In 1990, I was a volunteer with our local Chamber of Commerce helping out with Fall Color Cruise & Island Festival.  I had done it before, but this year I was assigned to assist an organization new to our festival, named Project Lakewell.  They were setting up a voyageur (French fur trader) encampment.  For me it was the beginning of a 15 year relationship with Lakewell, and ultimately would lead to the creation of Michigan Living History Encounters, a branch of the Teaching & Sharing Centers.  MLHE continues the encampment as a part of the festival each year. 

All of the pictures below (from my 35mm days) are of Project Lakewell at the festival.  The two children by the fire in the below right photo are my children, son Chris (white sweatshirt), and daughter Sarah (red sweater), who continues today as one of the key organizers and participants in the MLHE encampment. 

The images above and at right are of the Spirit of Lansing riverboat and quilter Fran Austin.  Fran is a good friend I met through Ledge Craft Lane where I had a booth with my photography and poetry, and still display and sell some of my work.  The two pictures are the only non-Lakewell shots I have from the 1990 festival in my inventory.  I likely spent most of my time helping at the encampment.  And, I took fewer pictures in my 35mm days before owning a digital camera. 

Kenn Kuester (above left and below) played the role of Father Marquette.  When Lakewell decided to discontinue doing the Fall Color Cruise & Island Festival, Kenn's determination to still do it himself was the motivating factor in the official establishment of Michigan Living History Encounters.  I, either on my own or as the Teaching & Sharing Center of Grand Ledge, had been helping Lakewell since this 1990 event.  So, it was a simple transition for the T&SC organization to move into the role of primary sponsor of the FCC&IF encampment.  Kenn and his wife Dot, both now deceased, were lovely people and became close personal friends over the years.