- Date
- 1976-12-17
- Eras
- Modern era
- Concepts
- historiographyheritagepublicationcommunicationcommunity
Summary
The Journal of Beaver Island History, Volume One—1976 is a locally produced history book compiled by the Beaver Island Bicentennial Committee and printed on 17 December 1976 after six months of preparation, at a reported cost of $6,000. It collects eleven essays across 218 pages with 80 photographs, charts, sketches, and about a dozen maps, and was sold by the Beaver Island Historical Society to fund the Marine Museum restoration and the Old Post Office addition.
History
The December 1976 Beacon credits the book primarily to Bill Cashman, “assisted by” Eddie Wojan, Phyllis Townsend, and Dave Gladish. On printing, 160 copies were mailed from Lansing the same day to fill advance orders, and another 140 arrived on the island the next day by bus and by Joe’s plane; that small supply was exhausted almost immediately, with a further 1,200 copies expected by 22 December, to be sold first-come, first-served at $5.00 each.
The eleven essays, as listed in the Beacon’s announcement, are: Beaver Island Archaeology; The Mormon Kingdom; The Irish Migration; F. Protar; The Fishing Industry; Island Logging; The Island’s Churches; The House of David on High Island; Beaver Island’s Ferries; Newspaper Excerpts, 1947–1951; and Names and Places on Beaver Island. No individual essay is credited to a named author in the issues held here.
The Society’s later Books & Maps page gives the shorter title “Names and Places” and places it at page 165; with the next item absent and the volume ending at 218 pages, the available catalog evidence suggests it occupies the closing portion of the book. A July 1976 Beacon notice had said the already issued History Map would be supplemented by a brochure of “names and places” giving details about map points. The wording makes the chapter a plausible antecedent or companion to the map annotations, but without the chapter itself we cannot say which notes it supports or whether it was the promised brochure.
Orders went to “History Book, c/o the Beaver Island Historical Society,” with checks payable to the Society, at $5.60 postpaid ($5.00 plus 60 cents postage and packaging). The January 1977 issue asked buyers to make checks out to “History Book,” not to the Beaver Beacon, to keep the book fund distinct from subscription income. Sales notices repeated through February–March and April 1977; the April issue described sales as continuing “at a slow but steady pace,” with proceeds earmarked for the Museum addition, wiring, and the Protar home. In July 1977 the Historical Society added a limited case-bound hardcover edition at $10.00 plus 60 cents postage, and an October–November order form promoted the paperback as a holiday gift.
The Society’s financial report in the October–November 1977 Beacon, covering fiscal years 1975–76 and 1976–77, states that books were the largest single item in both receipts and disbursements: income from book sales rose from $911.46 to $13,447.08, and the cost of books from $1,415.42 to $9,258.12, leaving the Society holding roughly $7,500 in retail book inventory. The same report notes work underway on a second volume — two rough chapter drafts received, on the early non-Mormon colony and on Garden Island lore, with three more authors committed and publication expected about a year off — which followed as planning for Volume Two and, eventually, its 1980 publication.
Evidence and limits
This record rests on eight Beaver Beacon issues spanning December 1976 to October–November 1977 — publication and sales notices, order forms, and one Society financial report — plus the Society’s later contents page, not on direct inspection of the book. The volume itself, its printer’s records, a complete contributor list naming each essay’s author, and a sales ledger are not held here.
Significance
Volume One was the Bicentennial-era Historical Society’s principal fundraising vehicle in 1976–77, and its receipts — over $13,000 in the 1976–77 fiscal year alone — were tied directly to two capital projects, the Marine Museum restoration and the Old Post Office addition to the Print Shop. It also set the Society’s book-publishing pattern in motion: work on a second volume was already underway before Volume One’s first print run had fully sold.
Open questions
Individual essay authors are not named in the Beacon notices read for this article; the volume’s own title page or contents listing, not held here, would settle attribution. Whether the full 1,200-copy December 1976 run, or the limited hardcover edition, sold out entirely is not stated in the issues held. Locating and reading pages 165–213 is also the clearest next step for testing whether “Names and Places” documents the sources behind the Historical Map.
