10th Anniversary Event – June 23, 2024
10th Anniversary! It’s been ten years since the museum opened its doors in its “new to us” historic building at First and Rutledge. In celebration, we will have a party on the channel. Tour two historic cottages at the westernmost end of the channel, and attend the unveiling of the 9-foot scale model of the USS Sequoia, the newest exhibit in the museum. The real USS Sequoia, the former presidential yacht known as “the floating white house” visited Pentwater in 1984 to great acclaim. Be one of the first to see the exquisitely detailed model in Pentwater.
Tickets are for sale in the museum, online, and in stores (Jilly’s and Roxann’s).
Community-Wide Garage Sale
The Pentwater Historical Society Museum participates in the Community-Wide Garage Sale each year. PHS takes donations of any kind, so do your spring cleaning and forget about the hassle of setting up and pricing and leave it to PHS! Drop off your gently loved treasures to the PHS and we will do the rest! All proceeds go to the upkeep and maintenance of the Museum. The Community-Wide Garage Sale occurs each year in early June. (Please note: We do not accept couches, pillows, bed linens, or clothes.)
Homecoming Parade
Join the Pentwater Historical Society in the annual Homecoming Parade! Be a part of the design team, walking team, or cheer from the crowd! The Annual Homecoming Parade occurs the second weekend in August.
Summer Dinner
This dinner is held the fourth Wednesday of August before Labor Day each year. All members are invited to enjoy a night of food and fellowship. Each dinner features a special guest speaker or an exciting presentation about the history of Pentwater or the surrounding area. Past events have included: Pure Michigan, SS Jarvis Lord Shipwreck and Shipwrecks of the Great Lakes.
Hancock History Audio Tour
For Immediate Release, April 29, 2023
Contact – Ron Beeber 313.498.0155
TAKE THE HANCOCK HISTORY SELF-GUIDED AUDIO TOUR
Would you like an easy way to reminisce, or expand your knowledge about Pentwater history? The Pentwater Historical Society (PHS) is pleased to announce the new Hancock History Self-Guided Audio Tour. It’s free, and easily accessed on one’s cell or hardline telephone simply by dialing 231.720.0291, and following the prompts.
Each of the six audio narratives runs between five and nine minutes. They describe some of the history that occurred on six blocks of Hancock Street – the 500 block between Fifth and Sixth streets, 400 block, 300 block, 200 block, 100 block, and the block between Lowell and First. As weather improves, each narrative might best be enjoyed while sitting in front of the Village Marina, water tower, Chamber of Commerce, Village Green, Hancock Building, Cosmic Candy, Village Hall, and Methodist Church. There, residents and visitors can imagine Pentwater’s early days as they listen on cellphones, perhaps through an earpiece while sipping a beverage.
One can listen to all six narratives in succession, starting at the Village Marina and entering 500 + pound, either while strolling along Hancock Street or sitting on a bench. Just follow the prompts. It’s perfect for dog walkers. Or, one can access individual recordings anytime, like while sitting on a bench waiting for a shopper, or just people-watching. Simply enter 5-0-0-pound (# KEY) to learn some history about the 500 Block of Hancock, 4-0-0-pound for some history about the 400 block, and so forth. To learn some history between Lowell and First streets, one must enter 9-9-pound.
“It was fascinating to compile and record these narratives over the winter,” said Ron Beeber, a PHS volunteer docent. “A lot of the content is drawn from past issues of PHS newsletters that are posted on the pentwaterhistoricalsociety.org Website under the Research heading. Some landmarks had to be located by matching content to historic photos of the Village.”
The content heard in these six recordings is just the tip of the iceberg of what’s known about Hancock Street’s history. The PHS hopes this Self-Guided Audio Tour will trigger many Pentwater me
mories, and that listeners will post some on the Pentwater Historical Society Museum’s Facebook page. What a treasure trove of memories!
The idea for sharing Hancock Street history this way was inspired by Mary Schumaker’s suggestion a few years ago that the PHS offer docent-led tours along Hancock Street during the holiday shopping season. It would build upon the popularity of the summertime History Cruise on Pentwater Lake. PHS trustees Bart Zachrich and Beth Russell conducted a few strolls, but encountered some real wintry weather. Then, two years ago, a few docent-led tours were offered on already-busy summer Saturday mornings. So the Historical Society hopes this Self-Guided Audio Tour proves to be more convenient. One can just add 231.720.0291 to their cellphone “Contacts” — labeled as “PHS” — and listen anytime, from anywhere – the street, car, or one’s home.
Spring Dinner – May 22, 2024
All members are invited to enjoy a night of food and fellowship. Each dinner
features a special guest speaker with an exciting presentation about the history of
Pentwater or the surrounding area. Past topics have included: Armistice Day,
Icebreaker Ships and Songs of Lake Michigan.
Our topic on May 22 is “The Great American Loop, a 7,000 mile journey around the
Eastern United States,” by Dan Girvan.
Dinner will be catered.
Tickets are $30 and may be purchased in town or online.
Buy online here: Online Form
The May 22 dinner will be hosted at the AgBio research center, 5185 N. Oceana
Drive, Hart, MI.
5:30 social dinner
6:00 dinner service
7:00 program
How many shipwrecks lie off Pentwater?
Over forty shipwrecks have occurred along Pentwater beaches. None were more tragic than the 1940 Armistice Day sinkings, which drowned 59 Great Lakes sailors. On that black night in November, a storm with sustained winds of 80 mph, and gusts exceeding 110 mph, caught three massive steel lake freighters just off Pentwater.
The two largest, the Anna C. Minch and Wm. B. Davoc, sank with all hands. Nearby, a third freighter, the Novadoc, with 17 of its crew still aboard, was being slowly pounded to pieces by waves estimated to have reached 30 feet in height. Local fishermen carried out the rescue of the Novadoc crew and became national heroes. The Pentwater Historical Society museum has a collection of artifacts commemorating the storm and rescue