News and Events

2026-04

A New Teacher Takes a Seat in the Schoolhouse

We have a new schoolmarm at the museum who takes education very seriously, especially history. Stop by our one-room schoolhouse and meet her. Be sure to listen to what she has to say — there may be a pop quiz or a spelling bee in her bonnet.

2025-10

Heritage Day Celebration 2025

The museum's annual Heritage Day celebration was held on Saturday, October 11, 2025 with special exhibits and old-fashioned tricks and treats. Treats included Moomers ice cream, free popcorn and samples of homemade maple sugar candy, sauerkraut cake, apple cider and butter made on site. Exhibits included demonstrations of yarn spinning, hand quilting, rug hooking, chair caning, corn shelling, washboard laundering, sauerkraut making and log cutting. Many thanks to all the museum members, volunteers and friends who contributed to another successful event!

2025-06

The Big Wheels Get a Road Trip and a Makeover

One of the biggest projects that Dave Taghon started was finished in 2025: restoration of the “Big Wheels” — the signature exhibit in front of the museum from Empire’s lumbering days. After years of damaging outdoor exposure, professional help was needed. Dave found Weaver Wagons, an Amish group in Dalton, Ohio, to do the job. An A-team of museum volunteers built an A-frame on a trailer to transport the wheels, and Dave and Dennis Taghon took the wheels on a road trip to Ohio in December 2024. Weaver Wagons completed the restoration in early spring 2025, and Dennis Taghon and Leigh Payment retrieved the wheels and had them treated with high-quality weather-resistant paint at Precision Collision in Frankfort. The wheels were back in their place with their new shiny face in June.

2025-05

Deering Table Acquisition

The museum recently acquired a butcher block table from Empire's old Deering Market after a generous donation — it's on display in the Billy Beeman Barn. This butcher block table was built in the early 1930s in Petoskey, Michigan. It was used at Deering's Market until the Federal Drug Administration regulated meat cutting on wooden surfaces for safety reasons. The table was purchased by a private individual in the 1970s and donated to the museum in 2025.

2025-01

A Sad Goodbye to Dave Taghon

The museum sadly opened for its 53rd year without its longtime leader, Dave Taghon, who passed away on January 3, 2025 at 81 years old. Dave was born in Empire in 1943 and was an active member of the Empire community his entire life. He helped support his family’s gas station, convenience store, and auto repair shop at Taghon's corner — the corner of M-22 and M-72 — for nearly 40 years. As a dedicated historian, Dave was instrumental in creating and developing the Empire Area Museum, and he served as its president for many years. He also served as a member of the Empire Village Council, St. Philip Neri Parish and Lions Club.