News

After years of fundraising and restorations, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society is gearing up for a spring of celebration, welcoming people to the historical corridor they first dreamed of nearly a decade ago.

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society is pleased to announce the addition of Teddy Tamm as its new Assistant Director. Tamm will serve the Historical Society in multiple capacities, with a primary focus on the development and operations of the Ephraim Shay Innovation Museum, set to open this summer.

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society invites the public to visit the Andrew J. Blackbird Museum on Wednesday and Thursday, July 24^th and 25^th between 10 am and 4 pm for the unique opportunity to view a quilled birchbark copy of Andrew Blackbird's 1887 History of the Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan. The quillwork cover was handcrafted by Andrew’s sister, Margaret Blackbird Boyd in about 1888.

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society offered a special showcase of the late photographer Virgil D. Haynes’ collection of nostalgic Harbor Springs images during an event at the Harbor Springs History Museum on August 3.

The comprehensive fundraising campaign for the Harbor Springs historical corridor topped the $2 million mark in January, as the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and its supporters push to bring in the final million dollars of the $3 million campaign by the end of 2023.

To offer new insightful and entertaining interpretation of the community’s unique history, the Harbor Springs Area Historical society has embarked on a comprehensive $3 million fundraising campaign – “Bringing History to Life.”

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society recently received two grants which will help with building repairs and technology upgrades. The first grant of $5,000 was awarded by the Great Lakes Energy People Fund and will cover the cost of repairing two widows on the historic 1884 city hall building.

The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society has been awarded two grants from the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (MCACA). 

Moving operations began in early October 2021 for the 36 ton Shay Locomotive C/N 2005 located outside the Forestry Building of Stephen F. Austin State University.

The Aha, a historic 1894 all-steel vessel built by Ephraim Shay, has been restored following a successful partnership between the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and the Industrial Arts Institute.

A 130-year-old ship is being restored with plans to move it to a city park in northern Michigan. The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and the Industrial Arts Institute in Onaway are working together on restoring the Aha, the Petoskey News-Review reported.

The Aha, a 1891 vessel that was built by Ehpraim Shay, is currently being restored in a project partnership between the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society and Industrial Arts Institute.