Paint-In Party January 19th

On Friday, January 19th, The Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum will co-host a
Paint-In Party with Yellow Brush Art Studio.

Participants will be lead to paint an image of
the Port Sanilac Light.  The session includes all materials and runs from 6-9 PM.

To register or for additional information please
call Dawn at 810-622-9946.  Winter hours are Wed- Fri. 10 AM until 2 PM

Ric Mixter presents "Bombs Away" November 19th

We are excited to bring you Ric Mixter as he presents "Bombs Away" on Sunday, November 19th at 3:00 PM in The Museum Church.

Ric's underwater adventures are known to millions who watch his documentaries and news stories on television. No one can boast more promotion for Great Lakes diving, as Ric has donated some 30 shows to PBS and has also found world-wide audiences on the Vision Network and Outdoor Channel. Ric has also been featured as an on-camera researcher for the Discovery Channel and History Channel, and is also an award-winning news reporter, working for stations all across Michigan. He was also a diver/videographer for expeditions to the Edmund Fitzgerald and Carl D. Bradley

Michigan’s airfields have launched the Tuskegee Airmen, biplane aces and one of the longest bombing missions in history.  In "Bombs Away" join Ric as he shares rare footage and interviews with the men (and women) who made history at our local airbases.  Featuring profiles of Selfridge, Kincheloe, Sawyer and Wurtsmith.

Admission to this lecture is by donation.  Please bring a friend.

House in Mourning CANCELED

House in Mourning CANCELED for 2018. 

On September 22, the Sanilac County Historical Society will present again its annual event called House in Mourning in the Loop-Harrison Mansion.   In the early 1870's, Dr. Joseph Loop, Port Sanilac's original horse-and-buggy physician, decided he was going to build a house that would impress his wife's family and blow everyone else in town out of the water.  The Loop-Harrison mansion was the result.

Between 11 am and 4 pm, visitors will be able to see how death was handled in this Victorian home. A "Mourning Tea," with the grieving family, will be served in the Loop-Harrison Mansion, which will be appropriately decorated in Victorian Shroud. “A presentation of the Victorian Customs and Traditions of Mourning will be made in the Mansion’s North Parlor by Nancy Ziegenbein.” Reports Jolyne Fisher, Chairperson of the event.

Then guests will be able to go on a shuttle bus, escorted by a funeral director, as it departs from the Mansion, at 11:30 am, 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm, to go to the Port Sanilac Cemetery. Guests will be met by re-enactors who will be portraying some of the early pioneers buried there. Visitors may meet Dr. Loop, his daughter Ada and her husband Reverend Harrison, and other early pioneers of Port Sanilac.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students, and will be sold at the door. The Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum is located on M-25 in Port Sanilac. Any questions can be directed to the Museum at 810-622-9946 or go to www.sanilacountymuseum.org.

Civil War Days 2017 (2018 Info Forthcoming)

Party For Preservation

July 23rd will be here before you know it!  Party for Preservation (Formerly known as Wine, Dine and Unwind) for 2017 is coming up soon.  Click the photo above to visit our P4P website where you can purchase tickets, become a sponsor or donate to help preserve Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum!

Let's start off with - Mark Your Calendar & Save the Date.

Included are:

• Dinner
• Drinks
• Entertainment - New Classica
• Live Auction
• Silent Auction
• $75 per person
• Limited seating

The Toledo War

On Sunday, September 17, We will again enjoy a bit of near local history as related by Alan Naldrett. You may recall that last fall he spoke to us about the Lost Car Companies of Detroit. This year he is speaking on the Toledo War.

The lecture will begin promptly at 3 PM in the Museum Church.

The admission cost for the lecture is free, with your donations gratefully received.

2017 Year End Calendar

Garage Sale Trail Vendor Application

Arts and Crafts Fair Vendor Application

Croswell-Lexington Community Band Plays at The Museum

On Saturday, August 11th, The Croswell-Lexington Community Band will play an outdoor concert on the lawn at Sanilac County Historic Village & Museum.  The music starts at 1:00 PM.  The program will include classic selections from the American Songbook, Broadway and screen favorites, and rousing marches. Be sure to bring your lawn chair for this fun, free event.

Polar Bear Expedition Event at our Museum

Click the image below to visit a photo album with dozens of additional pictures.

Museum Hosts Ste. Claire Voyageurs

Sanilac County Historical Museum and Village is pleased to host the Lac Ste. Claire Voyageurs encampment the weekend of June 9-10, 2018 at the Sanilac County Historical Museum in Port Sanilac. For over 20 years, this group has learned, taught, and experienced the rich history of the French and Indian Fur Trade Era. 

