Ortonville- Area residents can help preserve local history by joining the Ortonville Community Historical Society.
The non-profit organization that maintains the museum at the Old Mill, 366 Mill St., is seeking volunteers and new members.
‘It’s all about preserving the history,? said OCHS Boardmember Andrea Turnbull. ‘We have several members, but people get busy and do other things. We want people to know what is at the Mill.?
Last year, the Old Mill underwent extensive renovations, including an addition that houses an antique fire engine that served as the first village fire truck, as well as numerous pieces of fire department memorabilia. The addition also allowed for more pieces of history to be displayed. Items currently for show at the museum include farm equipment, dishes, wedding dresses, vintage hats, antique sewing machines, ancestral pictures, and an antique loom, which is still used to make rugs. Upstairs is an extensive military collection, and several rooms display how homes may have looked in the mid-1800s, when the mill was founded.
A potluck dinner for members and anyone interested in becoming an OCHS member will be at 6:30 p.m., April 6, at the Old Mill, 366 Mill St. The Mill will open for the season on April 10, and every Saturday guided tours of the Mill as well as the Mann Schoolhouse located behind the museum will be available from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
OCHS has membership meetings at 7:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of every month at the Mill. The April 6 meeting will feature a gardening speaker from Wojo’s Greenhouse. Plans are in the works to get a Civil War speaker. Construction of a blacksmith shop on the Mill property is also likely to begin this summer.
‘Be a part of the community and keep history alive for future generations,? Turnbull said.
Lifetime membership in the OCHS is $100, and a spouse can be added for $20, or pay $15 annually for an individual membership or $20 per couple annually. For more information, contact Andrea Turnbull at 734-231-7729.