Celebrating 200 Years of Dundee August 9th - 11th
In 1824, Riley Ingersoll and George Wilcox built the first cabins in the wilderness that would become Dundee. By 1831, Samuel H. Gale and his brother owned a sawmill on the south bank of the River Raisin. In 1832, Sybrant Van Nest bought the sawmill, founded the village, and platted the land on the north side of the river. One story says that he named the village “Dundee” in honor of his friend Ebenezer Dustin, a native of Scotland.
In 1832, the wooden-planked LaPlaisance Bay Turnpike (now Michigan Highway 50) followed the Indian trail along the south bank of the river. Eventually, so many trails and roads crossed in Dundee that, 100 years later, Dundee businessman, Arthur M. Ritter, dubbed the farming community “hub of the highways.”
The town was incorporated as a village in 1855. During the Great Depression, Henry Ford saved the decrepit Old Mill by turning it into a Village Industry. Michigan’s only triangular downtown, with its 1870s brick Italianate buildings, along with the Old Mill, were placed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. While Dundee looks toward the future, it never forgets to honor its past.
From Images of America – Dundee by Dorothy R. Heinlen and Martha A. Churchill
Events
Friday, August 9th
Kick Off Party! 9 am – 2 pm – Pickleball Tournament – Wolverine Park Sponsored by Village of Dundee Staff 10 am – 4 pm- Dundee Library Annual Book/DVD/Puzzle Sale-Lower Level 10 am – 5 pm - Historical Downtown Walking Tours Showcasing The Old Pocklington Hotel (David Arthur Consultants Building) Start at Old Mill Museum 10 am – 5 pm – Rock the Decades Historical Scavenger Hunt Start at Old Mill Museum 5-9 pm – Taste of Dundee – Showcasing Local Food Old Mill Banquet Hall - Sponsored by Dundee Food Establishments 6 & 8 pm – Live Music In The Park - Waterworks Park Sponsored by Dundee Parks & Recreation Board 7 pm – Bicentennial King & Queen Crowning - Old Mill Banquet Hall 9 pm – Movies In The Park: A League of Their Own & Trolls Band Together Dundee High School – John D. Craig & Family Athletic Complex Sponsored by Dundee Parks & Recreation Board
Saturday, August 10th
9 am - 5 pm - Antique Engine & Tractor Show – Rod Park
10 am – 1 pm - Dundee Library Annual Book/DVD/Puzzle Sale - Lower Level
10 am – 5 pm - Historical Downtown Walking Tours
Showcasing The Old Pocklington Hotel (David Arthur Consultants Building)
Start at Old Mill Museum
10 am – 5 pm -Rock the Decades Historical Scavenger Hunt
Start at Old Mill Museum
10 am – Bicentennial Parade Through Downtown Dundee. To register please fill out and return form by July 31, 2024
11 am – 3 pm – Celebrate Dundee – Free - Vendor Show, Bounce Houses, Face Painting, Free Kid’s Games
Character Showings:
Princess Belle
11am-12pm,
Captain America 12pm-1pm
Princess Tiana 1pm-2pm
Spiderman 2pm-3pm
Wolverine Park – Sponsored by DDA
11 am - 3 pm – Dundee Boy Scout Troop 511 Encampment, 100th Anniversary Celebration - Demonstrations & Exhibits - Wolverine Park
11 am - 3 pm – Car Show – Dundee United Methodist Church
Sponsored by Dundee United Methodist Women In Faith
11 am – 5 pm - Free Monster Truck Rides – Rod Park
Sponsored by Dundee Recreation Commission
11 am-5 pm – Axe Throwing and Archery - Rod Park
Sponsored by Dundee Sportsman Club
11 am – 5 pm - Free Trolley Tour through Historic Dundee
Start at Old Mill Museum
11 am – 5 pm – Free 40 & 8 Boxcar Rides – start at Old Mill Museum
2 pm – 5 pm – Strawberry Shortcake & Ice Cream Social
Sponsored by Dundee Senior Citizens Center
6 pm – Bicentennial Ball & Dinner – Old Mill Banquet Hall
Sponsored by TLC Community Credit Union
Sunday, August 11th
9 am – 2.0 Mile Fun Color Run/Walk – Start at Dundee Middle School 10 am – 5 pm - Historical Downtown Walking Tours Showcasing The Old Pocklington Hotel (David Arthur Consultants Building) Start at Old Mill Museum 10 am – 5 pm - Rock the Decades - Historical Scavenger Hunt Start at Old Mill Museum 5 pm – Time Capsule Ceremony - Old Mill Museum
News & Updates
Press Release: Celebrate Dundee’s 200th Anniversary from August 9-11
The Village of Dundee invites everyone to join the festivities for its Bicentennial celebration from Friday, August 9th to Sunday, August 11th. To mark this
The Dundee Bicentennial Cookbook
Announcing the Dundee Bicentennial Cookbook, a culinary tribute marking the Village of Dundee’s 200th anniversary and Boy Scout Troop 511’s 100th anniversary! This special book
Get involved in Dundee’s 2024 bicentennial
The Village of Dundee will observe its 200th anniversary next summer, in 2024. Community members are needed to help plan this milestone celebration. The next