By Katie St. Amand, BA, MS, Curator & Director of Programs, North Berrien Historical Museum

In its 65 years of operation, millions of people visited Deer Forest in Coloma, Michigan, to pet and feed animals such as deer, llamas, and peacocks. It was a favorite location for families and animal enthusiasts, and many decades of memories were made at the park. Although it closed in 2014, Deer Forest lives on in the recollections and memories of the community. Through photos and stories, revisit the famed park where many once ‘fed the deer and rode the train.’

Katie St. Amand is the Curator & Director of Programs for the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, Michigan. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Science in Historic Preservation, both from Eastern Michigan University.

By Christine Byron

Social dancing was a popular form of recreation across the country in the first half of the 20th Century, and Michigan was no exception with dancing venues springing up across the state. Byron will look back at dance halls and pavilions located in amusement parks, resorts, hotels, night clubs, and other spots. Some restaurants and taverns featured “dining and dancing” to draw patrons to their establishments. From dancing stately waltzes in the 1900s, the 1910s gave way to novelty dances like the turkey trot and the bunny hop. The 1920s could be known as the “Dance Age” as the fox trot, jitterbug and Charleston took America by storm. During the Depression, dancing flourished as an inexpensive form of entertainment. The rise of swing and big band music in the 1930s and 1940s drew thousands of fun seekers to dance halls across the state. This social dance trend faded in the 1950s as rock and roll took center stage.

Christine Byron is a retired librarian from the Local Historical Collections of the Grand Rapids Public Library. She is an avid reader of Michigan history, and a collector of thousands of postcards and old Michigan tourist and travel memorabilia.

By Steve Rossio, Heritage Room Coordinator, Portage District Library

David Lee Sutfin grew up in Southwest Michigan at a time when Europe began its tragic journey into World War I. Not wanting to be left out, Dave volunteered to serve in the American Expeditionary Force under Colonel Joseph Westnedge where he did his duty as a combat medic under the harshest conditions. This program will bring Dave to life through a vast array of primary documents, letters and photographs he left behind.

Steve Rossio is the current Heritage Room Coordinator at the Portage District Library in Portage, Michigan, a position he has held for going on twenty-seven years. A life-long resident of Kalamazoo County, Steve graduated with his history degree from Western Michigan University. Steve has always had a strong interest in United States military history and has used this interest to interview countless veterans on their experiences as well as conduct in depth research on various areas including what you will hear about in this program.