By David Hutchinson
Autumn has begun with leaves starting to fall. This Saturday marks the last weekend of September, and it is the last day of the year to tour the Clare County Historical Society’s museum complex. Every year the society ends its season with extra displays, activities, and refreshments.
This year the celebration is on September 27 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission (donations welcome). The weather is expected to be comfortable with a forecast for warm temperatures and partly cloudy sky.
The location is at 7050 S. Eberhart Ave., Clare—five miles north and one mile east of town. The history park includes a museum, a one-room schoolhouse original to the site, two historic family log cabins, a working blacksmith shop, and a pavilion where refreshments are served during festivities.
Visitors will get to enjoy wagon rides, admire vintage tractors and cars, eat lunch in the pavilion, speak with historians, and learn about local history with various artifacts. Live music will be provided by the Sunshine String Band. Dressing up in old-timey costume is welcome but not required.
Another attraction is the blacksmith shop. On September 20, blacksmiths from across the state gathered at the history park’s forge to share knowledge, tools, and a few laughs. This Saturday, visitors can watch local smiths practice age-old skills of creation. What gets made could be a handy tool, a work of art, or a little of both.
The Clare County Museum holds an extensive collection of artifacts relating to local history. “Exhibit subjects include Michigan surveying, the ‘shadow town’ of Meredith, Spikehorn Meyer, old kitchen & household products, old logging & farming tools, inventions & manufacturing, a legal office, Dr. Kuno Hammerburg’s medical office, WKKM radio station, and military uniforms,” according to the society website (clarecountyhistory.org).
To explore the past from the comfort of one’s home, there are many books about local history available. A few examples are “Clare County Schoolhouses” by Coulson, “Farwell” by Kellogg & Loomis, “Gangsters Up North” by Knapp, “Michigan’s Timber Battleground” by Meek, “Clare County Almost Murders” by Ringelberg, and “Spikehorn” by Sellers. Some books can be purchased in-person at the museum. Others can be ordered on Amazon.com (listed on the society website) or checked out from local libraries. More history information and resources are presented and linked on the society website.
