Downriver Genealogical Society

Lighthouse Stories: Offshore Outposts with Ric Mixter
2026-01-21 19:00 (America/Detroit) | Copeland Center, 2306 Fourth Street, Wyandotte, Michigan, 48192
Michigan is home to over 120 lighthouses, which not only mark harbors but also guide ships
around underwater obstructions. These beacons are located anywhere that ships may travel,
meaning many of them are in the middle of the Great Lakes, including the most remote
lighthouse in the United States, Stannard Rock. It was here that an explosion ripped through a
machinery building, killing the chief keeper and wounding a young electrician sent to the light
to perform maintenance. In an exclusive interview, Ric Mixter shares an eyewitness account of
the man who was wounded in the the explosion with his story of awaiting rescue on the deck
with two other men.
Ric also shares scientific missions now taking place on these remote outposts, including
Spectacle Reef in the Straits of Mackinac. Stories from Lake Superior’s Huron Island are also a
highlight of this talk, with an interview from a young man whose father was stationed off
L’Anse.
Also featured is the million dollar rehab of DeTour Reef, including stories from the men who
were stationed in the St Mary’s River for several months out of the year.
Ric Mixter is a former three term president of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association,
and a frequent contributor to Beacon magazine. This presentation is a must for lighthouse fans
and people interested in how men survived working on these desolate towers.

Detroit in World War II with Greg Sumner
2026-02-18 19:00 - 21:00
Dr. Greg Sumner will talk about the subject of his History Press book Detroit in WWII, its days as the capital of America’s Arsenal of Democracy against fascism during WWII. The miracles of Willow Run, the achievements of “Rosie the Riveter,” the exploits of Hank Greenberg, and the politics of wartime rationing are among the topics to be addressed.

Breaking Down Brick Walls with Dan Fantore
2026-03-18 19:00 - 21:00
Program description to follow.

Exit, Enter, Commit: Emigration, Immigration, and Naturalization with Thomas Koselka
2026-04-15 19:00 - 21:00
Exit, Enter, Commit: Emigration, Immigration, and Naturalization explores the historical movement of people from Europe to North America, examining emigration records from European departure points, immigration documentation at U.S. and Canadian ports of entry, and the evolving U.S. naturalization process. The presentation reveals how citizenship requirements have evolved and highlights surprising historical facts, such as specific conditions that could result in women losing their American citizenship status.

Connecting the Points on your Family Map with Derek J Blount
2026-05-20 19:00 - 21:00
A review of modes of transportation and routes across the nation and time, and how to apply it to your map. This is a basic “How did my ancestors get here from there?”

DRGS Annual Potluck Dinner
2026-06-17 17:30 - 19:00
Dinner will be at 6:00 pm, Program and meeting will follow at 7:00 pm.
Doors open at 5:30 pm

Holocaust with David Thacker & Traci Hopper
2026-06-17 19:00 - 21:00
