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Fishtown Preservation lands headquarters in Leland’s Van Raalte House

The Fishtown Preservation Society has announced the successful purchase of the John and Janice Van Raalte House and surrounding property at 101 South Lake Street, adjacent to Historic Fishtown in Leland. This landmark addition preserves a vital piece of the Leland riverfront and provides FPS with its long-sought permanent home to sustain and grow its preservation mission. Fishtown Preservation invites everyone who treasures Fishtown to join in support of this project and to share in this encompassing vision for Fishtown’s future. The goal is to complete fundraising by the end of October and begin renovation work before the end of this year, and for FPS to move into its new home by late in 2026.

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Leland Fishtown shanties rising—$1.65 million still to be raised

After a year of high water, seiches, and the Leland river seeping into the old wooden shanties in Fishtown, the historic village is beginning to get the makeover it needs. Before Christmas the Cheese Shanty and Morris Shanty will be lifted off their foundations and temporarily moved to the parking lot to make way for sheet metal pilings and poured foundations.

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Fishtown Preservation meets financial milestone, adds a rooftop heart

The Fishtown Preservation Society (FPS) in Leland is honoring a milestone in early 2019, when, after 12 years, the nonprofit organization becomes debt-free. FPS has scheduled a celebration on Thursday, Feb. 14, from 5:45-6 p.m. in Fishtown, the same day that the organization makes the final payment for its Fishtown property with a $789,600 balloon payment.

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Leland parade trades fish chubs for drum lines

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Here’s a little-known, fishy fact: back in the 1960s, some kids would throw fish chubs, not candy, in the Leland Fourth of July parade. John Watkins remembers sitting on Steffens & Stallman’s parade float and handing out smoked chub to people along the route. “One year we sat in the dump truck and just threw it out to people,” Watkins laughed.

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