Macomb County Historical Commission

Our mission is to procure, protect, preserve, and promote the historical resources and legacy of Macomb County, Michigan.

 

Large Attendance for Summer Events!

Maybe it’s the economy, the nice weather, or maybe good advertising, but the historical summer events of Macomb County have enjoyed good attendance. Many people are discovering that the historical treasures of Macomb County are as diverse and varied as our parks and beaches! The majority of the history ganizations of Macomb County are usually in attendance at Mt. Clemens’ Bath City Festival, and this year was no exception. One of the most prestigious history awards of Macomb County is the Alexander Macomb Award, which is awarded to an individual and organization each year at the Bath City Festival. This year’s group winner was General Motors, which is celebrating its 100th year anniversary in 2008. The individual award was claimed by Pat Hallman (first picture below), who is a veteran of almost all the historical groups of Macomb County, at one time or another! A special award was given to the Bellview Elementary School of
Eastpointe, for their creative ways of teaching elementary aged children about local history using such methods as a wax museum and schoolhouse visitations in costume. Congratulations to the winners! The opening banquet for the Bath City Festival was held at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital on North Avenue in Mt. Clemens (pictures 2 and 3). Formerly known as St. Joseph’s, they are one of the few entities left in Mt. Clemens that have the mineral baths. The history tent (pictures 4 and 7) featured a stage for the first time and featured historical and musical presentations (pictures 5 and 6) including Historic Commissioner Ray Glime with an original “slapstick,” and Acapella group from Sterling Heights.

 

 

Other popular summer historical events included the Voyagers Encampment in Metropolitan Beach (pictures 8,9, and 10 ), the Summer Train Rides from Joy Blvd. park to the Selfridge Museum (which were late getting going this year, they will have train rides until the last weekend of September, pictures 11 and 12). The Michigan Transit Museum sponsors the rides, they also store some of their railroad items at Selfridge
including some old Detroit streetcars (picture 13). The Eastpointe fire truck made it to a lot of events this year (picture 14). So did the Eastpointe mayor and Macomb Historical Commission chairperson Suzanne Pixley (left, picture 15). Bunert One-Room Schoolhouse (picture 16, with Historic Commission member Fred Gemmell) had many open houses this summer.

 

 

The theme for the Historical Commission's Activity Books 2008 is schoolhouses. The new activity book (pictured below) debuted at the Bath City Festival. There are also still a few activity books left from previous years. The book features a photo/essay contest for fourth-grade classes or groups. The contest requires participants to visit sites mentioned in the book, photograph them and write a short essay about their experiences. The first-place winner gets a certificate of recognition and a pizza party for his or her fourth-grade class or group. The second-place winner gets a certificate of recognition. Contact the Historical Commission at macombhistory@yahoo.com if you are interested in a copy for yourself, or if you are an instructor, fill out and mail the order form below.

 

 

Macomb County Historical Commission
Activity Book Order Form
Future plans for the historical commission's portion of Macomb County's website include a listing of historical speakers and a blog dedicated to local history. For submissions, please e-mail macombhistory@yahoo.com.

 

 

 

Alexander Macomb and Wife’s Gravesite Repaired
The namesake of Macomb County (and Macomb Township), General Alexander Macomb, was in the news recently when he was re-interred in the Congressional Cemetery in Washington, D.C. His remains, and those of his wife, Catherine, were disinterred in June, 2008 so that the brick lined burial vault beneath their 6 ton, 13- foot-tall marble monument could be repaired to prevent its impending collapse. A new base for the monument was installed. While the repairs were being completed, the couple's remains were kept at the Smithsonian and were viewed by several of the general's descendants. His great-great-great granddaughter was one of the relatives. After the $24,000 repairs were completed by the Department of Veterans
Affairs, their remains were reinterred on July 17, 2008.

 

 

The Michigan Heritage Route Statewide Conference will be held September 23- 25 in Traverse City. If interested, or need more information, please contact Deborah Schutt, Woodward Avenue Byway Coordinator, at 248-332-0326.

Here is a link to some recent grant information of possible use to historical groups:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/

 

The 134th Annual Meeting and State History Conference will be in Grand Rapids, Michigan and is hosted and sponsored by the Public Museum and the Grand Rapids Area Historical Society. The 2008 State History Conference is also sponsored by Meijer Inc. and Grand Valley State University.

 

There will still be lots of historical events going on in 2008!

For information on historical events in Macomb County, go to:
http://macombcountymi.gov/historicalcommission/historyblog.htm