Eastern Michigan | Central Michigan | Western Michigan | Northern Michigan | U.P.

Western Michigan History Events

(Click to View Western Michigan History Exhibits)

• February 4: Coopersville

  Visit their website

  The Coopersville Area Historical Society will hold a meeting on Thursday, February 4th beginning at 7 pm. The program will focus on an industry that once was an important segment of commerce in West Michigan, but today, its presence is hardly remembered. Historical Society member and researcher, Dave Kindem, will give a presentation on "The Charcoal Kilns and Iron Production in West Michigan." Dave's show will include interesting photos. His presentation is an informative look at a special part of West Michigan history which is unfamiliar to so many of us.

• February 9: Grand Rapids

  Visit their website

  The Grand Rapids Public Library presents the lecture "Michigan's Abolitionist Army." From the beginning of the 19th century, Michigan became a transit point for fugitives escaping from slavery. A veritable network of safe houses, sanctuaries, vigilance communities and traveling escorts developed throughout the state and gradually grew into a powerful Underground Railroad and Abolitionist Army. This Michigan network was so successful that their resistance was often cited in Congress as the debate raged for passing a new Fugitive Slave law. Professor Veta Smith Tucker will introduce the audience to the people and places involved in Michigan's stand against slavery. Free and open to the public.

• February 10: Douglas

  Visit their website

  Join the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society on Wednesday, February 10, to "Tell Your Story." At this historical society meeting, you are the program! This program will take place at 7 pm at the Old School House. For more information, visit their website.

• February 13: Coloma

  Visit their website

  Join the North Berrien Historical Society for their Victorian Valentines Party. Enjoy festive games and refreshments. Be inspired by our collection of historic valentines and then create your own to take home! Visit their website for more information.

• February 16: Grand Rapids
  Veteran historian and best-selling author Ron White will emphasize that Lincoln was our most likable major president in the program "A. Lincoln, A Biography." Dr. White stresses that Lincoln was an experienced politician, popular throughout Illinois, and known to national leaders. For more info on White and program details, please visit allpresidents.org. The event is free; the lessons are priceless. Because space is limited, please call the Ford Museum to reserve your seat at (616) 254-0400.

• February 16: Grand Rapids

  Visit their website

  For over 30 years Mary Edmond's personal mission has been to contribute to the awareness and understanding of African American history as an integral part of American history. The presentation "I + We = Us: Preserving and Sharing African American History" is a result of her research and work to uncover African American history in the state of Michigan and right here in Grand Rapids. She will also share the results of her latest effort to research her own family genealogy. Free and open to the public.

• March 4: Coopersville

  Visit their website

  The Coopersville Area Historical Society will host a meeting at 7 pm on March 4, featuring author Steve Lehto. Steve will discuss his newest book, a biography of Douglas Houghton, and will bring along copies for signing and sale. This event is free and open to the public; light refreshments will be served.

• March 10: Douglas

  Visit their website

  Join the Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society on Wednesday, March 10, for their program "Other Female Artists of the Saugatuck-Douglas Area." Artists to discuss include: Olive Williams, Mabel Wheelock, Minnie Harms Neebe, Elsa Ulbricht, Dorothy Helmuth and Christiana Ackermann Hoerman. For more information, visit their website.

• March 16: Grand Rapids

  Visit their website

  As a child did you have a secret desire to drive a blue roadster and explore haunted mansions? Did the words "mystery" and "clue" give you're a tingle of excitement? Then you were probably a girls mystery series fan. Girl mystery series books have been widely read and remain extremely popular today. Using examples from her extensive collection of Nancy Drew, Dana Girls, Judy Bolton and Trixie Belden books, Patricia Bravender, in the program "Sisters, Schoolgirls and Sleuths: The Secrets of Girl Detectives," will talk about classic girl mystery series published during the golden age (1930s-1960s). Today, series books for girls are not scorned by studied. Scholarly sleuths are uncovering the mystery of why we found them so compelling and the secret of how they may have influenced generations of American girls. Free and open to the public.

