Village to dedicate renovated fountain Saturday

Fri, Sep 26, 2008    to del.icio.us

SPRING LAKE — About 20 Women's Christian Temperance Union members from throughout the country plan to meet in the village Saturday for the official dedication of a recently renovated drinking fountain.

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The fountain is located on the east side of South Jackson Street, between Savidge and Exchange streets.

Spring Lake Village Council last year approved about $7,000 in renovations for the fountain, which was restored by an Ohio artist. Village Manager Ryan Cotton transported the fountain in his mini-van to Ohio for the restoration.

The fountain was likely installed by the WCTU in 1910, according to Spring Lake Historic Conservation Committee Chairman Mark Miller.

The 11 a.m. dedication is open to the public and will include live brass ensemble music, and statements from WCTU and village officials.

"The Women's Christian Temperance Union has been around a long time," Miller said of the original Midwest organization founded in the 1870s. "I'm really proud of the way our fountain has turned out. It's novel. It's kind of fun to drink from it. It's kind of the way it was originally. The purpose was to offer an alternative for men to drink short of a stay at a local saloon."

Miller said the fountain has been restored in period colors of the early 1900s.

"I'm very pleased with it," Miller said. "It looks sharp and should last hopefully another 100 years. I've learned it's only one of four left in Michigan. It's a lucky survivor."

Ravenna resident Becky Smith, 53, is a current WCTU member.

"When I first talked to Mark Miller, he expressed shock that any of us (WCTU members) were still alive or around," said Smith, a first-grade teacher at Calvary Christian School. "I've been a part of WCTU since my husband (Duane) and I first met, which goes back to our college days in the mid-1970s. His mother was the Michigan (chapter) president at that time."

Smith said she's been dedicated to the cause ever since, promoting abstinence from alcohol, tobacco and drugs — particularly among young children.

"It's disheartening really how much young children, even 7-11 year olds, already know and experience," Smith said.

Smith, who helped organize Saturday's dedication, said she's excited about the event.

"When I first heard about this last fall, I got goose bumps all over me," she said. "I'm so into history. I said, 'Oh my land' when I heard there was a (WCTU) fountain in Spring Lake. I haven't seen it yet, but the pictures are just amazing. I can't wait to see it in person. I'm just thrilled with what Spring Lake did to put it back together."

Smith estimates Michigan retains between 200 and 300 active WCTU members and several thousand nationwide.

"The drinking fountains were just a small part of the effort in the mid-1800s," she continued. "Our whole emphasis is to encourage people to keep their bodies pure and not consume alcoholic beverages that hurt your body. The move kind of evolved into tobacco — and in our day and age, drug use is something that hurts our bodies."

The original union was formed to protest men drinking in saloons.

"Back in the day, they would walk back and forth with signs that said 'don't drink alcohol' and 'close the bar,'" Smith said.

Village President Bill Filber said the fountain's restoration was part of the village's master plan.

"It's one of those goals we had hoped to accomplish in the next 10 years," he said. "I'm very pleased it has been accomplished and within what we had budgeted. My hat is off to the Historic Conservation Committee for them taking the lead in this. People can actually go up to it and drink water from the lion's mouth, and pets can drink out of the bottom of it."