Sanford Area Sesquicentennial

Please check back often as the schedule of events is subject to change and expansion.

May

16 Sanford Area Chamber of Commerce Auction – Date: May 16 Location: Red Oak Time: 6:00 p.m. Cost: ($10/ticket) Limited number of tickets are available at Crawford Insurance or Chemical Bank. HAS BEEN POSTPONED.

23 Fallen Veterans Salute – HAS BEEN CANCELED
See Flyer here.

23 Sanford Area Quilt Show – May 23, 12:00 Noon to 4:00 p.m. (following the Fallen Veterans Salute)
The Historic Depot at the Sanford Centennial Museum - 2222 Smith St. POSTPONED, DATE TBD
See Flyer here.

25 Memorial Day Parade – May 25 @ 1:00 p.m. HAS BEEN CANCELED

30 Sanford Centennial Museum Opens – May 30 @ 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

June

27 Tour Sanford Area Cemeteries – Saturday, June 27^th HAS BEEN CANCELED
a. 10:00 am Old Hope Cemetery, 700 Baker Rd, Hope MI – meet at the Hope Twp Hall 5244 N Hope, Hull Rd at Hope Rd presented by Floyd Andrick
b. 11:00 am Old Edenville Cemetery, Water Rd at Curtis Rd, Edenville, MI - presented by Mary Herkner & Catherine Sias
c. 12:00 Noon Old Jerome Township Cemetery, Centers St & Oak St, Sanford, MI - presented by Linda Fisher & Dianna Richardson
See flyer here.

27 Salt Well/Seep Guided Tour – Join Charles Dinsmore Sanford Historical Society’s President, and amateur geologist, for a visit to the Douglas Houghton plaque and discuss the importance of local salt deposits. HAS BEEN CANCELED
a. Dates: June 27^th & August 15^th
b. Times: 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
c. Location: Sanford Museum Parkinglot
See flyer here.

20 Sanford Centennial Museum Opens – June 20 @ 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Social distancing protocols will be observed.

28 Log Cabin Day – June 28^th with Eric Jylha History Talks HAS BEEN CANCELED
a. “Tracks Through Time” Time: 1:00 p.m. Location: Sanford Museum’s Depot – 2222 Smith St, Sanford.
b. “Life of the Shanty Boy” Time: 3:00 p.m. Location: Edenville’s Swanton Hall – 6460 N Water Rd.
See flyer here.

July

4 Sanford Lake Association’s 4^th of July Fireworks. – This year the Sanford Lake Association will be celebrating 20 years of successful fireworks displays and we will be partnering with the Sanford Area Sesquicentennial Celebration honoring the founding of the Averill, Edenville, Hope, Olson, and Sanford Communities.
See flyer here.

11 l0^th Annual Coach Cole Memorial 5K Run/Walk – Sat, July 11, 2020 @ 8:30 a.m.

11 Greater Sanford Area Community Picnic – July 11, 12:00 noon – 3:00 p.m. Sanford Village Park featuring a Kountry Korn Hole Tournament & Children’s Inflatable Playground Area. HAS BEEN CANCELED

11 Kountry Korn Hole’s Tournament – July 11, during the Greater Sanford Area Community Picnic. HAS BEEN CANCELED
See flyer here.

11 Meridian Jazz Band Dinner/Dance – July 11, 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. @ Valley Plaza’s Great Hall, 5121 Bay City Road, Midland.HAS BEEN CANCELED
See Flyer here.

25 Sanford Area Sesquicentennial Motorcycle Rally – (Mark Authier)
a. Date: July 25
b. Times in Town: Leave Sanford American Legion 443 Post at 12:00 ride through town - back at American Legion by 5:00 with stop at Memorial Flag Trailhead just before

August

8 Model Train Day – August 8th @ 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at the Sanford Centennial Museum. HAS BEEN CANCELED
a. Steam Railroading Institute – Polar Express 1225 Engine & Train Robberies talks by Dean Pyers
b. Times:
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon – “Pere Marquette 1225 & the Polar Express”;
12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. – “Train Robberies in Michigan”;
1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. – “Pere Marquette 1225 & the Polar Express”;
3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – “Train Robberies in Michigan”

15 Salt Well/Seep Guided Tour – Join Charles Dinsmore Sanford Historical Society’s President, and amateur geologist, for a visit to the Douglas Houghton plaque and discuss the importance of local salt deposits. HAS BEEN CANCELED
a. Dates: June 27^th & August 15th
b. Times: 1:00 p.m. & 3:00 p.m.
c. Location: Sanford Museum Parkinglot
See flyer here.

