Visitors from across Michigan gathered recently for Our Michigan Family History, a community event presented by WKAR Public Media commemorating our nation's 250th anniversary. The event took place June 27, 2026 at the Michigan History Center in downtown Lansing, Michigan.
Throughout the day, guests explored the museum’s galleries, enjoyed hands-on activities and shared the heirlooms and stories that connect their families to Michigan history.
The afternoon featured a special panel conversation in the Museum Forum, where WKAR Senior Director of Content and Education Ashlee Smith welcomed Michigan History Center curators Jillian Reese and Eric Perkins. Together, they reflected on Michigan’s role in the broader landscape of early American history and discussed how museums use personal artifacts to make history feel tangible and relevant today. Their conversation highlighted the importance of amplifying stories often left out of traditional narratives and the ways community-held objects help deepen understanding of the past.
Guests then enjoyed an intimate heirloom engagement session with three Michiganders who shared objects passed down through generations.
Cindy Videto-Samson presented 1828 surveyor maps connected to her third great-grandfather, a U.S. Deputy Surveyor who traveled the Erie Canal before settling in Spring Arbor, along with doll quilts made by her great-grandmother in 1910.
Cathy Lehman shared a 1916 Calumet & Hecla Mining Company service medal awarded to her great-grandfather for 31 years of work in the Copper Country, a story that spans immigration, mining life and generational ties to the Keweenaw Peninsula.
Melanie Seal (née Jabara) presented a quilt crafted from fabric samples used in her family’s clothing store in Mancelona, a reminder of her grandfather’s 1911 migration from Lebanon and the small-town community her family helped build.
Throughout the day, attendees also recorded their own stories through video and audio sessions for the chance to be featured in Rob Prince’s MI Michigan Story podcast or in upcoming WKAR programming.
The Our Michigan Family History event was presented by WKAR Public Media in partnership with Michigan History Center.