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Historical Society Releases Second Virtual Tour Video
The Life & Times of a Car Ferry Community Virtual Tour with Benzie Area Historical Society Historian Jerry Heiman is available for your viewing enjoyment on our YouTube Channel.
The Local History Matters series was launched last year with the South Frankfort Iron Works Virtual Tour, also written and narrated by Heiman. This year he focused his storytelling on The Life & Times of a Car Ferry Community.
“It’s impossible to really grasp the all-encompassing impact that the Ann Arbor Railroad car ferries had on the Frankfort-Elberta region,” Heiman explains. “It touched the life of every citizen, and was the main economic power for 90 years. Current residents of the area have no reference to how important the operation was. This video is an attempt to tell that story and bring to life the people involved and show the lasting effect for the communities.”
Check out the latest Local History Matters, oral history interviews, Benzonia Academy Lectures and other videos on our YouTube channel. Share the link with a friend!
Michigan Historical Marker: Car Ferries on Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan, over 300 miles long and up to 80 miles wide, blocked rail traffic between lower Michigan and Wisconsin, posting a serious problem to several Michigan lines in the late 1800s as logging revenues declined. In 1892 car-ferry operations from Lake Betsie to Kewaunee, Wisconsin, were begun by the Ann Arbor R.R. About the video writer/narrator/producer:
Jerry Heiman s a respected NW Lower Michigan historian and has led numerous bicycle, walking, and boat tours of Frankfort, Elberta, and Platte Lake. Heiman is an in-demand lecturer and has presented many Benzonia Academy Lecture Series programs including The Benzonia Academy and The Marshall Turkey Farm. You can look forward to his BALS lecture on Benzie’s annual smelt dipping tradition on Thursday, March 9, 4:00 p.m. at The Mills Community House.
Heiman serves as president of the Benzie Area Historical Society and is a member of the buildings and grounds, programs and exhibits, and executive committees.
Many know Heiman from his Looking Back 100 Years Ago column in The Benzie County Record Patriot. After penning the column for many years, he recently passed the torch on to former BAHS board member Pattie Rodebush-Rockwell.