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Eastern Michigan Events

(Click to View Eastern Michigan History Exhibits)

• March 5: Clinton Twp.

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  On March 5 at 11 am and 1 pm, Jean Alicia Elster, author of "Who's Jim Hines?" - a fictionalized account for readers ages 8-12 about how the author's grandfather built a prosperous business during the depths of the Great Depression despite racism - highlights how oral histories were used in the book's research and writing. This presentation is part of a series of programs, And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression. Admission is free, although pre-registration at (586) 445-7348 is required. Visit their website to register online and for more information.

• March 6: Detroit

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  The Detroit Historical Society kicks off a year-long observance of the 50th Anniversary of the Dossin Great Lakes Museum with a symposium for maritime enthusiasts on Saturday, March 6 from 11 am - 4 pm. Guests will have a chance to meet maritime authors, divers and historians. The event will feature keynote speaker Robert Schultz, the author of We Were Pirates and The Madhouse Nudes, who will discuss Detroit's WWII submarine - the USS Tambor. The cost for the event is free thanks to the generous support of the Michigan Humanities Council. For more information or to register, please call (313) 833-1801 or visit their website.

• March 6: Clinton Twp.

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  On March 6 at 11 am, Philip Barrons, Macomb professor of humanities/film, introduces a screening of the 1967 film Bonnie & Clyde, followed by a discussion connecting the historical reality to the film, as well as the myth that has grown regarding these two characters since their deaths in May 1934. This presentation is part of a series of programs, And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression at the Lorenzo Cultural Center. Admission is free, although pre-registration at (586) 445-7348 is required. Visit their website to register online and for more information.

• March 7: Clinton Twp.

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  On March 7 at 2 pm, local award-winning author Richard Bak brings to life the Depression-era Detroit mayor Frank Murphy, known for his creative approach to addressing issues, including arranging for Detroiters to plant "thrift gardens" on empty city-owned lots, persuading industrialists to turn over empty factories for boardinghouses for the homeless and devising a plan allowing delinquent property owners to pay their taxes over a seven-year period. This presentation is part of a series of programs, And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression at the Lorenzo Cultural Center. Admission is free, although pre-registration at (586) 445-7348 is required. Visit their website to register online and for more information.

• March 7: Rochester

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  The Rochester-Avon Historical Society's 17th Annual Antique Appraisal Day will be held on Sunday, March 7th from noon to 4 pm at the Rochester Community House. Bring any and all antiques you wish to have appraised! Visit their website or call (248) 651-7526 for more information.

• March 7: Clinton Twp

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  Local award-winning author Richard Bak brings to life the Depression-era Detroit mayor, Frank Murphy, known for his creative approach to addressing issues, including arranging for Detroiters to plant "thrift gardens" on empty city-owned lots, persuading industrialists to turn over empty factories for boardinghouses for the homeless and devising a plan allowing delinquent property owners to pay their taxes over a seven-year period. This presentation is part of a series of programs, And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression at the Lorenzo Cultural Center. Admission is free, although pre-registration at (586) 445-7348 is required. Visit their website to register online and for more information.

• March 9: Berkley
  The Berkley Public Library presents Patrick Livingston, author of Summer Dreams: The Story of Boblo Island and Eight Steamboats: Sailing through the Sixties, who will speak about his books. The Boblo Island Amusement park, located on the Bois Blanc Island in the mouth of the Detroit River, is often referred to as Detroit's "Coney Island." The event will begin at 7 pm, and is free and open to the public.

• March 10: Detroit

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  Join Armando Delicato, author of Detroit's Corktown, as he discusses why the community is known as the sentimental heart of the Irish American community of metropolitan Detroit, and how the Irish Plaza on Sixth Street honors the city's Irish pioneers and their 600,000 descendents living in the region. Corktown is a diverse and proud community of African Americans, Hispanics, working class people of various national origins and a growing population of young urban pioneers. This program is hosted by the Detroit Historical Society. Tickets can be purchased on their website or by calling (313) 833-1801.

• March 11: Plymouth

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  Keith Wunderlich will present a talk on "The History of Vernor's Ginger Ale" on Thursday, March 11 at 7:30 pm at the Plymouth Historical Museum. Wunderlich has been an avid Vernor's Ginger Ale collector for 30 years. His website, "The Vernor's Ginger Ale Story," contains information about "Detroit's Drink." The talk will talk place during the Plymouth Historical Society's monthly meeting. Admission is free to the meeting and lecture. Refreshments are served following the meeting. For more information, call (734) 455-8940.

