M. Warren Duncan wins River Rouge mayoral race by big margin. P. Thomas Redmond wins treasurers post.
April 14, 1949. River Rouge borrows $90,000 to meet budget demands. Duncan fails to act on River Rouge city appointments.
April 28, 1949. Duncan presents list of appointments for River Rouge Council consideration.
May 5, 1949. River Rouge Council walks out in fight over River Rouge appointments.
May 12, 1949. Hold meeting for new library in River Rouge. Earl R. Beaudrie heads River Rouge Democratic Club. John Digna and Leonard Westerdale appointed to River Rouge Board of Review.
May 26, 1949. Assessments upped in River Rouge. River Rouge Council acts on slum clearance.
June 9, 1949. Council hits slum conditions in River Rouge. Kirby L. Wilson Sr. named to Delray Hospital Board. River Rouge citizens act to remove trucks from Division Street.
June 16, 1949.Public hearing held on dog catcher in River Rouge on charges of cruelty. River Rouge Jaycees win second national award for International Relations work.
Mrs. Lumnia Grandmason Passes Away
June 16, 1949. Mrs. Grandmason Passes Away
After spending over 86 of her ninety years in River Rouge, Mrs. Lumnia Grandmason, 142 Division Street, died at her home.
Mrs. Grandmason celebrated her 90th birthday on June 14, 1949. She died just four days later. She was born and raised in Canada.
Well deserving to be called one of Downriver’s old timers, Mrs. Grandmason was the wife of the late Cyril. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Fred Metzger, also of the Division Street address, a son Roy, and two grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the Gallagher Funeral Home.
June 23, 1949. Jay Clark, famed baseball player, dies in River Rouge.
July 7, 1949. Mayor Duncan urges action on River Rouge drainage. Mrs. Henrietta Rickerd dies in leap from Jefferson Avenue Bridge in River Rouge.
July 14, 1949. Ralph Phillips promoted to police lieutenant in River Rouge.
July 28, 1949. River Rouge hit by flash flood as drains back up. Youthful gangs war in wild ride down Jefferson Avenue.
August 4, 1949. Council to license conversion burners in River Rouge. River Rouge to add new pump to drainage system.
August 11, 1949. Citizens petition Council on River Rouge drainage. Stephen Kopsey retires from River Rouge Police force.
August 25, 1949. George Deering appointed Superintendent of River Rouge Public Works.
Barbara Jean Aberl Murdered
August 25, 1949. The body of Barbara Jean Aberl is found near Northville after murder by uncle.
The Ecorse-River Rouge Advertiser printed an editorial about the murder under the title of Horror. The editorial said that the murdered child, Barbara Aberl was pretty and loveable, the favorite of the entire neighborhood. The confessed murderer was “a young uncle, sick in mind.” He left a crude confession note urging capital punishment to prevent such crimes as his. The editorial said that “to his confused and tortured mine, capital punishment would have stayed his hand.”
The editorial continued that no law would stop the killers. The only thing which will stop such hideous crimes is the discovery and treatment of these mentally sick before they commit crimes of violence. When such crimes are committed the public is aroused but it does little to prevent them. Hospitals where they can be treated and cured is the only answer to the problem. Unfortunately there are no hospitals for such individuals and they can only be sent to penal institutions after committing some crime.
The editorial concluded by saying that: although mere commitment to a prison does not cure them, it protects helpless children and very fortunately many of these potential murders are sent to prison before they have a chance to commit murder.
Society may someday realize that the sick, whether physically or mentally ill, should be placed in suitable institutions and returned to society only when they are cured.”
September 1, 1949. Gold Cup Regatta set for River Rouge over Labor Day.
September 3, 1949. Strike vote readied at Great Lakes Steel Corporation.
September 22, 1949. Committee to study assessments sought by assessor Arthur Valade in River Rouge.
October 6, 1949. Steel strike continues as negotiations bog down.11,000 workers idled. Vandalism hits River Rouge as five businesses report property damage.
October 13, 1949. River Rouge and Ecorse awarded housing units. Boats blockade river front in steel strike. Kick-off ceremony planned for Torch Drive. Rouge prepares to install new equipment at pumping station.
November 3, 1949. City workers demand that River Rouge Council rescind a proposal to farm out city work. Civil Service Commission also rejects the proposal. Slum clearance work successful in River Rouge. Negotiations continue in steel strike.
November 10, 1949. River Rouge and Ecorse meet in traditional grid battle. Hint settlement of steel strike.
November 17, 1949. 2,500 petition to retain DPW in River Rouge. Kiwanis Club holds “Kids Day.” Relief load eases as steel strike is settled.
November 23, 1949. Burglars net $575 in robberies of three River Rouge homes.
December 1, 1949. Christmas decorations are planned in River Rouge. DPW fight continues in River Rouge.
December 3, 1949. Defeat DPW proposal to farm out work in River Rouge.
In December 1949, the Ecorse-River Rouge Advertiser summarized some of the news of the year for River Rouge.
January 6, 1949. Roy Cheff, president, and Commissioners Roy Hamel and Dean Flate resign from River Rouge Housing Commission after charging city officials with putting politics into the commission.
January 20, 1949. William Duncan is named setting director of River Rouge Housing Commission. Ken Swartzbaugh, Herbert Smith, and Hugh Mullen are appointed assistant cashiers for the Ecorse-Lincoln Park Bank.
February 3, 1949. River Rouge Council tables plan to provide city with voting machines. Pyramid Clubs ruled lottery by Wayne County Prosecutor.
