The Bay Area Historical Society has long been a cornerstone of Silver Bay. For years, it operated out of the Visitor Center right across from the city building. It has been a familiar landmark everyone drives by when entering or leaving town. Because of that location, many locals mistakenly believed the building was strictly for tourists. In reality, it has always been a treasure trove for the community, showcasing a wide variety of Silver Bay memorabilia, local school yearbooks, and area-themed gifts.
Recently, the Historical Society made an exciting move to Room 10 in the Mary MacDonald Building.
While their core mission has always been to collect and preserve the unique history of Silver Bay, managing the daily operations of the Visitor Center increasingly pulled their limited staff and volunteers away from that preservation work. To return to their roots, the Society has decided to focus solely on history and archiving. They are currently transitioning management of the Visitor Center over to The Best of the North Shore. While an official reopening date under the new organization hasn’t been set yet, The Best of the North Shore has graciously invited the Historical Society to keep displaying artifacts there.
Celebrate with the Historical Society During Bay Days!
You can check out the new space and see what the Society has been working on during the upcoming Bay Days celebration:
• Friday, July 10th (10:00 AM – 4:00 PM): The new location in Room 10 of the Mary Mac Building will be open to the public. Stop by and say hello!
• Saturday, July 11th: Look for the Historical Society’s vendor table set up downtown during the festival.
It has been a busy year of collecting. The Society has been hard at work gathering vintage local cookbooks from the area, as well as collecting past Silver Bay news publications to add to the Digital Newspaper Hub.
They have also teamed up with the Silver Bay Public Library for several successful projects. Over the past year, this partnership has brought community events focused on Northshore history. These events have been filled with people looking to reminisce, learn and share their stories. The library currently features rotating historical displays curated by the Society, which have included local cookbooks, buttons, and Rocky Taconite memorabilia.
During Bay Days, be sure to check out the current library display featuring historic items from Northshore Mining, which will be available for viewing during the library book sale. The Society hopes to continue this partnership with fresh displays rotating roughly every two months.
While the new Mary Mac location won’t have regular public hours, staying connected is easy:
Looking for Something Specific? If you are looking for a piece of local nostalgia or want to track down a specific recipe from one of the historic cookbooks, you can schedule a viewing appointment by calling 218-353-1415 or emailing them at bayareahistoricalsociety@gmail.com.
Donate Memorabilia: If you have local historical items or memorabilia you would like to donate, please call the new number at 218-353-1415.
Financial Contributions & Merch: You can support their preservation efforts by making a donation online. Plus, the new children’s book, “The Adventures of Rocky Taconite,” is officially available for purchase!
Visit bayareahistoricalsociety.com or check out their Facebook page to buy the book, make a donation, or stay updated on all their latest projects.