See also
Sources
- Reports that the Beaver Island Bicentennial Committee’s history book was printed December 17 after six months of work and $6,000 in reported cost; 160 copies were mailed from Lansing and 140 arrived on the island the next day. It identifies the title as *The Journal of Beaver Island History, Volume One—1976*, describes eleven essays, 218 pages, 80 photographs, charts, sketches, and about a dozen maps, and gives a $5.00 book price plus 60 cents postage. This is a newspaper publication and sales report; the project does not hold the full volume, printer invoice, mailing ledger, or complete contributor files. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1976-12_Beaver-Beacon
- The held issue confirms the publication notice, title, contents summary, order form, and reported distribution.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1976-12_Beaver-Beacon
- Continues the publication and sales notice: the initial supply was quickly exhausted, the final 1,200 copies were expected on the island, and the $5.00 volume was being sold by the Historical Society to raise funds for the Marine Museum restoration and planned Old Post Office addition. This remains a newspaper report and order appeal, not direct inspection of the book, a sales ledger, or proof of project completion. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-01_Beaver-Beacon
- The held nine-page issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the follow-up distribution, sales, and restoration-fund notice.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-01_Beaver-Beacon
- Repeats the December publication and distribution notice and reports that Volume I sales were going well, with notes and comments of appreciation supporting planning for a second volume. It remains a newspaper report, not direct inspection of the book, a sales ledger, or a complete review record. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-02_Beaver-Beacon
- The held eighteen-page combined-issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the repeated Volume I sales notice.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-02_Beaver-Beacon
- Repeats the Volume I publication, contents, order form, and reported sales context in the April issue. It remains a newspaper notice, not direct inspection of the book, a sales ledger, or a complete review record. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-04_Beaver-Beacon
- The held twelve-page issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the repeated book notice.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-04_Beaver-Beacon
- Repeats the $5.00 book price plus 60 cents postage and packaging and directs orders to the Beaver Island Historical Society. It remains a newspaper order form, not direct inspection of the book, a sales ledger, or a complete review record. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-05_Beaver-Beacon
- The held twelve-page issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the repeated order form.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-05_Beaver-Beacon
- Announces a limited case-bound hard-cover version of Volume I at $10.00 plus 60 cents postage and handling. It is a newspaper sales notice, not direct inspection of the edition, a sales ledger, or a complete print run. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-07_Beaver-Beacon
- The held nine-page issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the hard-cover edition notice.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-07_Beaver-Beacon
- Repeats the $5.60 postpaid Volume One order form and promotes the book as a holiday gift. It remains a newspaper sales notice, not direct inspection of the book, a sales ledger, or a complete print run. The holding institution's portal restricts automated access; the archive holds a copy of this issue and can provide it on request.data1 · beaver-island-archive · beaver_beacon · 1977-10_Beaver-Beacon
- The held eleven-page combined issue PDF is paired with the canonical OCR source and confirms the repeated Volume One order notice.data1 · beaver-island-archive · scans · beaver_beacon · issues · 1977-10_Beaver-Beacon
- Lists the Volume One contents and gives “Names and Places” a starting page of 165. This is an official contents listing, not direct inspection of the chapter.
- Identifies a circulating physical copy and provides a practical lead for obtaining pages 165–213. Catalog availability can change and is not evidence about the chapter's contents.
Added 3 August 2026 · revised 5 August 2026. Recent changes
Cite this article
Beaver Island Archive, “The Journal of Beaver Island History, Volume One, 1976”, https://beaverislandarchive.org/documents/journal-of-beaver-island-history-volume-1-1976/, accessed [date], citing Beaver Beacon, December 1976, “It’s Here!” (and 15 further sources listed on the page).
Last revised 2026-08-05. Fill in [date] with the date you read it — this page is static and cannot know that.
BibTeX for “The Journal of Beaver Island History, Volume One, 1976”RIS for “The Journal of Beaver Island History, Volume One, 1976”