Oct. 6, 2006

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries today announced the upcoming dedication schedule for Michigan's seven newest historical markers, with ceremonies taking place through early November from Macomb County all the way to the Upper Peninsula.  The markers detail high points of Michigan's heritage, including the women's suffrage movement, the Christmas Tree Ship and the lumbering era.

"This collection of sites perfectly illustrates the breadth of our state's historic resources as well as the uniquely Michigan stories that powerfully connect our past to the present," said William Anderson, director of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.  "The Michigan Historical Marker program provides tangible reminders of the people, places and events that shaped the world we know today."

Scheduled dedications are as follows:

Sunday, Oct. 8, following the 11 a.m. service:  First Methodist Episcopal Church (First United Methodist Church, 275 W. Michigan Ave. at the corner of Blackstone, Jackson.  For details call the church at (517) 787-6460.  Some of Jackson's most prominent citizens attended the monumental Neo-Gothic style church built in 1922.  The present church encompasses an earlier structure constructed in 1868.

Saturday, Oct. 14, 2 p.m.:  Hillside/Mary Miller, 224 W. Prospect St., Marshall.  For details call the Marshall Historical Society, (269) 781-8544.  Built in 1843, Hillside was later home to Mary Miller, an outspoken suffragette and an early leader in the Michigan League of Women Voters.

Sunday, Oct. 15, 1 p.m.:  Loren Andrus House, 57500 Van Dyke, north of 26 Mile Road, Washington, Macomb County.  For details call Suzy DiPace at (586) 739-6184.  The Andrus House is Michigan's most elaborate Octagon house.  During the 1940s and 1950s the house and farm served students of Wayne State University's agriculture science program.

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2 p.m.:  Christmas Tree Ship/Thompson, US-2, Lake Michigan shoreline, Thompson, Schoolcraft County.  For details call Laurie Jasmin at (906) 341-6338.  During the late 19^th and early 20th centuries Thompson bustled with the activities of seven lumber companies.  The town was the last port of call for the "Christmas Tree Ship," Rouse Simmons, which sank in 1912 after departing for Chicago loaded with evergreens.

Sunday, Oct. 29, 1 p.m.:  Hartland Burying Ground, 1312 Avon St (NW corner of Avon and Henry streets), Hartland.  For details call Barbara Anderson at (810) 632-5888.  Twenty-four Civil War veterans are interred in the Hartland Burying Ground.  The cemetery displays a wide variety of grave markers popular during the Victorian era.  The oldest grave dates from 1840.

Sunday, Nov. 5, 1 p.m.:  St. Clement Cemetery, between Van Dyke, Lorraine, 10 Mile and I-696 in Center Line.  A walk through St. Clement Cemetery is a walk through the ethnic history of Center Line.  The cemetery originated as the parish burial ground for St. Clement Catholic Church, whose members were of Belgian, German, Polish, French and Irish descent.  For details contact Gail Martin at (586) 359-1554.

Friday, Nov. 10, 5:30 p.m.:  the Grand Trunk Railroad Depot/Imlay City, 77 Main St., south of Third, Imlay City.  For details call the Imlay City Historical Society at (810) 724-1111.  When the Port Huron & Lake Michigan Railroad (later the Grand Trunk Western) cut through Imlay Township's forests in 1870, it transformed the settlement into a booming community.  The 1927 depot served until 1971.

The Michigan Historical Marker Program began in 1955.  Since then the Michigan Historical Commission has placed over 1,500 markers throughout the state.  The markers are paid for with donations from sponsors who submit application packages to the State Historic Preservation Office.  The Michigan Historical Commission determines the placement and wording of official state markers, which are the property of the State of Michigan.

The Michigan Historical Marker Program is administered by the State Historic Preservation Office.  To learn more about the marker program and registered historic sites, visit the State Historic Preservation Office Web site at www.michigan.gov/shpo.

The State Historic Preservation Office is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, part of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.  Dedicated to enriching quality of life and strengthening the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan heritage and fostering cultural creativity, the department also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office.

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