Founders Day events to showcase history of Isabella County Feb. 10
Isabella County will celebrate 159 years of its history with Founders Day from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 10 at First United Methodist Church, 400 S. Main St.
The event is sponsored by the Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library and the Museum of Cultural and Natural History.
Founders Day will begin at 8 a.m. with a pancake breakfast from Chris Cakes. Tickets are $6 at the door. Children age 4 and younger will eat for free. Historical displays and the quilt show will be up for viewing until 12:30 p.m.
According to the event page on Facebook, there will also be crafts until noon that include designing a paper quilt, deciding what someone would bring as an early Michigan settler and learning about lumbering.
Valerie Wolters, a member of the church who is helping coordinate the event, said she appreciates those who helped build the community.
The first Mount Pleasant settlers built shelter around where Charles V. Park Library stands today, Wolters said.
Guest speakers will be in coordination with this year’s theme — “centennial farms.” Descendants from Mount Pleasant’s farming community will speak about their ancestors who owned local farms more than 100 years ago, Wolters said.
The John Cumming Historical Preservation Award will be given to two people who have showed dedication to preserving the history of Isabella County, Wolters said. The winners, who have been nominated and voted on by the Clarke Library, will be announced during the awards ceremony, which begins at noon.
Wolters encouraged students and community members to attend the events to learn about the history of Isabella County, including how Mount Pleasant got its name, how the community acquired Nelson Park and what type of goods were produced during the Industrial Revolution.
