Saturday July 20th Program

On Saturday, July 20, pharmacist, illustrator, and local historian, Jim Middleton will present a program about the local patent medicine businesses in the late 1800’s, early 1900’s at Battle Creek Regional History Museum (BCRHM). ‘The One Dollar Miracles of Battle Creek’.

Middleton became interested in the ‘patent medicine industry’ while attending school to become a registered pharmacist.

At first he just picked up ‘odds and ends’ that people were throwing away, at garage sales, or at ‘Drug Take Back’ events held throughout the community.

In December 1978, Middleton came to Battle Creek to work in the Lakeview General Hospital pharmacy (on 20th Street), then the pharmacy’s at Leila Hospital, Battle Creek Health System, Summit Pointe and is presently the manager of the Western Michigan University’s Student/Faculty pharmacy.

Middleton has also had a great interest in creating his own cartoons and animated movies.

He is particularly amused by local entrepreneurs who ran mail-order pharmaceutical businesses in the early 1900’s. They sold various questionable cures for many different ailments.

Middleton’s previous program about the Battle Creek Centennial held in 1931 was one of the largest attended programs at the museum.

The program will be held at 3:00 PM at the BCRHM, located at 307 W. Jackson Street. There is no admission charged for the event, but donations are appreciated. Light snacks will be served before and after the program.

The Leila Arboretum is owned and partially maintained by the City of Battle Creek as part of its parks system. LAS is under contract with the city to manage the arboretum’s more than 3,000 trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals…many of which are living memorials and/or tributes to special friends.

In recent years, the Leila Arboretum has seen many improvements to the facilities and to the plantings, that have included a beautiful pool and fountain at the park’s entrance gate, a Peace Labrynth, a Children’s Garden (that includes the cupola from the Battle Creek Sanitarium’s Fieldstone Building along with a hot air balloon replica), greenhouses, sculptural artwork, a ‘magical garden’ created by artists carving stumps of trees into works of art, a performance shell, and large meeting pavilion.

Fundraisers for the LAS have include plant sales, entrance fees to the Children’s Garden and even a Leila Arboretum Calendar in 2008 that featured tasteful photos of naturally clad (nude) members of the society…along with membership dues and donations.

The Battle Creek Mustache Society has teamed up with the LAS to hold an annual outdoor summer music concert named ‘Leila-palooza’ along with a yearly winter event (that includes a sled/toboggan/cardboard vehicle contest) called ‘Festivus’. These events bring new patrons to the arboretum throughout the year.

The LAS is a non-profit 501©3 corporation and has created many worthwhile projects that have included spearheading the BC Green projects, that bring the knowledge and advice of horticulture to local neighborhoods.
They also oversee and Master Gardner program and sponsor growing and gardening classes.

Myers program about the arboretum will be held at 3:00 PM at the BCRHM, located at 307 West Jackson Street, phone number 269-964-0750. Admission is free, and light snacks will be served.