History comes alive during cemetery walk

Séan Henne of Fountain plays the part of Forest Butters, a lumberman whom the Buttersville Peninsula is named after.

LUDINGTON – History came alive Sunday in Ludington’s two cemeteries. To kick off a new interactive Mason County Lumber Heritage Trail, live actors played the parts of historical figures at Lakeside and Pere Marquette cemeteries.

Thom Hawley of Ludington plays the part of Antoine Cartier.

The cemetery walk was hosted by local historian Dr. Bill Anderson. Anderson led the group of 130 people around the two cemeteries where they would stop at the graves of some of the men who played prominent roles in Mason County’s lumber heritage of the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

At each stop, an actor played the part of either the man or his wife.

The entire Lumber Heritage Trail features 23 stops in the cemeteries, at historic homes, at White Pine Village and at the Waterfront Sculpture Park. While Sunday’s cemetery event featured live actors, the regular trail can be accessed using cell phones. Each stop has a sign that lists a phone number and a QR code. Once accessed, the voice of West Shore Community College’s Dr. Rick Plummer will describe the historical significance behind the stop.

Mike Nagle of Ludington plays the part of Justus Stearns. Nagle is a professor at West Shore Comm. College and is currently writing a biography on Stearns.

Brochures on the stop can be picked up at the Ludington and Scottville Area Chamber of Commerce/Ludington Area Visitors and Convention Bureau office on U.S. 10 or the visitors’ center in downtown Ludington. Information is also available at www.ludington.org.