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Events
Ortonville, MI 48462 United States
Annual OCHS Members Picnic When: August 13, Tuesday @ 5:00 pm Where: Weather permitting, under the tent outside of the museum OR inside the main room in the museum Food: Pizza, coffee, and water will […]
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Ortonville, MI 48462 United States
What is the DUR? What did it mean for Ortonville? Learn all about the Detroit United Railway. Ken Bush, our resident historian on the Detroit United Railway, will detail the […]
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Ortonville Cemetery Walk and Decoration Day Report
Civil War re-enactors shared stories of the 53 Civil War Veterans buried in our cemetery. OCHS member Tina Allgaier (in green dress) organizes volunteers to place flowers on Civil War veteran’s graves. Thank you to all who came out to honor the soldiers.
![Five women garbed in 1840s dresses](https://ochsoldmill.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Decoration-Day-Re-Enactors-768x1024.jpg)
In 1864, Pvt. Thomas Tucker of Brandon Township stood guard at Union Army headquarters near Chattanooga, Tennessee. The 17-year-old soldier penned poignant reflections in his diary about the ongoing Civil War, which had raged for over three years. He described a fierce battle, captured Confederate prisoners—many of whom were just teenagers—and their shared desire for the war to end. Tucker’s diary entry from 160 years ago offered a vivid snapshot of the war’s human side. View a copy of his diary at the Ild Mill Museum or the Brandon Township Public Library.
This past Memorial Day, 27 re-enactors highlighted Tucker’s story and those of 11 other local Civil War veterans at Ortonville Cemetery. Historians and reenactors shared these soldiers’ experiences at their gravesites, bringing history to life. The event culminated in extensive research by Carol Bacak-Egbo of Oakland County Parks and Recreation and Alan and Tina Allgaier of the Ortonville Community Historical Society. Additionally, women in 1860s attire reenacted early Decoration Day traditions by placing flowers on the graves of all 53 Civil War veterans buried in the cemetery. The Old Mill Museum in Ortonville also refreshed its Civil War display, offering a special historical Decoration Day exhibit.
Old Mill Blacksmith Shop
Blacksmith Classes
Limited space!