Open house at Lester House on Sept. 16
By Barb Pert Templeton
The Algonac City Council tackled a number of items related to city business at a regular bi-monthly meeting on Sept. 5, 2023, at city hall.
Mackie retires; Bugg is the new treasurer
The Historical Society of Marine City will celebrate its 30th Anniversary by hosting an event at The Lester House on Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023.
The event will be hosted from 5 to 9 p.m. and guests can tour the grand house which has been refurbished plus take part in a silent auction and several raffles. Raffles will include raffle baskets from local businesses and a raffle drawing with a grand prize of $1,000, a 2nd draw for $500, and 3rd draw for $250. There will also be framed movie posters for sale from the era of the 1990’s during the celebration. Tickets are limited in number and cost $50 per person.
Guests can enjoy hors d’oeuvres from the Marine City Fish Company wine that can be purchased by the glass from 2 Rivers Winery plus desserts made by society members.
Historical Society President Sherrill Zimmer said this event will be the first one the society has hosted since COVID-19 hit in 2020. Yes, they have held a few raffles but an actual event welcoming the public to gather is something that had been set aside for several years now.
A flyer promoting the upcoming 30th Anniversary of the Historical Society of Marine City is being circulated prior to the event on Sept. 16, 2023.
Zimmer said the event is being planned by the 11-member historical society board and Sandra Brown the director of The Lester House in Marine City.
While visiting Lester House attendees can wander around the home at their own pace, there’s isn’t an official tour. Tickets can be bought in advance or purchased at the door the day of the event.
Proceeds from the 30th Anniversary celebration will go into the Marine City Endowment Fund. Zimmer said the fund is for preservation projects in the city, in particular 300 Broadway and the restoration of old city hall at that address.
The fundraiser will also help raise money for Paint the Towns Grants the society awards annually. Zimmer said they are just getting back on track after the pandemic and haven’t awarded the grants for several years but will relaunch the program in 2024. The grants are generally up to $500 and about three are awarded each year.
She said organizers are excited to once again host an event in the city that will be open to the public.
The Lester House is located at 406 Main St. in Marine City.
History of the Lester House
The Captain David Lester residence is owned by the Lester~Brown Foundation, whose primary focus is to maintain the residence for the purpose of architectural and educational historical awareness for the citizens and visitors to Marine City, Michigan.
Captain Lester came to Marine City, Michigan, in 1835 at the age of 12 with his brothers and parents Ascha Stimpson and Isaac Lester. Captain Lester was a prominent entrepreneur and citizen of Marine City. He was elected the first president of Marine City in 1865, when the small town was first incorporated, and during his lifetime he held other municipal offices such as trustee and Justice of the Peace. He owned and held interested in the Lester Shipyard, the Lester-Roberts Shipyard, the Toledo and Saginaw Transportation Company, Toledo Salt Company, and the Marine Transit Co, listing only a few of his business accomplishments.
Captain David Lester’s most notable contribution to the nautical history of the great lakes was the launching of the VH Ketchum which his shipyard built. On April 16th, 1874, when it was launched at Marine City, it was the largest ship on the Great Lakes at that time. Today the VH Ketchum is still the Flag Ship of the Interlake Steamship Company, Richmond, Ohio, and an oil painting of the vessel hangs in their boardroom.
In 1853 he married Laura Ann Rice, from Leslie, Michigan, and had eight children. Captain Lester died Oct 20th, 1890 at his home. The Greek Revival home was built in 1849.
Captain Lester and his immediate family are buried in the small farm cemetery located on Belle River Road in Marine City.
Source: visitlesterhouse.com
