From Whence We Came:
Black History in the Blue Water Area
is the newest permanent exhibit at the Port Huron Museums.
While Port Huron Museums works to tell the story of the Blue Water Area, some of that story has not been included in a permanent exhibit until now. With the opening of From Whence We Came: Black History in the Blue Water Area, that story will now be told year round to visitors at the Port Huron Museums Carnegie Center at 1115 6th Street. The former library has been a Museum since 1968 and holds many local treasures displayed in hundreds of exhibits throughout the years.
With the recent completion of the Carnegie Reimagined project, major internal building renovations to the 1904 structure allowed for additional gallery space and new permanent exhibits. This newest exhibit was designed in cooperation from a committee of local community members that met for months, primarily over zoom. This virtual planning has led to a physical exhibit that opened February 13th, 2021.
The exhibit features a core of two and three dimensional artifacts that will continue to grow as members of the community loan or donate new artifacts.
The center piece of the exhibit will be the James Sr & Marguerite Stanley Legacy Wall. The couple devoted their lives to the Port Huron area where they share and spread a deep love for the city. They are members of numerous organizations created to preserve culture, enhance opportunities, and educate the local youth including the Interfaith Community Church (now Faith Christian Community Church), the Beacon Club, the Southside Coalition, and many others.
The wall has been created in honor of those who make great contributions in the Port Huron community. The heroes of this wall are a living testament of what “love your fellow man,” means. All who are honored on this wall have made contributions in any of the following areas: education, civil/public service, business, athletics, science/healthcare, entertainment, literature, and media. All inductees are living heroes of this community.
The inaugural inductees for the Stanley Legacy Wall are: Marguerite Stanley, Ila Shoulders, KC Norman, Marcia Hogan, Rev. Alex Crittenden, Yvonne Malachi, James E. Jones, and an Honorable Mention- Gretchen Ploeger.