MARQUETTE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The Marquette Regional History Center is receiving a $1,000,000 appropriation from the State of Michigan to help pay off the mortgage from its construction dating all the way back to 1918.
On Monday, State Representative Jenn Hill came to Marquette to present a novelty check to the museum.
Rep. Hill said the the History Center is a key part of preserving both our state’s and our nation’s history.
“They converted a bus garage in downtown Marquette to a thriving cultural center that preserves our history and shares it with young people and old people alike,” said Rep. Hill. “There’s preserved artifacts, and people’s stories, there’s maps, and thousands of photographs here. It’s just an incredible resource for all the different ways the upper peninsula has impacted our country and our state.”
Cris Osier, the museum’s executive director said getting the funding they need has been a long process, but well worth it.
“We have been working with our elected officials for many years, trying to get the support needed to continue on,” said Osier. “It’s no easy task to run a non-profit in the Upper Peninsula, let alone a museum, but it’s important. We’re collecting our history, we’ve been collecting for over 100 years, and people want to learn abut their past.”
The museum plans to use the new resources to expand programming and staffing in the near future.
If you want to check out the museum, and its current special exhibit on the history of guts frisbee in the Upper Peninsula, its hours are, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10-5 p.m., Wednesday from 10-8 p.m., Saturday from 10-3 p.m., and closed on Sunday.
For more information about the Marquette Regional History Center check out its website.
