The museum is packing its season this year with several new events, including ‘kiddy’ activities for Memorial Day, the Van Dyke Band performance in July, and a cemetery tour in September. That is in addition to its displays and speaker series (see separate stories) and three annual fundraisers—the plant sale in May and June, Hacienda Day in June, and the U.S. 12 Garage Sale the second full weekend in August.

First up: PLANTS

This season’s perennial plant sale will add new plants and color when it runs from May 19 through June 10. Several reblooming daylilies and multi-colored peonies will be featured this year along with traditional perennials, patio and cemetery pots, and more flowers, including hostas, from the grounds of the Italianate-style Barber house on Section Street. Several community residents again will contribute plants. The museum also thinned out its transfer garden in the fall and will have more than 100 pots of zebra grass and daylilies for sale.  

The sale is open during museum hours and runs over two weekends prior to Memorial Day, and then for an additional 11 days.

CHILDREN’S CARNIVAL

The museum’s new activities committee, headed by Volunteer Judy Wetter, is teaming up with the Edwardsburg Area Chamber of Commerce and the Uptown Improvement Association to offer a children’s carnival for children on the museum grounds from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Memorial Day. This will complement the annual festival at Gunn Park. Activities will include ‘Gone Fishing,’ a Duck Pond, Pick-A-Pop, Velcro Target, and a Bean Bag Toss. There also will be photo opportunities for children and adults. Tickets will be 4 for $1.

HACIENDA DAY FUNDRAISER

This will be the third year for the Hacienda Day fundraiser which will be June 21 at the Mishawaka Hacienda on Grape Road. Participants must produce a coupon (available at the museum) in advance of ordering a meal. The restaurant then donates 20 percent of the proceeds to the museum. Coupons also can be presented that day for gift cards for later use.

THE VAN DYKE BAND PERFORMS

Then, on July 15, a performance by the Van Dyke Band will be featured on the museum’s back deck. The performance is part of the band’s 2023 Nicest Place in America tour. The band’s rhythm guitarist and songwriter, Dave Van Dyke, nominated his hometown of Buchanan for Reader’s Digest’s “Nicest Place in America,” in 2020.  Buchanan won and Van Dyke was featured on national media, including the Today Show. The band was founded in 1999 by Dave and his father, John Van Dyke. Edwardsburg will be the ninth of 16 stops on the tour.

THE U.S. 12 GARAGE SALE

The third and most prolific annual fundraiser, the U.S. 12 garage sale, will be held on museum grounds, from Thurs., Aug. 10 through Sun., Aug. 13. Booth space will be available with details provided on the museum’s Facebook page.

EDWARDSBURG CEMETERY TOUR

The final additional activity will be a tour of the Edwardsburg Cemetery on Sept. 30. Transportation will be provided from the museum. Tickets will be available in advance.

Winter’s iconic snowman, Frosty, is featured in the last display of the 2022 season at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum. The display, “Frosty and Friends,” which went up Nov. 1, will be exhibited through Dec. 17, when the museum closes to the public until Mid-May.

Exhibit highlights include the museum’s ten-foot Christmas tree, which has been transformed into a snowman, and a wooden ironing board, hand-painted with the little fellow by Edwardsburg Resident Marcia King. Many snowman collections are on loan from museum members and residents.

The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. There is no admission charge but donations are welcome.

The Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum has mounted a special display, “Collectibles, Knick Knacks, Doo Dads, Oh My!,” which is being exhibited through Oct. 29.

From the beautiful to the unusual, it showcases tea cups, old store tins, old medicine bottles, sandicast dogs, small decorative pottery, key chains, small old trucks, pitchers, Boyds Bears nativity, and miniature furniture. Items are on loan from museum members’ personal collections.

The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturdays. It closes Dec. 17 for the winter months and reopens in mid-May.

Robert Parrish

7 p.m., Thurs., July 21

The vice chairman of the Cass County Department of Parks and Recreation and the driving force behind Dr. Lawless Park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Park and Michigan Dark Sky Reserve, will speak on July 21.

