Turning the page, looking to the future

In February 2016, Cindie and I attended a meeting of the Almont Community Historical Society at the Society’s museum on Main Street. The expressed purpose of the meeting was to dissolve the Society’s association with the museum. Cindie and I attended to see if there was anything we could do to alter that decision.

The museum was formed in 1997 when Cindie was Society President. The creation of the museum was the result of an agreement with the Genesee Park Board to keep the building—which dates from about 1843—in the village. The museum building was purchased back by local business owners from the Genesee Park Board with the understanding that it would eventually be turned over to the Almont Community Historical Society and converted to a museum. The new business owners used the building for a period of 10 years and then turned it over to the Society and the museum was created.

In 2002, the Society and the Almont Downtown Development Authority (DDA) agreed to deed the building to the DDA with the DDA being responsible for the maintenance of the building and the Society covering the costs of operation of the museum —heat, lights, and water. Using grant money and some money from the DDA, the building was renovated in 2010. The renovation won an award for the quality of the preservation of the building.

During 2015, the Society held three or four fundraisers for the purposes of covering the museum’s operational costs. Unfortunately, all of these efforts were unsuccessful. At the end of each fundraiser, the Society had less money than before the event— the fundraisers were actually fund-losers. The Society was worse off than before the events.

By the beginning of 2016, the Society’s existing funds would only cover four to six months of operating costs. The Society members wished to continue as a Historical Society but could see no way forward to continue to operate the museum— thus the February 2016 meeting.

As I entered the museum, I saw artifacts that could only be preserved in the museum. There were pieces of Almont’s storied past that should only be shown and preserved in a museum. I could not let these items be trashed or stored away in someone’s basement or attic. I proposed to the members present, that I be given the time to see if I could generate funds to cover the museum’s operational costs. They agreed, so long as I would take over as President of the Almont Community Historical Society, which I did.

I wrote a “Letter to the Editor” and requested help with funding the museum. As has been the pattern in all such requests in the past, the community responded and improved the Society’s finances. It did not solve the Society’s long-term financial outlook but gave us the time to develop and execute a plan to reach financial stability.

We immediately opened the museum on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m. – year round. We urged people to become members of the Society to financially support the Society on an ongoing basis. The membership increased with many new lifetime members joining so far. Lifetime members typically make a yearly contribution to the Society.

Beginning with the March 2016 meeting, a presentation was given each meeting highlighting important moments in Almont’s history.

In June 2016, we began issuing the “Lamplighter,” the monthly newsletter. The “Lamplighter” indicated happenings at the museum and included a short Almont history story. The “Society Day of the Month” was started in December of 2016 and included the short story of the events of that day.

In May 2018, Almont’s 2nd-graders began an annual historical tour of Almont with a visit to the museum. For the “Holly Day Light Parade” the Society opened the museum to show children how to make pioneer style Christmas ornaments. We also provided several presentations on various aspects of Almont’s storied past.

In December 2018, the Society formed the Almont Community Historical Society Endowment and Project Fund through the Four County Community Fund. The Endowment Fund is designed to permanently support the museum’s operations. This fund needs to grow to about $50,000 so the fund’s earned income will cover the current operational costs of the museum. It presently is at about $20,000, which came from sale of the “Remembrance of Almont 2020” book and generous donations, which were given to support the permanent operation of the museum.

In October of 2019, Tri-City Times Editor Maria Brown and staff writer Tom Wearing asked me to write weekly history articles about Almont. The first article appeared in the October 30 edition—”Almont’s great squirrel hunt”.

Every week since (except one week in 2020 because of COVID) an article appeared for five years – a total of 260 articles. The vast majority of these articles required extensive research, writing, rewriting, and proofreading. Each article required a considerable amount of time and energy.

The Almont Community Historical Society has published three volumes of these stories—each volume covering a year’s worth of articles—”Stories of Almont’s Past – Volumes 1 to 3”. Volumes 4 and 5 will be published by next spring. These books are available at the museum on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. at a cost of $15 each. We also published Volume 1 of “The Beginning – Coming to Almont”, which is a genealogy and history of twelve of Almont’s first pioneer families. “The Beginning – Coming to Almont” is also available at the museum for $15.

For Homecoming 2020, to continue the practice of publishing a new history about Almont, I wrote “Remembrances of Almont 2020”, some 346 pages. If you want to know something about Almont in the mid-1900s, this is the first place to look. Cost is $40 at the museum.

After the COVID crisis eased, Mike Swanger and Kevin LaHaie re-organized “The Royal Rubes” as ambassadors for the museum. They have now performed at the Holly Day Light Parade and Heritage Festival for several years. They also perform for the museum’s birthday party in late June each year.

In 2022, we created the Almont Historical Society website which has the stories from the Society’s Day of the Month and those articles published in the “Lamplighter” newsletter. It is accessible at https://almonthistoricalsociety.com/.

We recently received a donation which will fund the Society’s storage building and cabinetry for the museum. We are in the process of making those modifications to the facility.

During all of this time, I have not been well. The medications I take control the effects of my illness but the medications I take have side-effects of making me weak and tired. I no longer have the strength and energy to properly prepare weekly articles. This article will be my last weekly article.
Additionally, I will be stepping down from the Almont Community Historical Society in February—after nine years of involvement. The Society will need your continued support, both financially and through active participation in museum activities.

In the future if I find a subject of particular interest and informative, I may supply the paper with additional articles.

I am beginning the process of writing “Remembrances of Almont 2025” for the 2025 Homecoming. I would appreciate all the help I can get. If I ask you to write a short story about your family or business, please help me.

I greatly appreciate the many compliments I have received through the years about my work.

Copies of the Almont Historical Society’s various books can be purchased by contacting Jim Wade at 810-796-3355 or jrwade49@ gmail.com or stopping by the museum on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m.

Editor’s note: A giant ‘Thank You’ to Jim Wade for his numerous contributions to our Editorial pages. Best wishes for health and happiness to Jim and his family.