Bridgewater, a historic hamlet
by Sara Swanson What do you know about Bridgewater, not the township but the hamlet? If you are like many Manchester-area residents, you may know it as the spot on Austin where you have to slow down to 35mph on your way to Saline, or your knowledge may extend to the Bridgewater Bank being a […]
Watkins Lake State Park home to a rediscovered piece of the Great Depression
by Sara Swanson You probably know that Manchester Township along with neighboring Norvell Township is home to Watkins Lake State Park and County Preserve, Michigan’s 103rd state park as well as the first state park in Michigan to be jointly managed with a county recreation agency. What you might not know is that the park […]
Two Manchester Civil War participants earned the Medal of Honor
by Marsha Chartrand Two years ago in the Mirror, https://wp.me/p3ZFr0-iQR, we told the story of Manchester’s own living hero Chuck Steele and his 70+ years of commitment to his country and community. But he recently learned that he’s just one among several Manchester men who have been honored in a variety of different ways for […]
The Phoenix that rose from the ashes and flew again
by Colleen A. Schoenfeld Ever heard a familiar, yet strangely different plane sound, and looked to the sky in curiosity and wondered if you stepped into a time warp as you watch what appears to be a WWII bomber flying overhead? Don’t worry, you’re still in the present and likely your glasses still work. Manchester […]
The history and future of Iron Creek Church
by Sybil Kolon for Manchester Area Historical Society The Iron Creek Community Church, founded as a Free Will Baptist Church in 1855, was dissolved earlier this year. Unbeknownst to many, the congregation had been shrinking for years. There are some sad aspects of this story, but it also presents an opportunity to preserve a modest, […]
Another find at the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse
by Sara Swanson We reported on the finds from the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse deconstruction project that happened last fall. Sybil Kolon let us know that within the last month there is another find to add to the list! On invitation, a metal detectorist, Chris Trudell, investigated the area. The most interesting find was a crotal bell […]
What was discovered during the Sutton/Kolongowski farmhouse deconstruction?
Editor’s note: Last October we ran an article about the impending deconstruction of the house at 11703 Noggles Rd and subsequent planned workshops by the Manchester Area Historical Society. The house is being demolished as part of the process of creating a public nature preserve, as Legacy Land Conservancy becomes the new steward of this […]
Bringing an old schoolhouse back to life
by Marsha Chartrand Bob Mottice and his wife, Sandy, have always enjoyed their historic Sharon Township home. And for the last few decades, they have enjoyed creating a miniature historic village that surrounds their home. This includes a reconstructed 1840s cabin and other historic structures, all built or re-built using methods and tools available to […]
One photo, the story of two Manchester men
by Sara Swanson When Garrett Scott, an Ann Arbor–based rare book dealer, ran across a photo in a collection with “Manchester, Michigan” on it, he passed it on to us. It contains the names of not one, but two former Manchester residents. These are a bit of these men’s stories. The photo shows a man […]
Let us never forget ...
by Marsha Chartrand It's been nearly 105 years since Emil Jacob died in service to his country during World War I. Emil, the only soldier from Manchester who died during The Great War, as it was then known, grew up in Lenawee County but moved with his family to Sharon Township when he was 16. […]
