- Date
- 1957-07-04
- Kind
- Celebration
- Carried out by
- Beaver Island Civic Association
- Followed by
- Beaver Island holds a rained-out 1958 Fourth of July Picnic
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- celebrationcommunity
- Within
- Beaver Island
Summary
The Beaver Island Civic Association held its Fourth of July Picnic on July 4, 1957, at the island ball diamond next to Swede’s Cabins, with food and games and the presentation of the Association’s “Bird Bath” yard-improvement award to Isabell Kenwabikise.
Program
The May 1957 Beacon previewed the award, announcing that the ceramic Bird Bath, given “to the property owner showing the most improvement in yard clean-up,” would be presented at the July 4th Picnic. The July 1957 issue confirms the picnic was held as planned “at the Island ball diamond next to Swede’s Cabins,” with “food, foam and fun,” and names Isabell Kenwabikise as the year’s Bird Bath winner and Robert “Pat” Patterson as honorable mention. The same July issue separately reports that the Civic Association had made a $500 donation toward the Strang Print Shop purchase for the Beaver Island Historical Society, and that Michigan Historical Commission representatives dedicated a bronze Mormon-colony marker at Charlevoix on June 16, 1957 — both items reported alongside, but not part of, the picnic.
Evidence limits
Neither issue records a parade, a fireworks display, or event proceeds for 1957, though both had been reported in other held years; their absence from the account is not evidence they did not occur, only that this source does not describe them.
Open questions
- Was a parade or fireworks display held in 1957, unreported in the held Beacon issues?
- Is “Swede’s Cabins” the same site as “Swede’s Place” named in the 1955 edition?
See also
Sources
- Announces that the BICA's "Bird Bath" award for most-improved yard clean-up "will be given...and presented with the bird bath at the July 4th Picnic." The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1957-05_Beaver-Beacon
- The held five-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1957-05_Beaver-Beacon
- Reports the picnic "held at the Island ball diamond next to Swede's Cabins July 4th included food, foam and fun plus the awarding of the ceramic 'Bird Bath' to Isabell Kenwabikise for the most improvement shown in yard clean-up this year. Honorable mention went to Robert 'Pat' Patterson." The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1957-07_Beaver-Beacon
- The held three-page issue scan is paired with the OCR source and confirms the published notice or report; it does not expand the source-specific identity, event, or outcome claims.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1957-07_Beaver-Beacon
Added 3 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “Beaver Island holds its 1957 Civic Association Picnic”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/events/beaver-island-fourth-of-july-1957/, accessed [date], citing The Beaver Beacon, May 1957, "Bird Bath...award will be given by the BICA." (and 3 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-03. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
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