Grayling Michigan Fish Hatchery

The Grayling Fish Hatchery Museum Project was initially envisioned to be completed as one phase, with the renovation of the building and development of interpretive displays and exhibits all coming together at the same time. However, it eventually became apparent that funding for the complete project would be difficult to get, and the necessity for saving the building became acute. The roof had been deteriorating for years, with patches upon patches used for addressing immediate problems, long before the County of Crawford took ownership of the Hatchery. It was imperative that the roof be repaired.

In 2006, a United States Department of Agriculture Rural Business Enterprise Grant provided the funding to repair the roof and restore the original cupola. Local matching funds were required for the grant and through the generosity of C.F. Fick & Sons, Chemical Bank West, Mason Griffith Founders Chapter of Trout Unlimited and the City of Grayling the roof was repaired and the cupola was set back into place on August 29, 2006. This event, with the original copper, brightly polished and shining in the sun, was broadcast live on the TV 9& 10 “Michigan This Morning” program. Roofs of the North and 11-10 Custom Designs, both of Roscommon, provided the expertise for completing the roof and cupola.

The crowning touch to this summers work at the Grayling Fish Hatchery has been completed. A six and one half foot tall weather vane, modeled after the original weather vane at the Hatchery, was recently completed by Timothy Gibbons, of TMGVentures of Traverse City, in cooperation with Originals Design & Fabrication of Empire.

The weather vane, which has a representation of a fish hook and a 30 inch long hand crafted grayling, was funded through a US Department of Agriculture Rural Business Enterprise Grant and local matching funds.

“It was fun to work on, and should last for years”, said Gibbons, who has been involved in the Hatchery Museum project for some time. His interest in the Hatchery developed years ago when he would visit relatives in Grayling. “It was natural that I would, as a graphic artist, want to be involved in such an exciting project” he said.

Gibbons and his collaborator, Curtis Warnes of Originals Design & Fabrication, spent over 100 hours on the project. As a work of art, they expect to have smaller versions of the weather vane to be available for collectors soon.

The original Hatchery weather vane is on loan to the Crawford County Historical Museum .

Grayling Fish Hatchery Internet Website [URL: http://www.graylingfishhatchery.com/]
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