April 29, 2005

The Michigan Historical Center today announced it has awarded $100,000 in grants to state and local historical organizations whose mission is to preserve or interpret Michigan’s history, or to make history available to the public.  The funds were made available through legislative appropriation.

“There is an incredible need within the local communities for funds to preserve and protect what they have.  A small grant to send a local volunteer to collections management training can make as much difference as a large grant to an organization working on a bricks-and-mortar project,” said Michigan Historical Center Director Sandra Clark.

Twenty-six projects will receive grants ranging from $274 to $10,000, the maximum available.  Clark noted that 145 applications were received, seeking more than $900,000 in funding.  Grants were available under several categories, including:  collections management and development; bricks and mortar; exhibit and education projects; regional/collaborative projects; marketing; consultant and planning services; and professional training.

Teams – comprised of historians, preservationists, archivists and museum collections and education specialists – scored the grant applications using a process that considered the importance of the project, the plan for accomplishing the project, community connections to the project and the likelihood that the project would take the organization to new levels of historic preservation, interpretation or service to its community.

The teams then compared information on the highest-scoring applications, discussed each application’s merits and made the final award decision.  According to MHC Director Clark, more than a quarter of the proposed projects were deemed excellent by the review teams, making decisions on how to allocate the limited funds very difficult.

Clark said the grants illustrate the extraordinary variety of work done by historical organizations.  “These funds will help restore the pilothouse on a Great Lakes freighter and a barn that played a role in the Underground Railroad.  They will preserve rare film of Isle Royale and the memories of veterans.  They will provide educational materials ranging from photo collections to a Red River Cart,” she said.  “Taken together, they will expand Michigan’s heritage resources and their contribution to our state’s tourism and its quality of life.”

Recipients of the 2005 grants (listed alphabetically by county and city) follow.  The full list of grant applicants and recipients is available at www.michiganhistory.org.

County:  Alger

City:  Grand Marais                                     

Grant Amount:  $2,000                                     

Project Type:  Exhibit and Education Project

Organization:  Grand Marais Historical Society

Project:  Saving and Displaying Grand Marais History

County:  Allegan                                    

City:  Douglas

Grant Amount:  $9,000                                     

Project Type:  Exhibit and Education Project

Organization:  Saugatuck Douglas Historical Society

Project:  "A Saugatuck Story" Video Kiosk Project

County:  Chippewa                                 

City:  Sault Ste. Marie

Grant Amount:  $8,000                                     

Project Type:  Consultant and Planning Services

Organization:  Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society

Project:  Historic Restoration Design Plan for Old Weather Bureau Building

County:  Emmet                                    

City:  Mackinaw City

Grant Amount:  $8,000                                     

Project Type:  Bricks and Mortar/Exhibit and Education

Organization:  Mackinaw Area Historical Society

Project:  Pest House Restoration

County:  Houghton                                 

City:  Houghton

Grant Amount:  $7,500                                     

Project Type:  Collections Management and Development

Organization:  Isle Royale Natural History Association

Project:  Isle Royale Historic Films

County:  Ingham                                    

City:  Lansing

Grant Amount:  $4,000                                     

Project Type:  Regional/Collaborative Project

Organization:  Michigan Museums Association

Project:  Professional Training for Museums & Historical Societies in Mackinaw City

County:  Iron                            

City:  Caspian

Grant Amount:  $8,000                                     

Project Type:  Bricks and Mortar

Organization:  Iron County Historical and Museum Society

Project:  Museum Research Center

County:  Kent                          

City:  Grand Rapids

Grant Amount:  $497                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Public Museum of Grand Rapids – Friends Foundation

Training:  2005 National Historic Landmark Owners and Stewards Workshop

County:  Kent                          

City:  Grand Rapids

Grant Amount:  $489                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Public Museum of Grand Rapids – Friends Foundation

Training:  Emiquon Birth Healing

County:  Leelanau                                  

City:  Empire

Grant Amount:  $8,000                                     

Project Type:  Bricks and Mortar

Organization:  Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear

Project:  Farmstead Buildings Restoration

County:  Luce                          

City:  Newberry

Grant Amount:  $500                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Luce County Historical Society

Training:  PastPerfect Museum Software Training

County:  Manistee                                  

City:  Manistee

Grant Amount:  $10,000                                   

Project Type:  Bricks and Mortar

Organization:  S.S. City of Milwaukee NHL

Project:  S.S. City of Milwaukee Aft Pilot House Restoration

County:  Monroe                                                            

City:  Milan

Grant Amount:  $375                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Milan Area Historical Society

Training:  MMA's ABCs of Museum Boot Camp

County:  Monroe                                    

City:  Monroe

Grant Amount:  $485                                        

Project Type:  Exhibit and Education Project

Organization:  Monroe County Historical Museum

Project:  Frontier Settlement Transportation Vehicle Exhibit “The Red River Cart”

County:  Oakland                                   

City:  Milford

Grant Amount:  $500                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Milford Historical Society

Training:  ABCs of Museum Boot Camp

County:  Oakland                                   

City:  Milford

Grant Amount:  $455                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Milford Historical Society

Training:  PastPerfect Museum Software Training

County:  Oakland                                   

City:  Pontiac

Grant Amount:  $2,000                                     

Project Type:  Consultant and Planning Services

Organization:  Michigan Genealogical Council

Project:  Pontiac Area Geneaological Resource Assessment & Preservation Project

County:  Otsego                                    

City:  Gaylord

Grant Amount:  $500                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Otsego County Historical Society

Training:  PastPerfect Museum Software Training

County:  Otsego                                    

City:  Otsego

Grant Amount:  $274                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Otsego Area Historical Society

Training:  PastPerfect Museum Software Training

County:  VanBuren                                 

City:  South Haven

Grant Amount:  $7,900                                     

Project Type:  Marketing

Organization:  Michigan Maritime Museum

Project:  Distinguishing Michigan as a Maritime Heritage Destination

County:  Washtenaw                              

City:  Ann Arbor

Grant Amount:  $8,000                                     

Project Type:  Bricks and Mortar

Organization:  Pittsfield Township Historical Society

Project:  Sutherland-Wilson Barn Restoration

County:  Washtenaw                              

City:  Ann Arbor

Grant Amount:  $3,500                                     

Project Type:  Regional/Collaborative Project

Organization:  Rotary Foundation of Ypsilanti

Project:  Veterans Video History Project

County:  Washtenaw                              

City:  Ypsilanti

Grant Amount:  $3,000                                     

Project Type:  Collections Management & Development

Organization:  Ypsilanti Historical Society

Project:  Digital Photo Archives Project

County:  Wayne                                     

City:  Dearborn

Grant Amount:  $500                                        

Project Type:  Professional Training

Organization:  Dearborn Historical Foundation

Training:  PastPerfect Museum Software Training

County:  Wayne                                     

City:  Detroit

Grant Amount:  $4,000                                     

Project Type:  Marketing

Organization:  Preservation Wayne

Project:  Preservation Wayne Website Redesign

County:  Wayne                                     

City:  Wyandotte

Grant Amount:  $2,525                                     

Project Type:  Collections Management & Development

Organization:  Wyandotte Historical Society

Project:  Collection Preservation Initiative

The Michigan Historical Center is an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for Michigan residents and strengthen the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity.  The department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/hal.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.