Part V - Government, a supplement to the Big Rapids Pioneer Newspaper. Used with permission.

GARBAGE, GARBAGE WAS EVERYWHERE


Hugh Morrow wrote in his column on Monday Nov. 29, 2004 about his memories of garbage removal in the City of Big Rapids.

"How many people out there can remember when the city dump was located just north of Mitchell Creek as you go north on Michigan Avenue? Well, I can, and the dumping grounds would go almost to the river along the creek. I know when I was employed at the Ford garage or Triangle Auto Sales, making big money (30 cents an hour), I would be told to take that 55 gallon barreeeel with the waste to the city dump. I would exactly that as instructed by Roy Andrews the shop foreman. To be honest, I would feel important driving the big red wrecker down the street. I want you to know there were so many flies that would invade the wrecker that you could hardly stand it. Millions of them would come to visit, it was terrible.

"There was a dump master and he would direct you as to where he wanted you to dump your load. I would follow his instructions and get out of there as fast as I could. Flies are not one of my insects to enjoy.

"There was a small building, at the city dump for the dump master to take refuge in inclement weather. No air conditioning in that *holdup.*

"I became acquainted with a man by the name of Billy Kazonnie and he was a full time dumop picker. He had a wheel borrow and would pretty much salvage all the wood from the dump and take it home, which was five blocks away. I bet you he never bought coal or wood to burn as he salvaged all the wood fromthe dump for his heating stove.

"As a kid I used to go to the dumpand look around - one man'd trash another man's treasure. I have found such things as a flashlight or books of one kind or another and salvaged them for yours truly.

"There were only two garbage men in our town during those early years and most people took their own waste to the city dump. I would be embarrassed if I happened to be "picking" at the dump and some one I knew would come with their trash. I would turn my head and kind of hope they did not recognize me. I would be like a scavenger picking at the dump for whatever resaon.

"Seems that as time went by, the dump became full and seems the city filled it in with sand and gravel and I do believe the end of an era came to pass.

"Seems dumping was done for a long time out Catherine Street on the east side of town. Then came waste management and everyone has to use the city garbage trucks to dispose of any unwanted item or waste.

Area residents of the older persuasion also recall foraging for artifacts in an old dump located near the east bank of the Muskegon River north of the upper dam.

In an age when government regulations require trash removal to state approved landfills and/or recycle programs, it might be hard for younger generations to fathom the days past when garbage was buried in city, village and township dumps throughout the county or when people just dug a hole and buried their trash.

But, if you roam the woods and fields of the county you'll still come across sites where people and/or governmental units disposed of waste in past years.

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