Tuesday, September 27, 2011

North Berrien Photography Contest Winners Exhibited

This summer the North Berrien Historical Museum welcomed submissions to a North Berrien Photography Contest, which sought images that captured the distinctive character and culture of our region in southwest Michigan. Eligible submissions had to depict locations within “North Berrien” as defined by the museum—Hagar, Bainbridge, Coloma, or Watervliet townships, the cities of Coloma and Watervliet, plus all bodies of water. By early September, local photographers had answered the challenge with an array of striking and meaningful images of the area.


An exhibit of Winners and Honorable Mentions from the Photo Contest premiered on September 24, during the Tri-City Heritage Tour. The Winner in the Seniors category (Ages 65+) was Richard C. Lyon with “Angling Road Landmark.” Donna Duffield created the Winner among the Adults age group with her Paw Paw Lake photograph “Fire and Ice.” Honorable Mentions awarded in the 2011 North Berrien Photography Contest included: Joseph Littleton, “St. Joseph Church” and “Bridge in Flaherty Park”; Richard C. Lyon, “Trail by the Pines”; Shannon Closson, “A Ride in the Sky” and “Just Peachy”; Sandy K. Warren, “Summer Evening Meadow”; Scott Isbrecht, “Bi-Plane” and “Harvester”; and Saundra Lynch, “Ending of an Era” and “Paw Paw River Spillway Dam”. The Photo Contest Exhibit will remain on display through October 21, 2011 at the North Berrien Historical Museum.


“Angling Road Landmark”
Photographer Richard C. Lyon, Coloma

“This location depicts the versatility of Agriculture in our area. We have a foreground of grain culture, a background of fruit orchards, and a woodlot at the horizon. This was taken in Bainbridge Township in late Fall. It was near mid-day using a digital Canon A 630 camera.”



“Fire and Ice”
Photographer Donna Duffield, Coloma

“February 17, 2011, I was able to capture this sunrise shot off of Paw Paw Lake Road. I chose to label it “Fire and Ice” because of the way the sun is meeting the ice on the lake. Paw Paw Lake is a vital part of northern Berrien County as its lakes offer our area an opportunity for tourism and revenue all throughout the year. The camera used for this photo is a Fujifilm FinePix s8100.”


“St. Joseph Church”
Photographer Joseph Littleton, Coloma

“Built 1896 and still standing on Crescent Street in Watervliet.”


“A Ride in the Sky”
Photographer Shannon Closson, Bainbridge Township

“Jollay Orchards is valuable to North Berrien County as a well-known tourist attraction for people all over to enjoy. I chose to submit this photo because it’s a great place to visit in the Summer and Fall months. This photo was taken in Coloma Township on an August afternoon with a Nikon D40.”


“Summer Evening Meadow”
Photographer Sandy K. Warren, Watervliet

“I feel this photograph depicts the simple beauty we see daily in North Berrien County. We are often traveling to and from events—often driving by without realizing the true beauty we have! It was a hot summer day. As the sun was setting, a cool-front was coming in from the north causing fog to develop as the cooler air met with warm ground. As the sun is setting, you can still notice the beauty of the day in the sky. This photo was taken on Coloma Road, at the meadow northeast of Pier Road, on Friday, July 22, 2011 at 9:22pm. The camera used is a Hewlett-Packard 6MP Digital, using the zoom feature to capture the fog.”

“Ending of an Era”
Photographer Saundra Lynch, Watervliet

“I chose to submit this photograph because it shares the ending of the last boys varsity football game ever expected to be held between the Coloma Comets and the Watervliet Panthers. With Coloma joining the Wolverine Athletic Conference in the 2012 season, there will no longer be room in their schedule for “The Game”. This rivalry, one of the greatest in the history of the state of Michigan, has ended after 102 games with Coloma leading the series 62-34 with six ties. This image was captured at the Watervliet, Michigan Panther Stadium on August 26, 2011 at 9:43pm with a Canon EOS T2i.”


“Trail by the Pines"
Photographer Richard C. Lyon, Coloma

“The Dunes of Lake Michigan’s eastern shoreline are very unique and a signature of our area. This was taken in Hagar Township’s Roadside Park in early Spring with late afternoon sun highlighting the dune grasses. The image was made on T+Max 100 film with a twin lens Yashica – D camera.”


“Bi-Plane”
Photographer Scott Isbrecht, Coloma

“This photograph was taken at the Watervliet Air Field during the War Birds Fly-in. It was captured in the afternoon with a Canon Rebel DSLR camera.”



North Berrien Historical Society receives State History Award

On September 23, 2011 the North Berrien Historical Society received a State History Award from the Historical Society of Michigan in the category of Special Event/Program for Women in Baseball. Executive Director Alexander Gates was present at the Grand Traverse Resort in Traverse City to receive the award during the State Awards Banquet.
The award went to the North Berrien Historical Society for its exceptional program, “Women in Baseball.” The project celebrated Maud Nelson, a renowned baseball player in the early 1900s. Nelson was the first female baseball player in the United States to be commemorated by her community, Watervliet. As a player, coach, and team owner, Maud remained active into the 1930s. Building on this background, the society planned a series of summer events, including a tournament for girls’ teams, a civic festival, and a museum exhibit. The tournament drew teams from out-of-state, and fans came from as far away as the eastern United States.

