TAHS February Program – Dramatic History of Traverse Area Libraries

Sunday, February 20th, 2:00-3:30, Traverse Area District Library, Woodmere Branch, McGuire Room – also available online.

Our beautiful, dynamic library on Woodmere Avenue and the other vibrant member and branch libraries of the Traverse District Library System are taken for granted now, but there is an interesting history of how they became that way.  Beyond Books: Stories of Traverse Area Library History 1860 – 2020 tells that story. It was written by noted local author Heather Shumaker, who also did much of the research. The story of the development of libraries in the Grand Traverse area begins with the very early Traverse Township Library and the 1869 formation of the Ladies Library Association. Eventually the Carnegie Library on 6th Street was built to house a growing public library. We discovered that the story of library development, at least in our area, was political, sometimes controversial, and even in some cases very dramatic — with fights over where libraries should be located.  Presenters Anne Magoun and Ann Swaney are Co-Coordinators of CRSTAL (Committee to Record the Story of Traverse Area Libraries), who worked together fund-raising, researching, proofing, and now marketing this book.

TAHS January Program – Traverse City Transformed: From Industry to Recreation

Sunday, January 16th, 2:00-3:30. McGuire Room, TADL Woodmere branch.

Traverse Area Historical Society: Traverse City Transformed

This wide-ranging program weaves striking local art and historical photos with images of paintings from the Detroit Institute of Art.  The presentation gives clues as to how and why Traverse City has changed so much over the past 150 years. It is an expanded version of a 2019 program presented as part of Northwestern Michigan College’s Dennos Museum’s 2018 – 19 “Visions of American Life” exhibition, which was loaned from the DIA. 

Presenter Peg Siciliano has a Master’s Degree in American History with a Specialty in Archives from the College of William and Mary.  She is the past archivist of the TAHS, writes historical articles for the TC Record Eagle, and currently works for the Traverse City Area Public Schools.