2019-15
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| Marshall Bluegrass Festival |
Marshall Michigan
Campground: Calhoun
County Fairground. $15.00 30/50 amp electric and water. Normally
they charge $20-$25 for camping. Plus $50 for Folk Music event all
week. Total: $140.00 for 6 days.
Campground:
Greenvalley Campground. Sturgis Michigan. $25 30amp electric and
water. No dump station. Mainly poorly kept seasonal campsites, dirt
and tall trees. Swimming pool, cost extra. If running a/c $3 charge
per day. Neighbors are very angry, 5 mph speed limit enforced.
Distance traveled: 135 miles
Along some pretty
bad roads, especially the hwy 69 loop around the state capitol
Lansing Michigan. Many of the roads being concrete. Sections of
concrete are removed and replaced with asphalt or just patched with
asphalt. Creating for a very bumpy ride. Things have been dislodged
inside my camper that I’ve never seen moved in the past. At one
point I felt like I was riding a bucking bronco.
This is an unplanned
stop, as I’m waiting this week to head to my repair destination at
the end of the month.
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| super nice meeting people and pets along Marshall's River Walk |
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| nice way to get a walk in, under a shaded river walk |
A Dollar Tree worker.
Stopping at a Dollar
Tree, you know one of my favorite places to shop. The one in
Marshall is rather small but very well maintained and stocked to the
ceiling with all those dollar items. And I always congratulate them
on it as I know it’s not an easy task to keep up. The
cashier/stocker mentioned at the check out that she couldn’t
understand people stealing from a dollar store. The stuff only costs
a dollar. She had caught an older guy stealing, and rather than have
him arrested, she learned that his wife had died recently of a long
illnesses, leaving the man rather destitute. She then proceeded to
give him a gift card with $20 on it and has continued replenish it
every couple of weeks to help him out. Now keep in mind this gal has
really bad teeth and works for minimum wage and could surely use the
money on herself, but still has so much compassion she’s willing to
help out a local man in need.
The small town of
Marshall has a couple of museums, I nice round-a-bout leading into
town with a pretty water fountain. Many of the museums are only open
a few days on the weekend. I happened to go to the Magicians Museum
today. A couple nice displays of actual props used by Houdini,
Blackwell and other famous magicians. Colon Michigan a bit further
south from here is home to a large magician community.
From a Dollar Tree
worker helping others, in the next town over, another woman who
accomplished so much in her life
Truth Sojourner
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| Truth Sojourner |
In the town of
Battle Creek Michigan stands a statue of a once enslaved 6 foot tall
black woman named Isabella Baumfree 1797-1883. Her story is so
overwhelming that I have to share a portion of it here. She grew up
enslaved in New York first speaking only Dutch. Having been sold and
owned by 4 different slave owners. When she was 9 years old she was
sold at auction for $100 included a flock of sheep. Later Truth
would fall in love with Robert also enslaved. Roberts owner forbade
the relationship because he didn’t want his slave to be married to
a slave he did not own. Robert would be beaten and died a few years
later.
The state of New
York would free all slaves in the state eventually, but Truth would
escape her owner shortly before that would occur moving to New York.
She said at the time “I did not run off, for I thought that wicked,
but I walked off, believing that to be all right”.
She eventually
legally changing her name to Truth Sojourner believing that was her
purpose in life. And continued a life of helping others and working
towards emancipation of women. Working tirelessly for women's
rights. “I have heard the Bible and have learned that Eve caused
man to sin. Well if woman upset the world, do give her a chance to
set it right side up again”…. She spoke at many conventions and
gatherings inspiring others.
The plaque states
that she became one of America’s most influential crusaders for
justice. Eventually moving to Battle Creek where she lived the rest
of her life. Speaking of her influential life she said simply “The
Lord had a plan for me”.
I’ll include a
link for more information on her life including a book she dictated
on her life. She never learned how to read or write. But she
accomplished so much during her long life. What an inspiring story.
Across the park from
the statue is a very nice river walk with another statue depicting
the underground railway. This being the town that made “breakfast
cereal” a large institution sits across the river, the Kellogg
Foundation has an impressive large building. Kellogg defined it’s
purpose as promotion of the welfare, comfort, health, education
feeding, clothing and shelter of children and youth…. “Use the
money as you please...” the building looks pretty much empty.
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| the Underground railroad was very active in Battle Creek Michigan helping to free the slaves |
Back in Marshall, I’m
enjoying some great Bluegrass groups and touring the local town.
