Programs for the year 2012
January 19 : Margean Gladysz shares “Civil War Letters from the Front,” correspondence home to Wisconsin from her great grandfather and four of his brothers. The family letters include a description of fighting at The Crater.
February 16 : Dr. Ross Sheldon of A.M. Todd, will discuss “Mint Agriculture and the Development of New Varieties.” His talk will include some history of local mint production, the town of Mentha, and the recent sale of A.M. Todd to Wild Flavors.
March 15 : Duane Hampsten presents “Antique Timepieces—Pocket Watches and Wrist Watches.” He invites attendees to bring in timepieces with questions for the speaker.
April 19: The life and work of Caroline Bartlett Crane , well-known Kalamazoo Unitarian minister, suffragist, journalist, civic reformer and social gospel advocate, perhaps best known today as designer of Everyman's House. Speaker will be Marj Lightner.
May 17: Kalamazoo Public Museum's Tom Dietz discusses the “Four Corners of Kalamazoo County,” those small settlements that developed at major intersections in almost every township in the county, but are now often forgotten or have been overtaken by urban growth. Annual Meeting/Election of Officers.
June 21: Join us for a visit to the Wolf Lake Fish Hatchery Visitor Center, six miles west of US-131 at the corner of M-43 and C.R. 652. Enjoy the interactive exhibits; then hear the staff discuss the history and work of this local facility and tour the raceways, ponds, grounds and trails.
July 21: Pioneer Days on the Drake Homestead Grounds. event that will include and open house.
August 18 (Saturday): Visit the OHS booth at Oshtemo Fun Day , Flesher Field.
September 20: Ilah Henderson shares the history of the Oshtemo United Methodist Church as it celebrates 150 years in our community.
October 18: Learn about the Kalamazoo State Hospital's Colony Farm property . Mark Hoffman tells how it developed from the farm of early Oshtemo settler Neal Hines.
November 15: Martha Starmann will discuss the White Pigeon Land Office , opened in the early 1830s, from which territorial and then state land throughout Western Michigan was purchased.
December 6: Annual Appreciation Dinner for members and invited guests. Oshtemo Community Center, 6:00 p.m.
