The Michigan History Center is excited to announce that, in January, Tobi Voigt was named Director of Museums, a new position that oversees the center’s 12 museums and historic sites around the state. She now leads a 19-person museums team that:

• Manages day-to-day operations of the museums and historic sites.
• Preserves and protects the center’s artifact collection.
• Develops and conducts field trip experiences for K-12 students.
• Hosts public programs for adult and family audiences.
• Develops and fabricates exhibitions.
• Provides retail outlets for gifts and products inspired by Michigan heritage.

Since joining the MHC in 2017 as community engagement director, Voigt has led education, programs and outreach initiatives aimed at building relationships with Michigan’s culturally rich and diverse communities.

A native of Troy, Michigan, Voigt's two decades in the museum field began near her hometown at the Rochester Hills Museum and Van Hoosen Farm. In 2006, she earned a master’s degree in history museum studies at the prestigious Cooperstown Graduate Program in Cooperstown, New York. Before joining the MHC, she served as senior curator for the Detroit Historical Society, where she led education initiatives and public programs, and oversaw and worked on collections and award-winning exhibition projects.

"I have a passion for all aspects of museum work, from education to artifact collections to exhibitions to historic sites," Voigt said. "It is an honor to work with – and for – the team that preserves and shares our history at museums and historic places all over Michigan."

Connect with Voigt at VoigtT@Michigan.gov.

The very popular Tawas Point Lighthouse keeper program returns for 2022, with opportunities for teams of four adults to enjoy two-week stays on "Michigan's Cape Cod" between May 17 and Oct. 18.

A Michigan History Center museum, the 1876 Tawas Point Lighthouse is located in Tawas Point State Park on a spit of land between Tawas Bay and Lake Huron. People come from all over the world to see the historic lighthouse and to enjoy birding, fishing and many other outdoor recreation opportunities in the area.

All keepers commit to a two-week stay and each team member provides about 35 hours of service per week, which can include greeting visitors, giving lighthouse tours and routine cleaning. Keepers stay in the dwelling attached to the lighthouse.

Accommodations include two comfortable bedrooms, a modern kitchen, shower and bath. Cost for the program is $250 per person per two-week stay.

Interested? Complete and submit the Tawas Point Lighthouse keeper application form before 11:59 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11. There is a $10 nonrefundable application fee. For more program information, email TawasKeepers@Michigan.gov.

When Michigan became the nation's 26th state in 1837, it was both the start of a new state and the successful end of a campaign for statehood that had begun almost exactly two years earlier. Michigan marked its 185th statehood anniversary just this past Wednesday, Jan. 26, making this the perfect time of year to explore the journey to that milestone.

On Jan. 12, 1835, Michigan Territorial Gov. Stevens T. Mason declared the territory was ready for statehood, but three conditions first had to be met before statehood could be achieved. Geek out on the facts and the resources and see where the information takes you! The three conditions were:

• A census finding at least 60,000 people living in the territory. In 1835, the census showed a population of 85,000. The Michigan Census Records Research Guide (from our friends at the Library of Michigan) is bursting with data like this.
• The state’s first constitution, approved by voters Oct. 5, 1835. Read the important words of the Constitution of Michigan of 1835 on the Michigan Legislature's website.
• Settling of the land dispute with the state of Ohio. Learn more about the Toledo War on our Michiganology website.

A collection of diverse stories about the people, protests and policies that transformed voting in our state, from 1837 to the present day, drives home why voting is a right worth fighting for. The exhibit features a range of documents, photographs and objects – including a 1920s voting machine, artifacts from the 1961 Constitutional Convention and a variety of campaign ephemera. The "I Voted" exhibit, free with museum admission, closes March 30.

Plan a visit to the Michigan Iron Industry Museum in Negaunee, where a current exhibit digs into the stories and background of Fayette Historic State Park. The area is rich with objects beneath its surface, and many archaeological investigations of the historic town site help us learn about the community that once lived there. The artifacts on display breathe life into the people who made their livelihoods and homesteads in this 19th-century industrial iron smelting town. The exhibit, which runs throughout 2022, also features an interactive component that encourages visitors to think about how our own stories will be shaped based on what we leave behind today.