We would like to thank Susie Stafford from the Mackinaw Area Historical Society for sharing the story of Heritage Village.  This is part of an ongoing series in which we are saying “thank you” to our customers.

In partnership with the Village of Mackinaw City, the Mackinaw Area Historical Society is well on its way in the development of Heritage Village.  On approximately 43 acres of land just 1½ miles west of Mackinaw City, visitors can enjoy:

An 1880’s Mackinaw City Pest (Pestilence) House, which was a quarantine house, and we believe is one of the few original ones still standing, if not the only one, in the state of Michigan

An 1880’s one-room school house from the community of Freedom, a few miles east of Mackinaw City

a restored Log Farmhouse built about 1883 by Christian Detweiler; a farmer, carpenter and Mennonite minister

The sawmill that cut the logs for the locks at Sault Ste. Marie right after the turn of the 20th century

A fully restored 1897 Zion Evangelical Church from Brutus, ready for life celebrations

A replication of a prominent family’s farm, the Stimpson Homestead, with many of the furnishings from that family

A vintage tarpaper work shack

A machine shed featuring many of the tools used to support jobs in our era such as for lumbering, ice making and farming

A replica of an Anishinaabe wigwam; many of that tribe fished, farmed and hunted in the Straits area during the summer months

A community garden

A community pavilion for picnicking for our visitors

An artifacts building which will house a vintage delivery truck in the near future

A vintage base ball field (yes it was two words back then)

Discovery nature trails

Heritage Village’s period is from 1880 through 1917, a time of unparalleled changes in lighting, transportation, communication, housing, health care and nearly every other aspect of Straits-area living. It also reflects an era from which a precious few buildings are still standing, and stories told by parents, grandparents and great grandparents abound. You may visit the village any day and use our Oncell tour. For more information on our buildings and attractions use our Audio Tour by dialing 231.486.0003 and keying in stops 201 – 213.  For tours conducted by docents, we are open from Memorial Day through Labor Day on Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

The Mackinaw Area Historical Society offers lively local monthly programs featuring informative presentations on historically significant topics. Please check our website at www.MackinawHistory.org for more information about our buildings, lectures and yearly festivities.

Photo credits:  MAHS Web site, http://mackinawhistory.org