The Lenawee County Historical Museum and Archives is free and open to the public, Tuesday-Saturday 10am-2pm. The archives offer thousands of documents relating to business, government, religion, education, railroads, the military, the Grange, the Underground Railroad, prominent citizens, and many other subjects of local interest. The photo archives contains photographs and postcards of places, people, and events in Lenawee County.
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The Lenawee County Historical Society receives no government funding and relies on the community's generous support to continue the work of preserving Lenawee's history.
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34th Annual Festival of Trees
Anti-Slavery/Underground Railroad in Lenawee County Exhibit
Windows on the first floor of the museum are used in the new anti-slavery and Underground Railroad exhibit.
The Anti-Slavery/Underground Railroad Exhibit is the first new permanent exhibit at the museum in more than ten years. The exhibit recognizes Lenawee County's impact on the anti-slavery movement nationally and distinguishes between the anti-slavery movement (ending of slavery) and the Underground Railroad (subset of the antislavery movement where radical individuals actively broke Federal laws to assist slaves).
Lenawee County Historical Society board members have been working on research for the last four years, with input from community members, while raising funding to cover the cost. Spaces to Experiences of Grand Rapids, Michigan designed and installed the exhibit space.
The exhibit showcases:
Lenawee County Historical Society board members have been working on research for the last four years, with input from community members, while raising funding to cover the cost. Spaces to Experiences of Grand Rapids, Michigan designed and installed the exhibit space.
The exhibit showcases:
- The roles local educational institutions had in the anti-slavery movement including the Raisin Institute, Woodstock Manual Labor Institute and Adrian College.
- Key community members involved including: Laura Haviland, Prior Foster, Elizabeth Comstock and Asa Mahan.
- The silk dress of Elizabeth Margaret Chandler, founder of the Logan Female Antislavery Society. Silk was important because cotton would have been produced using slave labor.