2019-15 Marshall Michigan, Marshall Bluegrass Festival

2019-15

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.

super nice meeting people and pets
along Marshall's River Walk

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

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.

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.

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.

large windows common in Hawaii

to enjoy the summer breezes

the grand staircase only goes
to the attic and observation tower
there is no second floor

all the main rooms have 12 foot ceilings

Abner Pratt
so love his stay in Hawaii
he had his home built in Mich
in the same style

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.

entrance to downtown
via a round-about

one of the many historic homes in Marshall

an active tourist town
lots of construction in the downtown area
July 2019

the stonework was awesome

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...

a rowdy group (my neighbors were a part of it)
going around the park, some kind of traveling
drinking game/party

lots of workshops for banjo, singing, etc.

jam sessions throughout the park
many going on till the wee hours of the night

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:

Marshall Michigan

Marshall Bluegrass Festival

American Museum of Magic

Battle Creek Michigan

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

click on the picture to zoom in and see the
fun detail of each little creature