Museum memo September/October 2013 New Book Honors the Air Rifle Industry in Plymouth Local author shares the history using stunning, vintage images T he newest addition to Arcadia Publishing s Images of America series is Plymouth s Air Rifle Industry from local author and Plymouth Historical Museum Executive Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens. Liz will present her new book at the Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum meeting on Thursday, November 14, at 7:30 PM. Highlights of Plymouth s Air Rifle Industry include: Rarely seen before images, some of which are from private collections, while the majority come from the collection of the Plymouth Historical Museum. Information on the inventive genius of Clarence Hamilton who invented improvements in a windmill and in several air and.22 caliber rifles that lead to the founding of three of the four companies featured in the book. Photographs showing the progression of the building that housed the Daisy Manufacturing Company. Liz is donating the royalties from the sale of the book to the Plymouth Historical Museum. Author Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens is executive director of the Plymouth Historical Museum, a retired US Marine major, and author of two other Arcadia publications: Plymouth s First Century: Innovators and Industry and Plymouth in Vintage Postcards. Plymouth s Air Rifle Industry by Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens Images of America Series Price: $21.99 128 pages/ softcover Available at the Plymouth Historical Museum Store or online at http://www.plymouthhistorystore.org/index.php? main_page=product_info&products_id=151&zenid= g8dcbmuaf26o10ok188gdd52t0 Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum Meeting Thursday, November 14, 2013 7:30 PM Guest Speaker Liz Kerstens Plymouth s Air Rifle Industry Open to the public & Admission is free
Plymouth Historical Museum 155 South Main Street Plymouth, Michigan 48170 http://www.plymouthhistory.org http://www.facebook.com/plymouthhistory 734-455-8940 Fax: 734-455-7797 Hours Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday 1-4 PM all days Open year round (except some holidays) Board of s Pam Yockey Mike Pappas Aaron Frank Jim Burroughs Bee Friedlander Jeff Ashton Margaret Dunning Sally Fedus Wes Graff Dan Packer Jim Vermeulen Staff President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Past President Madelyne Beddoes Cashier/Scheduler Janet Burns Office Manager Elizabeth England Administrative Assistant Paula Holmes Museum Store Manager Donna Keough Exhibits Coordinator Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens Executive Ralph Moote Facility Manager Heidi Nielsen Archivist Allen Odell Program Chair Barb Peterson Hospitality Chair Leslie Ryder Education Coordinator Museum Memo Editor Gerry Sabatini <gsabatin@comcast.net> Proofreaders Bill Keough, Elizabeth Kerstens The Museum Memo is printed six times a year. Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum meetings are open to members, their guests, and the public and are held on the second Thursday of each month, September through May, at 7:30 PM, unless otherwise scheduled. Please enter on the Church Street side of the building. Monthly Drawing Joyce Conklin and Hayley Rogers are the winners of the September and October drawings for a $25 gift certificate. New Members Welcome! Michele Hayward, Redford Erin Kiesoa-Pasek, Plymouth Tim Lamb, Plymouth Cindy Lungershausen, Plymouth Carol Souchock, Adrian Kathy Sullivan, Plymouth Plymouth Historical Museum Wish List The Plymouth Historical Museum has an ongoing need for the following items. If you choose to donate for one of these items, please let us know on your check which item you are donating for, so we use the money appropriately. Thank you for your continuing generosity that helps keep the Plymouth Historical Museum one of the best museums in the area! 1 Roll Postage Stamps $46 per 1/2 month heating bill $375 1/2 month electric bill $475 1 month employee's salary $500 To donate online for these items and other items, please visit the Museum website at http:// www.plymouthhistory.org/support-us/donate.html 2 MUSEUM MEMO
