The Vanished Hillsdale Facebook group has come out with a line of products to sell, including t-shirts, mugs, ornaments, clocks, and wall prints. All proceeds will be donated to the Friends of the Mitchell and Hillsdale County Historical Society.
The Vanished Hillsdale page shares historical photos and stories with its followers. The group was founded by Greg McLogan, a Hillsdale native who graduated from Hillsdale College in 1988.
McLogan created the group in appreciation of all of the historical landmarks and stories of Hillsdale. The group has grown from a few high schools and college friends to over 10,000 members since 2011.
“I’ve actually learned more about Hillsdale in the past eight years than the 22 I spent growing up there,” McLogan said.
Brian Watkins, a Hillsdale native, would often use his skills in graphic design to produce logos of old businesses to post on the page. Many members of the group expressed interest in buying products with the logos, but Watkins was hesitant to make money off of businesses that no longer exist. After talking with McLogan and members of the Mitchell Research Center, Watkins realized the products could be a good fundraiser.
Watkins and McLogan saw the needs of the Mitchell Research Center and the Hillsdale Historical Society. The funding of both organizations has decreased over the past few years, according to McLogan.
“The ideal goal for this project is to raise as much money as possible for two incredible organizations,” Watkins said. “Both work to preserve and share the history of Hillsdale, and ultimately that is the mission of Vanished Hillsdale.”
The Hillsdale Historical Society was created “to preserve, advance, and disseminate knowledge of the history of Hillsdale County” according to Kathy Fowler, a board member.
“Hopefully the fundraiser will help us financially, as our organization operates solely on donations so we need all the help we can get to keep the organization going,” Fowler said. “We are very thankful for Vanished Hillsdale’s desire to help us out.”
The Mitchell Research Center provides free information on Hillsdale research materials that cover genealogy, military, newspapers, businesses, and much more. With the help of volunteers and donors, the Mitchell Research Center seeks to preserve the county’s heritage.
“The fundraising will give us the ability to enhance and expand our patrons’ experience and meet our future needs,” said Linda Sutton, the president of the Mitchell Research Center.
Besides collecting historical records, the society puts on various events throughout the year. This Christmas season they will have an open house on Dec. 14.
One of the most recent products designed by Watkins was t-shirts and mugs of The Palace Cafe. Watkins made these logos of old businesses by looking at old newspaper advertisements and trying his best to match the design of the business. This often proved difficult, however, because businesses from the ’50s to the ’80s did not have continuity in their branding.
The online shop is planning to close on Dec. 10 with the potential to reopen on a different platform sometime in the future, according to McLogan.