My Labor of Love: Remembering the Martin Basch farmstead

By Kristin Seitz
Sun contributor
“A handful of pine seeds will cover mountains with the green majesty forests. I too will set my face to the wind and throw my handful of seed on high.” Fiona Macleod
For generations people have thrown their own seeds to the wind in this beautiful region. With blood, sweat and tears the pioneers of Port Oneida carved out of wilderness a home for themselves. I discovered this magical area through the kindness of my very dear friends, Dr. Joseph Naoum and Lynn Stevens-Naoum. Just short of a decade ago, they offered their Glen Arbor vacation home to my family for a week getaway. I absolutely fell in love with this area and its history. My heart was touched by the dedication and perseverance of the Port Oneida founding families. It was troubling to think that their hard work was slowly fading away right before our eyes. The once active and fruitful farms are now slowly decaying away. Very soon it will be as if they never existed, doomed to disappear.

During one of my many explorations of the area, I “discovered” the Martin Basch farmstead. This farm piqued my interest. Although the home is in serious decay, the craftsmanship was still evident. The architecture was extraordinary. I just had to know more about this farm. Unfortunately, I found very little information on this particular farm through reading most of the books on the area. It was then that I decided to write my own book on this particular farmstead. It has been said that the true art of memory is the art of attention. To me, this book is my attention and is now my labor of love.
The German community was not only a strong presence in the Port Oneida/Glen Arbor area, but in Michigan as a whole. The first Germans arrived in Michigan around 1830-1840. Interestingly, by the 1880’s, Germans were the largest foreign-born group in the Detroit area. In 1852, Carsten Burfiend of Hanover, made the move from North Manitou Island to the mainland. The patriarch of the Basch family, Martin Basch, immigrated to America with his wife, Aderheit “Allay” Basch, around 1868. They first settled on North Manitou Island then made a permanent home in the Port Oneida area. The Basch families, including the Nicholas Basch family, have been important figures in the Port Oneida area. It is vital that we not just recognize these founding families, but bear witness to their hard work and hardships.
Working in conjunction with the wonderfully benevolent non-profit group Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear (PHSB), it is my intention to restore not just the history but home of the Basch family. Eighty percent of the proceeds of this book will go to restoring the Martin Basch farm. The enthusiasm of the Project Coordinator of PHSB, Mr. Michael Matts, has been nothing short of contagious. I am also excited to announce the participation of Ms. Barbara Siepker, owner of The Cottage Bookshop in Glen Arbor. She has been extremely supportive in this project. One current venture that The Cottage Bookshop and I are undertaking is a “corporate challenge”. Through private donations, I have raised $2,000.00 to restore the Basch farmstead. We are challenging the business owners/shopkeepers in the Glen Arbor area to match the $2,000.00 already raised. The results would be phenomenal. With the initial “seed” money, PHSB already has made plans to restore the granary building on the property. Think what an additional $2,000.00 could do. We are excited at the possibilities. I would love for the Glen Arbor community to get involved with this worthwhile project. I truly believe that in saving our past, we save our future. We have already lost too many historical buildings and farms. The time to act is now.
I encourage everyone, both in the Glen Arbor area and abroad, to get involved. This is not just your history but everyone’s history. The foundations laid by the pioneers of this area should not have been made in vain. few need to not just recognize but honor their dedication and sacrifices.
For further information on this project, please contact Kristin Seitz at manitoumoon@hotmail.com or Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear at 231-334-6103. For donations to this project, please contact Barbara Siepker at The Cottage Bookshop in Glen Arbor.