Past Programs

By Steven D Rigoni

Steven will present a first-person impression of James Henry Wheaton, a local soldier who served in the 1st Michigan Infantry during the Civil War. Steve’s research for this presentation is drawn from over 70 letters sent home by Wheaton, as well as period newspapers and other historical records.

Steven is a historian with a wide range of interests from the Civil War, WWI and WWII aviation, and all Local SW Michigan history. He is particularly interested in collecting, researching, and constructing educational and informative displays of Michigan Civil War Images and Letters, and WWII Drone Engines.

We will carpool and meet at the museum at 10:00 a.m. for a tour followed by lunch.

This is a member-only trip:

Members – RSVP REQUIRED by October 1 – contact Julie Rubin.

Non-members – click the link below to find out how to join Scott Club or email info@scottclub.org for more information.

https://scottclub.org/join/

By John N. Low, JD, Ph.D.

Professor Low will share the story of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi and their influence on southwest Michigan. From ancient times to the present and future, the Pokagon Potawatomi have always relied on the power of storytelling to sustain themselves and their community.

John N. Low received his Ph.D. in American Culture at the University of Michigan and is an enrolled citizen of the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. He is also the recipient of a graduate certificate in Museum Studies and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan. He is a retired Professor from Ohio State University and former Director of the Newark Earthworks Center.

By Laura DeRoo

Blue Star Mothers of America (BSMA) is a nonprofit veteran service organization that supports our Troops, our Veterans, and the families of each. BSMA started in Flint, Michigan on February 1, 1942. Laura will be sharing the history, who is eligible to join and how you can help.

Laura is married and mother of five children. Her only son was killed in combat in Iraq, August 20, 2006. Having witnessed the fear and anxiety Gabriel’s death triggered in local military moms, Laura was led to start a local chapter of Blue Star Mothers of America Inc. In 2011 she started a local Chapter of America Gold Star Mothers and is currently the President of her Chapter and of the Department of Michigan Chapter.

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.

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 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.

June 28, 2025: noon to 5 pm

Afterwards, 4 pm to 5 pm – Scott Club open for tours and refreshments

Scott Club is delighted to partner with SHOUT for the 28th annual Cottage Walk. This event, a fundraiser for both nonprofit organizations, opens beautiful South Haven cottages and a brand-new riverfront condo for tours. Conclude the afternoon with a tour and refreshments at the Scott Club, a Michigan Historic Site built in 1893, on the corner of Phoenix and Pearl Streets.

Tickets $20. Available at
The South Haven Visitors Bureau, 546 Phoenix Street &
The Chamber of Commerce, 606 Phillips Street,
or on June 28th at the Farmer’s Market