Michigan Historical Commission approves 6 historical markers, accepts 5 applications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sept. 9, 2014

Contact: Sandra Clark, 517-373-6362 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815


Michigan Historical Commission approves six new historical markers,
accepts five applications

A Donald Ross-designed golf course in northern Michigan, a fire station and 173-year old department in Adrian, and three pioneer-era individuals in Paw Paw, Pittsfield Township and Presque Isle, along with a Catholic church in Leslie form the subject of six new Michigan Historical Markers approved by the Michigan Historical Commission at its Sept. 3 meeting. The session convened at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The new historical markers include:

• The Elk Rapids Golf Park opened in July 1924 after the community passed a special parks bond and bought shares in the club. Built on a 60-acre farm adjoining Elk Lake, the course helped draw tourists after lumber and manufacturing businesses closed.
  
• The 1855-vintage Adrian Engine House No. 1 served as a town landmark with its 70-foot-tall, hose-drying tower until 1987. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Adrian founded its fire department in 1841 using volunteers who relied on hand-pulled pumpers and hose carts.
  
• The marker commemorating Isaac Watts Willard tells the story of his local civic activities as well as serving at the 1836 convention ushering in statehood and the constitutional convention of 1850. In 1838 he and two partners platted the village of Paw Paw and opened a mercantile and grist mill.
  
• Langford and Lydia Sutherland built a Greek Revival house in the 1850s to replace their 1832 log cabin in Pittsfield Township; the farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The township and local historical society have partnered to restore the barn, house and outbuildings.
  
• The Presque Isle marker commemorates Civil War veteran John C. Kauffman, whose unit aided in the search for President Abraham Lincoln’s assassin. He and wife Elizabeth built a log cabin on their 149-acre homestead near Grand Lake, moving it up a hill to its present site in 1876 because of heavy snow.
  
• Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian Church had its origin in 1845 when residents held Mass in an immigrant’s home near Leslie. After destructive fires in the early 1900s, the parish rebuilt church and rectory buildings and opened a large school.

These six new markers will be added to the more than 1,700 familiar green and gold signs found across Michigan and in out-of-state locations. 

The commission also accepted applications seeking new markers for:

• The Boy Scout Barracks on Mackinac Island.
• The Michigan Paper Company Mill Historic District in Plainwell.
• The Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church in Grayling.
• The Norwegian Lutheran Church in Leer.
• The Bailey Temple Church of God in Christ in Detroit.

Professional historians at the Michigan Historical Center will now confirm the research, work with the sponsors to draft the marker texts, and make recommendations for approval at a future commission meeting.

Since 1955, the Michigan historical marker program has chronicled the people, places and events that make Michigan's heritage unique and unforgettable. Each is a tangible reminder of where we have come from and an inspiration for where we might go. For more information on the historical marker program, including application information, visit www.michigan.gov/markers.

The Michigan Historical Commission has been part of the preservation and recognition of Michigan's history since 1913. For more information on the commission, go to www.michigan.gov/mhcommission.

The Michigan Historical Center is part of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Its museum and archival programs help people discover, enjoy and find inspiration in their heritage. It includes the Michigan Historical Museum, 10 regional museums, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve, and the Archives of Michigan. Learn more at www.michigan.gov/michiganhistory.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is committed to the conservation, protection, management, use and enjoyment of the state's natural and cultural resources for current and future generations. For more information, go to www.michigan.gov/dnr.