Berrien County, Michigan
In The News
Submitted & Transcribed By Deanna West
The Night The Rio Burned
New Buffalo, January 9, 1959 - For years, the Rio restaurant and lodge stood as a landmark along the shores of Lake Michigan in New Buffalo. Folks would take a drive out from Chicago to wine and dine at this popular resort. In about 1958 the Rio was purchased and renamed the Surf and Sand Supper Club. The new owners were in the process of remodeling and then on January 9, 1959, regardless of several fire companies coming to the aid it was razed to the ground. Fire Departments as far away as Bridgman, Michigan and Michigan City, Indiana came to help but to no avail. The building was never rebuilt and a parking lot for beach bathers sits approximately where the old restaurant and lodge once stood.
Bridgman – from the Three Oaks Independent March 21, 1878
Bridgman has quite a number of short men and some pretty tall ones, but our new station agent, Waldo G. Stebbins, overtops all of them by several inches. His height is 6 feet and 7 inches. If any of your readers know of a taller man, please let us hear from him.
The Congrational Church – from the Three Oaks Independent March 21, 1878 The Church was crowded at the temperance meeting on Sunday evening. Address were made by Hon. Wm. Chamberlain, Rev. S. T. Cooper and W. Warren. The annual meeting for election of officers will take place on next Monday evening.
Fire at Shimer Convalescent Home February 19, 1954 – killed in the fire were Mary Collins, 87 of Watervliet; Samuel Lutz 91, Covert; Miss Louise Bishop, 82, formerly of Benton Harbor, Lucy Sparling, 91, Rt 1, Coloma; Fred Sayles 87, Glenn; Mrs. Adeline Blakesler, 80, Benton Harbor area, E. Harley Babcock, 76, of Kalamazoo.
Also in critcal condition was Mrs. Jennie Schuster, 81 of Benton who was badly burned. Chris M. Binder, 79 of Benton Harbor escaped and dragged his wife Katherine, 82, to safety. But suffered a heart attack shortly after the terrifying occurrence. His wife Katherine was reported to be in good condition.
Mrs/ Clark Shimer, owner and operator of the home was hospitalized for shock. Clark Shimer, who had just had surgery was in the hospital at the time of the fire.
An electric space heater near one of the beds was thought to be the cause.
January 21, 1895 – the steamer Chicora sank. She was of the firm in old St. Joseph of Graham and Morton line. The ship was loaded with an extra heavy cargo of 100 pound sacks of flower. She floundered and sank in a winter gale off the Lake Michigan coast somewhere between Saugatuck and South Haven. Occasionally pieces thought to be from the wreckage would drift to shore but not one body was ever recovered. A telegram was sent from John Graham, the ships owner, to halt the ship from leaving Milwaukee to St.. Joseph but it arrived too late. The telegram noted that the barometer reading of 28 was noted on the St. Joseph side of the lake. The captain of the vessel was Captain Edward George Stines, an experienced with over 30 years as a veteran of the Great Lakes. His confidence great, he even signed on his son Benjamin, to make the trip with them.
On that fateful day 23 crew members and 1 passenger lost their lives.
The Chicora was caught up in one of the fiercest gales to hit the Lake Michigan shores. When sighted by an on shore bystander, the ships smoke stack was listing at a 45 degree angle.
Another report differs from the first reports stating that some believe the ship to be about 10 miles off of the North Pier in St. Joseph.
Crew Members from St. Joseph, other than the captain and his son, both from St. Joseph were:
Nathan Lynch and Joseph Pearl(only passenger)
Benton Harbor men lost with ship were: Cornelius Simons, Joseph Marks, W. W. Morgan, Jesse Davis, Thomas Cass, Jack Ryan, William Dunn, Joseph Felix and John Mattison,
The exact location of the Chicora remains a mystery to this day - 2008.
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