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Commemorating America’s 250th with Michigan History Center · Treasury Talk Podcast

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  Intro: Welcome to Treasury Talk, a podcast featuring timely tips and information for Michigan taxpayers hosted by State Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. Listen for takeaways from our subject matter experts that will support you, your family and your business.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Welcome to Treasury Talk, the official podcast of the Michigan Department of Treasury. I'm Chief Deputy Treasurer Lance Wilkinson, guest hosting this month for Treasurer Rachael Eubanks. July fourth marked two hundred and fifty years since the Declaration of Independence, and the country has seen a flurry of activities commemorating the occasion. Michigan included our state legislators appropriated funding for grants overseen by the Michigan History Center to celebrate right here in Michigan. Today, we're delighted to be hosting Sandra Clark of the Michigan History Center and look forward to hearing more about these celebrations and more. Director Clark, thanks for joining today.
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  Sandra Clark: Thank you for inviting me.
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  Lance Wilkinson: All right. First, let's refresh our listeners about the Michigan History Center. What work do you carry out and what value does it bring to Michiganders?
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  Sandra Clark: So we are the stewards of the state's history. That means we have collections that we take care of. We do research. We do museums and exhibits. We do historical markers. We do heritage trails. So lots of ways that we share Michigan's history with the public, but we also spend a lot of time taking care of it. And that's what happens behind the scenes. People see the wonderful exhibits, but they don't know. There's actually one hundred and fifty thousand artifacts that our staff is responsible for making last, for maybe the next two hundred and fifty years. I brought one with me to share with you because, uh, we obviously collect things from the state. And I brought a wonderful little brass device here that is a from eighteen ninety one. And it's used, was used to ensure that cheques could be recognisable as being valid. Its cheque embosser. And you could set on this little wheel things like paid numbers, and then move the lever down and it would punch little tiny holes in the cheques. So people knew that that was for real.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Now, what year is that from?
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  Sandra Clark: 1891 and it is from the Department of Treasury.
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  Lance Wilkinson: So for listeners, it is quite a beautiful contraption. And Director Clarke is wearing gloves to make sure that yes, we don't, um, damage the embosser.
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  Sandra Clark: Yes. It's, it's brass and copper. Um it's only about eight inches at most square with a round thing on top. And this, you turn the wheel on the top, slip the check in, push down on the handle and you've embossed your cheque. And we do have some embossed Michigan cheques in the collections as well. I did check on that to see that we had the real stuff there.
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  Lance Wilkinson: So does it still work?
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  Sandra Clark: That I have not tried because I'm really not supposed to do that kind of stuff.
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  Lance Wilkinson: We won't test it out today. All right. Well, thank you for refreshing us. Um, now the biggest history topic of this year has to be the American Semiquincentennial, which hopefully I only need to pronounce that one time. We know that the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, but what was going on in Michigan during that time?
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  Sandra Clark: Well, in Michigan during that time, most of the people living here were Native Americans, and they were living as they had been living literally for hundreds of years. There are some French folks in Michigan left over from when they occupied this territory. And there's a newcomers who are British. Um, there's been a bit of violence, Pontiac's rebellion. And actually, I like to say, you know, we helped cause the American Revolution because the conflicts between the Easterners who wanted to colonize west of the Appalachians and the Native Americans resulted in Great Britain saying, you can't go past the Appalachian Mountains. And that was one of the intolerable acts. So those are the people who are here. Some of the tribe members would fight with the British and some with the colonists during the American Revolution. But it's, um and obviously it would have a great effect on who we became when they started drawing boundary lines and things like that.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Why is it important for Michiganders and Americans to be celebrating America 250?
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  Sandra Clark: It's a good time, I think, for us to think back to where we came from. And we've we've said this isn't about what happened two hundred and fifty years ago. It's what's happened for the last two hundred and fifty years. So that we want to celebrate all of those years. We make a great deal about the Declaration of Independence. And I think people have heard by now those opening lines about rights and freedom and liberty and the pursuit of happiness and equality. And it's something we're still talking about, and it's a good chance to think about some of those things. It's a good chance to think about all the different people who have come here and all that they've accomplished in those two hundred and fifty years. So we're we're really saying, let's, let's, let's celebrate everything and everybody, not just what happened. And I get a little frustrated because it's like, okay, we had the fourth of July. Now we're done. Well, American Revolution went on for another seven years before we had a peace treaty. So this is just even the beginning of the celebration of our nation's birth. And quite a few years after that, before we had our Constitution as we know it today. So we've got a lot, a lot of time here to think back a little bit, and I hope time to come together as communities and learn each other's stories and maybe appreciate each other a little more.
