Birmingham Uncovered
Join us as we uncover the diverse and compelling lives that built Birmingham, Michigan. How does a sleepy village evolve into an urban mecca known for its thriving cultural scene, great schools and bustling downtown? We’ll take a deep dive into the stories of the people behind one of Michigan’s most prosperous and vibrant communities.
Birmingham Uncovered
The Founder Who Wasn't: Benjamin Pierce
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The term “founder” can be a tricky thing. Can someone really “found” a place that already had people living in it? Does a “founder” have to do anything other than just be the first? In some older historical material for Birmingham, four men get called Birmingham’s “founders”, which is problematic in itself because three of those men moved to the land they purchased with families, so why aren’t their wives, siblings and parents called “founders”? This becomes even more problematic when we consider that one of those “founders” didn’t even live on the land he purchased in what would become Birmingham and maybe only visited once. This episode we are looking at that guy. Benjamin Kendrick Pierce, the founder who wasn’t: why he never even lived here, what his legacy was and why he has so many things in Birmingham named after him.
To access a full episode transcript as well as to access additional material about Pierce, check out our website.
For questions, concerns, corrections or episode suggestions please reach out to us at museum@bhamgov.org.
Special thanks to the Birmingham Area Cable Board for PEG grant funding that made this podcast possible. Also thanks to past and present staff of the Birmingham Museum
