Historical Museum to Host Book Signing for 'Best Dearborn Stories'

It may not make Guinness World Records, but the Dearborn Historical Museum is planning what it calls the “world’s largest book signing” Saturday, Dec. 10 at .

The event is the official introduction of the museum’s new book, Best Dearborn Stories: Voices From Henry Ford’s Hometown. The book is a collection of anecdotes and reminiscences from 154 writers, most of them residents and former residents.

The signing, expected to draw more than 100 of the writers who contributed stories to the anthology, will run from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at HFCC’s Andrew A. Mazzara Administrative Services and Conference Center.

The book is the latest fund-raising effort aimed at keeping the museum’s doors open.

“The largest book signing I could find online had 87 authors,” said L. Glenn O’Kray, vice chair of the Dearborn Historical Commission and coordinator on the project. “We’ve already got enough commitments from our writers to satisfy me that we’ll have well over 100 on hand. And we’re all going to be wearing T-shirts identifying each of us as a Best Dearborn Stories ‘famous author.’ ”

The book is the product of an unusually fast turn-around for a multi-author compilation–less than 10 weeks from inception to publication. O’Kray conceived the project after reading an Oct. 2 article in the Times about a “Rapid Response” strategy for setting and reaching goals in 100 days or less.

Priced at $19.95 in soft cover, the 382-page book includes stories about digging up bones in the back yard, breaking into labs to rescue animals, hiding in church after lock-up time, substituting for Ford during a portrait sitting, getting cussed out by Hubbard, and discovering that a hockey opponent who kept falling down in practice had a hat trick up his sleeve.

The historical museum consists of three public buildings, two of them associated with the former U.S. Arsenal at Dearbornville, which was built in the 1830s. It has operated with city funds since opening as a museum in 1950. However, after the museum’s current city subsidy runs out during the fiscal year ending in June, it will have to rely on cash reserves that previously had been earmarked for renovation of a facility to be used for exhibits and storage.

Those reserves, if used for museum operation, .

The museum has raised $35,000 since it began a new membership drive in July, and it is planning to begin a major fund-raising campaign next year, including the sale of naming rights to its buildings.

Book orders and donations may be sent to the museum at 915 S. Brady, Dearborn, MI 48124. For more information about the book or making a donation, call 313-565-3000 or email lglennokray@cavtel.net.