The museum season is winding down! Come see us
before we close for the winter on October 27
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TROTOM VP presents at
state history conference
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An audience of history buffs from around Michigan heard an extraordinary tale of Harbert during World War II. The occasion-- the annual meeting of the Historical Society of Michigan, held this year in Benton Harbor in late September.​​​​
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TROTOM Vice President Nick Bogert presented a PowerPoint slide show, telling how famed poet Carl Sandburg and wife Paula-- Harbert residents for nearly two decades-- hired two young American-born Japanese adults from detention camps the US government set up during the war-- camps the US Supreme Court later ruled had unconstitutionally incarcerated loyal American citizens.
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The young detainees, Sunao Imoto and Kaye Miyamoto, enjoyed their stay with the Sandburgs and kept in touch with the family for several years (Miyamoto even spent his honeymoon introducing his wife to the Sandburgs!)
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In memoriam: Harold Russell
TROTOM lost an avid supporter and guiding force this summer, with the passing of Harold Russell.
Harold was a seminal player in the effort to revive a history museum in Three Oaks, motivated in ​
part by fond boyhood memories of visiting the Chamberlain Museum, which closed down in the
1950s.
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Harold's love of local history and his skills as a lawyer were quite valuable to the effort to bring
a museum back to the Three Oaks area in the early 2000s, and he served as a TROTOM
board member for almost two decades. Our condolences go out to his wife Margo and Harold's
family.​​​​
Museum Mega-Sale fundraiser a big hit
Shoppers thronged Three Oaks' Carver Park on the weekend of August 9-11, drawn by the museum's US-12 Mega-Sale. A record number of visitors (over 50!) dealt their wares-- antiques, crafts, flea-market finds from their booths, with TROTOM supplying tasty treats and a leafy, pleasant atmosphere for browsing.
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The event is the museum's biggest fundraiser of the year, with proceeds going to support our mission of preserving and presenting the history of our area.
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Thanks to the vendors and, of course, the shoppers, for helping support TROTOM!
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Apple Cider Century bike event turns 50
TROTOM documentary now available
Some of the thousands of cyclists who thronged Three Oaks for this year's Apple Cider Century bike ride took home o recounting of the history of the ACC. The museum sold DVD copies of its documentary "Small Town, Big Ride" at the event headquarters at St,.Mary's Parish Hall on East Linden Street.
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The documentary traces the history of the Apple Cider Century through the eyes of its creator, Bryan Volstorf, and his children Tim and Marcia, who've been helping to put on this extraordinary event since they were old enough to walk. The Volstorfs have some amusing stories of the trial-and-error early days of the ACC.
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The first ride happened in the fall of 1974, but the event quickly grew to be the largest single-day century ride (100 miles) in the​
country. This year, about 3400 riders pedaled through Three Oaks and surrounding towns.​
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The documentary is available at the museum for $10 per disc-- a nice gift for the biker on your holiday list!​
Other TROTOM documentaries are also available for sale at the museum. They include:​
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E. K. Warren: Father of Featherbone-- The story of Edward Kirk Warren, whose invention of Featherbone in the 1880's transformed Three Oaks into a manufacturing center and fashion capital.
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The Pokagon Band: More than Just a Casino-- The history of the local band of Pototwatomi, whose chief, Leopold Pokagon, successfully defied attempts by the US government to remove them from their lands (other Potowatomi suffered heavy loss of life during forced marches to lands west of the Mississippi)..
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Gridder, Grappler, Hustler, Spy: The Incredible Life of Joe Savoldi-- Born in Italy, raised in Three Oaks, Joe Savoldi was a multi-sport star at Three Oaks High, a brilliant running back under Knute Rockne at Notre Dame and for George Halas and the Chicago Bears, a globe-trotting pro wrestler who briefly held a world championship (though the match was probably fixed). Savoldi was also a US spy during World War II. A saga worthy of a Hollywood screenplay-- but it's true!
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Lights! Camera! Three Oaks!: The Making of Prancer-- A look back to the winter of 1989, when the Three Oaks area became a film set for the Christmas movie "Prancer". This film features interviews with director John Hancock, the film's young star, Rebecca Harrell, and some of the locals who appeared in the film and saw their town transformed into a soundstage.
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Lifestyles of the Mich(iana) and Famous-- Profiles of some of the celebrated folks who have had second homes in Michiana, including social work pioneer Jane Addams, poet Carl Sandburg, Olympic hero Jesse Owens, and TV personalities Oprahe Winfrey and Roger Ebert.
New exhibits for 2024
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Hats! Hats! Hats-- There was a time when going outside without one's hat on was unheard of.See how the styles changed over the decades. Who knows? Maybe you'll recognize a chapeau you used to wear!
WWII-- See the pictures and hear the stories of local World War II veterans, who provided medical care in the Burmese jungle, built temporary bridges in France, filmed the liberation of Paris and the Dachau prison camp, and much more.
Cameras/Photography-- See one of the earliest cameras used in Three Oaks in the 19th century, used by the area's first woman photographer. Also-- you can watch lots of home movies shot over the decades in the region of Three Oaks.
Pokagon Settlement-- A diorama created by TROTOM will give you an idea about how the Pokagon Band of Potowatomi lived. The Pokagons were the Native Americans living in this area when the US government opened Michigan up for settlement, and theyt're still our neighbors.
Waters Warren's beehive--- His sons were famous for their inventions--- E. K. Warren's Featherbone re-made Three Oaks, and Fred Warren's Calculating Engine was decades ahead of its time. Rev. Waters Warren had an inventive streak, as well, patenting a new kind of beehive in 1863. On loan from Michigan State University, it will be dsplayed at TROTOM for the first time.
Photos transformed by AI-- What would pictures of pioneer days look like if they were colorized and sharpened by AI editing programs? Some of them are pretty spectacular. Come see for yourself!
Museum agriculture display
named for Sen. Ron Jelinek
State Senator Ron Jelinek was a driving force behind the effort to bring a history museum back to the region of Three Oaks (The Chamberlain-Warren Museum closed in 1952, after 36 years in existence).
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Ron and his wife Dianne have been faithful supporters of the museum ever since, and many of the artifacts in our farming exhibit were donated by Ron. No surprise-- before he was elected to office, Ron had taught agriculture and science at River Valley High School.
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On Thursday, May 4, 2023-- at our Volunteers and Members preview-- the museum unveiled a plaque naming the agricultural display after Ron Jelinek. Thanks for all the support over the decades, Senator!
Becoming a museum member--the basics
Want to help us preserve the history of our area, continue offering exhibits and programs, and tell stories of Michiana through social media? Becoming a member is easy. Just send a check-- $15 for an individual membership, $25 for a family membership-- to PO Box 121 in Three Oaks MI 49128. Be sure to add a note giving us your address, phone number, and especially email, so we can keep you informed of what's going on at the museum.
Hats! Hats!
Hats!
