DEXTER, MI -
Band and crowd at dedication of Civil War Memorial Village Park, 1898 or 1899 (Bentley Historical Library.
To educate and inspire community engagement in the preservation
and presentation of area history.
Are you curious about a house or building or an early pioneer?
First published in 1941, the issues of the WCHS newsletter Impressions digitized and online.
February News
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the office of the Washtenaw County Historical Society and The Museum on Main Street are temporarily closed to the public for the safety of visitors, staff and volunteers.
"Collaboration is not about glueing together existing egos.
It's about the ideas that never existed until after everyone entered the room."
Re-imagining
500 N. Main Street
February brings a unique opportunity to the Museum on Main Street. We are re-imagining the best way to use the second floor of the museum.
To make space for the Pauline V. Walters High Density Storage System in 2020, some items had to be moved from the basement to the first floor. The new unit is beautiful and artifacts from the collection are being processed
and re-housed.
Many of the items moved are used for exhibits but not part of the collection. Our goal in the next few weeks is to re-organize the second floor offices, work space and conference room.
What's Next on the Menu at the Museum on Main Street? - Breakfast!
The International Museum of Dinnerware Design’s Fourth Biennial Juried Exhibition is April 10 – August 28, 2021 at the Museum on Main Street. If not live, it will be virtual.
It's all about celebrating the first meal of the day, breakfast. This juried exhibition showcases the best in contemporary breakfastware. Everything from functional cereal bowls, toast racks, batter bowls, syrups, toasters, egg cups, shirred egg servers, juicers, butter dishes, coffee pots, tea pots, or related breakfast paraphernalia, or a sculptural work relating to breakfast
The International Museum of Dinnerware Design is the only museum in the world devoted to the subject of dinnerware, international in scope, no material limitations, including functional ware, ancient to futuristic, and fine art referencing dinnerware.
JOIN, DONATE or RENEW - 2021
For 163 years membership dues and donations (private and public) have been, and continue to be our most essential financial support. When you join the Washtenaw County Historical Society your contributions allow all of our exhibits and programs to remain free and open to the public. Your contributions helped fund a mew high density storage unit for collections and to maintain the largest artifact we have in the collection - the house that serves as the Museum on Main Street.
Congratulations to the Salem Area Historical Society
The 2020 Pauline Walters Memorial Award winner was the Salem Area Historical Society. The award will be used to create story boards that will recall “stories from the 1800’s and early 1900’s about the farming community and families of Salem Township.” The panels will be displayed in the Dickerson Barn, which is part of the Jarvis Stone School Historic District.
Pauline Walters Memorial Award
This award grants financial support to an individual or
organization that fulfills our mission to educate and inspire our community to engage in the preservation and presentation of Washenaw County history.
The award was established in memory and honor of Pauline who served the Society for many years in various capacities from board member to President. From the moment the Museum opened she was present every weekday. Pauline truly loved history, helping people, volunteering and the Museum on Main Street.The maximum award amount is $500. A link to apply online for toe 2021 award will be posted in the Spring.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the office of the Washtenaw County Historical Society and The Museum on Main Street are temporarily closed to the public for the safety of visitors, members, staff and volunteers.
But the work of the Society continues. Our mission is to educate and inspire our community to engage in the preservation and presentation of area history.
The Washtenaw County Historical Society believes that history has a powerful impact when it connects the people, events, places, stories and ideas of the past with people, events, places, stories and ideas of today.
"Women on the Warpath" B-24 Liberator - 1943 In January of 1940, the Roosevelt administration asked Ford Motor Company to manufacture components for the B-24 Liberator bomber. Charles Sorensen, Vice-President of Production for Ford traveled to San Diego to observe Consolidated Aircraft's operations. On that visit he conceived the Willow Run bomber plant that eventually manufactured 8,800 of the B-24 Liberator bombers.
On November 5th, 1962, Martin Luther King, Jr. visited the University of Michigan. Photographs were taken of his historic and only visit to the U-M visit but were never printed or published and his visit was soon forgotten.
In 2012, the photos negatives of his long ago visit that resided in the U-M's Bentley Historical Library were digitally scanned and converted to positive images then brought to the attention of the public via the Michigan Daily. Read more...
On February 12, 1968, 1,300 Black sanitation workers in Memphis began a strike to demand better working conditions and higher pay.
Their stand marked an early fight for financial justice for workers of color as part of the civil rights movement. The strike also drew Martin Luther King, Jr. and fatefully became the setting for his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech and his assassination.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Hill Auditorium
We Miss
Seeing You...
Our museum is closed but our website is always open.Voicemails and emails are answered. We can't wait until we are all safe enough to open our doors and welcome you back.
The Washtenaw County
Historical Society
P.O Box 3336
Ann Arbor, MI 48106-3336
734-662-9092 wchs-500@ameritech.net
The Museum on Main Street
500 N. Main Street - Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-662-9092 wchs-500@ameritech.net
The Argus Museum
525 West William - Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-769-0770 cchidester@onealconstruction.com
(L) Unidentified subject of Ann Arbor photographer Obadiah A. Kelley, David V. Tinder Collection of Michigan Photography
(R) Daniel L. Quirk Jr. started the “Ypsilanti Players” in 1915 and played many roles during the early years of the theatre,, (Ypsilanti Historical Society)