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by Lucy McDonald
This is the story of a building's transition from bank to living quarters and general store with soda fountain and drug store, to restaurant, to township offices and fire department; a rather glorious history of another landmark in the community.
In concrete on the sides of the brick building facing two streets is the title TROUT CREEK STATE BANK, however if you want to do banking these days you won’t find any banking done in the building. In the early 1920s the building housed a profitable banking business that continued until the late 1930s (1937-1938).
After the bank closed, Dr. Whiteshield had a general store and soda fountain in the building. The doctor and his wife lived in the eastern section of the building. In the 1940s Lew and Lydia McDonald continued to run the business. Then in the late 1950s Martin and Alma Keranen had a restaurant business in the building. After that there were several who continued to operate the business—Juhola, Carlisle, Pittsley, and Rea.
Throughout all that time there were some colorful events that took place in the building. During the time it was a bank there was a robbery. The robber got away but was caught later.
When the doctor set up the original general store it also had drug store merchandise and what would be known today as a pharmacy.
When Lew McDonald (called "whispering Lew" because he talked softly) ran the restaurant, he was also constable, and his wife was a school teacher. Local high school students helped in the restaurant and also came to enjoy the soda fountain.
The building has for many recent years housed the Interior Township Office and the Trout Creek Fire Department equipment.
Once a month the local citizens can come down to the Township office and watch and hear their local government in action during the board meetings. The Township Board Members and other township workers are dedicated, hard working citizens of the community. Small townships cannot afford large pay scales, yet the work is there to be done—sometimes there’s recognition and most times there’s none.
The Fire Department, which houses its equipment in the building, has been called on to help with fires in neighboring townships as well as fight fires in the downtown area wherever else there has been a fire in the township. The able fire chiefs and the fire fighters work to maintain their fire fighting equipment always on the ready and to keep up with latest training techniques—and keep within the budget.
Congratulations and much gratitude to each of the above, the Interior Township Office Workers and the Interior Township Board, and the Interior Township Fire Department, for all the work done for the township and the community.
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