Hanover, Michigan

The railroads were instrumental in opening the Michigan wilderness to settlement and development.  Most folks think of the far north and robust lumberjacks toiling away in the vast pine forests but, agriculture was also at the heart of the state.  Hanover, Michigan is a small village that grew up because two railroad trunk lines intersected at that spot.  A mill was in operation to grind flour from the surrounding corn crops.

Today, the roads tend to bypass the town and most people fly by without realizing the great treasure that is preserved there.  The Conklin Reed Organ and History Museum is a hands-on museum with one of the finest collections of reed organs in America.  Here is their web site www.conklinreedorganmuseum.org