New Exhibits!
A Century of Values: Boy Scouts of America, 1910-2010
Come celebrate the 100th anniversary of The Boy Scouts of America! In southwest Michigan, the Boy Scouts date almost as far back, to 1919, or even earlier.
See early scout uniforms, badges and pins, photos of local scouts throughout the years, a 1920s “Kamp Kook Kit” manufactured by the Upton Machine Company, a complete set of scout rosters dating from the 1930s, and memorabilia from the First National Boy Scout Jamboree, held in 1937 in Washington D.C. In addition, there is a collection of items related to Camp Madron, including regalia from their annual pageant, patches, and staff photos.
Located in the research library on the lower level. Many thanks to the local collectors who contributed much of the exhibit content. Open now through December 2010
 Fun in the Sun: Summertime Amusements
Discover popular recreational activities which have roots in the past and continue today: Resorts and Riverboats, the House of David, the St. Joseph River Yacht Club, and Silver Beach Amusement Park. Each case features a panel with images and artifacts, most of which are on display for the first time. These artifacts include: a vintage wool swimsuit, a baseball glove from the House of David, and tableware from the Manley Resort, the only river resort which was located within the city of St. Joseph.
Admission to this exhibit, located on the Balcony, is free. Visit us Tuesday-Saturday from 10-4 and from June-September on Sundays from 12-4.
Working Waterfronts: Planning and Preserving the Maritime Traditions of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor
Both the St. Joseph River and Lake Michigan have shaped the Twin Cities. The exhibit celebrates the local working waterfront through seven topics: Harbor Development, Ship and Boatbuilding, Commercial Shipping, Fishing, Recreation, the U.S. Life Saving Service and Coast Guard, and of course, St. Joseph’s Lighthouses.
Though much of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor’s working waterfront is now gone, visitors can view images of past features, such as ship building enterprises, commercial family fishers, and the Silver Beach Amusement Park. Not only will the exhibit feature historic photographs and related artifacts, but through feedback stations, visitors will have an opportunity to express their opinions on the future of the working waterfront.
Visit us Tuesday-Saturday from 10-4 and from June-September on Sundays from 12-4.
Photo Credit: Alden J. Ho Photography
 On the Table: China Collections from The Heritage
A new exhibit located in Shepard Hall presents our extensive china collection. China not only adorns tables, but also commemorates events, places, and even people of the past. Merchants used china to advertise and to create signature looks. The exhibit includes pieces from the Whitcomb Hotel, Mollhagen Grocery, Cooper-Wells Hosiery Company, House of David, local schools and churches, and more. A few of the pieces are from local collectors and represent china that was purchased and used in the Twin Cities. Visit the exhibit and celebrate St. Joseph and Benton Harbor history!
Shipwrecks: A Deep Look, The Rise of the Self-Unloading Freighter
 The Shipwrecks exhibit tells the story of the Hennepin, a Great Lakes freighter wrecked off the coast of South Haven. This ship has the amazing maritime legacy of being converted, in 1902, to the world’s first “self-unloading” freighter. Prior to this, sailing and steam ship crews had the backbreaking chore of manually loading and unloading cargo. All self-unloading vessels built after the Hennepin were modeled after its revolutionary conveyer belt system, designed to bring bulk cargo out from the hold of a ship. The Hennepin regularly delivered stone to St. Joseph’s harbor, some of which was used to pave Colfax and Britain Avenues and Higman Park Road in Benton Harbor. In 2006, Michigan Shipwrecks Research Association (MSRA) discovered the wreck of the Hennepin resting upright and amazingly intact in 230-feet of water.
The exhibit also explores the Rockaway, a sailing schooner which was wrecked off the coast of South Haven in 1891. The Rockaway represents an earlier chapter in the history of Great Lakes shipping, before the advent of the self-unloader. Excavated by the Michigan Maritime Museum during the 1980s, some of the Rockaway’s remarkably well-preserved artifacts are on display, including the ship’s wheel and a crew member’s leather boot. The presentation includes a documentary with a historical reenactment of its sinking, underwater video of the wreck site, and a rare, up-close look at the modern self-unloaders and their crews today. The exhibit was sponsored by a grant from the Michigan Humanities Council, which is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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