Bits N Pieces By Elizabeth Kelley Kerstens, executive director Digital Marquee Our new digital marquee has already been reaping dividends, both for admissions and announcing events. For instance, as of this writing sales of tickets for the Plymouth Characters Cemetery Walk have surged to 201 pre-sales, and there is still nearly two weeks to go. Last year we had a total of 152 pre-sales and 22 people who paid at the cemetery. We are attributing this large increase to a combination of the digital marquee s reach and word-of-mouth advertising. So if you re thinking of coming to the cemetery walk, you should buy your tickets sooner rather than later as we may sell out this year, and we may not be able to accommodate walkups at the cemetery. This is a good problem to have! The Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum s Board of s has established a policy for use of the digital marquee for other than museumspecific messages. Did you know that you can put a message on our marquee? Here s the policy: Messages on the digital marquee can be purchased as follows: Special Message. A special message is a onetime message to wish someone a happy birthday or anniversary. The message will be displayed one time for two hours, with the date and time being negotiable. The cost is $100 or $75 for members at the Main Street level and above. Room Renter Message. Occasionally a group renting the Sanford Burr Meeting Room wants to announce its event on our marquee. For an additional donation (above the cost of the room rental) of $100, the renter can have a pre-approved message displayed two times for two hours each. Silver Sponsor. A silver sponsor donates $500. These sponsors will be thanked on the digital marquee five times for two hours each time, will be acknowledged on the donor wall in the Museum, and will receive a corporate membership. Gold Sponsor. A gold sponsor donates $1,000. These sponsors will be thanked on the digital marquee twelve times for two hours each time, will be acknowledged on the donor wall in the Museum, and will receive a corporate membership. If you would like to have a message seen on the digital marquee, please contact our administrative assistant, Elizabeth England, at 734-455-8940 or secretary@plymouthhistory.org. Thanks to the Margaret Dunning Foundation! Next time that you visit the Plymouth Historical Museum, be sure to check out our new refrigerator and self-cleaning stove in the kitchen adjacent to the Sanford Burr Meeting Room. These two appliances were purchased with a grant from the Margaret Dunning Foundation. The previous refrigerator was built in 1976 and was costing the Museum about $277 a year to run; the new EnergyStar compliant refrigerator will cost about $51 a year. The old stove had been damaged a few years back when we had some mice in the kitchen that ate through the insulation. Now we have a self -cleaning model with the latest technology. We are now finished upgrading the Sanford Burr Meeting Room in an effort to make it more appealing to room renters. We ve added a new sound system and digital projector (another Margaret Dunning Foundation grant); we now have public Internet access available through a wifi connection; and the storage doors that hide the tables and chairs were replaced (again, thanks to the Margaret Dunning Foundation!). Our room rentals have increased dramatically over the past couple of years! It s grants like these that help us upgrade and stay competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. Volunteers Make a Difference Plymouth historical museum 3
Donations Received August September 2013 Thank You! The following generous donations were received between August and September 2013: The Starkweather ($500 $999) Dolores Guenther The Penniman ($250 $499) Plymouth Community Chamber of Commerce The Kellogg ($100 $249) Tina Carnahan Sally Fedus Emily Schultz The Digital Marquee Made Possible By: The Dunning ($2,500 or more) Anonymous Up to $100 Lois Combs Sandra Daniels Nancy Earle Joan Egner Dr. Stephen Gulyas Joyce Holmes Donna Keough Barbara Peterson Mr. & Mrs. Don White Cecelia Wedina The Lincoln ($1,000-$2,499) Sam Fullerton Robert Gotro Brian & Margaret Kidston David Latawiec (DJL Builders) The Doris Richard Estate Daniel Smith (Dan the Mortgage Man) The Starkweather ($500 $999) Jeff Ashton Community Financial Cynthia Hartsig Herriman & Associates Roy Pilkington Jean Scheppele Pam Yockey The Penniman ($250 $499) Marty & Liz Kerstens Jim & Karen Witmer The Kellogg ($100 $249) Connie Fitzner Aaron Frank Mike Pappas William Parent Win Schrader Doug & Lila Vincent Up to $100 Kathy Petlewski James Sebok 4 PLYMOUTH HISTORICAL MUSEUM
