“Saving the Barn; the Leelanau County Poor Farm” is a locally produced documentary on the history, preservation, and future of the Leelanau County Poor Farm/County Infirmary. The film is a multi-year project of the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society (LCHPS).
We are very grateful to WCMU Public Television for airing “Saving the Barn, the Leelanau County Poor Farm” during March 2024.
If you missed it and would like to view it , please click here.
The film is subtitled
According to documentary filmmaker, Joe VanderMeulen, “This film helps bring to life a little-known part of Leelanau County’s history … a history shared by nearly every other county in Michigan. The film combines interviews with expert historians and the childhood memories of the elders with images and artifacts from the last century to recreate the Leelanau County Poor Farm. Beginning around 1901 and for many decades thereafter, the Poor Farm provided compassionate care and rehabilitation to people in need from throughout the County.” Clicking on the photo below will bring up a 30 second preview of the film. To view the entire film, click on the link in the light green box just above this paragraph.
Narrated by storyteller and musician, Norm Wheeler, the film includes appearances by historical reenactor Susan Odom and the massive draft horses of Fantail Farms.
Educator and barn preservation expert, Steve Stier shows viewers the unusual architecture of 100-year-old Poor Farm Barn and how it was used. According to Stier, “This is a historically significant artifact from a time when all farming was done by hand.”
The film includes childhood memories of farm operations by descendants of the Poor Farm manager, called the Keeper. The late Duane Newman described his role in helping with the planting and harvesting at the Poor Farm as a teenager.
Project leaders for LCHPS include local historian and founding board member, Barbara Siepker and Tina Mehren, who secured $20,000 in funding, including a grant from Rotary Charities of Traverse City and a matching grant from Michigan Humanities. From a wide array of historical photographs, images of historical artifacts, and interviews, they hope viewers imagine and connect to the farming practices and public care for the vulnerable in society of 100 years ago.
Mehren stated, “We feel so fortunate to have had Joe’s involvement. As a longtime county resident and historical advocate, he understood how to capture detailed, cinematic views of the architecturally significant barn and enhanced cinematic representations of activities on the old farm. From gardening to canning to working in the fields with a team of horses, the film truly transports the viewer. Thanks to the preservation efforts of LCHPS, this familiar and renowned building is now a lasting relic of a bygone era of cooperative welfare in the United States.”
LCHPS hopes this documentary will be a lasting educational contribution to the local historical record and will further facilitate discussions and support the decision-making of community stakeholders who are coming together under the County Park Commission to plan for the future use of the site.
About the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society:
In keeping with our organization’s mission, the Leelanau County Historic Preservation Society promotes the recognition, preservation, and adaptive re-use of historic structures that illustrate the County’s history and culture.
Potential uses for the Poor Farm Barn shall be educational and designed to benefit the residents of Leelanau County. These uses should also be in keeping with the park-like setting of the County Poor Farm Barn encompassed within the Myles Kimmerly Recreation Area of Leelanau County.
Many thanks to Rotary Charities of Traverse City and to a matching grant from Michigan Humanities.
