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!
“Life on the Car Ferries” Presented by: Tim Foster Ever wonder what it was like to work on the car ferries? Or how about living on one? View this replay of our May 14, 2026 Benzonia Academy Lecture as Tim Foster takes an in-depth look at what it was like to live and work on […]
“The Frankfort Lakeside Literary Club: 1895 to 1992” Presented by: Marianne Fleetwood & Pat Campbell Video Replay Link: https://youtu.be/zZ0_ozicft4 March is Women’s History Month, the perfect time to celebrate the women of the Lakeside Literary Club and their 97-year history. Come meet the women who helped shape the village of Frankfort and Benzie County using […]
“The History of Crystal Highlands” Presented by: Anne Rogers Replay Link on YouTube: https://youtu.be/u1RU9gNXU5Q High on a glacial moraine above Crystal Lake’s north shore is Crystal Highlands, a community that celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2025. In the early part of the 20th century, after the logging era, orchards and farms were established in the […]
“Benzonia Public Library & Mills Community House: 100 Years of Service” Presented by: Jane Purkis & Jimmy McLaren Video Replay Link: https://youtu.be/6itollR1WCw In 2025, the Benzonia Public Library and the Mills Community House celebrated 100 years of service to the Benzie community. In this lecture, Jane Purkis and Jimmy McLaren share the history of the […]
“Benzie County During the Ice Age: How the Glaciers Shaped the Landscape.” Presented by: Steve Veatch Replay Link: https://youtu.be/N3dEK3G6dk0 Prepare to view the world beneath your feet in a whole new light. We’re about to embark on an epic journey back in time to the last Ice Age, an era of colossal forces that shaped the […]
“Remembering Crescent: Logging and Life on North Manitou Island” Presented by: Billy H. Rosa Video Replay: https://youtu.be/g3Y7XdeEhXc Forty years after the land was acquired by the National Park Service, the site of the village of Crescent is largely hidden in the 15,000-acre wilderness of North Manitou Island. In this lecture, Billy Rosa shares photos and […]
“95 years of Luedtke Engineering Company – 1930 to 2025” Presented by: Alan Luedtke Lecture Replay Link: https://youtu.be/vYIqZsRuM8I Founded in 1930 by E.R. “Duke” Luedtke, in Frankfort, Michigan, the Luedtke Engineering Company would grow to become one of the largest marine engineering companies working in the Great Lakes. In their 95 years of operation […]
“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 “Elections & The Electoral College: What Happens After an Election?” Presented by: Mike Nagle Click Here for YouTube Video Link The issue of election integrity has divided Americans in recent years. Concerns over election security were raised as a result of the 2020 presidential election and were a key topic of […]
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, […]
