Strawberry Festival
Open House

Friday, July 6, 2012 from 12-6 pm &
Saturday, July 7, 2012  from 12-4 pm

Summer 2012 Information!

Chassell Heritage Center opens for the season on July 1st and remains open through August 31st.

On Saturday, July 7th, at 2:00 pm, the Friends of Fashion present their annual Strawberry Festival vintage fashion show.  This newly-written show will feature the life and times of Henry and Clara Ford and the impact they had on the Upper Peninsula.

Tickets are $5.00 and are available from members, at the Heritage Center, and at the Einerlei in Chassell. email: shop@einerlei.com

Museum exhibits include a new exhibit by the Friends of Fashion featuring children's toys and apparel, a recent addition, Lumber Kings to Strawberry Kings,  and the exhibit of early Chassell, the Chassell Timeline Exhibit, a French-Canadian Heritage Exhibit, and a temporary exhibit of the area's old barns.

The Special Events Thursday Evening Programs, held on most Thursday evenings at 7pm in the upstairs auditorium, include presentations to please all age groups.

  Special Events for Summer 2012---Thursday Evenings, 7:00 P. M.

Friends of Fashion

The Friends of Fashion function as an educational arm of the Chassell Historical Organization, Inc. They present historical fashion shows and mount a new exhibit showcasing vintage clothing and history every two years in the Chassell Heritage Center. The group has given stage presentations throughout the western and central Upper Peninsula as well as northern Wisconsin. They can be hired by your group or organization to present a historical vintage fashion show.  Call Nancy at (906) 523-4612 or e-mail: nancy@einerlei.com

 “LUMBER KINGS TO STRAWBERRY KINGS”

Our new exhibit entitled “Lumber Kings to Strawberry Kings” opened for the 2005 season. Chassell Historical Organization members worked diligently for almost two years on this permanent exhibit showcasing the strawberry industry, the Chassell Lions Club, and the strawberry festival, all vitally important to our community.

Visitors are able to walk through Chassell’s history moving from the lumbering industry and on through the development of strawberry farming, the founding of the Chassell Lions Club, and the development of a festival to promote the growing and sales of strawberries.

There is something for everyone in our new exhibit. Featured is a collection of historical photographs that were originally taken by Angus Ward and recently reproduced from the original glass negatives.  Other facets of the exhibit include a history of strawberry farming from the turn of the last century to the present and the story of how a group of industrious farmers determined how to successfully market their berries. Learn about what it takes to grow a strawberry, and the how the strawberry industry profoundly effected our community. Patrons are sure to recognize many familiar names and faces among the personal stories of local farm families. Find your family and friends in the delightful recollections of past strawberry festivals.

This exhibit has been made possible with the help and cooperation of many people.  Fortunately, strawberry association records had been stored by private individuals and these were made available so that we might piece together the real story of the organization’s history. In 2004, CHO members began interviewing past and present strawberry growers to learn about strawberry farming and the history of the strawberry associations. Many enjoyable hours were spent with these men and women who recounted their farming and family histories and generously shared many photographs and artifacts. Without their help and cooperation, the exhibit would not have been possible. Our heartfelt thanks go out to these wonderful people.

We are grateful to the Chassell Lions Club and the Chassell Improvement Association for generously contributing $5000 for the production of the exhibit. Their generosity has enabled the CHO to produce a professional-quality exhibit of which we may all be proud.