Michigan Historical Society raising funds for flood-damaged museums

Associated Press

Midland – The Historical Society of Michigan is working to raise funds through a GoFundMe campaign for museums damaged by flooding caused by heavy rains that preceded the failures of two dams in the Midland area.

Money raised by the campaign will go toward preserving and restoring damaged property and salvageable artifacts and collections.

The Historical Society of Michigan said it will withdraw the funds from the campaign and convey them to the Midland County historical organizations most affected by the flooding.

Nearly a dozen of the buildings that make up the Sanford Centennial Museum complex were damaged starting May 19.

The Doan History Center, where most of the Midland County Historical Society archives are stored, took in an estimated 24 inches of water. A portion of the archives sustained significant damage as a result.

More than 11,000 people were evacuated from their homes due to flooding from the Tittabawassee River and connected lakes in Midland County. The Edenville Dam, about 140 miles north of Detroit, and the Sanford Dam, about seven miles downriver, both failed.