Lots of well kept historic homes in the town that wanted to be the
capital of the newly formed state of Michigan. It wasn’t to be,
but promoters brought many wealthy merchants from New York, who built
the town and even a Governor’s mansion which would never be
occupied.
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| Honolulu House Italianate, Gothic Revival and Polynesian architectural styles. |
Honolulu House
The main house tour
I took had to be the Honolulu House. Abner Pratt the former Michigan
Supreme Court chief Justice had arrived back from serving at the U.S.
Consul to the Sandwich (Hawaiian) Islands. It took 4 months via a
tall ship to get there traveling from NY around the tip of South
America. His wife was ill the entire way. Abner did not want to
come back but was ordered by the President. So Abner sent ahead
house plans to build a replica of his home in his beloved Hawaii so
they could begin building the blend of Italianate, Gothic Revival and
Polynesian architectural styles.
He was determined to
complete his life back in Michigan in the manner of the Hawaiian
lifestyle. Wearing only his linen tropical outfits even in winter.
That decision would eventually end in pneumonia and death. The home
was originally furnished with their collections of Polynesian and
Asian treasures. Unfortunately the home does not depict any of that
era, instead restoring it to the high Victorian era style that the
next owners, the Wagners in 1883 would decorate it in. Although very
well done, it was a disappoint to see the gorgeous home from the
outside, depicting the only true Honolulu House built in the U.S. and
then enter and not even see one room done up the way the original
owners would have done it up.
Still, one of my
favorite homes to experience, with such a unique history and style.
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| large windows common in Hawaii |
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| to enjoy the summer breezes |
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| the grand staircase only goes to the attic and observation tower there is no second floor |
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| all the main rooms have 12 foot ceilings |
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| Abner Pratt so love his stay in Hawaii he had his home built in Mich in the same style |
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| ornate work done by the second owners of the home |
Downtown Marshall is
quite a well preserved and active tourist town. With lots of local
shops and restaurants. Lots of activities are scheduled for almost
every weekend. Making for a great destination stop along the way.,
Beautiful fountain circle entering town, music playing throughout
town and some construction while I’m here as they are upgrading the
sidewalks, and re-configuring the main street and parking.
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| entrance to downtown via a round-about |
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| one of the many historic homes in Marshall |
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| an active tourist town lots of construction in the downtown area July 2019 |
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| the stonework was awesome |
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| many building being repurposed this one underutilized as a Marshall Arts bldg |
The American Museum of Magic
An interesting stop with lots of Posters for the various magicians. Marshall was once home to Houdini, Blackstone, Thurston and others. A bit further down the road is the town of Colon which has Abbott Magic company where you can see a magic show. It is home to a number of magicians.
Marshall Bluegrass Festival
bring your own chair and leave it
there for the whole week
And of course I’m
staying at the Fairgrounds, a few blocks from downtown where I’ve
been enjoying many Bluegrass bands. My neighbors aren’t overly
friendly, they being quite the party goers. Even though they don’t
sit around their fireplace out front, they keep logs on the fire
which of course are usually just smoldering smoke. My camper and
truck have that real smoke and woodsy smell thank you very much...
Their kids all ride
their bikes around and between our campers and the other night
someone used my lawn chair and side table to climb through one of
their windows. Don’t know if it was the parents or one of the
kids. Fortunately no damage was done to the chair or table. Just
some sneaker prints on the arms of the chair and table now leaning
against their camper...
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| a rowdy group (my neighbors were a part of it) going around the park, some kind of traveling drinking game/party |
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| lots of workshops for banjo, singing, etc. |
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| jam sessions throughout the park many going on till the wee hours of the night |
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| and watch out for the golf carts and bikes... |
Lots of campers have
jam sessions going on at their campsites throughout the day, and
appears as if many of them don’t bother to go to hear the scheduled
entertainment. Workshops sessions and even a young folks music
training sessions are available throughout the week. A number of the
performers indicated they were out till 2 and 3 in the morning and a
couple of them sounded a bit horse, enjoying too many beers and lack
of sleep.
Distance Traveled: 53 miles
Short one day stop
before dropping camper off for repairs.
Distance Traveled: 12 miles
Twine Lake Rv Repair
and detailing.
More Photos:
Mini Bonus Report
I stopped in a couple of the shops downtown, all well worth checking out. One of them called NIPPERS Clay Studio has some very fun and unique little figurines first made of clay, but they are now making copies of each piece using 3D printing, with plans to get a much larger 3D printer in the near future. Noree and Doug Woodard are the owners and they also have other artists works in the shop.
nippersstudio.com
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| click on the picture to zoom in and see the fun detail of each little creature |
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