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.
Category: News
Northern Michigan Park to be home of “Aha”
Harbor Springs – 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. Once the work is done, the vessel is expected to be...
City Council Approves Plan
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. And now, that vessel will likely find a fitting home– Shay Park, which is located beside the intersection of Main, Judd and Bay Streets in...
Restoration of the Aha
Historical Society looks to create “historic district” with addition of Shay’s Aha boat on display in park …
Northern Origins: A Collaborative History Journal
While we are all at home due to COVID-19 many of us are looking for something new to do, read, or experience. With that in mind, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society is proud to announce that we partnered with the Harbor Light Newspaper to create Northern Origins. Northern Origins features nearly a dozen articles written...
Restoring History Begins at the Ephraim Shay Hexagon House
Last week, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society began its work to “Save the Shay.” The Historical Society, which was gifted the Shay Hexagon House in late 2016, is in the first stages of a campaign to restore this historic treasure for the enjoyment of generations to come. The Shay House, built by Ephraim Shay...
Historical Society Evaluates Stabilizing the Historic AHA Boat
A familiar sight to anyone passing by the Harbor Springs bus garage on Fairview Street is Ephraim Shay’s rusty relic, the Aha. The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society owns the Aha and is looking into possibilities to display this important piece of Harbor Springs history. To that end, the Industrial Arts Institute of Onaway was...
Regatta History in Harbor Springs
It’s Ugotta Regatta weekend in Harbor Springs and our town is filled with boat enthusiasts and community members eager to watch the racing. Did you know that this annual tradition dates back to 1891 when the Little Traverse Boat Club (now the Little Traverse Yacht Club) was first established? An article in the Daily Resorter...
HSAHS Board Hires New Executive Director
The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society’s Board of Trustees has selected Kristyn Balog to serve as the organization’s Executive Director. “After an extensive search, the Board of Trustees is excited to welcome Kristyn Balog to lead the Historical Society into the future,” said David White, President of the Board. “Kristyn has been with the Historical...
Zorn Park Cannon
Imagine the excitement local residents experienced in December 1909 when an authentic Civil War cannon arrived by rail in the Village of Harbor Springs. For over a century, the cannon in Zorn Park has stood sentinel along our historic waterfront yet it speaks little of its own history. The IX-inch Dahlgren cannon saw service in...
Historical Society Announces New Board Chair
Last month, the Harbor Springs Area Historical Society’s Board of Trustees welcomed its new president, David C. White. White succeeds past president Tim Tippett who finished two terms on the Historical Society’s board. “This is an exciting time for the Historical Society,” said Tippett, a Harbor Springs graduate and elementary educator. “2017 was a big year with...