BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BRIDGEPORT, MI

LSRC Y102-30 - South McGrew LSRC 6352 leads MMRR grain loads from Paines southbound for CSX in Wixom. — LSRC Y102-30 - South McGrew Credit: Cadden Zank

The Birch Run Area Historical Society is a non-profit organization based in Bridgeport, Michigan that is dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of the Birch Run area. Founded in 1980, the society has a membership of over 100 individuals who are passionate about preserving the rich history and cultural heritage of the region.

The society operates a museum that features exhibits from the 1800s to the present day, showcasing the history of the local community. The museum is housed in a historic building, which was once the home of the Bridgeport Township Hall and Fire Department.

The society also hosts a variety of events and activities throughout the year, including historical presentations, guest speakers, and educational programs. They also hold an annual Pioneer Day celebration, which features live demonstrations of pioneer skills and crafts, as well as live music and food vendors.

The Birch Run Area Historical Society is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of the Birch Run area with both locals and visitors alike. Through its museum, events, and educational programs, the society provides a unique opportunity to learn about the region's rich history and cultural heritage.

BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY is a Historical Societies, Historic Preservation in BRIDGEPORT MI. US MID #8402600789

The museum is classed as HSC (Historical Societies, Historic Preservation). It comes under American Alliance of Museums (AAM) region: Midwest (Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Wisconsin).

May 19, 2023: Zehnder's and the Bavarian Inn, Frankenmuth, Michigan Facing each other across Main Street at the south end of downtown Frankenmuth, Michigan are Zehnder's <i>(left background)</i> and the Bavarian Inn <i>(right foreground)</i>, two longstanding titans of the local hospitality industry that each represent discrete chapters in the storied saga of the Zehnder family, who more than any other was responsible for putting the town on the tourist map as Michigan's &quot;Little Bavaria&quot;. It all started in 1929, when family patriarch William Zehnder, Sr. purchased the erstwhile Exchange Hotel and renamed it after himself - but it was across the street at the Bavarian Inn (our dinner destination for tonight) where the essential ingredients of today's Frankenmuth tourist experience were born. After a few formative years spent working at Zehnder's under the tutelage of his father and his uncle Ernie, it was William, Jr. who struck out on his own in 1950 with his purchase not only of the old Fischer Hotel across the street, but also the secret recipe for golden fried chicken that had earned previous owner Elmer Fischer considerable renown. Although chicken dinners remained Fischer's biggest draw, business was initially slow - the effect, experts said, of two essentially identical competing businesses operating in the same small town - and Zehnder soon found himself deeply in debt. Rather than throw in the towel, however, he took a gamble on the idea that a larger market was out there, and hatched a plan to help remake Frankenmuth as a regional tourist destination, playing up the Bavarian ancestry of the majority of the townsfolk. In 1958, Zehnder enlisted Chicago-based designer Robert Lederer to help remodel the place in an eye-catching mock-Alpine motif, and upon its reopening, the newly rechristened Bavarian Inn successfully set the town on the trend that endures to this day. The operation has since expanded to the scale of a full-fledged resort, but if all you're after is a family-style meal of fried chicken and/or hearty Teutonic comfort food, the original Inn (or, for that matter, the original Zehnder's across the street, with whom it's engaged in a good-natured rivalry) still serves it up in style.

Contact BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
8643 MAPLE ROAD
BRIDGEPORT
MI
48722

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BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Information

MID #	8402600789
Name	BIRCH RUN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Alternate Name
Classification	Historical Societies, Historic Preservation, , Midwest
Federal Employer Identification Number (EIN)	383130147
NTEECC
Tax period of the latest return filed (YYYYMM)
INCOME	0
REVENUE	0
LAT/LONG	43.29653, -83.794361
CODES	FIPS State Code: 26 FIPS County Code: 145 US Census Tract: 013100 US Census Block: 5025