Michigan Historical Society Announces Winners of UP History Awards | WJMN

LANSING, Mich. (WJMN) — The Historical Society of Michigan has announced the winners of its 2022 Upper Peninsula History Awards.

Each year, the Michigan Historical Society awards two UP-based awards: the Charles Follo Award for individuals and the Upper Award for historical organizations located in the Upper Peninsula. The awards recognize individuals and organizations who have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of UP’s history.

The Upper Peninsula History Awards are usually presented at the Upper Peninsula History Conference. This year, the 2022 Upper Peninsula History Conference will be held virtually. The 2022 History Prizes will be awarded during the virtual conference on Saturday, June 25.

The Charles Follo Prize is named in honor of Charles Follo, an Escanaba schoolteacher who worked to establish historical societies and promote the history of the Upper Peninsula. This year’s recipient is Theresa Weller of St. Ignace, Michigan. A proud member of Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Weller dug deep into the genealogies of people in the St. Ignace area.

Her work has linked people of the present with people of the past and has helped countless families connect with their long-forgotten ancestors. Weller’s research into the lives of Indigenous women involved in Agatha Biddle’s gang has resulted in public presentations, a genealogy center created for the Michilimackinac Historical Society, the development of the Mackinac Area Genealogy and Family History Facebook page and the release of the 2021 book “The Founding Mothers of Mackinac Island: Agatha Biddle’s Strip of 1870.”

The Michigan Historical Society established the Superior Award in 2006 to recognize historical societies, museums, and other historical organizations that have preserved and advanced UP’s history. This year’s recipient is the Iron Ore Heritage Trail. The 47-mile trail connects walkers, cyclists and other travelers to historic sites in the central Upper Peninsula. Featuring interpretive panels detailing the area’s iron mining history, the multi-use trail serves as a place of recreation and education.

The trail begins along the shore of Lake Superior west of Marquette. From there, it heads west and south through Negaunee, Ishpeming, Clarksburg, and Humboldt, until it reaches its terminus in the Republic. At each of the city’s bends in the trail, educational opportunities await travelers through the trail’s various signage sites, artworks, and museums.

The Historical Society of Michigan is the oldest cultural organization in the state, founded in 1828. A nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards programming and recognition, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.

To attend the 2022 Upper Peninsula History Awards virtually on June 25, Register here.

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