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 – Pickleball Tournament – Wolverine Park
Sponsored by Village of Dundee Staff
10 am – 4 pm- Dundee Library Annual Book/DVD/Puzzle Sale-Lower Level
12 pm -5 pm - Historical Downtown Walking Tours
Showcasing The Old Pocklington Hotel (David Arthur Consultants Building)
Start at Old Mill Museum
12 pm- 5 pm - One-room Self-Guided School House tours.
12 pm – 5 pm – Rock the Decades Historical Scavenger Hunt.
Flyer.
Start at Old Mill Museum Download worksheet
7:30 – Live Music In The Park - Wolverine Park
Sponsored by Dundee Parks & Recreation Board
7:00 -Church Service in Downtown Bandstand – Presented by River of Life Church
7:30 pm – Movie: 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 Registration Form
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 Download the worksheet.
10 am – Bicentennial Parade Through Downtown Dundee. To register please fill out and return form by July 31, 2024
10 am- 5 pm One-room School House Self- Guided tours.
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 – 5 pm - Free Monster Truck Rides – Rod Park
Sponsored by Dundee Recreation Commission
11 am-5 pm – Axe Throwing and Archery Contest - Rod Park
Sponsored by Dundee Sportsman Club
11:30 am – 5 pm - Free Trolley Tour through Historic Dundee
Start at Old Mill Museum. Tour hours: 11:30, 1, 2:30 and 4; please call for reservations: 734-529-8596
11 am – 5 pm – Free 40 & 8 Boxcar Rides – start at Old Mill Museum
1 pm – 5 pm - Helicopter Rides at Cabela’s (weather permitting) $40 per person
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. Please call for reservations: 734-529-8596. Period costumes optional.
Sunday, August 11th
9 am – 2.0 Mile Fun Color Run/Walk – Start at Dundee Middle School
10 am – 2 pm – Dundee Farmers Market @ The Hub green space. Presented by the DDA
12 pm - 5 pm - Historical Downtown Walking Tours
Showcasing The Old Pocklington Hotel (David Arthur Consultants Building) Start at Old Mill Museum
12 pm- 5 pm - One-room School House Self- Guided tours.
12 pm – 5 pm - Rock the Decades - Historical Scavenger Hunt
Start at Old Mill Museum. Download the worksheet.
1 pm – 5 pm - Helicopter Rides at Cabela’s (weather permitting) $40 per person
5:30 pm - Hymn Sing @ Memorial Bandstand downtown. Presented by Dundee United Methodist Church
7 pm – Time Capsule Ceremony - Old Mill Museum
