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LANSING, Mich.—The Historical Society of Michigan announces the winners of its 2018 Upper Peninsula History Awards, which will be presented during its 69th annual Upper Peninsula History Conference in St. Ignace, Michigan, June 22-24, 2018. Each year, the Historical Society of Michigan presents two awards at the Upper Peninsula History Conference: the Charles Follo Award for individuals and the Superior Award for historical organizations based in the Upper Peninsula. The awards recognize individuals and organizations that have made outstanding contributions to the preservation and promotion of Upper Peninsula history.
The 2018 Charles Follo Award winner is Lindsay Hiltunen of Hancock, Michigan. Hiltunen transformed the Michigan Technological University Archives and enhanced the access, research, and outreach programs. As the university archivist, she introduced the university’s archival collections to K-12 students with school programs and activities, spearheaded projects focusing on underrepresented aspects of Upper Peninsula history, and worked with newsrooms to introduce Upper Peninsula topics into stories and news features throughout the state. The Charles Follo Award, established in 1979, is named in honor of Charles Follo, a school teacher from Escanaba who worked to establish historical societies and promote the history of the Upper Peninsula.
The Historical Society of Michigan established the Superior Award in 2006 to recognize historical societies, museums and other historical organizations that have preserved and advanced Upper Peninsula history. This year’s recipient is the Center for Upper Peninsula Studies (CUPS) in Marquette. Since its founding in 1994, CUPS has provided public and scholarly attention to the distinctive, rich culture of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula through the collection and transcription of oral histories, hosting the annual Sonderegger Symposium, the publication of “Upper Country: A Journal of the Lake Superior Region,” and serving as a press for monographs specific to the Upper Peninsula.
The Upper Peninsula History Conference pays particular attention to U.P. history topics and themes. The conference moves to a different location in the Upper Peninsula each year to explore that area’s heritage. The 2018 Upper Peninsula History Conference’s major sponsor is The Meijer Foundation. The conference is also sponsored by the Michilimackinac Historical Society, Mackinac State Historic Parks, the Museum of Ojibwa Culture and St. Ignace LaSalle High School.
The Historical Society of Michigan, publisher of Michigan History and Chronicle magazines, is the state’s oldest cultural organization, founded in 1828 by territorial governor Lewis Cass and explorer Henry Schoolcraft. A nongovernmental nonprofit, the Society focuses on publications, conferences, education, awards and recognition programming, and support for local history organizations to preserve and promote Michigan’s rich history.
