The Benzie Area Historical Society offers books, maps, images and other items relating to the history of Benzie County and Northwest Lower Michigan. Most of these items can be purchased at our museum, or via credit card using our Online Store below. Feel free to contact the Museum with any questions or for additional assistance with an order. Thank you!
Join us on Saturday, April 26th, at 4 p.m. at the Oliver Art Center, 132 Coast Guard Rd, Frankfort, MI 49635, for an exhibit launch and reception. During the reception, poets who took part in this joint event between the Oliver Art Center and the Benzie Area Historical Society will share their poems. Enjoy conversing […]
“Saga of a Ghost Town: Aral Lumber, Murder, and the House of David” Presented by: Jerry Heiman Video Replay Link: https://youtu.be/1KeSmsO68H8 Aral, also known as Otter Creek, was founded in the 1870s as just another sawmill town along the north edge of Benzie County south of Empire. However, the tragic events that unfolded there in […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series “Frankfort: History Through Postcards 1900-1920” Presented by: Tim Foster Click Here for YouTube Video Link Join us as Tim Foster shows a series of images of early Frankfort as seen through postcards, covering the town, some houses, Crystal Lake, and a few car ferries. Presenter: Tim Foster A native of Evanston, […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series: “Paths of Fate: Stories of Sacrifice” Presented by Steve Veatch Replay Link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jk5z1Uz_vJI Join us for an unforgettable journey into the heart of World War II as we present “Paths of Fate: Stories of Sacrifice.” This powerful program explores the wartime experiences of two young men whose lives took […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series: “Passenger Steamers: Destination Benzie County” “The Golden Era of Steamship Travel and Summer Resorts” Presented by: Larry White YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZnPQKEkKEA&t=359s In this lecture, we look back to a time when taking a vacation in northern Michigan included many who arrived by boat – on a passenger steamer. Steamship travel on […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series: “The Congregational Summer Assembly Then and Now: 123 Years and Counting” Presented By: Jane Cooper Video Replay on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UlWpi25__hU As you approach the curve in M-22 where it meets the South Shore Road at blue Crystal Lake you see a brown building and a green ball field. A sign reads […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series: “History of the Crystal Lake Yacht Club” Presented By: Judy Groulx YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/JKCaCnxYIzg This presentation celebrates nine decades of the rich history of the Crystal Lake Yacht Club. It attempts to explain how sailing became a significant part of the lives of its members as its legacy is passed along […]
Benzonia Academy Lecture Series: “Lumber Era Ghost Towns of Benzie: Gone But Not Quite Forgotten” Presented By: Jerry Heiman YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/d_vMU5E1JpI In the late 1800’s, Benzie County was filled with short-lived villages built around large sawmills. This is the story of two of them, Averytown and Edgewater, on opposite ends of Big Platte Lake. […]
“The Manistee & Northeastern Railroad in Benzie County” Presented by: Andy Bolander YouTube Video Replay: BAHS YouTube Channel – “Manistee & Northeastern Railroad” A look at the Manistee & Northeastern’s impact on Benzie County from 1889 until it was consolidated with the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad in 1955. The railroad was crucial to the development […]
“Braving the Storm: Three That Were Lost” Presented by: Tim Foster YouTube Video Replay: BAHS YouTube Channel – “Braving the Storm” The Great Lakes are beautiful and majestic but can also be deadly. Join Tim Foster as he takes a closer look at three boats that braved the storm and were never seen again. For […]