Robert Parrish’s work on the international park designation, only the second in Michigan, is a result of years of diligence and research, and an interest in astronomy from the time he was a child. Parrish’s father, Andrew Parrish, who served in the U.S. Navy, and the Space Race of the 1960s, were the major influences in his interest in the skies.

Parrish is a member of the Michiana Astronomical Society and the Kalamazoo Astronomical Society, as well as a delegate to the International Dark Sky Association.

Parrish received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Organizational Communication from Western Michigan University. A graduate of Cassopolis High School, he and his wife, Rita, live in Edwardsburg.

Chris Rosselit

7 p.m., Thurs., Aug. 18

A first-generation farmer and Edwardsburg area native who gradually built a farm leasing business while working full time in transportation will speak on August 18.

Chris Rosselit, a 1973 Edwardsburg High School graduate, who started farming in 1968 and then rented a farm to get started part-time, worked for the Cass County Road Commission and then milked cows at the Harold Tolbert Farm as he contemplated expanding his knowledge in agriculture.

Rosselit spent the majority of his career with the Michigan Department of Transportation, working in maintenance out of the Niles office and farming part-time up until his retirement.

He will discuss the changes in farming equipment and farming practices, including differences between conventional tillage and no-till farming, and the increased costs in agriculture. He also has been interested in environmental practices since the late 1980s, and regularly does soil testing, adding microbes to fertilizer to increase biological life.

Cindy Yawkey

7 p.m., Thurs., Sept. 15

Cindy Yawkey grew up in Vandalia and volunteers for the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County. As co-chair of the James E. and Sarah Bogue House at Penn Road and M-60, she leads tours of the Bonine House and the Bonine Carriage House. She is acquainted with many descendants of pioneer Black families that settled in the area, particularly in Calvin Township. 

Yawkey’s presentation will be on the 1847 Kentucky Slave Raid in Cass County.

An award-winning author, artist and illustrator recognized by the Michigan Historical Society, National Parks Service, and Michigan Humanities Council, Yawkey is the author of “They Have My Shoes, I have My Freedom,” and “Out of Bondage—Perry Sanford’s Account.” Her booklet on the Kentucky Raid is described as a “faithful rendition of this infamous incident.”

Steve Arseneau

7 p.m., Thurs., Oct. 20

The Orphan Train will be the subject of a power point presentation by Steve Arseneau, director of the Dowagiac Area History Museum.

Homeless, orphaned children were sent to Dowagiac in 1853 on what became known as the Orphan Train. Dowagiac’s local museum has made this project a focal point in its work and displays. Over 75 years, more than 250,000 children eventually were sent from New York to the Western United States for adoption by families, and Arseneau will discuss the history first orphan train and the legacy of the movement.

With both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in history from the University of Wisconsin, Arseneau joined the Southwestern Michigan College Museum in 1998, and later became its director. When the museum was moved to Dowagiac in 2012, he was in charge of the transition, helping to design the museum building, and implementing the move, including the design, planning, and installation of exhibits. His extensive skills list includes not only general administration, but also community outreach, fundraising, events planning, and writing.

When Dr. Thomas Rea and his wife, Marj, lived on Section Street in the stately white house they adorned with expansive gardens, they planted many, many hostas that they purchased from the Indianapolis Hosta Society. Over the years, they divided the plants, added more, and shared them with members of the community.

Many years after the Reas moved from the home, it was sold along with the acreage in 2021 to the Edwardsburg Public Schools. And thanks to the generosity school officials, the museum was granted permission to dig many of the hostas for sale at its 2022 plant sale, which runs from May 20 through June 11.

Many of these hostas are stately and have been planted in large, decorative container pots that the museum acquired a few years ago from the estate of the late Teresa Kraus, a longtime Edwardsburg florist. Along with the hostas are several other plants from the Section Street house, including plumerias and lilies. Also donating hostas and other plants are Greg and Michelle Black, and Kevin and Rose Kelsheimer. Additionally, the museum will carry a wide variety of perennial plants, as well as containers of annuals suitable for patios, porches, or grave placements over Memorial Day.

