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"Ties to Homer" chosen as name for history book

©2003 Homer Index

by Mike Warner

What are your ties to Homer? Have you lived in the village all your life? Just moved to the area? Attended Homer schools? Or do you live elsewhere, but have relatives in Homer, or ancestors who were among Homer's first pioneers?

When the committee writing the history of Homer discussed ideas for the book's title, the list of possible ways people and things could be tied to Homer grew very long - ancestors, railroads, the mill pond, True Grist Dinner Theatre, agriculture, M-60, school, business interests, friendly people, etc.

As the many ideas for a title were systematically considered and then rejected at the committee's March meeting, Ties to Homer became the unanimous choice. The project began last spring when the Homer Historical Society voiced the need to write a book updating the history of the village and surrounding area, and other area residents became interested as well. The last comprehensive one was written in the late 19th century.

The Historical Society has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for the book committee's project and has signed a contract with Bookability, Inc., a book publishing and design company in Elk Rapids with a long history of providing services to enable organizations and individuals to take an idea from concept to print. After publishing expenses are met, any profits will be directed toward historic preservation in the Homer area.

The Bookability proposal was generated as a result of an Historical Society of Michigan workshop on writing local histories attended by book committee members Charles Harthy, JoAnne Miller and Marjorie Neufer. Tom Vranich, Bookability president, will work with the committee to develop a timeline for the remainder of the work, which includes completing the writing, creating a book cover and developing a plan to market and sell advance copies.
The remainder of the work to produce Ties to Homer is expected to take
approximately one year. The committee is still seeking information and
photographs for inclusion in the book which will be approximately 256 pages
of copy and photographs.

The committee wants photographs of the exteriors of area rural schools, with information including the school's name, location and the identities of people pictured.

Other needs include information from diaries written by area residents, old photographs of area residents with their identities, scrapbooks, etc. Anyone with materials or stories to share for possible inclusion in Ties to Homer may contact Chuck Harthy at 517-568-5815, or Christine Miller at 517-578-3278.