Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Maple City, Michigan
In my lifetime, I remember many farms like the ones preserved in the Port Oneida Rural Historic District. The farms passed from generation to generation, and farmers made their living on the same lands as their ancestors. If these people from 100 years ago were to step on these lands again, they would recognize where they lived and worked.
Today, these farms are preserved as part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. When the farms were initially turned over to the National Park Service, they did the unthinkable for the NPS and actually tore down some of the structures. Fortunately, several have been preserved and are available today. The NPS rents out some of the houses, and the land is still farmed.
Port Oneida was typical of many other midwestern farming communities, but what makes this one special is that it features a wide variety of fully preserved farms, along with the schoolhouse. Ships no longer visit the port, and the area leading to the waterfront has grown up and is now on private property. However, it is easy to transport yourself back in time to what the area would have been like in its heyday.
Michiganders were taking advantage of the beautiful Sunday and hiking many of the trails that cut through the area. There is considerable potential in what could be displayed, but that would require increased manpower and financial support.
I’m glad that this area is preserved for future generations. My sons, although they live in a rural area, will never experience the subsistence farms that formed close-knit communities, like Port Oneida, all over the United States.