By Mary Drier
Staff Writer
GAGETOWN — There was plenty to celebrate during the weekend in the village of Gagetown, and it was also a solemn occasion marking the 14th year since Sept. 11, 2001.
On Friday, a historical plaque honoring the village was dedicated during a special ceremony that drew a crowd of about 55 people to St. Agatha’s Catholic Church, 4618 South St. (See the full article about Gagetown Village’s state honor in Saturday’s Tuscola County Advertiser).
Long-time supporter and Friend of the Octagon Barn Rose Putnam, at left, and Friend of St. Agatha Historical Committee and church board member Wayne Dillon show off the new marker between them. Both participated in the new marker’s dedication Friday that was added to the church’s historical marker that was dedicated last year.
The village’s historical marker was placed next to the historic marker for the church that was dedicated last year.
The new plaque explained the town’s history and its connection to the Purdy family and the Octagon Barn along with the Friends of the Octagon Barn’s efforts to restore, save and preserve the eight-sided barn.
After the dedication, several people left to go to the Octagon Barn for the fish fry that kicked off the 20th annual Fall Family Days at the Thumb Octagon Barn Agricultural Museum, 6948 Ritchie Road, that was on Saturday and Sunday.
The new historic marker on South Street in the village of Gagetown that was dedicated Friday explains the connection the community has with the former Purdy farm, which is now the Thumb Octagon Barn Agricultural Museum. During the weekend, thousands of people attended the annual festival that showcases the eight-sided barn and rural life in the early 1900s.
Each year Fall Family Days draws thousands of people, and this year was no different. The count is still going on to determine exactly how many people attended. One year it was calculated that more than 16,000 people attended, including several from other states and even other countries.
The first Fall Family Days drew about 300 people. The festival has steadily grown since then. The proceeds from the annual event pay for restorations, upkeep and expansion of attractions such as an authentic one-room school, a covered wooden bridge and several additional buildings.
Along with the plaques dedication, there was a commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001 attack on the U.S.
Although it was only 14 year ago, the memory of the horrific event has faded for some, and the younger generation has little or no memory of it, explained Wayne Dillon who was the master of ceremonies for dedication, and among those who helped with the village’s and church’s historic recognition.