This week, Hollywood came to Manistee as Manistee native and TV/film actor Toni Trucks officially presented Manistee Historic Site Tours to community leaders and media at the Ramsdell Regional Arts Center, along with representatives from the Manistee County Visitors Bureau (MCVB) and the Manistee County Historical Museum.
Spearheaded by the MCVB in close collaboration with the Manistee County Historical Museum, the Manistee Historic Site Tours is the most comprehensive tourism project in the county’s history, showcasing more than 100 historic sites through eight themed tours. Supported by a $50,000 grant from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and $70,000 from MCVB, MCVB created self-guided trails with accompanying guidebooks, maps, and a mobile app that links to videos and photos on the bureau’s website.
CBS Seal Team actor Toni Trucks narrated more than 20 video narratives of Manistee’s most notable historic sites. A video of the Ramsdell Theatre was projected onto a screen for the audience at the dedication event. At the conclusion, Toni Trucks and MCVB Executive Director Kathryn Kenny pulled the curtain back from the new tour sign to be placed at the Manistee County Historical Museum, the starting point for eight tours.
“Today is the culmination of a project that dates back to 2011 when it was just the kernel of an idea,” Kenny said. “When we look at Manistee’s brand assets, our rich history is one of the main draws for visitors. However, many of our most treasured buildings are private homes and businesses.
This new Manistee Historic Sites Tour gives people an in-depth look through videos and photos at these fascinating historical treasures.”
“I am so excited to provide audio commentary on Manistee Historic Sites Tours,” said Toni Trucks, who traveled to Manistee this week specifically for the tours. “It feels like my love of my hometown has come full circle.”
“Growing up in Manistee, I was completely captivated by the exquisite Victorian architecture that dominates this area. Manistee is filled with beautiful buildings with the breathtaking Michigan coastline as a backdrop, and it has a rich, complex history. It is an honor to help people learn more about this gem that I am proud to call home.”
8 Themed Tours Telling the History of Manistee
MCVB officially began the History Tour project in 2014 and subsequently applied for and was awarded a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Rural Development—the highest amount awarded in the organization’s annual grant cycle. MCVB partnered with the Manistee County Historical Museum, which identified more than 100 sites throughout the county that were historically significant for tours and organized them into eight themed tours.
Fifteen of these sites are on the National Register of Historic Places (including more than 50 in downtown Manistee) and 20 are on the Michigan State Register of Historic Places. The top 25 sites feature an accompanying video narrated by Toni Trucks, with the others being visually represented through photos. Here are the tours:
Church
Downtown/City Center Street
Destination
East House
West House
Industrial Site
Museum
Riverside Walk
“Manistee may be the first county in Michigan to showcase its historic properties in this level of depth and detail,” said Mark Fedder, executive director of the Manistee County Historical Museum. “It’s important to document these buildings not only from a tourism perspective but also from a historic preservation perspective. When you see these homes, churches, and buildings, you discover their beauty and craftsmanship and learn about how Manistee residents lived and worked.” And they may not always be here—if something happens, we’ll record it.”
MCVB partnered with more than 10 area agencies to create the Manistee County Historic Site Tours, including the Manistee County Historical Museum, private contractors and creative agencies, and community activists.
Brandon Jensen, owner and creative director of RightSide Design in Manistee, wrote the USDA grant application on behalf of MCVB, and his firm designed the website, mobile app, maps, and printed guidebooks. MyNorth Media in Traverse City wrote the video script, and Kris Riley and Kris Riley Productions produced the videos.
James Earl Jones delivers a welcome address in Ramsdell
Xavier Verna, executive director of the Ramsdell Area Arts Center, also announced the news of another notable actor from Manistee County who got his start in Ramsdell and known for his vocal talent—James Earl Jones. Jones recorded a 30-second commercialll in high school in a production of Othello.
