NEWS & IN THE NEWS
From the CHS "Bleu Print"
November 2022
History Behind Rival Towns: Chelsea vs. Dexter
by Sonja Schemahorn
From the Chelsea Update
Bill O'Reilly Named Volunteer of the Year
From the President - Jan Bernath
SUMMER 2022
NEW GOFUND ME NOW UP AND RUNNING!
"Circa" - Summer 2022
We are open and in full swing, and in addition to our Saturday hours of noon to 3 pm, we see many visitors during Sounds and Sights from 6:30 - 8:30 pm.
​
People are intrigued by the new '70s exhibit that was made possible by people loaning their '70's artifacts. This a great collaborative effort between the community and CAHS. As we move forward, we will choose another decade.
We have established a GoFundMe page to help us reach our Building Legacy Fund goal of $20,000. To make a direct contribution, please do so by visiting CAHS GoFundMe Legacy Fund
​
Other ways to contribute in the community. Thanks to Culver’s for a fundraiser on August 9 & 10 for the Building Legacy Fund to raise money to keep our Museum in good shape, The exterior of the building needs painting, so that’s our first priority. Also, our windows need some tender loving care soon. We all know the unexpected repairs that come along, so we’re getting ready for those!
Jet’s Pizza has kindly agreed to partner with us to fundraise for the Legacy Fund in the fall sometime. We’ll let you know the dates for that yummy partnership.
​
In September we have two new programs..and more in the works
​
-
Insiders Look at the Old Mack/New Agricole Building on Monday, Sept. 12, 7pm
-
Be a Home History Sleuth, Tuesday, Sept. 27, 6pm
​​
People are asking if we are having the Holiday Home Tour this year. Due to covid, we have put this on further hiatus for at least another year.
​
There are new possibilities for telling Chelsea’s story.
​
In July we were asked by Chelsea Retirement Community to provide narration as we rode in a trolley car to visit our iconic homes, sites, and downtown buildings. Two stops came alive when Howdy Holmes boarded the trolley handing out delicious Jiffy brownies and Lucas Daniels told the story of how the Purple Rose evolved from a building previously used as a garage owned by his grandfather, Bob Daniels, and purchased by his father, Jeff Daniels. So if you have access to a trolley or bus and would like such a tour, please contact us to talk about the possibilities!
We are working with the Chelsea Alumni Association to offer alumni a tour of the Museum when they come to town for their reunions. These are set up by calling 734 476 2010 or emailing president@chelseahistory.org
​
We have a booth at the Chelsea Antique Mall that is fully stocked with our books, cards, mugs and other CAHS products. Booth number 113 can be visited any time and has a cashier on site at the door of the mall.
Ways to make your story part of Chelsea’s story.
We invite you to tell your Chelsea story to share along with the stories on our website. For consideration, please submit to president@chelseahistory.org It’s our collective memories that make history.
Also, if you have an idea for a program, please let us know by calling 734 476 2010.
That’s all for now!
Jan Bernath
President
CAHS
​
​
​
Did You Know...
About Jiffy Mix!
The American Woman Who Created the First Baking Mix...link here.
From The Sun Times News
Then & Now: Vogel's & Foster's
Vogel’s & Foster’s, one of the oldest department stores in the country, began years ago with the successful entrepreneurship of an early businessman Harmon S. Holmes.
The first building at 109 South Main Street was built by local builders Maroney and Monroe in 1876. A year later, 107 north of 109 was built on the site when Holmes partnered with a local doctor who owned the previous wood structure destroyed by fire. By 1887 Holmes owned both structures and ....
​
Then & Now: Chelsea’s Sylvan Building
Chelsea House, located at 114 North Main Street, was renamed Crescent Hotel in 1917, and later became the Sylvan Hotel. Made of stucco, the hotel had a restaurant that served Chelsea residents for many years in addition to hotel guests. In the 1950s, classes of school children were taken to the bowling alley in the basement during school hours for “gym”. There, in addition to learning to bowl, they took turns setting the bowling pins for each other behind the alley.
​
Fire destroyed the hotel in....
A Chelsea Moment in Time: The Boyd House
Did you know that one of the first houses in Chelsea was the Boyd House?
​
Built in 1853 for Mial M. and Julie Boyd, this “Hen and Chick” Greek Revival style house was located on property purchased from village co-founder Elisha Congdon. Boyd was a wagonmaker with a wagon shop located on North Street.
Originally the front door faced East Middle...
Then & Now: Chelsea Clocktower’s Fascinating History
Did you know that Chelsea’s Clocktower had another purpose in addition to keeping Chelsea on time?
​
Frank P. Glazier amassed a financial and political empire in Chelsea around the turn of the 20th century. He was the president of the Village of Chelsea and “general manager of nearly everything in sight and about Chelsea.” His fortune began in 1891 as the owner...
Did You Know...
About The Flanders
A 1911 “Flanders 4″ motorcycle, manufactured in the Chelsea Clocktower complex in the early 20th century, was returned to the collection of the .... read more here!
​
Chelsea’s Unsolved Train Station Mystery
Did you know that there is a mystery surrounding the early train depots built in Chelsea?
In the 1830s, the Congdon brothers, Elisha and James, settled land where Chelsea is located and encouraged development by offering land to the Michigan Central Railroad for a train station in 1848. Freight service began in 1850, and eventually, more...
Then and Now: Zou Zou’s Before It was Zou Zou’s
Zou Zou’s is a popular stop in Chelsea, but do you know what previously occupied the building?
Most of us in Chelsea know the name, Glazier. George P Glazier came to Chelsea in 1868 to start the first bank, and three months later, he started a pharmacy in the same building on the corner of Main and Middle Streets. His son, Frank P Glazier, bought into his father’s business and worked there until 1896. Unfortunately, Frank...
Then & Now: Chelsea’s Former Municipal Building
The Holmes and Walker general, furniture, and hardware store at 104 East Middle Street began in 1876 and was consumed by fire in 1909. A three-story late Victorian commercial building soon replaced the two-story-burned-out shell. Known as the “Municipal Building” in 1946, the building housed the village offices, police and fire departments on the first floor, the library ...
Vogel’s & Foster’s: Leaving A Mark After 144 Years (Guest Article by Johanna Jackson)
Vogel’s & Foster’s, the Chelsea clothing store owned by Mike Jackson, is going out of business. The store’s closure includes a retirement sale for Jackson, who has owned the business for 27 years. “I really appreciate the opportunity to serve the Chelsea community and outlying areas over all these years,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful experience.”
Selling “good old-fashioned fashion,” as The Chelsea