There is nothing more fascinating to me than local history. I love to learn about the place I live in and its place in history. The Lenawee Historical Museum is a local gem that many do not even know exist! Which in my opinion is very sad, all residents should visit it at least once. If you have visited this lovely little museum in the past I encourage you to visit again. This July they opened a new permanent exhibit focused on Lenawee County part in the underground railroad. This is the first new exhibit in over 30 years so well worth a revisit.
Lenawee Historical Museum
This museum opened in December of 1980 after extensive renovations. The Lenawee historical museum is a product of the Lenawee county historical society. The society has been in existence since 1868, starting in Tecumseh and reorganizing over the years.
New Anti-Slavery Exhibit
The Underground Railroad exhibit has been in the works for over 4 years, the goal was to not only make a display but to educate people on Lenawee county’s impact on slavery. They wanted to distinguish the difference between the Antislavery and the underground railroad. This is the first new permanent exhibit for this museum in over 30 years. In the mid-1800’s Lenawee county had 27 documented underground railroad stops. That is probably is very low as many could not be documented or they had to change constantly. If word got out about a safe place the authorities would shut it down and arrest those who participated.
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First Floor
You will find room after room of interesting and unique items. I loved the dentist office equipment that is set up. There is a Tri-dent dental unit that dates back to 1936 and a dental x-ray machine from 1926. Seeing the now primitive equipment helps you see how far we have come in the medical field. Also a primitive hair curling machine!
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Toy Room
Right in the middle of the first floor is a set of steps that lead you up to a toy room. Take a few minutes and really look around because there are so many items in this small space that you might miss some great items. Some of the toys I remember from my grandparents but there are many that I had never seen nor heard of before. This is truly a unique collection well worth checking out.
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Second Floor
On the second floor has small scenes from everyday life. There is a kitchen from the early 1900’s complete with stove and refrigerator. There is also a small sitting room, a bedroom set, and an antique auditorium. I love the general dry goods store, I would like to see more items displayed but they are are always collecting new items. All the more reason to revisit! There are so many items in each picture take a moment to examine each photo so that you don’t miss anything.
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Third Floor
Yep, there is still a little more to be seen before you exit the back door. The third floor is where all your genealogy research can be done. They have rooms of just about anything that has to do with Lenawee County. The staff is very helpful and more than willing to help you should you need guidance. Matter of fact they love to tell you about any exhibit or item and many have fascinating stories. Also on the third floor, there is a beautiful display that shows a booklet from 1907 focusing on houses in Adrian and how great it was to live there.
A local photographer went around a took pictures of the same houses a hundred years later. It is quite interesting to see the changes in the city in a hundred years. They also have a clock made in Adrian and given to the original author that was donated back. Ask a volunteer for the complete story you will enjoy it.
After you visit you may want to take a short stroll over to the Governors Tearoom. Here you will find a guest post I did for fill my passport!
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Lenawee Historical Museum There is nothing more fascinating to me than local history. I love to learn about the place I live in and its place in history.
