Dowagiac in Cass County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Criffield-Whiteley House / Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley

Criffield-Whiteley House Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Garman, August 6, 2021

1. Criffield-Whiteley House Marker

Inscription. Criffield-Whiteley House Businessman and farmer Charles M. Criffield (1867-1929) and his wife, Cora, (1865-1945) built this Queen Anne-style house in 1897. Fred Corber managed the construction. In 1920 the Criffields sold the house to Ethel and Harry H. Whiteley. Elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 1914, Mr. Whiteley moved his family from the northeastern Lower Peninsula to Dowagiac in 1915 in order to buy into and manage the Dowagiac Daily News. The building is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Harry H. Whiteley (1882-1957) used his successful Dowagiac newspaper and his position as member of the Michigan Senate (1923-26) and the Michigan Conservation Commission (1927-48) to shape Michigan’s public land policy. He advocated for Warren Dunes and many other state parks. Sara Ethel (1882-1975), a founding member of the Captain Samuel Felt Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, led the chapter’s efforts to honor veterans of World War II with a memorial highway and park.

Erected 2019 by Michigan Historical Commission - Michigan Historical Center. (Marker Number L2309.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic

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lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1897.

Location. 41° 59.094′ N, 86° 7.024′ W. Marker is in Dowagiac, Michigan, in Cass County. Marker is at the intersection of Main Street (Michigan Route 62) and North Lowe Street, on the left when traveling west on Main Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 Main St, Dowagiac MI 49047, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Dowagiac Civil War Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Willis M. Farr (approx. 0.2 miles away); Dowagiac World War II - Korean Conflict - Vietnam War Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); 19th Michigan Infantry Memorial (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Paul's Church / Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Dowagiac World War I Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dowagiac National Bank (approx. half a mile away); Beckwith Park (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dowagiac.

Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Garman, August 6, 2021

2. Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Marker

Criffield-Whiteley House and Historical Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Garman, August 6, 2021

3. Criffield-Whiteley House and Historical Marker

View from the corner of Main Street and North Lowe Street

Photographed By John Garman, August 6, 2021

4. Criffield-Whiteley House and Historical Marker

A view looking east on Main Street with North Lowe Street in the background.

Criffield-Whiteley House / Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Kathy Garman, August 6, 2021

5. Criffield-Whiteley House / Harry and Sara Ethel Whiteley Marker

A view looking north with the James E. Burke Park in the background.

National Register of Historic Places Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Lou Donkle, July 2, 2022

6. National Register of Historic Places Marker

Criffield-Whiteley House, 601 Main Street, has been listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior 1897-1898

Credits. This page was last revised on July 26, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 15, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 212 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on October 15, 2021, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. 6. submitted on July 26, 2022, by Lou Donkle of Valparaiso, Indiana. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.