Recordings of
"First Thursday" Events
During months when the museum is closed, TROTOM offers its members "First Thursday" Zoom presentations on topics related to local history. In some cases, these programs are recorded and posted on TROTOM's YouTube page.
Below are recordings of some of those programs.
The "mint boom"
in the US and SW Michigan
120 years ago, mint was a major crop in the region of Three Oaks. The area's swampy soils were well-suited for raising the crop used for medicine and for the Wrigley Company's wildly popular chewing gum. Dan Allosso, author of the bok "Peppermint Kings" shared the history of mint farming in the US in February, 2026.
See this program by clicking HERE.
Leopold Pokagon, Potawatomi Chief
Leopold Pokagon was the chief of Potawatomi Indians who lived along the St. Joseph River during the early 1800s, a time when US officials were trying hard to remove Indians to reservations west of the Mississippi. Pokagon, though, successfully resisted that effort. Zada Bellew and Cecil Wilson of the Pokagon Band show and tell about Pokagon's extraordinary and impactful life.
See this program by clicking HERE.
Joshua Chatterson: Pioneer Merchant
Joshua Chatterson moved to Three Oaks a few years after the end of the Civil War and played a vital role in shaping the village in the late19th century. Suzanne Sheldon Levy, a Three Oaks native and retired research librarian, has been tracking down the details and stories of her great-grandfather's life for years. Her look at Chatterson's life illuminated many aspects of life in this area during the years Three Oaks grew from a sleepy farming community into a busy manufacturing town.
See this program by clicking HERE.
The Massive Warren Family Ranches
The Warrens made their fortune in Three Oaks in the late 19th century. Thanks to the "cowboy fascination" of Charles Warren, the family bought huge ranches in the American Southwest and Mexico. Dr. David Murrah, former Director of the Southwest Collections at Texas Tech University, lays out the saga of the Warren ranches. A special bonus-- some Warren descendants and others who helped manage the ranches attended the program, and provide their own recollections during a discussion.
To see it, click HERE.
"A Stroll Down Historic Elm Street"
The story behind the storefronts on Three Oaks' main shopping street, from the 1850's to the present. Triumphs, tragedies, disasters, and big personalities all played a role in shaping Elm Street. TROTOM Board Member Nick Bogert collected the stories and the images over two years.
Watch the program by clicking HERE.
"The House of David and World War II "
The Israelite House of David, a religious commune based in Benton Harbor, faced many challenges during World War II. As pacifists, sect members did not want to fight, but the House of David took great pains to avoid being seen as unpatriotic. As a large agricultural enterprise, the House of David turned to a new source of labor during the war---- German POW's.
To learn about it from House of David historian and archivist Brian Carroll, click HERE.
"Artifactoids"
Five artifacts from TROTOM's collections, described by five presenters, accompanied by graphic illustration in Power Point-style. Learn about dentistry in Three Oaks through the years, about farm-field fossil discoveries, about a long-forgotten sex-and-money scandal that rocked 1920's Three Oaks, about a Civil War cartridge case and the Avery resident it belonged to, and about the wildfires of 1871, which ravaged the area and led to the formation of Three Oaks's first fire department. To watch, click HERE.
"Harbor Country Hoodlums"
Author Chriss Lyon ("A Killing in Capone's Playground") talks about some of the tough guys and crooks who have spent significant downtime in SW Michigan. Oh, and she throws in some good stories about a few good guys, too.
To see it, click HERE.
"Michigan's Logging Era"
Michigan was a logger's paradise for most of the 19th Century and the lumber industry did massive environmental damage to the state. Historian Hillary Pine shows us how the state recovered from near-ecological disaster, in a Zoom program presented November 19, 2020. To see it, click HERE.
"Fred Warren's Amazing Calculating Engine"
It may be the first calculating machine produced in the US, and it
was put together in Three Oaks way back in 1875. Join TROTOM Board Member Nick Bogert and Notre Dame Computer Science Prof. Jay Brockman for a look at an extraordinary machine and an amazing drama that surrounded its invention.
You can view this program by clicking HERE.
"Three Oaks Flag Day Parade-- Through the Years"
Sadly, the Three Oaks Flag Day Parade-- a local favorite since 1953--was canceled in 2020, due to public health concerns. The Region of Three Oaks Museum created this look back at a beloved tradition, the parade that, organizers assure us, is still the largest Flag Day parade in the country.
You can see our Flag Day retrospective by clicking HERE.
"Three Oaks Department Stores"
In 1910, the Charles K. Warren & Company store opened with giant wagonloads of shoppers coming to Three Oaks. The village's big company store soon passed to the Hunerjager family, who ran the store and staged village fashion shows for decades.
See the program by clicking HERE.
"The Booms and Busts of Frontier New Buffalo"
New Buffalo careened from good times to bad with astonishing speed in the days after its founding by Captain Wessel Whitaker in the 1830s. Watch the 40-minute Power Point talk put together by TROTOM Board Member Nick Bogert by clicking HERE.