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  Lance Wilkinson: When you recite the Declaration of Independence, do you sing it to the schoolhouse Rock tune?
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  Sandra Clark: I don't.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay. I do. Speaking of the two hundred and fiftieth celebration, you're also serving on the America 250MI committee, which is overseeing Michigan's commemorations of our nation's founding. How is that program developed and how is it managed?
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  Sandra Clark: Well, we knew this was coming. And so several years ago now, Governor Whitmer asked us and the Historical Society of Michigan, which is the private nonprofit that's a statewide history organization for Michigan, if we would take the leadership on that. So we pulled together a committee of people that are history geeks, history buffs, history organizations to be the committee and start talking about it. And then when we got the legislation that actually gave us some money to spend, then that became the group that has managed the grants, the local grants, and really worked on the substantial kinds of things. But the group is actually, I think, three or four years old now.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Part of the process included the awarding of grants appropriated by the Michigan Legislature. What did the awarding process look like, for example? Were there any guidelines or themes committee members look for?
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  Sandra Clark: Yes, we had a very formal process. Um, we're lucky because we work in DNR and they're very used to doing grants. We weren't. But they helped us set up a fairly good, I think a good grant program with applications, with guidelines. Um, some things that we were trying to do to commemorate, but also that broad inclusiveness for history and history organizations. Um, and so we had a application process, an evaluation process, a scoring process that the members of the committee all participated in. And from that, we selected ninety nine different projects that have received awards over the last two years. So ninety nine different projects now. Are all of those complete, still some in progress. We're the we did two rounds. Okay. Because we figured it would give. We'd get the first year, we'd get all the people who were ready with something, and then we'd have a second round the second year that would get folks that needed a little time to get ready for something. So most a lot of the first round ones are complete. But now we're into the second year, and those will be complete by the beginning of next summer.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay. Thank you.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay, we're going to take a small break now with some quick questions that help audiences get to know you better. First off, maybe an obvious one for this episode's guest. Who is your favorite historical figure and why?
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  Sandra Clark: Now you realize that's a terrible question to ask somebody who's the director of the Michigan History Center, but I'm going to give you an answer nonetheless. Carolyn French. Carolyn French is an African American woman, lives in Detroit. She's free. Black. She's married eighteen thirty three. Two other African Americans named Ruthie and Thornton Blackburn have been in Detroit for about three years, and they are self-liberated black couple and they are found out. They court procedures follow and they are placed in jail to be shipped back to Kentucky and slavery. And the black community of Detroit is not happy about this. So Carolyn French is very young. I think she's not twenty yet. She is married, but she's not twenty yet. So she and another friend go to visit Ruthie Blackburn while she's in jail. And it's Sunday afternoon and they say, you know, she's our friend. Can we just go sit with her and be with her? And they stay until it's dark. And then they have a tearful farewell and they leave. The jailer goes the next morning to get Ruthie. And it's not Ruthie, it's Carolyn, because they changed clothes. And by now Ruthie is in Canada. And I think the courage of that young woman and in fact, the jailer said, well, then we'll just send you to Kentucky. Um, there was a court order and he was not allowed to do that. She did have to pay a twenty five dollars fine for interfering with justice. Uh, Thornton does make it to Canada as well. That afternoon, there's a bit of a riot or a rescue or whatever you want to call it. And they get him to Canada as well. So they both do escape. But I think that courage to change clothes, come what may take the chances is something I admire.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Absolutely. I thank you for sharing that. That's a story I had not heard before. So thank you. Um, we're going to shift gears a little bit from that very serious story to something a little less serious, which is please give us a thirty second review of the last movie you watched, or if you prefer, your favorite movie.
