Current Events

Great Lakes Whitefish:  A Culinary Legacy
Program and Demonstration

On Thursday, October 16, at 7:00 pm, The Heritage Museum and Cultural Center will offer a program entitled, "Great Lakes Whitefish:  A Culinary Legacy."  The program was previously scheduled for July 31 but had to be cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances.  Chuck Pistis of Michigan Sea Grant will talk about the history of commercial fishing on the Great Lakes, its transition to a largely recreational industry, and what the future holds for fishing on the Lakes.  He will also address issues surrounding public concern and the safe eating of Great Lakes fish, while at the same time cleaning and filleting a whitefish, one of the most sought after species harvested from the Lake. Audience questions and participation will follow. 

St. Joseph once had a thriving commercial fishing industry. As early as the 1850s, travelers on the St. Joseph River witnessed the weathered fish shanties, docks, and sailboats of commercial fisheries.  In later years, family owned fish tugs, smokehouses, and net drying reels marked a thriving local industry that would last through a century of technological, economic and environmental change.  Ecological issues, declining profits and the state regulations would contribute to the local industry's demise by the 1970s.   

This program is part of The Heritage's annual Public Program Series and looks forward to the upcoming exhibit, "Working Waterfronts:  Planning and Preserving the Maritime Traditions of St. Joseph and Benton Harbor."  The program is free for members of The Heritage and $5.00 for non-members.  The Heritage is located at 601 Main Street, St. Joseph.  Please call 269-983-1191 for more information.