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The OAHS has
acquired the historic Morter blacksmith shop property, which is located
at the intersection of Jefferson Road and 19th Street, about 2 miles
west of Otsego. Mr. Paul
Young, a longtime resident of the Otsego 
donated the property to the OAHS with his wish that the building be
preserved and developed into a museum.
The blacksmith shop was one of the earlier structures of the Pine
Creek settlement, and was owned and operated by the Morter family,
after they came to Otsego in 1877 from Stark County, Ohio.
In 1903, prior to the construction of the Pine Creek dam on the Kalamazoo River, the family homes and businesses of Pine
Creek were either torn down or relocated as the dam backwaters were soon
to flood
the area. With the use of horsepower, the Morter shop was pulled uphill
toward Otsego and placed at its present location.
Young’s great aunt, Cora Young married G. W. Morter in 1912 and the
historical landmark has been in the Young family ever since.
Several years ago Young organized the Pine Creek Historical
Society, and made preliminary application to the State of Michigan to
designate the blacksmith shop a historic site, and had planned to
develop a museum in the old building.
The OAHS will consult with historical preservation specialists, and seek
grants to restore and preserve the blacksmith shop building.
We also plan to collect and outfit the building with historic
tools of the trade, conduct demonstrations and be open to the
public during the summer months of the year.
Our thanks go to Paul Young for his very generous donation.
If you would like to participate on the Local Historic
Preservation Committee, and work on the blacksmith shop development
project, please send email to oahs@otsegohistory.org, or call Bob Gaudio
at 269-657-6775.
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