Jan. 21, 2009

The Michigan Historical Museum today announced that Martha Zemer of Owosso recently donated a family artifact - a piece of copper taken from the Upper Peninsula by Michigan pioneer Douglass Houghton and a letter detailing that the copper came from one of Houghton's trips to explore the area - to the museum's collection. Houghton, Michigan's first state geologist, called the nation's attention to the state's copper deposits in 1841.

"We deeply appreciate Mrs. Zemer sharing this family relic with our state's citizens through the Michigan Historical Museum," said Phil Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum system. "This unique piece of Michigan history will be a great addition to our copper mining exhibit." Kwiatkowski noted that the Zemer family was recognized for the contribution at a special ceremony at the museum on Jan. 17.

Zemer's great-grandfather, Douglass Houghton's grandson Edward Morgan, received the letter and piece of copper from his cousin, whose letter describes how she remembers her grandmother holding the piece of copper and talking about the time Houghton brought it home from the shore of Lake Superior.

Zemer said that the heirloom held an important place in her family, and that she remembers it always sitting by her father's dresser.

One of the main reasons Zemer said she chose to donate it to the Michigan Historical Museum - aside from the museum's proximity to family members who might want to come look at it - is that the museum has a fitting place for it in the copper mining exhibit, alongside Douglass Houghton's photo and biographical information. "It's where it should be," Zemer said.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing. The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission and weekend parking are free. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/museum.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries (HAL). Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity, HAL also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. For more information, visit www.michigan.gov/hal.

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