• March 12: Wyandotte

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  Sherry Huntington, President of the Downriver Genealogical Society, will be the Wyandotte Historical Society's featured speaker for their March program. This year the Downriver Genealogical Society is celebrating its 30th anniversary, so we hope you will join us for some fascinating information on how you can trace your family tree. For more information, visit their website.

• March 13: Clinton Twp

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  Author Paul Kavieff will cover the Purple Gang in Detroit, a mob of bootleggers and hijackers in the 1920s and 30s. Kavieff's book focuses on organized crime in the Motor City between 1910 and 1945. This presentation is part of a series of programs, And Still They Prospered: Living Through the Great Depression at the Lorenzo Cultural Center. Admission is free, although pre-registration at (586) 445-7348 is required. Visit their website to register online and for more information.

• March 15: Wixom
  The Wixom Historical Society presents "Model Car Collecting," which will be hosted by Nancy Bennett and Pat Young. For more information about the event and about the Wixom-Wire House Museum, call (248) 624-4557.

• March 15: Flushing

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  Join the Flushing Area Historical Society for their March meeting, which will feature speaker Dakota Star tracing the life of Gen. George Custer from his birth in New Rumley, Ohio in 1839 to his misfortune at Little Big Horn in 1876. Few people know that Custer attended school, fell in love, and had his favorite horse buried in Monroe County, Michigan. Come to the meeting and learn more amazing facts about the legendary General! This program is free, and light refreshments will be served.

• March 15: Washington Twp.

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  The Ray Township Historical Society will host its monthly meeting on Monday, March 15, at 7:00 pm, at the Ray Township Senior Center. Light refreshments will be served. The evening's program will feature a "Show and Tell" with antique appraisals by Sue Kane, a local antique specialist. Attendees may receive an optional personal verbal appraisal for $3 for one item; $5 for two items (limit). No weapons, please. The evening will support the ongoing restoration of the historic 1827 Lee Cemetery on Wolcott Road. The Society's 2010 calendar, featuring several historical homes in the Township, will be available for purchase at the meeting. For more information about the Historical Society, visit their website or telephone (586) 784-9221.

• March 16: Roseville

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  The Roseville Historical and Genealogical Society hosts Mark Nowotarski for an entertaining and informative program on the Detroit River mailboat J.W. Westcott. Since 1874 the J. W. Westcott Co. has served the Great Lakes waterways delivering not only mail but personnel, pilots, goods, machinery and even pizza! The Westcott is the only non-military ship in the world with its own zip code. Join us for a viewing of the documentary film that aired on Channel 56. Free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served. The program takes place in the Erin Auditorium of the Roseville Public Library, beginning at 7 pm.

• March 16: Caro

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  The Watrousville-Caro Area Historical Society will meet at 7:30 pm, Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at the Juniata Township Hall. Fairgrove resident, Roma Lee Campbell, will reminisce about the "County Poor Farm" that was and still is located in Indianfields Township; now known as the Tuscola County Medical Facility. There will be light refreshments served and the public is invited. No admission will be charged.

• March 17: Grosse Pointe

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  The Grosse Pointe War Memorial and Grosse Pointe Historical Society present local historians and authors Suzy Berschback and Ann Marie Aliotta for a program celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, designed by New York architect Charles A. Platt. The war memorial is a local, state and national historic site. A book signing will follow the talk. Free and open to the public. The event takes place at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial, and will begin at 7:30 pm.

• March 18: Detroit
  The Marygrove College Institute for Detroit Studies presents an evening highlighting recent Detroit fiction as part of their Defining Detroit series. Authors Peter Markus ("Bob, or Man on Boat"), Susan Messer ("Grand River and Joy"), and Michael Zadoorian ("The Lost Tiki Palaces of Detroit") will read from their works and sign copies of their books. Free and open to the public. The program takes place in the Alumnae Hall of the Madame Cadillac Building.

