By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Muskegon Heritage Museum (MHM), an offshoot of the Muskegon Heritage Association, was “gifted” to the Lakeshore Museum Center (LMC) to ensure its long-term legacy after the retirement of Allan and Anne Dake, who have served as volunteer Directors of the Museum for 11 years.
‘Anne and I wanted to retire for a second time to enjoy life and travel, without the worry of the day-to-day operations of MHM,” said Allan Dake.
The Dakes and their team of 80 volunteers built an amazing soft touch museum filled with Muskegon’s industrial history and products made by Muskegon businesses. “MHM is a natural extension of LMC’s collection of Muskegon County’s history” said Annoesjka Soler, President of LMC. “The blending of assets makes both museums stronger.” This has been in the works for more than a year and became official June 2, 2020. The MHM building and its contents were deeded to the LMC by the Muskegon Heritage Association (MHA). It is hoped that the MHA will continue with its original focus on historical houses and buildings in Muskegon.
LMC hired Kirk Bunke as site manager for MHM last fall. He transitioned into the day-to-day operations role and inventoried the collection of MHM. Kirk worked with Allan and Anne to ensure all facets of the MHM blend with the LMC. According to Allan and Anne, “We still plan to volunteer and interact with the many volunteers and visitors of MHM.”
The history of Muskegon’s industries and businesses is a rich legacy and a sense of pride in the community. The museum the volunteers built is another legacy of which we can all be proud. Despite COVID closures, guests will see new exhibits this year when the Museum is able to open for the season. Stay tuned to the website for opening dates.
