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!
Read more...
From Our Facebook Page
View the most recent updates at https://www.facebook.com/BeaverIslandHistoricalSociety/
Beaver Island Historical Society Photograph Collection #527
Here is an illusive postmark from the Nomad post office. This was a collector's cover for one of many emergency air mail flights to bring mail to Beaver Island at a time when other methods were unsafe. Sender addressed to himself at Nomad knowing the letter would eventually be returned to him but provide him with a souvenir postmark. The majority of these types of covers were sent to St. James.
Beaver Head Lighthouse. Images # 519 & 520 of the Beaver Island Historic Photograph Collection.
Please check out our summer events page and consider joining us for the This Place Matters Picnic at the lighthouse on July 14, 2019 12-4 P.M.
Downtown St. James early 1900s. Beaver Island Historic Photograph Collection #702
Am sooooo enjoying seeing all of these pics! (I am Dick Burris' daughter...he loved Beaver Island...and you are helping me understand why!)
they had 2 of those there till the 90s
Photography by Frank Solle / Stillpoint Photography