• March 19-20: Dearborn

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  Michigan in Perspective: The Local History Conference will be held at the Dearborn Inn. Sponsored and operated by the Historical Society of Michigan and with major sponsors the Detroit Public Library, Detroit Historical Society and Detroit Salt Company, this 52-year-old conference features a full slate of keynote speakers, breakouts, exhibitors, meals and more which focus on a wide variety of topics. Areas of focus include Detroit area and Michigan history, archives, historic preservation, genealogy, oral history, women's history and much more. For more information and to register visit www.hsmichigan.org or call (800) 692-1828.

• March 20: Troy

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  The Troy Historical Museum presents an afternoon of lively Irish music courtesy of the Detroit Irish Music Association. Come to listen, or if you play, join the fun! Their casual acoustic music will warm your spirit. Free with museum admission; refreshments provided.

• March 20: Detroit
  Celebrate Authors Series: Susan Messer and Grand River and Joy, Saturday, March 20, 2010, 2 pm. The Detroit Public Library hosts Susan Messer who will read and discuss her novel Grand River and Joy (University of Michigan Press, 2009). The program takes place at the Douglass Branch located at 3666 Grand River near Martin Luther King Boulevard.

• Mar. 21: Saline

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  Join the Saline Area Historical Society for their second winter education program, "The History of Fire Fighting," at the Saline District Library. Matt Lee, Director of the Michigan Firehouse Museum in Ypsilanti, will be the afternoon's speaker. His topic is FIRE: the evolution of fire fighting, fire safety, and little known fire facts. For example, he will ask us whether we know that running boards were first used on fire engines?; why Dalmatian dogs were used by fire fighters?; that the saying, "he carried a torch for her," was fire terminology? These, and other interesting facts will be explored in depth by our speaker, Matt Lee. This program is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served. For more information, visit their website.

• Mar. 21: Ypsilanti

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  The Washtenaw County Historical Society presents their March program, "the Restoration of 1526 Pontiac Trail," a lecture by painter and preservationist, Pat McCauley, on the history of his 1840s house and the restoration that won him a Rehabilitation Award from the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission. Free and open to the public. For more information, visit their website.

• March 21: Green Oak

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  Join the Green Oak Township Historical Society for their March Membership meeting. Following a potluck supper at 2 pm (bring your favorite dish to pass!), there will be a program on Historic Districts in Green Oak, as well as a Home Tour of the Dean Marentay Historic District. For more information, visit their website.

• March 22: Grand Blanc

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  The Grand Blanc Heritage Association and Museum presents its March General Meeting on Mar. 22 at 7 pm. Mary Moore, former player for the Springfield Sallies, will present the program "The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League." Light refreshments will follow the program, which is free and open to the public.

• March 23: Detroit
  Go back in time and relive Detroit's grand past in "Detroit: Then and Now," as you hear about newly restored and revitalized highlights, including Campus Martius, RiverWalk and the Book Cadillac Hotel. Learn about changes in the Historic Brush Park, Eastern Market district, and more as you take a slide show tour of some of the best of Detroit, then and now. You'll leave with maps and other information so you can enjoy more sightseeing in Detroit. $20 fee; a $3 materials fee is payable to instructor Linda Yellin, a Detroit supporter and owner of "Feet On The Street Tours." The program takes place at the Birmingham Community House. For more information and class registration information, vist communityhouse.com.

• March 25: Novi
  The Novi Public Library hosts Susan Whithall, music critic for the Detroit News, who speaks about her book "The Women of Motown," and her experiences as the first editor-in-chief of a rock music magazine (similar to Rolling Stone)and her latest book on a legendary Detroit musician. Free and open to the public, begins at 7 pm. Registration requested; call (248) 224-4211 or visit novi.lib.mi.us.

• March 27: Detroit
  Join in celebrating the 160th Birthday of the historic Trinity Lutheran Church on Saturday, March 27, at 6:30 pm. Since 1850, Historic Trinity Lutheran has stood tall as a beacon of hope and inspiration. Members will decorate 12 tables in each month's theme and provide a decorated birthday cake for the month. There will be additional food and beverages. For more information, visit historictrinity.org.

• March 27: Dundee

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  The Genealogical Society of Monroe County, Michigan presents their 33rd Annual Spring Seminar at Monroe County Community College. Sessions include "Untrodden Ground: Sources You May Not Have Encountered," "Major Midwestern Archives and their Records," "New York State: The Changing Face of the Modern Era," and "Newspaper Research: The Dailies, Weeklies, and Beyond." For more information or to register, email larry@dundee.net or call (734) 529-2216.

