Empire History

 

Empire, Michigan. A small village located along the shores of Lake Michigan in the center of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Park.

Empire was first settled in the mid 1850’s by John La Rue. The village is believed to have been named after the schooner Empire which went aground here in 1865 and served as the village school that winter.

In December 1887 the T. Wilce Company formed the Empire Lumber Company to provide hardwood for their flooring company in Chicago. About 1890 the lumber company expanded into one of the largest hardwood mills in the state turning Empire into a booming lumber town with the population reaching 1,000 people around 1900. the last mill burned in 1917 and ended the Empire Lumbering Era.  Joe’s Friendly Tavern is on the site of Empire Lumber Co. store.

 

 

Enjoy Area History
Visit
The Empire Area Museum
On LaCore St,
just up the street from Gemmas and The Empire Village Inn

 Empire Area Museum
MUSEUM HOURS
Weekends from Memorial Day until July 1st. (1 pm-4 pm)
Open daily July and August (1 pm-4 pm Closed Wednesday)
Weekends from Labor Day through Heritage Day(Early Oct.)( 1 pm-4 pm).
Groups by appointment call (231)326-5568 or (231)326-5519.
Main Museum
The main floor features the Roen Saloon from the turn of the century,the Dorsey Parlor, many items from the ghost town of Norway Town and many displays depicting Empire's past. The lower level features a blacksmith's shop, woodworking shop, railroad and shipping displays, the Empire Lumber Company display, a covered wagon,buggies and sleighRoen Saloon, Empire MIs.historic Roen Saloon
D H Day family stove Early Empire home parlour
 
D H Day museum
Marion Day Warnes Mini Museum

antique woodwoorking shop
Day Forest Estates entrance pillar

This pillar is a replica of several entrance pillars into the Day
Forest Estates above the North shore of Little Glen Lake on Alligator Hill. There was a large 18 hole golf course located here from the late 1920's until it folded prior to WW ll. Several of these pillars can still be seen on M 22 south of Glen Arbor and West on M109. The estates were never developed because of the depression.
School House
Nestled in the woods behind the main building, you'll find a unique one-room schoolhouse with such features as a water pump, an outhouse and wood burning stove.
historic one room school house
 School House
 
Billy Beeman Barn, Empire MI Behind the school house, you'll find the Billy Beeman Barn with it's horse-drawn equipment, including a stagecoach, a hearse, buckboard, sleigh and more.
horse drawn school bus
Horse drawn School Bus (built by Pelky & Champain, Ceadar, MI) ca.1910 (located in the Billy Beeman Barn)

 
The Fire House
Formerly situated on "downtown" Empire's Front Street, this building features a room with hand-pulled fire equipment used in the Village from 1898 'til 1949.
antique fire equipment

historic Empire fire house
 

Taghon's Corner Museum (Gas Station)
historic gas station, with Ford carThis gas station was located inside Taghon's Corner Amoco Food Shop. The project depicts the station owned by Charles and Louise Taghon, and operated by their son, Fred. Two corners and buildings later, the Amoco Food Shop was operated by Dave and Diane Taghon and their son, Roy-representing four generatios of service to the motoring public since 1924.
This display donated to The Empire Museum in 2002.

Newest permanent exhibit (after two years of planning and hours of restoration work by Empire museum members and other supporters.Big Wheels used in early days of lumbering in Michigan)
This 10' diameter set of "Big Wheels" were used to haul logs in the summer. Prior to that, all logs were hauled only in the winter with the use of sleighs.
Multiple timbers of up to 100 feet were suspended on a chain from the wheel axle. Horses, oxen and, later, tractors pulled the big wheels during spring, summer and fall when sleds couldn’t run
Invented about 1875 in Manistee, Michigan they were used all over the country as a means of hauling logs from the woods to banking grounds before being hauled off to the mills. Empire originally had several sets of these wheels.
Empire Anchor Days float
Empire Anchor Days
July 2008
 Empire Area Museum Float
 

Visit The Empire Area Museum
On LaCore St,
just up the street from Gemmas and The Empire Village Inn

 


Empire Taverns
   Empire MI  49630   231-326-5506
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