Starting in 1921, Marshall County residents looked forward to the very successful Firemen’s Ball hosted by the Wide Awake Fire Company. Records show the social event hosted upwards of 850 guests in certain years! News articles indicate that guests delighted in refreshments like punch and doughnuts, savoring every moment. The following article from the Pilot News on February 2, 1924, tells more about the fourth annual Firemen’s Ball. The article is lightly edited.

The fourth annual Firemen’s Ball of the Wide Awake Fire Company, held at the Country Club Friday evening, was a highly enjoyable affair, with an attendance larger than any of the previous ones. In fact, the crowd was the largest that ever appeared at the Country Club.

Dr. and Mrs. Harry Knott led the grand march in which 144 couples took part. The Bell Hop orchestra played unusually well. The favors were paper bonnets for the ladies and paper caps for the gentlemen. During the evening the refreshment committee was busy serving punch, sandwiches, doughnuts and coffee.

The committeemen in charge of the affair and who worked unceasingly for its success were Russell Ellis, Sammy Belt, Peter Wickey, John Klapp. In fact, each fireman did his part.

One very pretty feature for the evening was the solo dancing by Miss Melba Steele. Rochester, Argos and Bourbon were represented in the out-of-town guests, the Argos visitors numbering 30 couples.

Plymouth people have always had a certain pride in their “fire laddies” and are ever ready to show their appreciation when called upon to give them a lift. The money received is for an emergency fund for injured firemen. The boys deserve the hearty support of our citizens, and they surely will always have it.

The MCHS and Museum has many images of the Historic Plymouth Firehouse and others in Marshall County. Visitors are always invited to look through our shared history! The Museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at 123 N. Michigan St. Call us at 574-936-2306 for more information.

Save the date for our third annual Casino Night Fundraiser! This year’s theme is Boots & Bowties. Join us June 19 at the REES Theatre as we journey back in time to the infamous Huckleberry Marsh, an 1800s Marshall County boom town, where the atmosphere was a dynamic mix of tension and camaraderie and the daring gathered to misbehave. This article, published on July 28, 1870 in the Republican Newspaper, gives some insight into life and humor of this era.

Since writing for public journals is one of one of the necessities of this progressive age, your correspondent could not well keep silent any longer.  Every city, village, and community has a history, and this history should be real and carefully studied.  But we commence our history of the sayings and doings of the good people of Tyner City and vicinity, we must first inform you that we are all having a big sweat in the “neck-of-the woods”.  From certain unmistakable indications, we are warranted in saying that for a few days past, the weather has been decidedly warm.  Old Sol riding high over us poor mortals in the power of his calorific glory and in order to try our morals as well as the tenacity of our mortal bodies, has been, and at this moment is, pouring upon us his scorching rays without any regard whatever to our feelings or comfort.

The fact is Mr. Editor, these dog days are most doggedly hot.  But thanks to the changing seasons, they are slowly passing by, and soon the majestic monarch will leave us to enjoy the comforts and luxuries of autumnal breezes.

And now for a few facts and items in regard to Tyner City, and first, so far as I can learn, the health of the city is moderate-a few cases of abdominal derangements giving the patients more uneasiness in the gastric regions, than the doctors have respecting their convalesence.

The saloons are, financially, in a healthy condition-doing well at least for themselves.  And yet, Mr. Editor, you must not infer that we all get drunk.  No sir, we possess the faculty of knowing just how much of the “critter” our “innards” demand to keep our breadbaskets (stomachs) in a healthy condition and our consciences in good running order. We seldom get out of our perpendicularity, though now and then the hell without and the fire within incet somewhere about the knee joints, where there action conjointly upon the “Synonial fluid” produces a decided weakness of the motor muscles: thence running up the vertical column, terminate in the cerebrum and celebellum (brain) causing what is generally known as the sun stroke by proxy.

Such was the condition of a poor fellow we passed lying on the grass, along the R.R. a few days ago.  He had a powerful stroke, and a tolerable sized bottle by his side.  He muttered something incoherently and I passed on hoping the stroke would not prove fatal.

The trade in Huckleberries still continues quite actively.  I presume most of your readers are aware that Tyner City is the great Huckleberry Emporium of Marshall County, About 3 miles northwest is located what is known as the “Big Marsh”. In this marsh the berries grow and every day hundreds of men, women and children are wading through it gathering the berries.  In the center of the marsh is an acre or two of solid ground, more elevated than the rest, on which is a nice grove.  This is called the “Stamping ground”.  Here the eager multitude comes every evening or morning with their berries and find a real ready market.  A kind of eating and drinking saloon is kept here for the accommodation of the “ pickers”.

Curiosity prompted your correspondent to visit this locality.  When I arrived at the borders of the marsh, a scion of humanity met me, lugging a basket of berries in each hand.  “Anymore left in there?” I asked, “Thunder yes!” replied the sprig, “wagons loads”.  “Any snakes in there”, “Snakes the d——“, replied the young hopeful.  “Snakes don’t migrate to this locality, but continued he, see here stranger, you’ll find hornets by the millions”.

We hope to see you at our fundraiser and that this article has primed you for picking a Western outfit! Tickets available online here. Stay tuned on our Facebook for more information and when you can purchase tickets in person. Learn more about our historical towns at the Marshall County Museum from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday.