Jan. 14, 2005

Explore the Michigan Historical Museum for a fascinating look at Michigan's earliest years as a state during the museum's annual Statehood Day event on Sunday, Jan. 23, from 1 to 5 p.m.

"We've brought together crafters, re-enactors, historians and others to introduce visitors to Michigan pioneer life," said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum System.  "The galleries will be humming with their music, handicraft demonstrations and stories of the 1830s."

Activities in the museum galleries will include banjo performances, demonstrations of cross-stitch, rug-hooking, quilting and candle-making, and a display of pioneer surveying techniques and tools. 

Other Statehood Day activities include:

·         A Lifetime of Travels

1:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the Forum Auditorium - Barbara Sprik of Wayland performs a
costumed interpretation of her great-great-aunt Sophronia R. Skeel, a pioneer who traveled down the Erie Canal.

·         Michigan's Archival Treasures

Ongoing in the Rotunda - A rare display of significant documents held by the State Archives of Michigan, a sister agency of the Michigan Historical Museum.  These notable documents surrounding Michigan's quest for statehood include the 1835 Michigan Constitution and letters from President Andrew Jackson.

The third annual Statehood Day Brunch and Silent Auction (also on Jan. 23) offers another, more exclusive exploration of Michigan's settlement era.  The brunch and silent auction take place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., when the museum is closed to the general public.  Tickets for this fund-raising event benefiting the museum's award-winning education programs are available for $40 each.  The brunch is the first in a series that will feature the foods of various decades in Michigan's past, with this year's menu offering dishes that were popular in the 1850s:  roast beef and potatoes, baked chicken, stewed tomatoes, corn pancakes, blancmange and more.

The silent auction is made possible by generous donations from local businesses and corporations in support of the museum's programs.  For the complete brunch menu and list of items available at the silent auction or to make a reservation, telephone (517) 373-1905.

The Michigan Historical Museum is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 W. Kalamazoo St., two blocks west of the State Capitol in downtown Lansing.  The main entrance and visitor parking are located north of Kalamazoo Street, just east of M.L. King Boulevard.  Museum hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. The museum is closed on official state holidays

For more information visit www.michiganhistory.org or telephone (517) 373-3559, TDD (517) 373-1592.

The Michigan Historical Museum System is a division of the Michigan Historical Center, an agency of the Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries, whose mission is to enrich the quality of life for Michigan residents by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan's heritage and fostering cultural creativity.  The department also includes the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Library of Michigan, the Michigan Film Office and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs.

Read more press releases from the Department of History, Arts and Libraries.