FPS gets grant to document Fishtown's history

The Traverse City Record-Eagle reports on a $50,000 grant to help document the history of Fishtown. The Fishtown Preservation Society will use the money to :

…document “the evolution of fishing and Fishtown,” said Kathryn Eckert, chairman of the nonprofit group. Newspapers, legal documents, maps and personal stories will be used in a Historic Structures Report, essential to keeping the integrity of the century-old fishing village on the Leland River.

The report is mainly for architectural purposes, but preservation involves more than just blueprints, Eckert said.

“We want to know how the structures were built and used,” she said.

The grant, from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Jeffris Heartland Fund, requires $50,000 in matching funds, which Eckert is confident the group can raise. She said they’re “well on the way” with donations from locals, summer residents and even visitors who see the restoration that’s already been done.

Click to donate to the Fishtown Preservation Society. Learn more about Fishtown (located in the village of Leland) right here.

Photo Credit: Early Fishtown Channel Card by UpNorth Memories – Donald (Don) Harrison

Check out Don’s slideshow of old Fishtown photos, and for some modern-day shots of this iconic Leelanau tourist attraction, check out the Fishtown slideshow from the Leelanau photo group on Flickr!