The plant sale will be manned during the week prior to Memorial Day as well as throughout Memorial Day weekend and beyond.

Did you know that Whoopie Pie is Michigan’s Snack, that some people consider Doo Dads as collectibles, or that Frosty the Snowman has friends?
Those themes will make up the season displays for 2022 at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum.
The “Celebrating Michigan” display will be front and center from May 17, the opening day, until Aug. 5.
Pieced together almost entirely by Retired Edwardsburg Teacher Ed Gardner, it will feature five categories that focus on Michigan’s wonderland, including history, recreation, products, famous people, and the beauty of the land.
On Aug. 9, the second display, “Collectibles, Knick Knacks, Doo Dads, Oh My!” will be featured throughout the museum with items from the museum’s collection and loaned items from community residents. That exhibit will run until Oct. 29.
“Frosty and Friends” will go up on Nov. 1, to celebrate the winter season, and, again, will include loaned items from residents, and objects from the museum’s collection.
The museum closes Dec. 17 for the winter.

The Santas have arrived at the Edwardsburg Area Museum and will be displayed until the museum closes for the 2021 season on Dec. 17.

Several residents and museum members have loaned Santas from their collections, along with other Santa-like characters such as St. Nicholas and, of course, Mrs. Claus. Items from the museum’s collection also are being exhibited along with the massive decorated tree in the main gallery.

Museum hours are 1 to 4 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. The museum will be closed for Thanksgiving.

Two speakers will complete the 2021 season at the Edwardsburg Area Museum as a complement to the current ‘Hooked on Fishing’ display. The display opened on Aug. 29 and runs through Oct. 31.

Thurs., Sept. 16, 7 p.m.—Darrin Schaap

Darrin Schaap’s presentation, scheduled for 2020, also has been moved to the 2021 season. Schaap, the owner of Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg, is a columnist for the Edwardsburg Voice. He will focus on changing technology in the world of fishing, as well as how to use different lures for different fish.

He graduated from Edwardsburg High School in 1995 and earned his business administration degree from Central Michigan University. He managed Brett’s Place on the Bay in Benton Harbor for five years.

His is the first of two presentations that complement the seasonal display, Hooked on Fishing, which opens Aug. 18.

Thurs., Oct. 21, 7 p.m.—Jeff Duck

Jeff Duck has the fisherman’s dream job. The Edwardsburg native, a professional fishing guide out of Port Alsworth, Alaska for nearly 20 years, will share highlights of that work as part of the Hooked on Fishing display. He will speak on the similarities between fishing in Michigan and Alaska and share photos of his experiences.

No amateur before the camera, Duck was a part of a documentary by the Discovery Channel, has appeared in an episode of River Monsters, and can be seen in professional videos on fishing for northern pike and rainbow trout. He heads tours for individuals as well as professional photographers in day trips in the Bristol Bay Region, an area covering thousands of miles south of Anchorage. While his focus is on five species of salmon, northern pike, rainbow and lake trout, steelhead and the graying, he also conducts tours of glaciers and volcanoes.

Because of the precautions she is taking regarding the pandemic, Elizabeth Westfall Thompson will not be speaking at the museum on Thurs., Aug. 19. The museum board members regret that she will be unable to present the story of her life, but appreciate the concern that she has for her own health and all of those around her.

A retired home economics teacher turned food service director, a fish and tackle business owner in Edwardsburg, and a another Edwardsburg native who is a fishing guide in Alaska, will provide evening presentations this season at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum.

Thurs., Aug. 19, 7 p.m.—Elizabeth Westfall Thompson

Because of the pandemic, this presentation by Elizabeth Westfall Thompson was moved to the 2021 season. A 1956 Edwardsburg High School graduate and an Edwardsburg Hall of Fame inductee, Thompson will give an oral history of growing up in Edwardsburg. She and her husband, Larry, who died in 2018, jointly received the Hall of Fame’s Lifetime Award from the Edwardsburg Public Schools in 2016.

