The Country Store Museum is housed in the old Papermill School building which got its name from the nearby Christopher McDowell Papermill.  This one-room schoolhouse was built in the 1860's and was used as a school until 1962. It is now used as a replica of a common country store of about 1918.  Exhibits are authentic, with artifacts donated by local families and businesses.

A limited number of items are still sold at this "store" to the delight of children (and their parents) who are avid customers of the "penny" candy and small souvenirs.   

 Open only for special events and group tours by appointment.
 Phone:  (734) 240-7780

 Navarre Anderson Trading Post Complex
   3775 North Custer Road, Monroe

   
The Trading Post complex is set up to represent a French pioneer homestead along the River Raisin. The main building, built in 1789 by Utreau Navarre, is the oldest wooden residence still standing in the state.  It is the most complete example of French-Canadian "piece-sur-piece" construction in the Old Northwest.  It has been restored to 1797.  Other buildings include an 1810 cookhouse and a replica 1790's French-Canadian style barn.      

Visitors may walk the grounds at any time. Please leave the grounds the same way you found them! Buildings Open only for special museum events and group tours by appointment.    Phone:  (734) 240-7780

It was a great maple syrup making season- lots of running sap with good sugar! Unfortunately, poor weather and site conditions caused us to cancel and not be able to reschedule Maple Syrup Day. From this year:

 Sap is clear, and looks like water but it's sticky (here with bits of debris that gets strained out).

 Boiling produces extra on top that gets skimmed. Not the left hand pot is strating to show color.

 This is an example of a metal tap- small end fits inside tree and the sap runs out of the large end to be caught by a pail. A hook goes through the holes for the hanging pail.

The end product- note the differences in color. Yummy!

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The photos are from the Trading Post's Colonial Living History Weekend with Campeau Company, Colonial civilian and military reenactors:

EBY PIONEER LOG CABIN                                                                                                    

Monroe County Fairgrounds, South Custer Road (M-50) Maintained by the Monroe County Historical Museum on County Fair property.

This wood log cabin was built by the John and Elizabeth (Daumberger) Eby family from Blotsheim, Alsace, in 1859 and was located in Raisinville township, Monroe county. After almost 100 years of occupancy by the Ebys and others, it was bought and moved from its original site by the Historical Society as its first museum building, showing the typical pioneer farm cabin of its day. For decades the cabin has been a seasonal exhibit at the Monroe County Fairgrounds. Though owned by the Historical Society, it is maintained and operated by the Museum and staff. Currently it is only open during Fair Week to visitors. The Eby family still has many descendants living in Monroe county, all of whom trace back to this founding couple.