I'm not sure how popular this pastime is these days. I pretty much gave up gum chewing when it began to bother my teeth and their remaining razor-thin layer of enamel. I try the sugar-free variety once in a while, but I'm not a fan of the over-designed, European-style packaging.
But many years ago when I was a kid, I was a big fan of Beemans gum. It had a nice flavor and wasn't too sweet.
And the man who invented Beemans gum was a former resident of Wakeman, as explained in this article that appeared in the Friday, June 21, 1963 edition of the Journal.
"He signed his name, E. E. Beeman, M.D.
"For many years as a young doctor he was not too busy because people did not seek him out for treatment of their ailments.
"But he continued puttering in his small laboratory and found that a substance called pepsin, which was extracted from a pig's stomach, gave humans relief if they suffered from gastric ills.
"Doc Beeman admitted to friends that his fragrant bottle with the picture of a pig on the label, did not sell too well.
"Acting on the suggestion of a friend, Doc Beeman worked on a formula combining gum and pepsin and within a short time the Beeman Chemical Co. was launched to produce Beeman's Pepsin Chewing Gum."
The rest, as they say, was history. Beemans is still produced today (although it's not made in the U.S.) and is marketed as a nostalgic gum. Click here to visit the Gerrit J. Verburg Co. website to learn more about Beemans and where you can find it today.
But remember, it no longer contains pepsin – so you're on your own if you overindulge.
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By the way, it was fairly easy, thanks to Google Maps, to 'drive by' the former Beemans house in Wakeman, located on South River Street (State Route 60) just south of U. S. Route 20.