28 Sesquicentennial Ball – (August 28th ) Time: 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Location: Sanford Senior Center – 3243 N West River Road Admittance: Free Music: Borderline (Concessions Available) HAS BEEN CANCELED

September

12 & 13 Founders Day 2020 HAS BEEN CANCELED!!! – Presented by the Sanford Area Historical Society & Sesquicentennial Committee featuring a trove of family-friendly activies and events. HAS BEEN CANCELED
The Museum will be open on Founders Day weekend so that supporters may visit to renew memberships, purchase their Founders Day T-shirt, see how well the Museum has recovered from flooding, and purchase a copy of the Sesquicentennial reprint of the Sanford Area Centennial Picture Album (free copy to those who sponsored a page). The Centennial Museum is also celebrating its fiftieth birthday and the staff will provide birthday cake and punch to those who visit on Saturday, Sept. 12, from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 13, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.

12 Founders Day Parade HAS BEEN CANCELED!!! – Sept. 12^th @ 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. HAS BEEN CANCELED
See flyer here. (Updated July 15, 2020.)

12 2020 Classic Car Show – Sept. 12^th
See flyer here.

13 Garber Chevy Presents The Sanford-Palooza Street Fair HAS BEEN CANCELED!!!

Click or tap a card to learn more.

The current list of Sesquicentennial Ideas Under Consideration may be viewed here.

All the pictures come from the Midland Daily News archives and were taken on the occasion of the Sanford Area Centennial of 1970. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger view.

1. This is a high wheeler biker in the Centennial parade of June 20, 1970. The Sanford business in the background is Brown’s Standard Service gas station on the corner of Center Street and Saginaw Road (today that business is R & R Auto Sales).
2. The 1970 Centennial King, Queen, Prince and Princess. Standing left to right in the middle of the photo are Mr. and Mrs. Perry Rooker (King and Queen), Brad Gordon (Prince) and Kathy Worsley (Princess). The man on the far left is believed to be Mann Smith and the lady on the far right is believed to be his wife, Emily Smith. The picture may have been taken at the high school as that looks like the High School Ensemble behind the honored guests.
3. This is the adult log rolling taking place in Sanford Lake in front of the Sanford Lake Park. In the background is the Sanford Dam. This activity took place on Saturday, June 20, 1970 starting at 4 p. m.
4. This is the Sanford Area Centennial banner hanging over Saginaw Road advertising the event just before what was then known as Raymond’s Gulf Service Gas Station (today it is known as Ellis Party Store & Gas Station). You're looking northwest in the photo.
5. This is the Village of Sanford float for the Sanford Area Centennial parade sitting on the flats (today the Sanford Village Park). In the background of the photo you can see the Ferris wheel that was part of the midway that was set up on the flats to entertain the attendees. The parade happened on June 20, 1970 starting at noon.
6. This photo ran in the Midland Daily News prior to the Centennial with this caption, “1970 or 1870???? – Sanfordites, dressed in fashions of a century ago, are advertising the Sanford Area Centennial celebration coming up June 18 – 21 by visiting and talking with residents of neighboring towns. Show here are (from left) Jim Gage, centennial corporation president; Mrs. Edward Weakman, Mr. and Mrs. A. J. Rogers and the Rogers’ grandchildren, Pam and Dan Lackie, on a stroll through Sanford. The group has been invited to Farwell next Friday night and anyone wishing to join in the fun is asked to dress in ‘old fashioned’ clothes and meet at the Rogers’ home, 105 Center Street, at 6 p.m. They will also meet there Saturday at 1 p.m. for a visit to another area community, not yet decided. The Centennial boosters ‘just happen’ to have with them on their goodwill tours centennial hats, ties, belle pins, ‘Brothers of the Brush’ badges, permits to shave, centennial coins and stock certificates, Gage pointed out.”
7. 1970 Sanford Area Centennial Prince, Brad Gordon and Princess, Kathy Worsley, sit for a picture.

Check out the Sanford Area Sesquicentennial decoration that has gone up on the side of the Sanford Centennial Museum. Project manager John Billingsley and his volunteer helpers Chuck Dinsmore, Rick Goodwin, Nick Kraemer, Linda Rupp, and Jolly Richardson worked on the final assembly and installation. Photographs by Ron Hughes. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger view.