Thompson put her degree in home economics to good use and taught for 35 years, both at Sand Creek high School and the Allegan County Area Vocational Technical Center. A dietitian, she also ran a catering business and worked as a food service director. She earned several state awards for her work in the Future Homemakers of the America and the vocational Industrial Clubs of America. She lives in Saugatuck.

Thurs., Sept. 16, 7 p.m.—Darrin Schaap

Darrin Schaap’s presentation, scheduled for 2020, also has been moved to the 2021 season. Schaap, the owner of Clear H2o Tackle in Edwardsburg, is a columnist for the Edwardsburg Voice. He will focus on changing technology in the world of fishing, as well as how to use different lures for different fish.

He graduated from Edwardsburg High School in 1995 and earned his business administration degree from Central Michigan University. He managed Brett’s Place on the Bay in Benton Harbor for five years.

His is the first of two presentations that complement the seasonal display, Hooked on Fishing.

Thurs., Oct. 21, 7 p.m.—Jeff Duck

Jeff Duck has the fisherman’s dream job. The Edwardsburg native, a professional fishing guide out of Port Alsworth, Alaska for nearly 20 years, will share highlights of that work as part of the Hooked on Fishing display. He will speak on the similarities between fishing in Michigan and Alaska and share photos of his experiences.

No amateur before the camera, Duck was a part of a documentary by the Discovery Channel, has appeared in an episode of River Monsters, and can be seen in professional videos on fishing for northern pike and rainbow trout. He heads tours for individuals as well as professional photographers in day trips in the Bristol Bay Region, an area covering thousands of miles south of Anchorage. While his focus is on five species of salmon, northern pike, rainbow and lake trout, steelhead and the graying, he also conducts tours of glaciers and volcanoes.

Photos from the State of Michigan, a fishing display held over from 2020, and Santa Claus collections from community residents will be the exhibitions mounted by the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum this season.

Michigan Week is in mid-May and the exhibit, “Images of Michigan” will feature photographs both in color and black and white from more than two dozen residents and former residents of Edwardsburg. Students from the Edwardsburg High School art class also have been asked to participate. The exhibit will run from May 18 to Aug. 14.  A variety of photographs that capture wildlife, places, nature, sports, activities and people will be on display.

The exhibit, “Hooked on Fishing,” will run from Aug.18 to Oct. 31. It will include many items from the museum’s permanent collection as well as lures, rods, augers, and old fishing equipment from area residents. This is exhibit was held over from the 2020 season because the pandemic.

“Santas Are in the House” will be the Christmas display this year and will open on Nov. 3.  Area residents will be called upon to loan their own Santas from the United States as well as Santa ornaments and Santa-like characters such as St. Nicholas from other countries. Items from the museum’s collection along with Santa books also will be showcased.

The museum will close on Dec. 17 and re-open in May 2022.

Christmas traditions around the world are the focus of this year’s Christmas display at the Edwardsburg Area Historical Museum. The exhibit opens Tues., Nov. 10, 2020.

From ornaments to lace, from nesting dolls to crystal, from angels to sweaters, and from clocks and teddy bears to china, cow bells, and silk scarves, a display of items from at least 17 countries, including the United States, will grace the museum galleries. Included will be the museum’s centerpiece, a majestic lighted tree in the main gallery.

Organized, collected, and developed by Judy Montgomery, Laura Jamrog, and Museum Chairperson Sally Dalrymple, ornaments alone will be featured from the Czech Republic, Portugal, Mexico, St. Martens, Aruba, Poland and the United States. Bears are from Harrods of London, including a tiny Beanie Baby bear. A Waterford Crystal Angel and a Belleek Angel will be featured from Ireland, along with an angel from Nuremburg, lace from Rothenberg and china from Hungary and Japan. Objects from Russia include nesting dolls and a pecking toy.

The exhibits will include descriptive pieces of Christmas traditions in the individual countries. Community residents have loaned items for the display.

The museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays. It will close for the season on December  13 and re-open in mid-May, 2021.