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  Sandra Clark: Well, both one of my favorites in the last I matched was Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, and it's. I read the book, loved the book, read all the books, actually. And to just the drama and the fact that I can still, after two or three washings, get caught up in it. It's just something I like to do once in a while on a weekend evening.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Will you be watching the new series coming out?
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  Sandra Clark: Maybe not. I'm pretty dedicated to the old series in the books.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Fair. All right. Uh, final question. On a long summer weekend, would you rather spend time downtown in one of Michigan cities or up north?
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  Sandra Clark: Up north! No question. Easy answer.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Anything anywhere in particular?
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  Sandra Clark: Well, I have a place in Grayling. Okay. Um, so I'm a little bit of a fly fisher woman. Not not a great one by any means, but that is something I enjoy. And we have historic sites all throughout the state and, uh, the ones in the Upper Peninsula, Fayette and Fort Wilkins and the Iron Industry Museum. Work we're doing now in Saint Ignace that the father. Marquette Memorial, turning that into an indigenous place. I just love being there and love being on the lakes.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay. I agree with you. Thank you. Um, all right, we'll pivot back now. So let's get back to what's going on in Michigan for America's two fiftieth. What have been some events and programs of America250MI so far?
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  Sandra Clark: It's been a wonderful collection of things. Um, these grants have really some of them sound a little bit mundane. A lot of them are doing repairs on historic buildings. And, uh, over in Muskegon, Hackley Hume houses, they had seventeen windows that were actually the original windows that got restored. And, but we also got a note that it said they got, they're getting a lot more attention and people donating for other things they need to do because they got the grant and got it done. Um, another one that I liked was I think it's in Rochester cleaning up the cemetery of Revolutionary War graves, cleaning up all those grave sites. But then they put QR codes by them so that people can learn more about the people who are buried there, which I think is a delightful way to share the community's history. Um, we have people who are doing exhibits, um, one group working with one of our Native American tribes to do something about them up north of Grand Rapids, of north up north of Traverse City, on the Leelanau Peninsula. Um, exhibits, uh, in Flint, uh, commemorating Flint's contributions to the nation's history over the last two hundred and fifty years. So just lots of very community based, but very important to these individual communities. Some are as small as just buying the computers so they can digitize information about their collections, but it makes a difference to their history.
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  Lance Wilkinson: And these projects are throughout the state U.P.?
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  Sandra Clark: They are, yeah, yeah, they are in more than fifty of our counties. I wish I could say they were in all eighty three, but I can't say that. But yeah, they are all across the state.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay. So we're later into the year now, but are there any remaining programs and events that we should be looking for or watching out for?
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  Sandra Clark: Well, you'll continue to see those. And we really haven't started on what we're doing for our statewide work on this. And that's going to be a couple more years probably in the making. Um, here in Lansing at the Michigan History Museum, we are redoing our exhibits about statehood through the Civil War, a time when we're sorting through those issues of liberty and equality and freedom and all of those things. Um, and a very important part to our state's history. Kind of fundamental, just as the revolution was to our nation's history. So we will be redoing those exhibits. And then we are starting work on a project to try to make educational materials, primary sources, pictures and things. Um, but very place based for teachers. So we want to make sure we've seen, and I say this for kids, but it's true for every single human being I know, if we see something that is local and about us, we're interested. Even if we didn't think we were interested in the subject, we're interested. And so we really want to try to weave get things all across Michigan on various topics that a teacher can pull up and use with a classroom teacher, whether it's a state topic, a local topic, a national topic. Uh, Underground railroad is a good example. Everybody gets taught about Harriet Tubman, but I think we probably had as many people going through Michigan as went through New England. And we have all kinds of stories, and we want teachers using those stories, and we think that's going to get kids much more interested, much more owning history, wanting to know more about history. So that's our big thing. You probably won't see it for a couple of years yet, but it'll be within the revolutionary period.
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  Lance Wilkinson: How can folks get involved with these events or the Michigan History Center's activities more broadly?
