Telling Your Stories

To support our mission to preserve Arcadia's history, the Society has established an Oral History group. Volunteers interview long time Arcadia residents to gain historical information.

There are many former Arcadians, like yourself or someone you know, who now live a distance away. We want and need your input. Please use the questions listed below as a general guide for jogging your memory and helping you get started. Then do whatever you feel most comfortable doing to share your view of history... call us, write us, or use a recorder to record your thoughts. The Society would be happy to reimburse the cost of postage.

We certainly appreciate your help and thank you for your time and interest in our program.

Sincerely,
Lyle Matteson
Oral History, chairperson
PO Box 91
Arcadia, MI 49613

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General Questions About You

Please provide the following information:

Your Name

Date

Where were you born? If not Arcadia, when did you come to the area, and what brought you here?

Parent's names

Siblings?   

Questions and Suggestions to Jog Your Memories

Did you attend school in Arcadia? If so, grade school? ...high school?

Which playtime activities provided fun as a child? ...as a teen?

What did you do after high school?

What was your first job? What qualifications were required?

What was a typical work day?

  • What time did you get up?
  • What type of attire was required?
  • What were your duties?
  • When was lunch hour and breaks?
  • How long did you work each day?

Do you have memories of Arcadia in the following areas?

  • Industries (Logging, Furniture Factory, Mirror Works, Canning Factory, Overall Factory, or anything else)
  • Businesses and Buildings
  • Recreation Areas
  • Churches
  • Social Events (Sports Teams, Holidays, Picnics, White Owl, Jungle Inn, Free Movies, Beechwood)
  • Medical Care (Family Doctor)
  • Hunting and Fishing
  • Particular People and Friends
  • Farm Life
  • Transportation

Do you have memories of these events or others?

  • The high winds of the early forties
  • The factory fire in 1960
  • The Coho disaster of the '67, the loss of fishing boats, etc.
  • The community reaction to World War I and II
  • Life styles during the depression years or prohibition
  • The community reaction to the deaths of FDR and JFK
  • The introduction of telephones and television

Do you have memories of Burnham? ...Putney's Corners? ...Pierport? ...Watervale? ...Herring Lake?

Do you have pictures or other memorabilia you would be willing to share or that the Historical Society could copy?

Remember, these are just suggestions.

If you have anything else you'd like to describe--people, places, events, technology, whatever you can think of--please speak up.

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Contacting Us About Oral Histories

Lyle Matteson
Oral History, chairperson
PO Box 91 
Arcadia, MI 49613
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.