• March 28: Detroit
  The Friends of Freer House host Dr. Thomas Brunk for a presentation of art collector Charles Lang Freer and his patronage of Mary Chase Perry Stratton and her Pewabic Pottery at 2 pm on Sunday, March 28. A reception follows the program. Tours of Freer House will be available. Tickets are $10, $5 for students, and free to FOFH members. RSVP required; contact Rose Foster at (313)872-1790 or rmfoster@wayne.edu.

• April 7: Lincoln Park

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  The Lincoln Park Historical Society will hold its General Meeting on Wednesday, April 7 at 7 pm. The featured speaker will be Father Gerard Bechard, a Titanic historian from Westland. Fr. Bechard will talk about his life-long interest in the Titanic, and will share little-known facts as well as items from his personal collection. Light refreshments will be served.

• April 17: Gagetown

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  The Friends of the Thumb Octagon Barn will hold its Annual Meeting Banquet and Auction on Saturday, April 17, at the VFW Hall. The evening will begin at 5 pm with a social hour, during which guests can mingle as well as peruse the items for both the silent auction and the traditional auction. A buffet dinner prepared by McDonald's Food and Family Center will be served at 6 pm. Following the dinner, there will be a short business meeting including the election of officers and other official proceedings. The auctions will begin after the meeting; it is requested that attendees donate a special item for auction. The deadline for reservations is April 3, 2010; for more information, visit their website or call (989) 872-2658.

• April 18: Rochester

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  Rochester-Avon Historical Society invites you to attend a "Rochester Area Oral History Preservation Extravaganza!" A Committee formed of RAHS members has been diligently working for some time to interview, transcribe, and preserve the voices of the community. Join them in learning more about this project. This event will take place at the Rochester Hills Public Library.

• April 24: Detroit
  Owners and prospective owners of historic homes will have the unique opportunity to participate in one-stop shopping with Metro-Detroit area home repair/preservation specialists. Pre-screened specialists with knowledge and experience of the needs of historic homes (including masonry repair and restoration, interior and exterior painting, roofing, plumbing, landscaping, and more) will exhibit their expertise at the 7th Home Preservation Fair presented by the Historic Boston Edison Association. The 2010 Home Preservation Fair will be held at Sacred Heart Major Seminary; free and secure parking is provided via the Linwood entrance. The Fair begins at 12 noon and concludes at 5:00 pm. Admission to the Fair is free to the general public. For additional information, visit HistoricBostonEdison.com.

• May 13-15: Ann Arbor

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  The Michigan Historic Preservation Network's 30th Annual Statewide Preservation Conference - "Celebrating Sustainable Communities" - will take place at UM's historic Michigan League. Over 400 individuals, peopel in private business, architects and planners, preservation professionals, elected and appointed community officials, government staff, and those doing hand-on work iwth historica buildings are expected. For more information visit their website.

• May 18: South Lyon

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  The South Lyon Area Historical Society will be hosting a discussion on the development and construction of the South Lyon Area Historical Village, led by Norm Sanders, former President of the Society and current member of the South Lyon Historical Commission. The meeting will begin at 7:30 pm in the Witch's Hat Freight House. All are invited to attend, and light refreshments will be served. For more information, call (248) 437-9929.

• May 22: Detroit

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  Historic Detroit Motor Coach Tour
  
  Leave the driving to us and join the Historical Society of Michigan for an educational tour of the historic city of Detroit. Registration includes motor coach transportation, guide services, admission fees, lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe, taxes and gratuities. Non-member registration also includes one-year HSM membership.
  
  Explore Michigan's largest city with educator Dr. Jim McConnell, who will lead participants on an enjoyable journey through Detroit's 300-year past. Guests will travel to downtown Detroit to walk the grounds where Cadillac founded the city in 1701, hear about the Great Fire of 1805, and learn how the Woodward Plan shaped the modern city. Other tour highlights include seeing key locations from the early years of Ford Motor Company and driving through the Downtown area. Additional tour sites include the New Center area, Historic Corktown, Midtown and the vibrant Cultural Center. Areas of special interest include the birthplaces of Motown and the Model T. Guests will enjoy lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in the Compuware Building, next to Campus Martius.
  