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Plymouth Days Gone-bye Compiled by Gerry Sabatini from the newspaper archives at the Plymouth District Library 100 Years Ago (September 1913) Because of the number of children who were absent from school each year during Plymouth Fair Week, the board of education announced that no school would be held on the Friday of Fair Week, which was considered the best day of the Fair. * * * * * A young railroad worker who was repairing a track in the Pere Marquette railroad yard was fatally injured when he failed to hear the warning from his fellow workers of an approaching freight train. 100 Years Ago (October 1913) At a great loss to the village, more than 30 factory employees were placed out of work when a fire destroyed the Raviler Canning Factory in Plymouth. More than 20,000 cans of tomatoes were damaged, and the total loss of property was estimated at $5,000. * * * * * 50 Years Ago (September 1963) To the excitement of Detroit Lions fans, Big George s Home Appliance Store on Plymouth Road announced that Lions quarterback Milt Plum would visit the store to talk with fans and sign autographs. The Lions finished the 1963 season with a record of 5-8-1. Plum, who began his career with the Cleveland Browns in 1957, played for Detroit from 1962 to 1967. His best year with the Lions was in 1964 when he threw for 2,241 yards and 18 touchdowns. He retired in 1969 after 13 seasons in the NFL. * * * * * 50 Years Ago (October 1963) Three men from the Plymouth area narrowly escaped serious injuries when their twin-engine Beechcraft plane crashed and burst into flames shortly after takeoff at Mettetal Airport on Lilley Road in Canton. The spectacular crash and fire came when the plane failed to gain altitude after takeoff and smashed into a tree, sheering off a wing. * * * * * More than 3,000 football fans crowded the bleachers and sidelines at the Plymouth High School football field to witness an electrifying 33-33 tie between the undefeated Plymouth Rocks (5-0) and the Belleville Tigers (3-1-1). The Plymouth Observer described the game as the most exciting football game in Plymouth history. Plymouth went on to win the Suburban Six League championship with a record of 7-0-1. * * * * * A columnist for The Plymouth Observer listed four priorities that should be addressed by Plymouth area officials: 1) Extend the soft water supply from Livonia and Canton into Plymouth; 2) Find a new source of tax revenue to finance the expanding Plymouth Community school system; 3) Separate the railroad grades on the main roads serving Plymouth; 4) Demolish the vacant downtown buildings and construct a covered parking area. 6 PLYMOUTH HISTORICAL MUSEUM
Veterans Wanted If you are a veteran of any conflict, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, and are willing to share your service story for posterity, we would like to hear from you. Veteran interviews will be made in conjunction with the Library of Congress program The Veterans History Project. We are asking veterans for an hour or two of their time to document their story. Filming of the interviews will start at the Plymouth Historical Museum in early November. Each veteran will receive a DVD copy of their interview with other copies to be maintained at the Museum and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Every veteran s story is important, no matter the job, MOS, or duty they performed during their service years. If you are a veteran and interested in sharing your experience or know of a veteran who would be interested, please call Dan Packer at the Museum for an appointment, 734-455-8940. Plymouth, Once Upon a Time The Penn Theatre on Penniman Avenue in downtown Plymouth opened on December 4, 1941, three days before the attack on Pearl Harbor. The premier movie was Weekend in Havana, starring John Payne and Carmen Miranda. The photo on the lower right is an image of the area along Penniman Avenue, circa 1920s, where he Penn Theatre was eventually built. Images from the Plymouth Historical Museum archives. MUSEUM MEMO 7
Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum 155 S. Main Street Plymouth, MI 48170 Return Service Requested Non-Profit Org U. S. Postage PAID Plymouth, MI. Permit No. 111 Calendar of Events For a detailed list of events, please visit the Museum website at www.plymouthhistory.org/events.html. Special Museum Exhibit B4TV Exhibit on display until Nov 10, 2013. October 26 Plymouth Characters Cemetery Walk, Riverside Cemetery, tours begin at 4 PM, tickets $10 in advance, $15 at the cemetery. November 3 Masquerade Tea, Plymouth Historical Museum, 2-4 PM, Mrs. Davis's 1863 Diary." Tickets are $20 for members & $25 for non-members. Add $5 to the ticket price after October 18. 10 Last day, B4TV. 11 21 Museum closed for exhibit changeover. 14 Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum, Monthly Meeting, 7:30 PM, Plymouth s Air Rifle Industry, with Elizabeth Kerstens, free admission. 22 Special Museum Exhibit, A Red Ryder Christmas Story, opens; on display until January 19, 2014. December No Friends of the Plymouth Historical Museum Monthly Meeting Special Museum Exhibit B4TV Exhibit on display until November 10, 2013 A nostalgic look at leisure activities before the advent of television, during a t i m e w h e n Americans had a s l o we r - p a c e d life style. The exhibit features the period 1900 to 1940, and highlights common family activities prior to television.