Welcome to the Declaration Page of
the Western Michigan Society for Industrial Heritage, PO Box
273, Coopersville, MI 49404
a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the Preservation, Renovation
and Education of the equipment, tools and supporting structures
that developed and built Western Michigan.
You can access our Internal Revenue Service, Form 990 financial statements below. Just click on the desired year and the form will open or download as an Acrobat Portable Document Format (PDF). Click HERE if you need to download the free Acrobat Reader software.
As you read this, much of the early industrial equipment used to develop and build West Michigan is rotting, rusting or being cut up and sold for scrap. The Industrial Heritage Society's goal is to preserve this early heritage for the edification of future generations as well as make historic railroading accessible to handicapped individuals
The Industrial Heritage Society is an off-shoot of the Coopersville and Marne Railway. The railway is an all volunteer railway and realized they would not be able to raise the funds necessary to renovate structures and rolling stock.
The Society was officially organized 11 July 2001 where officers and a board of directors were elected. Subsequent to the organizational meeting, application for non-profit, 501(c)(3), status was made to the Internal Revenue Service. The Society was formally recognized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit entity in an IRS letter of acknowledgment dated 13 June 2002.
The initial project being undertaken by the Society is the purchase and renovation of a handicap accessible passenger coach that will be operated on the C&M Railway. A secondary project currenlty is targeted as the preservation of the Spring Lake, MI Interurban railway depot which was saved from demolition and moved to the Coopersville property of the C&M
The Handicap
Accessible Rail Car Project was the impetus for the development
of the Industrial Heritage Society and is written into the purpose statement
in the articles of incorporation.
Although not equipped to handle
handicap riders, the C&M Railway occasionally helped facilitate
handicapped rider excursions. The enthusiasm and appreciation
expressed by these individuals made it clear that there was a
need for this type of service in the area. Additional need and
interest in this type of service was substantiated by a survey
of Social Activities Directors from retirement facilities in the
West Michigan area.
The goal is to purchase a suitable rail car, outfit it with a
handicap lift, and provide necessary handicap accessible facilities
to accommodate the special needs of physically disabled individuals.
The Coopersville & Marne Railway has provided a letter of
intent to operate the car and provide educational, historical
and railway safety information to its riders.
In 2005 the Society purchased the former Pullman coach originally
christened, La Reine. We are actively fundraising to begin the
renovations of this historic railcar and convert it to accomodate
handicap individuals. Click
Here to find out more about the history and plans for this
car.
The Spring Lake
Depot was part of the first daily commuter line established
in 1902 which ran from Grand Rapids, MI to Muskegon, MI with a
spur through Spring Lake to Grand Haven, MI. The building was
saved from demolition and now sits on the C&M Railway right
of way in Coopersville, MI. It is currently used as a storage
building but plans are to restore it to its original condition
and use it for educational displays and meeting space.
For information about membership, donations, or contributions e-mail, write or call:
Ed Hanenburg, President, 15585 68th Ave, Coopersville, MI 49404
riverridge15585@aol.com,
616-837-7307
Jeff DuPilka, Vice-President, PO Box 188, Allendale, MI 49401
JDuPilka@westshorefire.com,
616-895-4347
Philip Cok, Sec/Treasurer, PO Box 273, Coopersville, MI 49404
philip@marketingmanagementllc.com,
616-997-7387