Beaver Island Historical Society Welcomes You to Our Past
The Beaver Island Historical Society was founded in 1957 to collect and share the fascinating history of Beaver Island. A remote island in Lake Michigan, it has witnessed many interesting and unique historical events, and has been home to various groups including Native Americans, a Mormon branch known as the Strangites, Irish immigrants, fisherman, lumberjacks, and many more.
King Strang
The Historical Society currently operates two museums on the Island, the Print Shop Museum and the Marine Museum, as well as two additional historical sites: Heritage Park and the Protar Home. We offer several resources and services to our visitors, including genealogical research, copies of archival photos, and a series of historical journals and other books for purchase. Additionally, we host many events throughout the year to promote the Island’s history.
Explore our history, find out about the king, fishing, shipwrecks, island life, natural history, our Irish heritage, and much more.
For an overview of Beaver Island History please visit: http://www.beaverisland.net/beaver-island-history
Museum Hours
Closed for the season and will reopen May 2019. Please call 231.448.2254 for more information.
Construction Update
The Board of Trustees is pleased to announce that a legacy benefactor, George Bisbee of Jackson MI, provided the Society just over $500,000, which will be used for financing the Print Shop Addition, including some of the exhibits. The Board is also grateful to the many Island benefactors who have supported the expansion concept and contributed to the capital campaign already and to those future benefactors who will continue to support the Society in fulfilling the vision to share the unique historical stories of the Archipelago through the renovated and expanded museum.
Architectural services are being provided pro-bono by Ebersoldt + Associates Architects, and its owner, Vince Ebersoldt, a long-time Island visitor, Island property owner and benefactor, as well as a BIHS Trustee. The Board of Trustees are extremely grateful to Vince and his team for the work they are doing on behalf of the Society, helping to keep Island History Alive!
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From Our Facebook Page
Remembering the Carl D. Bradley
youtu.be/c2V5iP5sdTEyoutube.com
Today at 3 pm - BIC Center
Beaver Island Historical Society
On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley a special co-hosted event will take place at the BIC Center, November 17th, 3-5 pm. The documentary, November Requiem, a Beaver Island recorded interview with Frank Mays, and a Beaver Island Panel will commemorate the ship sinking and reflect the tone of both communities the days following.
See you at the BIC Center!
The documentary, November Requiem (2008) tells the story of Rogers City, a small Great Lakes town suffering in the aftermath of a maritime tragedy that claimed the lives of 23 sailors from their community. Fifty years later, Rogers City was still grieving—until a dive team sets out to retrieve the ship's bell, to bring back a symbol of the fathers, sons, and brothers lost at sea.
Thanks, BIHS for an enlightening afternoon with “November Requiem”.
Would have loved to be there!
Wow, heartbreaking and poignant.
On the eve of the 60th anniversary of the sinking of the Carl D. Bradley a special co-hosted event will take place at the BIC Center, November 17th, 3-5 pm. The documentary, November Requiem, a Beaver Island recorded interview with Frank Mays, and a Beaver Island Panel will commemorate the ship sinking and reflect the tone of both communities the days following.
See you at the BIC Center!
The documentary, November Requiem (2008) tells the story of Rogers City, a small Great Lakes town suffering in the aftermath of a maritime tragedy that claimed the lives of 23 sailors from their community. Fifty years later, Rogers City was still grieving—until a dive team sets out to retrieve the ship's bell, to bring back a symbol of the fathers, sons, and brothers lost at sea.
Some of the beautiful work that Dick Burris has done around the island.BIHS is developing new webpages about Island People in its online History section. Dick Burris will be the first featured. We continue to collect pictures, stories and locations of the beautiful stone and brick work done by Dick Burris over the past 50 years. Dick’s wife Amy tended for him on stone and masonry projects over the past 20 plus years. Prior to that, Dave Gladdish, Perry Fortier, Ross Henderson, Mariam Sawim, Amy Munger, Karl Bartels and many others worked with Dick to create the lasting art we see all over Beaver Island today. Amy has been invaluable in recalling sites, details and stories about some of the most amazing work. If you - or someone you know – has stonework done by Dick Burris, we would love to learn about it. Please message the Society or visit our website: http://beaverislandhistory.org. We are working to document all of the Burris authentic original stone and related structures and present them on Dick’s new webpage. Last year, Amy, Dick and Carol got the project started by visiting several of the Burris stonework sites. Very special thanks for the warm receptions we received from so many. BIHS staff and volunteers will be visiting as many Burris Stonework sites as possible, to get pictures for the web and a possible future publication.
THANK-YOU so much for honoring my father this way!! He was a true craftsman!!
Amazing work by an amazing man and amazing Amy!
Dad's stone and brick work was absolutely beautiful, and amazing! I'm so very proud of you DAD. He had a great assistant. (AMY )
Beautiful!
A real artist!
Dick was a real artist with his stomework!
Beautiful, love it. I've seen some of it.
A true artist!👍💖
Derrick Burris
Such beautiful work
My son is a stone setter by trade. Such an art🍀
Danielle Burris
Maria Thundersmom
Photography by Frank Solle / Stillpoint Photography