LOWELL, Mich. — The Lowell Area Historical Museum is seeking a millage renewal during this November’s election.
The museum features pieces of the city’s history dating back to 1848. Officials say by voting yes, it allows them to tell the parts not yet written.
“Lowell has an amazing history,” said Lisa Plank, the museum’s executive director. “It’s one thing to read about history in a book, but it’s another to see it in front of you and understand that it has direct connections to you.”
The museum showcases more than 190 years of stories, artifacts and images, which include Lowell’s key role in the early days of Michigan fur-trade history, it being the home to one of the nation’s most prominent architects, and how showboats became popular in the city nicknamed after the entertaining cruises.
“Local history is particularly important for understanding the place and how it developed and what the key events were in their past,” said Plank.
According to Plank, 35,000 people visit the museum annually and up to 150,000 connect online.
The museum started in 2003 after voters approved a millage that would partly fund the museum’s operating costs.
A millage has been renewed once before with “overwhelming support.”
This year’s renewal would keep the tax rate at 0.25 mills or 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value. It provides about $20,000.
“It really helps provide those day-to-day operations that we do: the school programs, the exhibits for the public, the caring for the artifacts,” said Plank.
Without the funds, Plank says their services would likely scale back significantly. She’s encouraging people to vote yes.
“I don’t think we’d be able to continue doing the programming and the services that we do that if we lost that,” said Plank. “We’re hopeful that the community will continue to support what we do here and see all the things that we do in the community and value that.”
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