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  Sandra Clark: Well, there is a Michigan250MI website. That's what you need to put in the computer to find it. And that will continue to list events as they are coming up and things that are happening. I always encourage people, find your local history folks and go visit them. If you get intrigued, volunteer. I don't know very many places that don't have a friends group or a support group that has volunteers. Uh, encourage teachers, children to get engaged with their history. Uh, lots of opportunities like that. And there are always events going on. One of ours that is an annual event, but a big one in this town is in the fall is archaeology day. We have archaeologists all over the state. People come in, talk to real archaeologists. They aren't really that scary or that exciting, but they are that exciting some days. But um, so just kind of paying attention and looking on the web, seeing what's going on and making that little extra effort to get out and visit some of these places, I think is the best thing you can do. It helps us when you come visit. It helps us when you talk to us. It helps you when you volunteer and help us.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Okay. What's next for the Michigan History Center after America250MI?
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  Sandra Clark: well, I just told you a couple of things that are going on. Maybe, you know, there's we always have things going on. Um, they're up in state state park. There is a place that is the father Marquette National Memorial. We used to have a museum there struck by lightning, burned to the ground. The fire doors were the only thing left standing. This was in two thousand, a long time ago. Not that long ago. Well, for me, it's a long time ago because we're just rebuilding. So, um. but we're um building a new learning commons there. We're doing it with tribal colleagues and our focus is on the people who were here when Father Marquette arrived and who are still here and their culture. So that's going to be opening next spring. So that's we're deeply into that. Um, the building is finished next week with my fingers crossed. And then we have to work on the exhibits and the interior of it. So new building and a lot of new things on the site as well. Um, another big project that we are working on is in Detroit. Um, we happen to be responsible for a house that Ulysses S Grant and his wife Julia, lived in for eighteen months in Detroit. Detroit thought it was important enough that it has been saved all these years. It was moved to the fairgrounds when we quit doing the fair and using the fairgrounds, it became our responsibility and we have moved it to the Eastern Market area, and we are now in the process just getting started to really put it back together again, which is been a long time coming. But the destination for that, we have a partnership with an organization called the Black Bottom Archives, and they do Detroit history. And once we get this building built back together and so it's usable, they're going to be the tenants in it. And we will share doing history community programs, but they will be there as they've never they've always been an online organization. So this will be their first their first ground place there on the ground. Um, and I think it's going to be a great partnership. The Grant House was originally on the the edge of black bottom, and it's one of the few houses of pre-Civil war house. Modest house, not your usual kind of historic house. We will not do it as a historic house per se, but as a place for community programming, community sharing of history. So that's our big things.
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  Lance Wilkinson: Well, thank you for that. So the first museum you're building is up, I think you previously said near Saint Ignace.
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  Sandra Clark: Yes. Okay. Yeah. When you go across the bridge, um, it's the one. It's the part of the park that's on the west side on your left when you're going north.
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  Lance Wilkinson: All right. Just in case people are just in case people are going next. It should be spring of twenty seven. And put it on your calendar for summer. If you're headed north, you want to stop. I think it's going to be pretty wonderful. Now to start wrapping things up, since you're well studied about the state of Michigan, what exactly makes it so much better than other states? Ohio, for example.
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  Sandra Clark: Well, we've got four Great Lakes out of five. That's a really good start, I think. Um, I think it's an amazing place to have vibrant cities. Um, who else has Motown? I mean, what does Ohio have compared to Motown for a start? Plus the Upper Peninsula. The up north experience and one of I have to now confession here. You asked me about who I am. I actually grew up in Kansas. So I grew up in prairie prairie land where I see grasses waving, where now I see water that is changing colors and waving. But coming here from Kansas, just the variety of the northern experience, I think is so exceptional. And we still have places that have small communities that do fascinating things together, and places where you can be in nature or state parks are just extraordinary places. Um, we've got four seasons and I kind of like that too
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  Lance Wilkinson: Well, thank you, Director Clark, for joining us on Treasury talk to share what's been happening in commemoration of America's two fiftieth and the overall mission of the Michigan History Center. For our listeners, we hope you'll be able to engage with some of the events funded by the America two hundred fifty MI history Grant program. You can find a list of events at America two hundred fifty mi dot org slash calendar. And that is America two five zero mi dot org slash calendar. Until next time. Thank you for listening to Treasury Talk.