Like most college students, MSU junior Jacob McCormick is busy managing the present and preparing for the future. But he also wants to make sure our community doesn’t lose sight of its past.
Jacob, a history major, had spent time delving into his family’s roots — which triggered the thought that Holt/Delhi Township should have its own historical society. In the spring of 2014, he and a group of like-minded folks brought the idea to the township board. The board agreed, and elected Jacob president of the society.
In the relatively short time since its founding, the Holt-Delhi Township Historical Society (HDHS) has steadily built awareness. Its Facebook page, “Holt, Michigan: A Slice of History,” has more than 2,500 followers; its website o ers more in-depth information. The group has also conducted four cemetery tours, held an open house at the Gunn School, and researched and constructed a physical timeline of the first 60 years of our township’s history. e timeline was displayed at HDHS’s booth at the Holt Hometown Festival in August.
“We’ve also been organizing rotating exhibits in the lobby of the Delhi Community Services Center since the spring of 2014,” Jacob says. “ “The township has a display case and we’re thrilled to ll it with artifacts and tell a new story every few months.” HDHS’s recent display, “Delhi Celebrates,” highlighted local celebrations like our centennial, sesquicentennial, hometown festivals, and others.
Speaking of celebrations, the group that’s dedicated to preserving our past is already looking ahead to 2017, when Delhi Township will celebrate its 175th anniversary.
To learn more about the Holt-Delhi Township Historical society, check out “Holt, Michigan: A Slice of History” on Facebook or visit holtdelhihistoricalsociety.webs.com.