Women in Baseball will remain on view at the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, Michigan through Novemeber 11, 2011. For more information please visit http://www.northberrienhistory.org/.

For more information on the State History Awards and to view other recipients visit the Historical Society of Michigan's website.

Author Barbara Gregorich to Speak at Annual Dinner October 18

The North Berrien Historical Society will hold its Annual Dinner on Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at the North Berrien Historical Museum. Dinner will be served at 6pm with a business meeting at 7pm. Following Society business, guest speaker Barbara Gregorich will speak on "The Hunt for Maud Nelson" at 7:30pm.

Barbara Gregorich
Chicago-based author Barbara Gregorich specializes in children’s books, but a lifelong passion for baseball has also influenced her work.  In the early 1990s she began to intensively document the lives of early female baseball players, including Maud Nelson. Her research resulted in the 1993 book Women at Play: The Story of Women in Baseball. Gregorich has said of this work: “...uncovering the story took four full years — years in which my eyes blurred from reading microfilm, my car’s tires grew smooth from hauling me to libraries around the country, and my fingers frayed from dialing strangers… Despite everything, it was the most thrilling research experience I’ve ever had.”  As our featured guest, Gregorich will present “The Hunt for Maud Nelson,” a summary of her research and publication efforts.  Thanks to Gregorich’s work, the North Berrien Historical Society was able to produce our recent exhibit Women in Baseball, telling the story of Maud Nelson, her barnstorming Western Bloomer Girls, and her life in Watervliet a century ago.

Women at Play (1993)
Tickets for the Annual Dinner are $15 per person and reservations are required. Barbara Gregorich's talk is free and open to the public after dinner. For more information please call the North Berrien Historical Museum at 269-468-3330.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Second Annual Tri-City Heritage Tour September 24


The 2011 Tri-City Heritage Tour will take place on Saturday, September 24, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. The Tri-City Heritage Tour offers you the rare chance to explore places with local architectural and historical importance—all on one day and all for free—in the Coloma, Watervliet, and Hartford areas. On September 24, nine diverse heritage sites will offer tours, demonstrations, activities, and conversations related to local history. The tour is self-directed and sites may be visited in any order.

A former jail cell at the Van Buren County Historical Museum in Hartford

All sites will be open free from 10:00am to 4:00pm on September 24, with the exception of the Watervliet Dams Removal project on the Paw Paw River. From 1:00 to 4:00pm only, visit the North Berrien Historical Society’s tent in Hays Park where historic photos and maps of the paper mill area will be displayed. The tent’s hosts will be former employees of the Watervliet Paper Mill, who have volunteered to answer questions and orient public visitors to the former mill area.

The former Coloma Interurban Station

The North Berrien Historical Museum will offer a free vintage pennant craft for all ages to complement the 2011 exhibit Women in Baseball. The North Berrien Photography Contest Exhibit will also be premiered, displaying wonderful images of the area by local photographers. Guided tours will bring to life exhibits at the Southwestern Michigan Basket Machinery Museum in Riverside/ Hagar Township. At the Van Buren County Historical Museum, east of Hartford, all ages will enjoy tours and, from Noon to 4:00pm, a live blacksmith demonstration. In Watervliet visitors will also be welcomed at the beautiful new home of the Sanctuary Baptist Church, which previously served as the Watervliet Methodist Church for 140 years. Two brief talks on local electric railway history will be held at the Coloma Interurban Station. The Hartford Library, housed in a handsome 1871 mansion, will demonstrate online access to historic issues of the Hartford Day Spring newspaper. In the rolling farm country of Bainbridge Township, tour the Tees Barn and the Nafziger Barn, each featuring original hand-hewn beams and adaptations for different uses through many years.

Hartford Public Library

To see a complete set of details for the 2011 Tri-City Heritage Tour, visit the tour website: http://tricityheritagetour.wordpress.com/. The website allows you to post comments or questions about the tour or any site featured on the tour in 2011 or previously. The first-ever Tri-City Heritage Tour in 2010 featured twenty-two sites and was supported in part by a grant from the Berrien Community Foundation. This year’s tour will offer nine heritage sites to better allow public participants to reach every site if desired. Questions can also be directed to the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330 or info@northberrienhistory.org.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Museum hosts panel of All-American Girls professional baseball players

The North Berrien Historical Museum invites the public to join us in welcoming a group of former players from the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL). From 1943-54 the All-American Girls League traveled women’s baseball teams throughout the Midwest, and was highlighted in the 1993 movie A League of Their Own. Three former players from Michigan will join us for a panel discussion at the museum on Tuesday, September 20 at 7:00pm.
Panelist Doris Cook

A 10-minute DVD will be shown featuring historic footage of the AAGPBL, then the league veterans will each present a brief personal account of their experiences and take questions. Two former players for the Grand Rapids Chicks will attend including Rosemary Stevenson and Dolly Niemiec Konwinski, who also played for the Battle Creek Belles. The third panelist Doris Cook played for the Springfield Sallies and the Kalamazoo Lassies before being loaned to the South Bend Blue Sox. There is no charge to attend the panel discussion, and refreshments will follow.

The current exhibit Women in Baseball: Bloomer Girls of Berrien County & Beyond will be on display through November 11. For more information, contact the North Berrien Historical Museum at (269) 468-3330.