THE STORY OF GREEN OAK TOWNSHIP HISTORICAL SOCIETY

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BY MARIEANNA BAIR

In 1992, Mona Wenzel, president, asked "Can you wash dishes, dust a few shelves or vacuum?" It was time to ready the museum and yard for the coming season. Typing and archiving help was also needed as well as docents. The unique relationship between the Society and the Department of Natural Resources, which owned the museum site, was confirmed for another year via the signing of the Use Permit. (The Gage family moved to Green Oak in 1833, and for six years a lean-to sheltered the family. Then a two room house with a porch and Michigan cellar was built. Three additions, 1856, 1874, and 1935 enabled five generations to occupy the home. In 1980, the property was sold to the DNR. A 12 room typical farm museum was the end result of the contract made with the Society. The home, several outbuildings, the landscaped yard, including the elephant tree, were maintained by the Society. An entry, kitchen, pantry, living room, bed room, north porch and three rooms on the second floor all held early Green Oak displays. The basement exhibited tools, traps, sleds, and other metal objects.)

A project to recognize people still on their families’ original home sites was begun. The second printing of Yesteryears was selling well. Other publications included ‘Wanderings’ by Hildreth Bakhaus, ‘Granny Remedies’, and ‘Then There Were The Parties in the Woods’, memories of Green Oak citizens.

The April issue of the newsletter recognized the 200th Anniversary of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. The March membership meeting program was ‘Questers - What's That?’ by Marieanna Bair. In May, antique appraiser Gary Kuehnle spoke. Green Oak Day was at the museum with "Lessons in the Art of Tombstone Rubbing" by Jane Kennedy and James Taylor. Weldon Petz spoke on Mary Todd Lincoln at the South Lyon Historical Society meeting, to which the Society had been invited, in September. Annual Meeting pot luck at the township hall hosted Marge Berz and her collection of bells. Mr. & Mrs. Gary Whitaker invited members to their home for a holiday gathering.

In 1993, President Wenzel again called for help with the annual preparations at the Gage Farm Museum to host Sayre School students and weekend guests from May through Labor Day. Hats (50+), documents, clowns and medicines were special exhibits. Several outbuildings were refurbished to represent a wash house and a garden room. The granary held early farm equipment. More of the overgrown yard was restored to increase walk-ability. The inventory of all items had reached 4,000 due to the efforts of Erlah Lambert, Cleo Moran, Marie Smith and Mona Wenzel. More was still to be itemized. Boxes, bags, suitcases, boxes and more boxes packed with clippings of Green Oak births, deaths and marriages were donated. These were properly filed by families. All were computerized by Mona Wenzel. Several notebooks on local families were prepared. For the March membership meeting James Taylor presented ‘The Elocutionist’. A display was prepared for the Huron River Fest at the Conservation Club on M-36 in May. Green Oak Day, held at the Greenock Mill, consisted of a picnic by the stream, a tour of the mill and the museum and a stop at Kensington Cemetery. In late August a driving tour consisting of 12 sites was held; ‘Learn About Historic Green Oak’. ‘The Thaumaturgist’ was presented by James Taylor in September. At the Annual Meeting a ‘Green Oak Trivia Quiz’ sparked much interest.

 

 

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