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Saginaw’s Castle Museum—A Place of Wonder
by
Ashley Carter

It was a clear, bright and sunny Tuesday afternoon as I approached the Castle Museum of Saginaw County history . I could hear the sound of cars passing by and people walking around the downtown area with things to do and people to see. I, however, was about to embark on an adventure that would whisk me away into a different time in history, to experience how life was back in Michigan's earliest times and Saginaw's beginnings.

The outside of the museum looked like an old Victorian castle that really made the place inviting for me. On the top of the roof I saw "twenty-eight American eagles pressed out of copper, majestically mounted in a row like feathered guardians" (Saginaw County Castle Museum Brochure). They had a strong protective feeling that made me feel safe, like a policeman on a constant watch to make sure the streets are safe.

As I entered the museum it was like stepping into a cathedral with all the colorful lights and beautiful pictures. I was dazzled and amazed by the spiraling staircase to the second floor. A nice elderly man wearing glasses and a checkered baby-blue and white flannel shirt was standing at the front desk with his eyes all aglow. He greeted me in a kind of way that made me feel like I was the center of attention in a play or a show. The display lights in the ceiling shone brightly like stars in the deep, dark blue sky at night. The cold, crisp air filled my lungs as I made my way along the smooth and textured walls of the building.

I encountered a display, located on the first floor, third door to the right, about the Civil War. The musty old aroma of the artifacts smelled like years and years of history being thrown at you like a tidal wave from the ocean. As colonial and patriotic music played in the background, I took a picture of some particular artifacts, which featured a camp spot where soldiers spent the night during the war. White drapery-like forts were neatly placed all in a row and a pyramid of rifle muskets created a centerpiece in the middle of the camp, like a group of flowers displayed on the dinner table. Pots and pans were placed on large wooden sitting posts to show how cooks prepared food in the 1860s.

I felt the excitement and wonder learning about the Civil War. I was enlightened and amazed as I saw a full Civil War uniform with a messenger bag, a dark blue jacket and hat, shiny gold buttons down the front of the jacket, grayish light blue military pants, and a pair of nice shiny black neatly-tied shoes. It was like history fanatic's dream to see all the actual Civil War artifacts; I felt like a kid in a candy store with so much to see, try, discover and explore.

As I continued my way through the magnificent museum there was also a display about the post office, which was on the first floor, right next to the Civil War exhibit. Before I entered the post office exhibit I saw chrome and gold mail slots that the customers used to put their mail in near the doorway. I saw many artifacts, including the vault in which post office mail was kept for safekeeping, a typewriter, a dark messenger bag and many other interesting pieces of history.

The most fun thing about seeing the exhibit was the secret catwalk with the long but little slots that were made on the second floor, so that the postal manager could look down to see if the postal workers were going to steal money from the mail. I went upstairs and all I could see was a dark, deep hallway that was cold and mysterious. The narrow slots that were made along the walls and on the floor shed a little light, almost like when you would crack open a door in a dark room and see just a little bit of light. Surveillance methods are used today, but with cameras everywhere in stores and businesses, not a hidden catwalk.

Next, I made my way downstairs to another place that transported me once again into another time period--the logging era in Michigan during the late 1800s. I saw the lumber displays with the lumberjacks chopping down logs and rolling them down to the clean, clear blue waters of the river. The little figurines in the display represented the lumbermen that worked so diligently so that the logs could be used to build homes, furniture, and many other things. The exhibit showcased a hard-working village that was working for the betterment of the town's early settlers. Lumber was also important in the Civil War because it was given to the soldiers as compensation to rebuild their homes or whatever they needed, and also to rebuild their lives after the war.

As I continued to look around the prestigious building I learned a little about the history of the building from the brochure that the kind elderly man gave me. According to the brochure, the U.S. government in 1890 appointed that all new and federal buildings conform to a new beautification program. Each building would be designed to reflect the community. The first building that was constructed under this program was a post office in Saginaw , serving the East side. Saginaw's first settlers, who ranged from businessmen to military figures, inspired Architect William Aiken to design a structure that resembled a French chateau or castle. The construction of the building was completed in 1898. In the early 1970s the building was accepted into the National Register. The Historical Society of Saginaw County has maintained the Castle Museum to this day, for the benefit and enjoyment of the county's residents and visitors. It was so good to be in a place with much history. I was really enlightened from all I saw at the museum.

As I walked out of the Castle Museum of Saginaw County History, I realized it is a great place to visit, not only to see what went on in particular times in history, but also to gain knowledge about certain moments in history, to improve life and the advancement of today's society. Being at the Museum I felt like not only a mini-tourist and observer, but also a mini-historian. I was curious and wanted to discover all the rich history, and I really enjoyed my time at the museum.

 
 
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