Families are invited to come experience and learn about the rich history connected with the voyagers, Coureurs de Bois native Americans and early settlers of our Great Lakes. They will be dressing and practicing the lifestyles and skills of the Great Lakes. “Visitors can expect to have talks and demonstrations that include beeswax candle making, showing furs, rope making, cooking and much more,” according to voyageur Angele Micki Smith.

“The Sanilac County Historical Society will open up the village that day and have many of the museum buildings open and even staffed by docents,” says Gail Nartker, event chair and treasurer of Sanilac County Board of Directors. She continues, “We plan to have a blacksmith on site and children activities, making this a family friendly event.”

The event is free to the public, though donations are graciously accepted. The hours are from 10 AM to 4 PM, on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, June 10^th, at 3 PM, there will be the Port Sanilac Choral Concert in the museum church.

Ms. Smith goes on to say, “I have to tell you that every visitor who comes will just love to hear and see what we do.”

If you have any questions please feel free to contact the museum at 810-622-9946.

Voyageurs, Settlers and Natives Weekend

Our first two-day event of the 2018 season commences on June 9'th and 10'th with the Voyageurs, Settlers and Natives Weekend with special guests, the Ste. Claire Voyageurs.  Over a dozen voyageurs will portray, teach, and interact with visitors, explaining the rich history of the French and Indian Fur Trade era.  They dress in authentic 1700's clothing while demonstrating skills and accoutrements of that era.  One voyageur has many furs to display, along with handmade jewelry and other interesting items used during that period.  Another voyageur wife has articles that would be used in the home, and she will explain and demonstrate beeswax candle making.  There will also be outdoor cooking, rope making, and much, much more. The group loves what they do and are delighted to impart their knowledge to the visitors.

Polar Bear Expedition of 1918 Exhibited at Sanilac Museum

There is a unique exhibition coming to the Sanilac County Historic Museum & Village this year. The work to construct this exhibit is shaping up nicely under the supervision of Archivist (and Board Secretary) Shirley Schmidt's supervision, and with help from members Dick Parr and Bill Moskwa.  They are using maps, artifacts and photos of Sanilac County soldiers who were part of this expedition at the close of World War I.  This is what Shirley told me about the exhibit:

We are presenting a display regarding the WWI Battalion, 339th U.S. Infantry Regiment who were sent to the bitter cold of Siberia as part of the American Expeditionary Force to Siberia, Archangel Russia.  There were approximately 104 residents of Sanilac County who were part of this group who fought for 7 months after the war was over.  We are recognizing, honoring them with our exhibit this summer and plan to open the display on Sunday, June 4, with a free lecture featuring speaker Mike Grovvel who is President of "Detroit's Own" Polar Bear Memorial Association.  The lecture will begin at 3:00PM in The Museum Church. We are also asking that if you had a relative or knew of someone who served in this group of unsung heroes or have any objects, photos, or memorabilia that you would be willing to put on loan to enhance the display, please contact us at the Sanilac County Historical Society.  810-622-9946.

Pre Registration Required, Lunch is Included. Please Print and Mail this Form:

Third Annual 2017 Thumb Regional Historical Workshop

Historical Societies of Sanilac, Tuscola, Huron Counties

Sanilac County Historical Museum & Historic Village 228 S. Ridge St. Port Sanilac, MI 48469

Thursday May 4, 2017 – 9 to 3 p.m. Lunch included - $15 per person

Name _______________________________________

Phone ________________ Email __________________

Address/P.O. Box _______________________________

Society ______________________________________

Checks made out to: Tuscola 2020

Mail to: Huron County Historical Society P.O. Box 62 Bad Axe, MI 48413

By April 30, 2017

William Henry Russell In Concert May 20th

William Henry Russell is an award winning guitarist. He took 3rd place in the 2015 Indiana Fingerstyle Guitar Competition and is the 2009 Gamble Rogers Fingerstyle Champion. "Bill" received a Bachelor's Degree in Music from the Boston Conservatory and a Master's Degree in Music from Florida State University. As well as being a classically trained musician he is also an established composer and arranger. Performing in countless churches, cafes, concert halls and festivals he has honed his craft while entertaining audiences for over 30 years. Bill has perfected his own distinctive solo guitar style that bears a deeper understanding of the music conveyed through an impeccable classical technique. He enters into every performance with this J.S. Bach quote in his heart and mind: "The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul."

Concert will be held Sunday, May 20th at 3:00 PM in the Museum Church.  Admission is $10 adults, $5 students and free to members. Please invite a friend.

February 28th, In the Loop Harrison Mansion, 6 pm Museum Writers Group

February 28^th, In the Loop Harrison Mansion, 6 pm Museum Writers Group

This is the first ever meeting of the writers group, which sprung from our Writer’s Workshop held last September.  Led by Bonnie Degel, this will be the first ever meeting, intended to establish a schedule, set up activities, and maybe motivate everyone to write a few pages! Call 810-622-9946 for more details!