Crossroads Village (Michigan)

Crossroads Village is a living history museum in Genesee County, Michigan, near Flint. It is operated by the Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission alongside the Huckleberry Railroad. Initially proposed as a Flint River recreational area and a farm museum, it was opened as a historical village in 1976.

Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad
EstablishedJuly 4, 1976 (1976-07-04)
LocationGenesee Township, Michigan, US
Coordinates43°05′33″N 83°39′01″W
TypeLiving museum
ManagerDenise Bowles
OwnerGenesee County Parks & Recreation Commission
Websitegeneseecountyparks.org/crossroads-village/

Crossroads Village is home to 34 buildings, many which are restored 19th-century buildings, as well as amusement rides, a narrow-gauge railroad, and a replica paddlewheel steamboat. It also hosts numerous events and festivals throughout the year. The village is located at 6140 Bray Road in Genesee Township.[1][2]

History
Church at Crossroads Village

The City of Flint drew up a master plan in 1950 that included an upstream Flint River recreational area. In 1965, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation offered land-purchasing financial assistance with conditions, including establishing a commission. Thus, Genesee County formed its Parks and Recreation Commission the following year.[3]

A farm museum was proposed for the area. Additionally, residents concerned about the loss of historical buildings as the county developed met to discuss the issue. The result was that the farm museum would have a historical village adjacent to it with donated buildings moved there. Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad opened on July 4, 1976.[4]

Alberti Flea Circus at Crossroads Village

Starting in 2018, the Sloan Auto Fair was moved from the Flint Cultural Center to the village as a result of the Flint Institute of Arts' expansion.[5]

On April 23, 2020, Genesee County Parks Director Barry June announced that Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad would not open for the 2020 summer season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. A late opening was planned in October 2020. It was the first time that the park had been forced to delay opening since it was first opened in 1976.[6]

Attractions

Crossroads Village is home to 34 buildings, many which are restored 19th-century buildings: it includes the oldest operating gristmill in Michigan as well as a barbershop, blacksmith shop, cider mill, and general store.[1][7] The T.N. North and Son Bank was moved from Vassar[4] and the town hall was moved from Clayton Township.[8]

Crossroads Village is also home to amusement rides, the narrow-gauge Huckleberry Railroad, and replica paddlewheel steamboat Genesee Bell, the latter of which both operate along Mott Lake.[7][9]

Amusement rides at Crossroads Village include a CW Parker Superior Wheel (a Ferris wheel) built in 1910, a Charles W. Parker Carousel built in 1912, Venetian swings, and pony carts.[10] The carousel was built in Leavenworth, Kansas, installed in California for 30 years, and purchased by a private collector in Michigan before it was acquired by Crossroads Village with a $175,000 grant from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation in 1983.[11] In 2010, Michigan History magazine named the carousel the "happiest place in Genesee County".[12]

Huckleberry Railroad
Ex-D&RGW #464 on the Huckleberry Railroad
Main article: Huckleberry Railroad

The Huckleberry Railroad is a narrow-gauge railroad that runs from Crossroads Village alongside Mott Lake on former Pere Marquette track. The railroad has 11 wooden coaches, a caboose, and two steam locomotives: former Alaska Railroad Baldwin 4-6-0 #152 and former Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad K-27 class #464.[13]

Events

Major events held at Crossroads Village include 19th-century "school days" field trips for students and teachers at Stanley Schoolhouse (which dates to 1883),[14] an annual Labor Day picnic and parade,[15] a Railfans Weekend,[16] Halloween[17][18] and Christmas festivities in the village,[19] and Day out with Thomas train excursions (since 2006).[20][21] Since 2018, Crossroads Village is also the location of the Sloan Museum Auto Fair, which was previously held at the Sloan Museum in the Flint Cultural Center.[5]

In media

In 2009, Crossroads Village was the set for the feature film Alleged, which is based on the 1925 Scopes Trial.[8] It starred Brian Dennehy as Clarence Darrow and Fred Thompson as William Jennings Bryan.[22]

References
  1. "Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad". Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  2. Ciak, Madeline (May 31, 2019). "Crossroads Village offering Genesee County residents free admission on Saturday". WSMH. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  3. "Genesee County Parks and Recreation Commission Records collection summary". University of Michigan–Flint. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  4. Delcamp, Fred (October 13, 2019). "Coin Club Lends Authenticity to 1800s Village Bank". Numismatic News. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  5. Jackson, Zoe (June 15, 2018). "Sloan Auto Fair moving to Crossroads Village". The Flint Journal. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  6. "Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad not opening this summer". WJRT-TV. April 23, 2020. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  7. "Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad". Genesee County Parks. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  8. Shaw, Liz (September 21, 2009). "Feature film "Alleged" starts shooting at Crossroads Village". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  9. Lozon, Von (May 27, 2017). "Crossroads Village officially opens for its summer season". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  10. "Vintage Amusement Rides: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad". Genesee County Parks. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  11. Averill, Andrew (September 20, 2012). "Carousel fanatics turn out to Crossroads Village for 100th anniversary of Parker Carousel". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  12. Misjak, Laura (May 27, 2010). "Crossroads Village carousel featured in state magazine, called 'happiest place in Genesee County'". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  13. "Huckleberry Railroad: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad". Genesee County Parks. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  14. "Field Trips: Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad". Genesee County Parks. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  15. Lea, Lorri; Johnson, Hollyn (September 7, 2009). "Thousands mark Labor Day at Crossroads Village picnic, parade". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  16. Clark, Nathan (August 3, 2014). "Railfans Weekend invades Crossroads Village with locomotives". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  17. Ciak, Madeline; Durham, Jasmyn (October 4, 2019). "'Tis the season for Halloween Ghosts & Goodies at Crossroads Village". WEYI-TV. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  18. Rummel, Sally (October 4, 2019). "Halloween fun in your neighborhood". Tri-County Times. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  19. Taylor, Henry (December 10, 2017). "Crossroads Village welcomes hundreds for annual Christmas event". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  20. "Thomas the Tank Engine to Bring School Supplies to Flint". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. August 14, 2019. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  21. Elgarico, Malaya (August 15, 2019). "Thomas the Tank Engine arrives with school supplies for 13th year". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  22. Shaw, Liz (August 29, 2009). "Brian Dennehy, Fred Thompson to star in film shooting at Crossroads Village". The Flint Journal. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
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