Historic Arcadia, Michigan

The Exhibit Hall

The Arcadia Furniture Company

When Dad was growing up in Arcadia, it seemed as though practically everyone in town worked for the Arcadia Furniture Company in one way or another. This exhibit summarizes the birth and growth of the company, shows furniture sold through the factory's first solo catalog, and includes a variety of artifacts including blueprints of the factory at its peak, sample furniture catalogs, and a pay stub from 1944.

The Arcadia & Betsey River Railway

When I was a kid, I heard about a narrow gauge railroad used to haul timber, but I had no idea Arcadia had its own standard gauge railway. At one point, Arcadia's railroad carried freight daily and passengers twice a day. This exhibit provides a glimpse into the history of the railroads in Arcadia in words, pictures, and memorabilia.

Shipping in Early Arcadia

Shortly after his arrival in 1880, Henry Starke began building a bridge pier at the end of Lake Street in Arcadia, Michigan. In 1892, he began building a channel between Lake Michigan and Bar Lake. When the channel opened in 1893, ships like the John D. Dewar, the Arcadia, and Pere Marquette No. 6 used Arcadia's safe harbor to carry passengers, mail, lumber, fruit, potatoes, and other products between Arcadia and the rest of the world. This exhibit summarizes shipping in Arcadia beginning in the late 1800s and ending when the channel officially closed in 1925.

Shipwrecks Near Arcadia

Violent storms made Lake Michigan a dangerous place particularly in the spring and fall, and until 1883, when Arcadia's channel opened, there were no safe harbors between Frankfort and Manistee. Many ships were lost. This exhibit summarizes more than a dozen shipwrecks in the Arcadia area between about 4 miles south of Frankfort and about 5 miles north of Ludington.

Baseball in Arcadia

Baseball was Arcadia's sport. The first ballpark in Arcadia, Michigan was built in the early 1900's out on the point. On the 4th of July people arrived by ship and by train to enjoy the festivities, which always included a baseball game or two along with a parade, speeches by local dignitaries, band concerts, and picnics.

Voices from the Past

This is a series of articles in which people from the Arcadia area provide a personal perspective of family, events, and life in general from an earlier time. If you have memories to share, see Collecting Oral Histories, or please contact the Arcadia Area Historical Society. (How? Click here.)

Walking Tour of Old Arcadia

The walking tour is about 1.5 miles long with 35 points of interest. It is intended to acquaint you with an earlier, more vibrant time in the village. The tour begins with the Museum on Lake Street. The virtual version of the tour starts by clicking here.

The Postcard Photographer's Walk

Imagine walking west along Lake Street in Arcadia, Michigan in the early 1900's. That's what a postcard photographer did, and the postcards in this exhibit show us the photographer's view of Arcadia at the time.

The Minnehaha

This exhibit tells the brief story of the Minnehaha, the 200-foot, four-masted schooner whose wreckage is still visible along the shore of Lake Michigan. We have learned that there were four ships called Minnehaha that sailed the Great Lakes early in the last century. The one that sank near Arcadia was the largest by far. We have not found a picture of the intact ship

Arcadia Days... The Old Way

Arcadia Daze is an annual three-day event in Arcadia, Michigan featuring a variety of events, music, food, arts & crafts, dancing, a parade, and more. Early in the last century, our ancestors gathered for Arcadia Days, but as the following program from 1918 illustrates, only the name is similar.

The Quimby Family in Arcadia

William Quimby and his family were among the first settlers in the Arcadia, Michigan area, and their story is representative of the difficulties encountered by many early settlers. William Quimby's daughter, Hattie or Harriet Quimby, grew up to become a pioneer aviatrix.