GRAND HAVEN, Mich. — Tri-Cities Historical Museum (TCHM) in Grand Haven has been around since 1959, showcasing the local history by creating connections to the past.
With 13 exhibits, the museum was missing out on one major part of the area’s history, through "Maritime."
“This area has always been shaped by water activities, whether it's through business or people just enjoying the natural beauty of West Michigan,” said Erica Layton, executive director of TCHM.
But after TCHM was awarded a grant through the Dick and Betsy DeVos Family Fund, that missing link will soon be on display.
TCHM was one of five lakeshore groups to receive the Catalyst Grant from the DeVos Fund, which awarded the museum $20,000 "to implement new strategies developed during capacity building."
TCHM has decided to use that fund to help set the stage for the first major update, through a new window exhibit.
It will highlight the waterways surrounding Ferrysburg, Grand Haven and Spring Lake, which helped shaped the vibrant cities to what they are today.
“So, the waterways have always been of great importance to the community," Layton said. "Whether it was indigenous people who first lived here using the waterways, for fishing or for travel."
The communities who lived in the area used the waters like Lake Michigan and the Grand River for the essentials.
“Later on, as western expansion came through, the history of fur trade and logging has been central to the region,” Layton said.
The Tri-City area can attest to those industries for its growing nature throughout the years.
And TCHM says the history is more recent than you think, when it comes to these waterways.
“In the last 100 years just seeing the area develop in terms of leisure on the water, a lot of boating, a lot of fishing, still a lot of recreation on the water,” Layton said.
The window exhibit will feature historical landmarks like a lighthouse beacon, historic images of the Grand Haven channel and maritime moments in the area’s timeline.
The museum will also be updating its "Barn" exhibit to match the water theme, transforming the area into the inside of a ship!
It will feature a giant map with waterways providing a timeline of important events in the settlement, development and decline of the region, while creating an immersive experience for everyone to learn.
"We want to make it very sensory," Layton said. "So, we're going to have the sound of waves, seagulls, harbor sounds outside of a ticket office. So, when you're in this space that you feel like you're down on the water 150 years ago."
TCHM is still collecting funding for the new exhibit but says the grant will help play a critical part in bringing the project to life.
The museum hopes to get started on the project at some point in 2025.
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