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HERITAGE PARK - Midland County Historical Society - About Us |
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HOURS AND ADMISSIONS
MIDLAND COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY'S HERITAGE PARK
3417 West Main Street, Midland, MI 48640
(989) 631-5930 x 1310
Click here for directions
HOURS
ADMISSION (Includes all three facilities):
Adults: $5 | Children 4-14: $3 | Children under 3: free
Admission is FREE for MCHS members and Friends of the Center
Become a Member!
HERITAGE PARK
ABOUT HERITAGE PARK
Travel through time and explore the history of Midland County at Heritage Park – a unique combination of state-of-the-art archival and multi-purpose facilities in a pleasant campus setting close to downtown Midland and the Pere Marquette Rail Trail and located less than a mile from Midland Center for the Arts.
Heritage Park encompasses these three facilities,
all within walking distance of each other:
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ABOUT US
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 HERBERT D. DOAN MIDLAND COUNTY HISTORY CENTER
This is the “gateway” to Heritage Park and home to the Dorothy Dow Arbury Midland County History Gallery, a colorful, dynamic space which offers hands-on interactive exhibits. You can "talk" to Midland’s founders, learn some of Midland’s secrets, visit its Main Streets of a century ago and see vignettes of its history – from the beginning to today. The building also houses a research library and museum store, as well as a exhibition gallery with displays changing throughout the year.
 HERBERT H. DOW HISTORICAL MUSEUM
The aspirin you take for a headache, the thin plastic used to cover food, the dye that makes jeans blue - they all had their beginnings in Midland, Michigan, thanks to the pioneering chemical experiments of Herbert H. Dow, founder of The Dow Chemical Company. Multi-media exhibits and innovative audio and video displays provide a fascinating look at the birth of Midland’s largest business and the evolution of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.
 BRADLEY HOME MUSEUM AND CARRIAGE HOUSE
Experience authentic Victorian Gothic architecture with these two beautifully restored buildings. The 1874 Bradley Home is a hands-on historic house museum where you can enjoy a glimpse of the everyday life of an early Midland family. The Carriage House features an amazing collection of horse-drawn carriages and sleighs, and is home to mid-Michigan’s largest functioning blacksmith’s shop.
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COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES |
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MIDLAND COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT RECORDS PROJECT
In November, 2006, 137 boxes full of Circuit Court cases from 1857 through 1945 were transferred from Midland County to the Historical Society Archives. This treasure-trove of genealogical information and community history is now being processed by a dedicated group of volunteers. At the end of the project, which is expected to take two years to complete, researchers will have unprecedented access to the information contained in the approximately 6500 court cases.
The wide-ranging types of court cases involved include immigration and naturalization cases, divorce cases, suits to recover damages due to injury or death in car accidents, suits to recovery property, cases appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court, contested wills, and criminal cases involving murder, rape,and burglary among others.
All of the case records are currently available to the public for research during the public hours of the Research Library. Although access will be much easier and faster once the project is completed, indices for many of the cases do exist. Researchers should have available name and date information to make the search for a particular case possible.
New volunteers are always welcome. The basic work includes opening and flattening case documents, arranging documents into archival storage material, recording information about each case, and entering that information into a computer program.
Volunteers work Monday, Wednesday, or Friday afternoons. Call Kathy McCormick at 631-5930 ext. 1305, or email mccormickk@mcfta.org to volunteer or for more information.
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RESEARCH LIBRARY |
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Located inside the Hebert D. Doan Midland County History
Center.
SUMMER HOURS (effective May 26, 2009 to November 15, 2009)
Thursdays, 1 pm- 4 pm or by appointment
CLOSED June 28 through July 5
CLOSED September 4 through September 7
Trained MCHS staff and volunteers will be available to provide
materials and general research assistance.
Our archival collection includes a wide array of unusual
and interesting primary and secondary material, which is
of value to genealogists (pdf 93k), students, authors and others who
are curious about the history of their home, business or
community.
Some of the resources available
for public use:
• Preservation and antiques – "How to" books, identification, general history, antiques and collectibles.
• Local and general history – Reference books,
local history books, local authors’ books, city directories,
yearbooks, research papers and biographies.
• Archival collections– early Midland County history
to contemporary, maps of county from 1850s to present, photographs,
legal papers and deeds, oral histories, personal and organizational
papers.
• Periodicals—Antiques and collectibles, museum
profession publications
For more information on the MCHS
Research Library:
please email MCHS or call 631-5930
ext. 1352.
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RENTALS |
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Rent our facilities: Looking for a unique setting for your
business, social or holiday function? Consider renting one of the
beautiful facilities at Heritage Park! To view images of our facilities click here. For
more information, call Katy Schappel, House Services Manager at 631-5930 ext. 1245 or email schappel@mcfta.org
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STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS |
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MCHS STAFF
Gary Skory, Director
989-631-5930 x 1300 • email
Contact regarding: General MCHS business, Midland history and research, artifact/archival donations or questions, public programs, volunteering, monetary donations, MCHS exhibits
Trena Winans-Bagnall, Curator
of Educational Programs
989-631-5930 x 1311 • email
Contact regarding: Educational and public programs, internship opportunities, volunteering
Tammie Swinson, Business & Operations Manager
989-631-5930 x 1302 • email
Contact regarding: Membership, fundraising, monetary donations, volunteering, newsletter
Crystal Laudeman, Historical Sites Museum Monitor
989-631-5930 x 1313 • email
Allison Sweet, Historical Sites Museum Monitor
989-631-5930 x 1313 • email
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2008-2009 MCHS ADVISORY BOARD OF MANAGERS
Chair: Floyd Andrick
Vice Chair: Pat Secrist
Recorder: Tom Bradley
Bursar: David Wirth
Assist. Bursar: Ed Strom
Past Chair: Kevin Nehil
Members-at-Large:
David Alsgaard
Linneaus Dorman
Chuck Lentz
Virginia Morrison
Kevin Nehil
Tawny Ryan Nelb
Susan Putnam
Fred Rolf
Scott Seeburger
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