Donald Arthur Price (1900-1974) Autobiography

Autobiography of Donald Arthur Price

Nickname - Don.....

Chief occupation or profession - Salesman and commercial artist.....
Date of birth - October 29, 1900.....
Birthplace - Denver, Colorado.....
First came to Michigan - 1904, to live in February, 1934.....
Father’s name - James Lincoln Price.....
Mother’s maiden name - Minnie Pearl Main.....
Sister - Isadora Minerva Sallows, 351 Spring Street, Harbor Springs,Michigan.....
Education - Lansing Public Schools and High School.....
Married - Dorothy Andrus Crane in Lansing, Michigan - February 9, 1922.....
Children      Donna                  Patricia          James           Dorothy
                   Harbor Springs     Petoskey       Los Gatos    Petoskey
                                                                    California

                There are several reasons for my life being molded as it is; love of outdoor living, love of nature, and because of my great love of pioneers (traditionally, Daniel Boone was a distant relative of mine, so all my life has had a strong influence on me), concentrated influence because of my great love of the West and the Colorado Rockies around me, and Denver (my friends called me “Denver Don,” “The Colorado Kid,” and “Rocky Mountain Red”).

                Arranged as near chronologically as possible, the foregoing and following constitute my autobiography.
                Five states lived in: Colorado, Michigan, California, Florida, Maine

                chronologically

                Newspaper carrier - Lansing State Journal - as a boy

                Newspaper press room - Lansing State Journal - as a boy

                Factory worker (1916 vacation time) - Novo Engine, Lansing Auto-Body

                Bank clerk and teller (youngest in Lansing) 1916

                L. C. Smith Typewriter repairman

                Clerk, Ann Arbor Railroad - Owosso

                Insurance Salesman - Owosso

                Shiawassee County Credit Bureau - Adjuster - Owosso

                Banks worked for in chronological order:
                                Lansing State Savings Bank
                                Capital National Bank - Lansing
                                Security Trust and Savings Bank, Los Angeles, California

                Head of savings department - Capital National Bank

                All advertising - Capital National Bank

                President of “Friendly Service Club” (All employee organization)

                Life insurance salesman - John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance Co.,     Flint, Owosso, Los Angeles

                Commercial artist - Hollywood and Los Angeles - Employed by Lee H. Green, Inc., Lee H. Green was chief art instructor “Otis Art Institute” in Los Angeles

                Commercial artist - Self - free lance plus gold mining

                Emmet County Graphic - Salesman, editorial, and office

                Petoskey Gas Co. - Salesman and meter reader

                Petoskey Electric Co. - Salesman

                Montgomery Ward - Appliance salesman

                Gambles, Petoskey - Appliance salesman

                Montgomery Ward department head - Appliances - Tires - Furniture

From first trip to California in 1923, returned to Michigan, then to Miami, Florida.

                Real estate broker - (mostly colored)

                Keeler, Price, and Williams Realty Corporation owned sub-division in Nassau, B.W.I. - I was Vice President

Hurricane September 26, 1926 destroyed business - returned to Michigan (Owosso).

Moved from California to Bangor, Maine 1932. Worked as salesman and commercial artist - worked for Bangor Gas Light Company then moved to Harbor Springs where we arrived in February, 1934 coldest winter, 56° below in Bangor and 34° below in Harbor Springs when we arrived.

Miscellaneous activities of my lifetime:

                Built log cabins on gold claim in Trinity National Forest.....

                Many promotional activities for Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce - including development of Scenic Shore Drive, factory sites in town in Harbor Springs, Harbor development.....

                Many speeches for benefit of Townsend Plan (many miles traveled).....

                Marking Shore Drive routes (arrows and signs) Harbor Springs.....

                Sang for nine years Bay View Assembly Chorus.....

                Sang as boy soprano (early youth in southern Michigan).....

                to soloist (bass) in northern Michigan.....

                First-prize winning Christmas windows from Garden Club three years.....

                Planned development of garden and yard and designed picture-window kitchen and dining room, plus remodeling house.....

                Did considerable boxing working out with professionals 1924-1926.....

                Played sand-lot baseball and football as a teenage boy.....

                Grade school track - fastest in lightweight tryouts (never competed in sports only as a cheerleader - seventh grade).....

                Member of First Presbyterian Church.....

                Choir singer, Petoskey and Harbor Springs, thirty-five years continuous.....

                No military service - too young for World War I, too old for World War II.....

                Member Emmet County Democratic Committee for many years.....

                Secretary of Harbor Springs Chamber of Commerce for two years.....

                Branch Manager, Secretary of State of Michigan in Petoskey for five years.....

                Member many years S.P.E.B.S.Q.S.A. [Barber Shop Quartet Society of America] (president of Petoskey chapter).....

                Member of “Centennial Quartet” for 1952 Petoskey Centennial consisting of Harold Gidley, A. T. Washburne, Charles Bailey, and myself.....

                President of Petoskey Softball League for two years.....

                President of Townsend Club in Harbor Springs