The dream of a Museum began over thirty years ago. A group of persons interested in collecting and preserving Baraga County's rich heritage met at the L'Anse Township Building. Among those early leaders included, Ira Harju, Bernard Lambert, Alf Jentoft, Al Lydman, Lowell Hanshaw, Kenny Leaf, and Bruce Deter. Lambert was named president, Jentoft treasurer and Harju secretary. It did not take the group long to begin activities to secure a location for a Museum but, the best that could be done were temporary locations until the Village of Baraga donated land and infrastructure services to the group that a building was secured. The Museum building was opened on July 5, 1993 and was built with Baraga County Cedar.
The new building is located on L'Anse Bay (Keweenaw Bay) on what would has been called L'Anse Westside in the mid 1830s. The entire head of the bay area was known as L'Anse East or L'Anse west, when settlements began to develop names were given to various locations. The area on which the Museum is built was a mail drop off location called Bristol, it was not until after the arrival of Captain James Bendry that the settlement wanted a name and since he was a devote Catholic and friend of Bishop Baraga, he insisted that it be called Baraga, as many had wanted it named Bendry in his honor.
The Museum's many collections include artifacts from Captain Bendry who was the founder of Baraga Village and owned much of the property that is present day L'Anse. Bendry was born in England and left home at the age of 12 to begin a career of sailing. He came to America in 1838 and was a deckhand on the steamer Independence, the first steamer to sail Lake Superior in 1845. The Museum has an original letter written to him from Bishop Baraga on display, his wife's wedding shaw and other household items. The logging collection includes tools from the William Rouna collection and also from Albin Jacobson's log mark collection. A complete record of births, deaths and marriages since 1875 is also available for family research. Chief Sitting Bull's grandson, Herbert Welsh's ceremonial drum is also on display. Roy Lyberg has a military display that recognizes men and women that have served America. The Doctor Buckland collection highlights the medical display. Early bottles, cigar boxes, glassware and farming tools along with the compass from the Hebard sailing freighter. Rock hounds to hunters, to seamstress and canners you will find displays highlighting many accomplishes of the past, and also the present wood working industries. There are special displays that will be of interest and enjoyment of the youth, including a doll collection, some being over 100 years old, and a piggy bank collection. |