• March 24: Grand Rapids

  Visit their website

  The Grand Rapids Public Library presents "Sojourner Truth in Michigan" as part of their Women's History Month series. Already a recognized speaker on the antislavery, civil rights and woman's rights circuits, Sojourner Truth (1797-1886) relocated to Michigan in 1857. Augmenting her reputation as a "doer of the Word" in Michigan during the Civil War, Reconstruction and its aftermath, Sojourner Truth was hailed in her own time as a "national landmark." She dedicated her life to "making the world better" and so captured the American imagination that her true-to-life deeds often compete with myth. Cornell university professor Margaret Washington will highlight Sojourner Truth's life and activities as one of Michigan's most famous citizens. Free and open to the public.

Western Michigan History Exhibits

• Nov. 20, 2009 - Nov. 2010: Grand Rapids

  Visit their website

  The Grand Rapids Public Museum has produced a new temporary exhibit, Amway: 50 Years of Helping People Live Better Lives, which will open November 20 in the Van Andel Museum Center. Part of life and industry in West Michigan for the past half-century, Amway is the creation of two entrepreneurs (Rich DeVos and Jay Van Andel) and their determination to convert dream into reality. The exhibit tells the story of these two men and the company they established together.
  
  Today, Amway is an international corporation specializing in health, beauty and home care products. In just 50 years, it has emerged as one of the leading direct selling companies in the world. And while the company operates globally, Amway's founding families continue to make generous and lasting contributions to the west Michigan area, supporting health and medical research, and numerous arts, education and cultural projects and institutions, including the Grand Rapids Public Museum. This exhibit is free with general museum admission.

• Mar. 2009 - Mar. 2011: St. Joseph

  Visit their website

  On March 27, 2009, The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center opened their exhibit Working Waterfronts: Planning and Preserving the Maritime Traditions of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. In November of 2009, this exhibit was honored with the Historical Society of Michigan's "Special Programs and Events" Award. During their visit, guests will enjoy not only a rich blend of images, artifacts and historical information, but the exhibit will also focus on the need to create awareness and dialogue regarding which historic structures and landscapes should be preserved and how to plan for future uses and preservation of the waterfront. Engaging feedback stations will give visitors the chance to record their thoughts on related issues. The exhibit will also serve as a model for other Great Lakes communities to address their own issues of maritime preservation and waterfront development. For more information, please call (269) 983-1191.

• Now Open: St. Joseph

  Visit their website

  Join the Heritage Museum and Cultural Center for their new exhibit, The French in North America/Les Français en Amerique du Nord: An Enduring Presence.Discover the history of the French empire in North America in a new, bilingual exhibit, focusing on the legacy of the French, from the 17th century fur trade to present-day culture, landscape, language, and politics. Take a look at artifacts from the archaeology project at Fort St. Joseph, on loan from the Fort St. Joseph Museum in Niles. French influence reached across the continent of North America. The French designed the cities of Montreal, Detroit, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. The exhibit includes a map identifying early French settlements and locations with French place names, extending to the West Coast. Even after British control of North America was established, French influence persisted in language, politics, arts, and cultural activities.
  
  This exhibit was developed by the Canadian Studies program at Western Michigan University, in recognition of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec by the explorer Samuel de Champlain in 1608. Admission to the exhibit is free. Visit the museum Tuesday - Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm.

• Now Open: St. Joseph

  Visit their website

  The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center presents 175 Years of Light: St. Joseph's Lighthouse Legacy. St. Joseph's lighthouses are perhaps the city's most recognizable landmarks, but the two that presently sit at the end of the north pier are only part of a long, lighthouse legacy. Since 1832, St. Joseph has had five different lighthouses, a lighthouse supply depot that served more than 100 lighthouses on Lake Michigan, and a keeper's dwelling which still stands today. Along with photos, 175 Years of Light features small collection items, such as a hat worn by one of St. Joseph's last lighthouse keepers, Ferdinand Ollhoff, as well as a brass button from his uniform. Also included are several objects which commemorate the lighthouses. St. Joseph holds a distinctive place in maritime history as the only city in Michigan with two surviving lighthouses, a restored catwalk, a U.S. lighthouse Supply Depot, and a lighthouse keeper's dwelling. Admission to the exhibit is free and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 am - 4 pm. The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center is located at 601 Main Street, St. Joseph. Please call (269) 983-1191 for more information.

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