Upcoming Events & Exhibits


Jul
26

250th Anniversary of the St. Cosme Line

LINCOLN PARK OBSERVES 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF ST. COSME LINE

The community of Lincoln Park will gather at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday July 26, 2026 to commemorate the 250thanniversary of the St. Cosme tract of land, a gift of the Potawatomi Nation to Pierre St. Cosme and his family dated July 1, 1776.    [This event has been RESCHEDULED following the July 1st heat wave.]

On July 1, 1776, thousands of acres (French arpents) of land were deeded by fourteen named Potawatomi chiefs.  Pierre St. Cosme, a French Canadian born at Montreal, lived most of his life at Detroit, serving the French government here as magistrate and notary until 1763 when the English won control of all French Canadian territories following the French & Indian War. 

The St. Cosme family lived on Rue St Jacques within the boundaries of the old fort (formerly Fort Pontchartrain).  ‘For love and affection’, Pierre St. Cosme and his sons Amable and Dominique were presented the land by the Potawatomi chieftains, land located south of the River Rouge and centered on the Ecorse River at the Detroit River. The tract extended westward for nearly four miles. The lands were equally divided between the father and the sons, spreading one-half mile north and south from the mouth of the Ecorse River. The northern boundary of the tract became “St. Cosme Line” and later formed St. Cosme Line Road for more than a hundred years until 1923 when it was renamed State Street and soon after, Southfield Road. 

Occurring the same week as the signing of the Declaration of Independence in the colonies, this transaction of deeded property was the foundation for the earliest downriver private claims by many French Canadian farm families who would subsequently develop the region that became part of Ecorse Township in 1827.  Many of those early names continue today – Beaubien, Campau, Drouillard, Cicotte, Rousson, Labadie, Salliotte, Renaud, LeBlanc, among others.    

Today, the one-time St. Cosme tract holds incorporated areas of Ecorse, Wyandotte, Lincoln Park, and Allen Park. 

The commemoration ceremony will take place on Sunday, July 26th at 2:00 p.m. at the Historical Museum, 1335 Southfield Road in Lincoln Park.  

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2026 Annual Dinner
May
14

2026 Annual Dinner

Join the Lincoln Park Historical Society for our annual dinner— a tribute to the 250th anniversary year of the United States and the Declaration of Independence.

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Lecture by Ken Post, GlassMaster Inventor
Apr
8

Lecture by Ken Post, GlassMaster Inventor

The next lecture on our series is scheduled for Wednesday, April 8, featuring inventor Ken Post. Ken invented the GlassMaster windshield cleaner in Lincoln Park in 1998. In this lecture, he will be talking about his successful enterprise, which grew to sell millions worldwide as the Invisible Glass Reach & Clean tool.

We hope you can plan to attend his presentation and learn more about U.S. Patent No. 6,178,584, and the upcoming feature film "1+99" that tells Ken's inspiring story.

As always, admission is free.

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Who was Pierre St. Cosme?
Mar
11

Who was Pierre St. Cosme?

You are invited to attend the presentation and discussion on the year 1776 at Detroit, entitled "Who was Pierre St. Cosme?" with a focus on the property of land gifted from the Potawatomi to St. Cosme, one of the French-Canadian community living at Detroit in the 1700s.  The property deed was signed by the chiefs of the Potawatomi on July 1, 1776, coincident to the adoption and signing of the Declaration of Independence in the American colonies.

Thousands of acres (French arpents actually) of wooded land were given in "consideration love and affection" to St. Cosme and his two sons.  This transaction would lead to the eventual settling and development of French ribbon farms south beyond the River Rouge and inland from the Detroit River.  Much of the area is called Downriver today, including the lands that became Lincoln Park.

The program will be led by curator Jeff Day and held here at the historical museum on Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m.  We hope you can join us then!

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Lost Lincoln Park Book Signing
Feb
21

Lost Lincoln Park Book Signing

Please join us at the Lincoln Park Museum for the second book signing event with Craig Hutchison, author of “Lost Lincoln Park” published in November 2025. If you have a previously purchased copy that you would like to have signed you are welcome to bring that also.

“Lost Lincoln Park,” published by Arcadia Publishing’s History Press, shares stories of what made our community grow, as we look back over 100 years of cityhood. The book is an overview of many community landmarks and land uses that have been altered or lost over time but are still vital to understanding our story.

While books may be purchased at any time at the museum, by phone, or online at the museum website, the book-signing is held only on Saturday February 21. We are selling the books for $25; we can accept cash, check, or credit.  There is no sales tax when purchased at the museum (credit sales do add a small fee).

The book may be ordered by phone at the museum office, 313-386-3137. To purchase the book online, please make a $31 donation here. This amount covers the cost of the book plus shipping/handling, and purchasers will be contacted via email to confirm their shipping address.

Two benefits to making the purchase with the museum; NO sales tax and your purchase will benefit the museum. (Note that commercial internet sales will not do that.) The cost of the book is $25, plus $6 for shipping and handling.

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3rd Annual Gardening Classes
Jan
21

3rd Annual Gardening Classes

Presenter: Annette DeMaggio, Gardening Enthusiast

Topic: "Organic Gardening, Animal-Free Products, and Naturopathic Practices"

The lecture is free, but donations to the museum are appreciated.

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3rd Annual Gardening Classes
Jan
14

3rd Annual Gardening Classes

Presenter: Allen Kuderik, Papa's Honey

Topic: "So, you want to be a beekeeper?"

The lecture is free, but donations to the museum are appreciated.

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3rd Annual Gardening Classes
Jan
7

3rd Annual Gardening Classes

Presenter: Joanne Schwab, Southeast Michigan Butterfly Association (SEMBA)

Topic: "Identifying, Attracting, and Raising Butterflies”

The lecture is free, but donations to the museum are appreciated.

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 Past Events & Exhibits