The Birmingham Museum

10/14/2026

The kids who lived in the Hunter House when it was first built in 1822 would have never owned a teddy bear because they were invented 80 years later in 1902. But we know that kids who lived in the house during the 1900s did play with teddy bears. Join us as we explore the history of this popular toy.

The kids who lived in the Hunter House when it was first built in 1...

10/12/2026

On this date in 1804, Ebenezer Raynale was born in Vermont. One of the founding members of the Oakland County Medical Society, he and his family moved to Birmingham in 1838, and he became the village's first doctor. He was known for his generosity and dedication to his patients. Along with his medical practice, Raynale also held several patents, helped write the state of Michigan's constitution and was elected to the first state senate. The portrait below now hangs in the Hunter House and was donated to the museum by the Oakland County Medical Society.

10/09/2026

On this date in 1876, Alta Ford Peabody was born. She would grow up to live and raise a family in the Ford-Peabody mansion but we kinda prefer the stories she told about how much she prioritized sleep as a teenager.
During her teen and young adult years in the last few decades of the 1800s it was a tradition in the village of Birmingham for young men to serenade young women. Afterwards the young women would invite them inside for refreshments.
As an older woman in the 1950s, Alta recalled a particular evening when her future husband, J. Bert Peabody, and a guitar- playing friend serenaded her from outside her window. Alta knew nothing about this until the next day though, because she was sound asleep through it all!
Bert must have not minded being snubbed for a few extra ZZZZs though; he and Alta would marry in 1893 and settle happily in Birmingham. Later they became the proud parents of Ford, Cora and Clyde Peabody.
In this photo from 1905, Alta is third from the left and her three children are next to her.

10/08/2026

Mark your calendar for an interactive look at the Birmingham Fire Department during our annual Open House event on Saturday, October 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Birmingham Fire Station 1 located at 572 South Adams. The hands-on event offers attendees an opportunity to operate a fire hose, try on a fire coat and learn about fire safety. Watch as firefighters demonstrate how to properly extinguish a kitchen grease fire. View an EMS and vehicle extrication simulation with air bag deployments, along with HAZMAT apparatus and equipment. Bring your camera along for some great photo opportunities at this event! The City’s historic first water pumping fire truck from 1924 will be on display. Oakland County Dive Team and a Birmingham police vehicle and officer will be on site to display equipment and answer questions. Enter a raffle to win fire safety equipment for your home and enjoy firehouse chili, hot dogs, popcorn, face painting and much more at this family-friendly event. For more information, go to

Home About Birmingham City Departments Fire Community Resources Fire Station Open House Print this page Text resize Mark your calendar for an interactive look at the Birmingham Fire Department during our annual Open House event on Saturday, October 10 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Birmingham Fi...

10/06/2026

Did you know that the Birmingham Eccentric newspaper once had a German section? The section ran from December 1914 through February 2, 1917. What caused it to end? the United States' entry into WWI sparked a range of anti-German sentiment that lead to German language publications ending, people changing their German-sounding last names and even some silly name changes, like calling Sauerkraut "Victory Cabbage".

10/04/2026

When does "history" begin? For us, it's yesterday and we actively collect modern day objects that tell Birmingham's story!
This is a 750 ML glass bottle used for Valentine Vodka, but during the 2020 pandemic, Valentine Distilling Co. turned to making hand sanitizer from the ethanol alcohol that was cast off in the process of making vodka. The sanitizer was used by museum staff, and the bottle was accessioned as part of the story about working through the Covid-19 pandemic in Birmingham.

The cap was removed to use the contents, but the cap is attached to the bottle in storage.

10/03/2026

On this date in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation designating the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. Prior to this, it was a regional holiday primarily celebrated in New England. But in the midst of the Civil War, Lincoln sought to bring Americans together to be thankful for recent Union victories.
Presidents after Lincoln issued their own proclamations, sometimes switching up what day Thanksgiving was going to be. In 1942, Congress set the day as the fourth Thursday in November and made it a federal holiday.
What did Birmingham look like in 1863? According to the Michigan State Gazeteer and Business Directory, Birmingham had a population of 500, had two churches (Methodist and Presbyterian), a lumber dealer, 2 physicians, several grocers, a lumber and a flour mill and several blacksmiths.
You can check out the Gazeteer for yourself on the Library of Congress' website!
https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdc.lhbum-11148/?st=gallery

10/02/2026

On this date in 1861, Rolla J Coryell was born. He worked for many years in landscape design before opening his own nursery in Birmingham in 1905. In 1929 he became the president of the Michigan Nursery Association. The photo below was taken in 1926 for Afterglow Magazine

10/01/2026

There's a significant wedding anniversary today! On this date in 1859, Henry Randall and Martha Brown married. In 1893, they would buy the Hunter House and move it from its original location at the corner of Maple and Old Woodward to Brown Street. Henry would die in the Hunter House in 1903, and Martha would pass in 1914; they are both buried at Greenwood Cemetery.
Below is a photo of their gravesite.

10/01/2026

On this day in 1908, the Ford Model T went on sale for the first time. It was reliable, easy to maintain, and affordable for the middle class, bringing cars from the purview of the hobbyist to an everyday necessity. In 1909, 10,666 Model Ts were produced, and a runabout cost $825 (a little under $30,000 today).
And while the Model T found many fans, not everyone in Birmingham became a Ford owner. J Bert Peabody, in particular, was known for owning the first Buick in the village. The undated photo below shows J Bert in one of his Buicks. Can you identify the model?