In at least one case, guide pre-preparations for Saline’s Summerfest trolley tour duty weren’t wrapped up until after dark on Friday evening. That’s when Tanya Wood working out of Barber’s Inn downtown finished arranging Saline Journal publisher Janet Deaton’s hair according to style of the early 1900s. [1,2,3]
“Janet’s hair was a lot shorter than women had a hundred years ago,” Ms Wood remarked. “Everything we found for references showed their hair pulled out and around a rolled-up hair ‘rat’ then into a bun. We kept trying that to give it fullness all around, but then we didn’t have enough volume let to pull together and finish it off in a bun on top. [4]
“We’re going to start earlier next year and grow her hair out long.”
Thirty bobby pins and a head scarf kept things in place overnight. But Tanya Wood called mid-morning on Saturday to offer any last-minute touches before team assembly at noon with team members and the vehicle. Another of the many reasons why Saline shops local. [5]
Elsewhere in town this morning, program lead Bob Lane of the Saline Area Historical Society was donning his own vintage wear for his part as one three people who would be telling our story during the 20-minute circuits run from noon to 4:00pm. In addition to penning thoroughly-researched, uniform script content, Mr Lane had his own period outfit consisting of stark black pants and crisp white shirt, complimented by stovepipe hat. Befitting a dedicated taphophile, he would present from the persona of AC Clarke, one of our local undertakers here. [6,7,8]
He was also a furniture maker, and it was “very common in the nineteenth century for furniture making and undertaking to go together.” Bob Lane further added in a respectful nod to Saline Journal, “AC advertised in the Saline Observer.” [9]
Mr Lane was also responsible for preparations at the Saline History Museum, where the trolley made its only stop other than the four corners at Michigan Avenue and Ann Arbor Street. An increased number of volunteers were on hand to answer questions while conducting tours of the 1870 depot station and 1906 caboose. The handcar had been put out on a section of the tracks for anyone interested in experiencing the physical demands of using such transports. [10,11,12,13]
“The trolley tours help highlight specific places of historical significance in Saline,” Mr Lane explained. “Visitors wouldn’t know about these things otherwise. A lot of times it’s a good reminder to people who live here as well. But there’s really a lot of history all around Saline, and I think that surprises people to see that when they ride the trolley.
“The trolley rides also put a face on it.”
Alexandra Aikens, in real life the Retail Center Manager of our local Old National Bank, was the third of those three faces today. Like Janet, she had put a great deal of thought into the special feeling she wanted to evoke among those who rode with her. For her enactment of Zilpha Davenport (of Davenport-Curtiss House affiliation), Ms Aikens went chose a brightly colored dress with what appeared to be an Old World German type of cut, over billow sleeve top and appropriate boots. [14]
It marked a wonderful contrast to the more utilitarian garb by which mid- to late 1800s Saline photographer Lucretia Gillett was known — now channelled through Janet.
“Giving the tours, you can see people trying to visualize the sights, smells, and sounds of Saline past,” she said. They encouraged visitors to actively connect with some sounds of their own along the way as well. For example, those who parked along Russell Street or ventured down North Ann Arbor when visiting the Saline Street Machines car show may have taken note of balloons for a party celebrating a one-hundredth birthday. Trolley riders were encouraged to shout well-wished with most passes. [15]
Somewhere just after the first hour of the program, “Mrs Davenport” and “Ms Gillett” had subtly adapted Mr Lane’s script from third- to first-person narrative. It was unclear where they now lived, but it was in one of the many fine local assisted living facilities here and they were being cared for quite well in their highly advanced years. Playing off of each other in dialogues, they were set on making the most of this day out with others, telling their stories seemingly from memory.
Riders appeared to love all of it.
Around 3:00pm, Saline Journal caught up with Bob Lane seated in the ticket office area of the Saline History Museum, where he also serves as curator. When asked rhetorically who was minding the trolley, he responded simply, “The ladies have taken over.” We decided to not to ask him to clarify.
By all accounts, ridership was up significantly from around three hundred last year. Informal count for 2018 stands at just under four hundred. That’s a powerful statement about the importance of preserving and encouraging increased engagement with the many rich facets of Saline history. Locals and visitors to our community are interested. The Saline Area Historical Society holds the key to satisfying them.
It also underscores the importance of supporting the work that goes into putting on programs such as the Historical Trolley Tours. Some is obvious, such as the dogged research that goes into getting the stories down correctly, the acquisition of artifacts, and the maintenance of buildings. Other aspects are less obvious, though every bit as important — such as getting hair, makeup, and shoes just right.
After all, the ongoing future of such programs depends on bringing in more people, an increased variety of talents, and, yes, allowing newcomers to make it their own wherever possible. This was a great example of just such an approach.
References
- Saline’s Summerfest (home page).
- “Historical Trolley Tour” Saline’s Summerfest.
- Tecumseh Trolley & Limousine Service (home page).
- “How to – Vintage hair” Pepperbox Couture.
- “Strategies: 10 reasons to fall in love with shopping local” Rhonda Abrams (November 21, 2014) USA Today.
- Saline Area Historical Society (home page).
- “Abraham Lincoln’s Top Hat: The Inside Story” Stephen L Carter (November 2013) Smithsonian.
- “taphophilia” Collins Dictionary.
- “Saline Observer” (November 18, 1880 to May 26, 1959) CMU: Central Michigan University — Digital Michigan Newspapers.
- “Saline Depot Museum” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Postcards: 1870 Saline Railroad Depot track-level view (10-pack)” Amazon.
- “Postcards: Interior of 1906 railroad caboose (10-pack)” Amazon.
- Railroad Handcar (home page).
- “Davenport-Curtiss House” Saline Area Historical Society.
- “Popular Summer Car Shows Are Defined By Local Communities Of Which They Are Part; Saline Is No Exception” Dell Deaton (July 26, 2018) Saline Journal.
Hashtag
#SalineHistory
#SalineSummerfest
