Michigan Civil War Blog

The power of community

It was quite a pleasure to attend this evening a celebration in downtown Monroe MI of the President's signing of the omnibus wilderness bill that includes creation of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park. Many accolades were passed around to the three mayors who had labored hard for this day, as well as sundry other local officials from the County, Port Authority, Brownfield Authority, Historical Society, etc. All deserve credit for pulling together to make tonite's gathering such a celebratory event.

There's a big lesson here. Monroe is a community that came together with a single-mindedness, holding fast to a vision to preserve a unique piece of Michigan history and create the possibility of attracting people to the site of that heritage. A dozen years in the making, the Park is only now getting off the ground with many years of work still to go. Still, the excitement in the top floor room of the Monroe Bank & Trust Building could not be quenched.

We need more of these kinds of successes in the Great Lake State. The Michigan community needs to work together more to lengthen the list of such achievements.

One o'clock high

Today is the first public meeting to receive suggestions and ideas and feedback on Michigan's Civil War Sesquicentennial commemoration. Time: 1:00 pm EDT. Location: Detroit Historical Museum.

Many are called, but all are invited.

Remember the River Raisin

Statement, in part, by the Honorable John D. Dingell during final passage this week of HR 146, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act, of which Section 7003 establishes the first national battlefield site in Michigan (we have no such Civil War sites):

    The creation of the River Raisin National Battlefield Park could not come at a better time for the embattled hard working people of Michigan. Significant economic and cultural value is added to a historic landmark when it is managed within the National Park System, and this impact is expected to intensify during the upcoming Bicentennial of the War of 1812. Starved recently of any good news, this designation would be a transformational moment for the people of Michigan, and the National Park will provide new opportunities for a community in dire need. However, the people of Monroe and the State of Michigan wish not to be consumers of government, but rather full fledged partners. In fact, national park designation is so important to the local community that they are willing to give this land to the American people freely and without compensation. Furthermore, the River Raisin represents a time in our history that is underappreciated and underrepresented in our National Park System. The federal government has an obligation to all past, current and future Americans to protect this battlefield so we may learn what happened there and better understand how it shaped the country we know today.

    If adopted, H.R. 146 will finally protect this nationally significant battlefield. It is time at last to honor the sacrifice of the brave young patriots who died in service to our fledgling country. It is time to enshrine the River Raisin Battlefield into the pantheon of our Nation’s most revered sites. It is time to, as the great rallying cry from the War goes, “Remember the Raisin.”

 

It was adopted, and now the bill is on its way to the President for signing. This federal investment will enhance our heritage, restore some equilibrium between the net outflow of federal tax dollars that go to Washington every year from here, and aid the local economy. Three cheers!

Commission Invites Input on Sesquicentennial Work Plan

The Michigan Dep't of History, Arts & Libraries has issued a press release with the full particulars on the Michigan Historical Commission's public meetings to receive comments and input from the public on the Sesqui workplan. It can be found here: CWS.

Opportunity for Sesqui input

This coming Saturday, the Michigan Historical Commission's Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee will hold its first public hearing to receive comments on the draft Commission work plan to implement the Governor's Executive Order. It's at 1:00 pm, Cadillac Cafe, Detroit Historical Museum, 5401 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

The Work Plan can be viewed here: MHC Sesqui.

Looking forward to input from those interested ... 

Foundation rebirth

The Michigan Historical Center Foundation -- an entity with a name and purpose that few people understood -- has been reborn as the Michigan History Foundation. With a new name and a renewed sense of purpose, the Foundation is positioned to be of primary aid to Michigan during this economic crisis. It is also the trustee and custodian of any funds that are donated for the State's participation in the Civil War Sesquicentennial.

The Foundation has become a partner with the Michigan Historical Commission in recent years. The new name, logo, and energy bode well for the heritage of Michigan. See the announcement of the new identity here: MHF

Just some more good news during these difficult times in the Great Lake State. 

Attention researchers

From MIRS tonite:

Historical Information Being Put Online
The Department of History, Arts and Libraries today announced the launch of the "Seeking Michigan" Web site (www.seekingmichigan.org), a growing collection of digitized source documents, maps, films, images, oral histories and artifacts.

Seeking Michigan's first major project is the digitization of roughly 1 million death records covering the years 1897 through 1920. These records, never before available electronically, are indexed for easy searching by name, death date, location and age.

With plans in place to add much more material, Seeking Michigan currently includes more than 100,000 pages of Civil War documents, approximately 10,000 photographs, a variety of Michigan sheet music, roughly 1 million death records, information on Michigan's 44 past governors and oral histories with notable Michigan residents.

First conference summ'd

Best-laid plans gang aft agley. Haven't had time to summarize the John Brown conference, especially with the first Sesqui public meeting coming up on March 25. So, for now at least, the final program will have to do:

Download Brown program

Day of history

Had intended to go into more depth about the contents of the Brown seminar this past Thursday, but another thought occurred first that needs mentioning.

It was more than symbolic that the first Michigan Sesqui event took place at the Wright Museum, in Detroit, focused on the Brown/Douglass/African-American meeting, with a diverse attendance. This first event truly exemplified what America, what Michigan, should be all about: people of common interest and diverse backgrounds coming together to share, as a community of learning, how the past is prologue.

The interracial meeting 150 years ago to the day was historic from several viewpoints. Not the least being that representatives of both racial/ethnic groups met to discuss how to work together on fulfilling the promise of America, a land of freedom for all with equal opportunity. This past Thursday, the same thing happened. Not in the home of an African-American; in a museum conceived and built by an African-American. With proclamations issuing from a white female governor, black mayor, white and black city council.  With presentations by academics of similar characteristics, to a multiracial audience.

Teachers and students met this past Thursday to learn and exchange views on an historic day. Not just 150 years ago. Thursday was itself historic.

Nice article here: Freep

Sesqui event #1

On the 150th anniversary of the meeting in Detroit between John Brown, Frederick Douglass, and leaders of the local African-American community, the first event in Michigan's commemoration of the Civil War Sesquicentennial was held all day today at the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit. It was spectacular.

The next few days will feature several posts about the content of the day, attended by some 100 keenly interested students of history of all ages, including descendants of Mr. Douglass and those Detroit leaders. Tonite's lateness prompts mention only of the event being marked by proclamations from the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, the Mayor of Detroit, and the Detroit City Council.

It was, simply put, a #1 event. Michigan is off to a great start.