Michigan Historical Museum’s Statehood Festivities Focus on Mackinac Bridge’s 50 Memorable Years
Michigan Historical Museum’s Statehood Festivities Focus on Mackinac Bridge’s 50 Memorable Years
Visitors to the Michigan Historical Museum in downtown Lansing on Saturday, Jan. 27, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. will be able to take part in the first official celebration of the Mackinac Bridge’s 50th anniversary! The first 100 guests to the museum will receive a piece of birthday cake in celebration of the Mighty Mac’s golden anniversary year.
The Michigan Historical Museum has taken a departure from its traditional Statehood Day events, instead devoting the day fully to the history, legend and lore surrounding the Mackinac Bridge.
“Preparation for this celebration has been a true collaboration among the museum, the Michigan Department of Transportation, the Mackinac Bridge Authority, Mackinac State Historic Parks and the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council,” said Phillip C. Kwiatkowski, director of the Michigan Historical Museum system.
“Michigan’s history is bursting with milestones and events that have helped shaped the region and our country, and the construction and completion of the Mackinac Bridge were powerfully important chapters in Great Lakes history,” said Kwiatkowski. “Visitors to the museum on the 27th will have the chance to learn just about everything they ever wanted to know about life before, during and since the bridge became part of Michigan’s landscape.”
Highlights for the day include:
Kim Nowack, Mackinac Bridge Engineer, will present a fascinating overview of the 50-year history of the bridge at 11 a.m. Enjoy this slide presentation describing the building of the bridge and its 50 years of importance to Michigan travelers.
Build a bridge model! Kids ages 8 to 12 can join MDOT bridge designers Jason DeRuyver and Eric Burns, aided by Hugh McNichol, in a hands-on, build-a-bridge workshop from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Lake Superior Room.
The Archives of Michigan will display photographs, drawings and documents that exhibit the history of the construction and opening of the Mackinac Bridge. Photographs will include workers on the suspension cables high above the Straits and Governor Williams and President Kennedy on the bridge.
View MDOT Celebrates 100 Years of Transportation, 1905-2005. Watch this informative and entertaining overview of transportation in Michigan and the important role of the Mackinac Bridge to the transportation needs of our state.
At noon, enjoy the music of Frog and the Beeftones as they entertain you with songs popular during the year the Mackinac Bridge opened! Imagine driving to the bridge in 1957 and listening to these songs on your car radio.
During the construction of the Mackinac Bridge, Richard DeMara performed inspections to the main cables. At 1 p.m., view images from the 1950s of bridge construction as DeMara shares his “Memories of Mackinac.”
Tour the museum’s second floor galleries and visit with presenters as they share various aspects of the bridge, its history, stories of the people who built the bridge and the people who maintain it today, early histories of the Straits area and more! Examples of presentations include:
* Imagine what it was like to serve on the Mackinac Bridge Authority during bridge construction. Join William Cochran as he shares his memories of “Being There When It All Started.”
* Lakes, rivers and streams all made up important “highways” to the Native peoples of Michigan as well as early explorers and traders. Join Bruce E. Lynn of the Mackinac State Historic Parks as he shares facts and artifacts about the first travelers at the Crossroads of the Great Lakes.
* “The world’s longest suspension bridge!” “An engineering marvel!” In 1957, the Mackinac Bridge secured both these acclamations! Imagine what it was like to “build the future!” Enjoy this rare opportunity to talk with members of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council who worked 50 years ago on the construction of the Mackinac Bridge.
* Imagine what it was like to be a painter on the Mackinac Bridge! Todd Mayer of the Mackinac Bridge painting crew has worked all over the United States on big bridges. Visit with Mayer as he shares his enthusiasm for “Keeping the Bridge Beautiful” and the equipment needed to do his job high above the Straits.
The Michigan Department of Transportation shares historical facts, engineering and construction details and photos of the bridge then and now in panel displays featuring the continuing story of the importance of the Mackinac Bridge.
Michigan Statehood Day is sponsored by the Friends of Michigan History.
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 call (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 quality of life and strengthen the economy by providing access to information, preserving and promoting Michigan heritage, and fostering cultural creativity. The department also includes the Library of Michigan, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Michigan Film Office.
