Ortonville- Construction on the addition to the Old Mill should be completed in less than three weeks and when it is done, the Ortonville Community Historical Society will be busy in the museum, filling two floors (800 square feet each) with artifacts.
OCHS President Dean Salley’s plans for the new space includes an expanded military collection, a millinery shop, more class pictures displayed, a school bell, an old barber chair, items from a doctor’s office, caretaker antiques, and an Indian dress from the 1800s. There will also be Ortonville’s original fire engine on display, as well as numerous firefighter items, Boy Scout items, and he hopes to locate items from an old police force. This area of the addition will be called, ‘Our Chamber of Heroes.?
‘We plan to have a ribbon-cutting ceremony prior to opening the addition with all the new displays of artifacts, likely in May,? said Salley on a Tuesday afternoon in the 152-year-old Mill. ‘We’re purchasing a new furnace next week and we’ll heat the upper and lower addition, as well as the west wing, which was built in 1912. We’ll also have improved living room, bedroom and kitchen displays.?
A fire suppression system for the Mill was recently completed with Community Development Block Grant funds. The addition, however, could not have been done without volunteers and about $33,000 in donations of cash and materials.
The OCHS, a non-profit organization, has 78 members and they are always seeking more. Membership is open to all. A dues fee of $15 per year for an individual or $20 for a family allows admission to the 10 meetings the group has per year at the Old Mill. Meetings feature a speaker on various topics, mainly focusing on the history of Ortonville.
The primary function of the OCHS is to educate the community on local history and the group is also the primary caretaker for the Mill. The OCHS meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at the Mill, 355 Mill St. The next few meetings are open to the public and anyone interested in joining.