TRAVERSE CITY — A Northern Michigan woman has uncovered a piece of national cherry festival history while going through her late in-laws prized possessions.
Nicole Smethells said she discovered two vintage pins that she believes are somewhere between the late 1940’s to early 1950’s.
She said her and her husband inherited the pins from her father-in-law.
Nicole said he was heavily involved in the community, serving as president of the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce in 1952 and as a member of the rotary club.
She said back then rotarians would dress as police and haul you up before a judge-to be tried for not eating cherry pie.
“It just took me right back. It was just fantastic to think about being a young kid and going to the festival. And I’d always eat my pie, and I always got a button because I was kind of afraid I might have to go up there to jail or didn’t want to do that. The Cherry Festival was really small town and very, very pleasant,” said Smethells.
Smethells said she considers the pins cherished treasures because of the connection, not only to her father-in-law, but also to the national cherry festival.
She said she plans to make a scrapbook with all of her national cherry festival memories and wants to keep the pins in her family so future generations can learn about their heritage.