Omena Historical Society

10/14/2026

Please join us at the Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum in Omena for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/
Here's one of our faithful volunteer docents, Bob Grabowski, pointing out his name on the Honor Roll of Omena Veterans. In addition to his docent duties, Bob is the weekly host of the Omena Breakfast Society (OBS) Friday morning Men's Coffee Hour. The men meet for only a couple more weeks before their winter break, so come and see Bob while you can.

10/07/2026

Omena Bay from Sunset Lodge - this view from the OHS archives never gets old!
Please join us at the Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum in Omena for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/

10/04/2026

Drive Like Your Kids Live Here
And maybe they do. :). Would you like to learn more about Omena's history? Here you go: https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/history/

09/30/2026

It's apple season! The earliest known apple orchard in Omena is shown on this 1851 Wadsworth map (near the number 6). The orchard was producing more than 200 years ago, when Shob was son's (Shabwasung) Ojibwa band had their seasonal village and gardens on Omena Point. The orchard became part of the Grove Hill Mission grounds when the band relocated to Northport.

Please join us at the Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum in Omena for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/

09/23/2026

Please join us at the Putnam-Cloud Tower House Museum in Omena for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/
Here are Mark & Tom manning the OHS table at the Leelanau Historical Society's Maritime Festival on a beautiful breezy day in Leland. Over 1400 visitors enjoyed the festival booths, LHS museum, boats, and cars.

09/19/2026

Early History
We have a new blog post from Eliot Singer, two pieces exploring the early history of Old Mission and the move to the new mission (Omena), and another piece exploring the intricate history of the founding of Peshawbestown. We thank Eliot for his work, which represents years of study and hours of transcription. If you appreciate scholarly work, this is for you!https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/2026/09/19/early-history-old-mission-and-new-mission-and-peshawbestown/

09/08/2026

Come and visit us at the OHS table at the Maritime Heritage Festival in Leland this Saturday. This will be a wonderful day!
This week at The PCTH Museum in Omena:
Community Coffee Hour Thursday 10:00. All are welcome!
Men's OBS Coffee Hour Friday at 8:30 am.

On Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, the Leelanau Historical Society will host its annual Leelanau Maritime History Festival in Leland, Mich. The free event will take place from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. ET.

In addition to exhibits and displays on maritime history, the festival will feature classic wooden vessels as part of the 21st Jim Wenstrup Wooden Boat Show and vintage cars as part of the Leelanau Classic Car Show hosted by Van’s Garage of Leland.

Great Lakes maritime songs and music will be performed by Lee Murdock throughout the day. Murdock draws from the region’s rich heritage of working songs of sailors and lumberjack, freshwater shanties, folk ballads, blues, and Irish musical traditions.

In addition, Kendall Wingrove, former president of the Historical Society of Michigan, will present a program on the life and record-setting career of speedboat racer and inventor Gar Wood. There will also be free admission to the Leelanau Historical Society Museum.

Additional activities include a scavenger hunt hosted by the Leland Township Public Library, as well as exhibits from Leelanau regional lighthouse preservation groups, local maritime history organizations and water preservation advocates.

For more details, click on the link below.

https://www.leelanauhistory.org/maritime-history-festival/

Image Source: Leelanau Historical Society.

Information Source:
https://www.9and10news.com/2026/08/18/leland-to-host-4th-annual-leelanau-maritime-history-festival-on-sept-12/

09/01/2026

This is our last week of the 2026 season at the PCTH Museum- We're open Friday and Saturday, September 4-5, from 11-2. Thanks to all who have visited this summer, and we hope to see you here again. The museum is open all year by appointment. [email protected]

Special for family of the late Jean Putnam- we have 2 big boxes of Jean's photo albums, which include many Lanham and McCarthy relatives. We would love to turn these family photos over to you. All of the photos have notes identifying the people! Come and look through the boxes!

Community Coffee Hour Thursday, September 3 10 am. All are welcome!
Men's OBS Coffee hour Friday, September 4, 8:30 am.

08/25/2026

Please join us for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays 11-2 until September 5.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/

Our thanks to Mary and Dan Ziegeler, who were our gracious hosts at beautiful Sunset Lodge for our Annual Meeting. The resort's history reflects much of the history of Omena.
This is the Sunset Lodge Barn, with it's whimsical barn-door painting by Nancy Jo Wheeler c. the late 1940's.

08/19/2026

Please join us for Community Coffee Hour, Thursdays 10 am.
No program, no politics- just coffee & conversation.
Men's OBS coffee Hour, Fridays at 8:30 am.
Museum is open Fridays and Saturdays 11-2.
https://www.omenahistoricalsociety.org/