  Tour leaves at 8:00 am from northeast corner of the Northville Meijer parking lot located at 20401 Haggerty Rd, Northville, Michigan, 1/4 mile west of I-275. Return time is approximately 4:00 pm. To register, click here.

Eastern Michigan History Exhibits

• Coming Soon: Detroit

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  Fabulous 5: Detroit's Beloved Sports Coaches tells the stories of five people who not only are true luminaries of their respective games, they also earned a place in our hearts. Those featured include George "Sparky" Anderson, who managed the Detroit Tigers for 16 seasons, Scotty Bowman, the most successful coach in National Hockey League history, the late Chuck Daly, who guided the Detroit Pistons for 14 seasons, the late Will Robinson, a local basketball coaching legend in the Detroit Public School League, and Dick Vitale, who coached at the University of Detroit from 1973 to 1977. This exhibit will open on March 13, and is the latest installment of the museum's popular Fabulous Five series. For more information, visit their website.

• Mar. 2 - Mar. 31: Belleville

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  The Belleville Area Museum, Western Wayne County Quilting Guild, and the Threads 'N Treasures Quilt Shop have teamed up to present Patches & Patterns: A Celebration of Quilts, a quilt exhibit at the Belleville Area Museum. During the month of March, over one hundred antique and contemporary quilts will be on display. The Museum will also feature special presentations throughout the month, focusing on different elements of quilting. The Museum is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Admission: $2. For additional information please call (734) 697-1944.

• Current - May 2010: Detroit
  Joe Louis: Hometown Hero, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History. Born the son of an Alabama cotton picker, Joe Louis, Known to many as the African-American heavyweight champion named the "Brown Bomber," fought against poverty throughout his life. Like Jesse Owens in the Berlin Olympic Games, on June 22, 1938, Joe Louis embodied American democracy versus Nazi intolerance and menace. His victory that day added fuel to the growing civil and human rights movements in the USA. Muhammad Ali said of Joe Louis, "I just give lip service to being the greatest. He was the greatest." The sportswriter, Jimmy Cannon, summed the Brown Bomber up best when he wrote, "He was a credit to his race - the human race." Joe Louis' life is proof that we all can coexist! For more information, visit their website.

• Feb. 2 - Jun. 5: Birmingham

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  The Sole of Birmingham: History of Sherman Shoes exhibit will open at the Birmingham Historical Museum & Park on February 2, 2010 and runs through June 5, 2010. (Museum Hours: Wednesdays-Saturdays, 1-4 pm) The exhibition explores and chronicles the founding of a family owned shoe business first in Detroit, and later its expansion in 1957 into Birmingham and the entire Metro-Detroit area. The exhibit features historic photographs, memorabilia, and vintage shoes from D. Larry Sherman's personal collection. A size 23 Converse All-Star shoe worn by Detroit Pistons great Bob Lanier will be part of the display. For more information, visit their website.

• Jan. 28 - Aug. 15: Dearborn
  The Arab American National Museum presents its new exhibit . "Coffee culture" as we know it today has come a long way from its origins in the Arab World. Many myths surround the discovery of this fascinating beverage, but it is coffee's Arab cultural roots that have generated the continuing social traditions, the coffeehouse and even some of the greatest intellectual achievements in human history. This exhibit explores the effects of coffee on the history of the Arab World and consequently, the rest of the world. Come sit down, share a cup (free coffee, tea or hot chocolate for all visitors) and learn about this amazing brew. In the Lower Level Gallery through August 15, 2010; free with Museum admission. For more information, visit their website: arabamericanmuseum.org.

• Now Open: Detroit

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  VeloCity: Detroit's Need for Speed, Detroit Historical Museum. Metro Detroiters have always had a love affair with speed and movement. Starting with French ponies and thoroughbreds and continuing through to motor sports and power boating, Detroiters have enjoyed pushing the envelope with respect to how fast they could go! This exhibit showcases the ways in which Detroiters have felt the need for speed on land, water and in the air, utilizing all possible forms of transportation, including bicycles, canoes, sailboats and powerboats, stock cars, motorcycles, formula one, marathons and airplanes. This exhibit is a dynamic visual slice of metro Detroit's spirit of adventure!

To submit information for Historical Happenings:

Mail information to:

The Historical Society of Michigan
1305 Abbot Rd.
East Lansing, MI 48823

or E-mail: hsm@hsmichigan.org or FAX: (517) 324-4370