A Troy Christmas Memory During the 1970s members of Big Beaver United Methodist Church staged a living nativity scene on Christmas Eve. Church members bundled in robes and blankets portrayed Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the...

  On December 7, Americans recall the attack on Pearl Harbor. In a rapid series of air strikes, Japanese fighter planes killed 2,400 people, wounded 1,000,  and damaged or destroyed approximately 20 American ships...

  Today I stood on the Lake Michigan shore with 24 bird watchers scanning the brilliant blue sky and choppy water for migrating ducks, loons, and perhaps a rare gull. I am a lifelong...

    Each of us is a history maker… The past ten days were a clear reminder that history continues to unfold through every day occurrences including celebrations of birth and bittersweet commemorations of...

Historical Reenactors Many historic venues offer historically-costumed interpreters as part of the draw to visit their location. They tend to be informative and usually do well to enhance the visitor experience, despite the guy...

  50 Who Put Troy on the Map When a community like Troy is formed from the wilderness (or native lands), people naturally want to associate places with names. Some of our current street...

“Are we capable of establishing good government?” Alexander Hamilton Between 1787 and 1788 James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay penned 85 essays that supported ratification of the U.S. Constitution.  Most were published in...

  On the Road Again – Part I Perhaps you’ve heard the news: Interstate 75 gets a makeover in Oakland County! Extra lanes, modernized ramps, reconstructed overpasses, new drainage, the works. Michigan’s longest route-numbered...

Why does the history of the 1960s matter to us? Certainly each of us alive today could make a claim to a relative being alive during that decade. What were your ancestors doing 50...

And the Nominee is… As Americans follow the protests, rhetoric, and political processes showcased at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, it is important to remember that there have been many controversial presidential candidates...

  It’s all the rage! Pop culture trends come and go and sometimes come back again (here’s looking at you, Pet Rock!) Though fads may fall quickly into obscurity, it’s fun to look back...

  68.1: The first artifact in our collection I’ve mentioned in previous blog posts about how the village relies on donated artifacts to enhance the village. Now I’d like to take us back 50...

  Barbecue! Image: “A Southern Barbecue”, 1887, by Horace Bradley Summertime in the United States is practically synonymous with barbecue cooking, a tradition that really predates written history. In 2007, Israeli scholars from the...

  “Go straight & be merry; Go crooked & regret it:” How Jail Cell Graffiti Tells a Story.     Let’s go behind the ropes, to the Township Hall jail cell. Located in the...

  Enjoying Art in Great Historic Spaces The front page story in Wednesday’s Free Press highlighted Detroit’s new Moran Bondaroff Gallery. The first installation, which opens this week, is an exhibit of contemporary art...