February 16, 1949. Donald Cock and Kirby Wilson, Jr. receive Key-Man awards from River Rouge Jaycees.
February 17, 1949. River Rouge set for primary elections. Duncan and Wilson vie for Mayor’s chair. Plans for Rouge Days begin.
February 24, 1949. M. Warren Duncan leads Kirby Wilson, Sr. in River Rouge primary race. River Rouge wins Twin Valley Basketball championship- shares cup with Dearborn.
March 17, 1949. River Rouge High School wins regional basketball title. River Rouge Council fights over alleged misuse of funds in city street repair.
April 7, 1949. M. Warren Duncan wins River Rouge mayoral race by big margin. P. Thomas Redmond wins treasurers post.
April 14, 1949. River Rouge borrows $90,000 to meet budget demands. Duncan fails to act on River Rouge city appointments.
April 28, 1949. Duncan presents list of appointments for River Rouge Council consideration.
May 5, 1949. River Rouge Council walks out in fight over River Rouge appointments.
May 12, 1949. Hold meeting for new library in River Rouge. Earl R. Beaudrie heads River Rouge Democratic Club. John Digna and Leonard Westerdale appointed to River Rouge Board of Review.
May 26, 1949. Assessments upped in River Rouge. River Rouge Council acts on slum clearance.
June 9, 1949. Council hits slum conditions in River Rouge. Kirby L. Wilson Sr. named to Delray Hospital Board. River Rouge citizens act to remove trucks from Division Street.
June 16, 1949.Public hearing held on dog catcher in River Rouge on charges of cruelty. River Rouge Jaycees win second national award for International Relations work.
Mrs. Lumnia Grandmason Passes Away
June 16, 1949. Mrs. Grandmason Passes Away
After spending over 86 of her ninety years in River Rouge, Mrs. Lumnia Grandmason, 142 Division Street, died at her home.
Mrs. Grandmason celebrated her 90th birthday on June 14, 1949. She died just four days later. She was born and raised in Canada.
Well deserving to be called one of Downriver’s old timers, Mrs. Grandmason was the wife of the late Cyril. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Fred Metzger, also of the Division Street address, a son Roy, and two grandchildren.
Funeral services were held at the Gallagher Funeral Home.
June 23, 1949. Jay Clark, famed baseball player, dies in River Rouge.
July 7, 1949. Mayor Duncan urges action on River Rouge drainage. Mrs. Henrietta Rickerd dies in leap from Jefferson Avenue Bridge in River Rouge.
July 14, 1949. Ralph Phillips promoted to police lieutenant in River Rouge.
July 28, 1949. River Rouge hit by flash flood as drains back up. Youthful gangs war in wild ride down Jefferson Avenue.
August 4, 1949. Council to license conversion burners in River Rouge. River Rouge to add new pump to drainage system.
August 11, 1949. Citizens petition Council on River Rouge drainage. Stephen Kopsey retires from River Rouge Police force.
August 25, 1949. George Deering appointed Superintendent of River Rouge Public Works.
Barbara Jean Aberl Murdered
August 25, 1949. The body of Barbara Jean Aberl is found near Northville after murder by uncle.
The Ecorse-River Rouge Advertiser printed an editorial about the murder under the title of Horror. The editorial said that the murdered child, Barbara Aberl was pretty and loveable, the favorite of the entire neighborhood. The confessed murderer was “a young uncle, sick in mind.” He left a crude confession note urging capital punishment to prevent such crimes as his. The editorial said that “to his confused and tortured mine, capital punishment would have stayed his hand.”
The editorial continued that no law would stop the killers. The only thing which will stop such hideous crimes is the discovery and treatment of these mentally sick before they commit crimes of violence. When such crimes are committed the public is aroused but it does little to prevent them. Hospitals where they can be treated and cured is the only answer to the problem. Unfortunately there are no hospitals for such individuals and they can only be sent to penal institutions after committing some crime.
The editorial concluded by saying that: although mere commitment to a prison does not cure them, it protects helpless children and very fortunately many of these potential murders are sent to prison before they have a chance to commit murder.
Society may someday realize that the sick, whether physically or mentally ill, should be placed in suitable institutions and returned to society only when they are cured.”
September 1, 1949. Gold Cup Regatta set for River Rouge over Labor Day.
September 3, 1949. Strike vote readied at Great Lakes Steel Corporation.
September 22, 1949. Committee to study assessments sought by assessor Arthur Valade in River Rouge.
October 6, 1949. Steel strike continues as negotiations bog down.11,000 workers idled. Vandalism hits River Rouge as five businesses report property damage.
October 13, 1949. River Rouge and Ecorse awarded housing units. Boats blockade river front in steel strike. Kick-off ceremony planned for Torch Drive. Rouge prepares to install new equipment at pumping station.
November 3, 1949. City workers demand that River Rouge Council rescind a proposal to farm out city work. Civil Service Commission also rejects the proposal. Slum clearance work successful in River Rouge. Negotiations continue in steel strike.
November 10, 1949. River Rouge and Ecorse meet in traditional grid battle. Hint settlement of steel strike.
November 17, 1949. 2,500 petition to retain DPW in River Rouge. Kiwanis Club holds “Kids Day.” Relief load eases as steel strike is settled.
November 23, 1949. Burglars net $575 in robberies of three River Rouge homes.
December 1, 1949. Christmas decorations are planned in River Rouge. DPW fight continues in River Rouge.
December 3, 1949. Defeat DPW proposal to farm out work in River Rouge.