Goodrich- It has been said history repeats itself. Now, it also pauses and comes with a scene selection.
The DVD entitled ‘Our Past, Its People, Our Legacy,? is now available through the Goodrich-Atlas Historical Society.
Telling the tale of the early years of the community, the production weaves story telling with photos, drawings and local history.
Frank Huizenga, owner of Skylight Video Productions and creator of the video, said he was inspired to make the DVD after seeing similar products in other communities. Huizenga said he liked the idea of a DVD because it took history out of the textbooks and brought it into a more visual medium.
This format, said Huizenga , is more conducive to the education of younger generations.
Huizenga, of Hadely Township, said he spent more than two years making the video. Almost all of the information used in the DVD was provided by the Goodrich-Atlas Historical Society. A majority of the history was found in ‘The Passage of Time; 1836-2002 History of Atlas Township?, a book produced by the society and sold four years ago.
The book includes historical photos’some of which appear in the video? and a compendium of other historical data relevant to the area.
‘I thought, I need to preserve this,? said Huizenga.
One of the most difficult aspects of creating the DVD, said Huizenga, was finding appropriate a visual images to coincide with the story being told. Because photography was far from prevalent until recently, images were often not readily available. To assist in creating an accurate account of local history, Huizenga’s wife, Caren, provided some of the drawings seen in the video.
The DVD should not only appeal to lifelong residents of Atlas, said Huizenga, but also those new to the area hoping to learn some local history.
Huizenga said he hopes the video will give people ? a sense of what it took the pioneers, what sacrifices they had to make, leaving a comfortable life-style to come to a place that had nothing.?
‘I would hope,? said Huizenga, ‘people just appreciate that.?