Officially formed on September 15, 2010, the Sisters of Steam (SOS) is a women’s group operating under the auspicious of the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association.
The group’s vision is to preserve, present and interpret both the history and the culture of the steam and gas era. As full voting members of the Association, the SOS seek to strengthen theAssociation’s mission to preserve our past heritage through education, interpretation, and the drafting of guidelines for future growth.
The Sisters of Steam are active both within the Association and the community at large.
Some of the regular tasks the SOS undertake include:
- Providing lunch at Association work events.
- Managing the garden in the Antique Village.
- Coordinating school tours of the Antique Village and providing refreshments.
- Giving demonstrations of traditional handicrafts during Antique Village events.
- Teaching classes within the community.
- Holding a pie sale during the U.P. Steam & Gas Engine Association’s Annual Show.
- Creating a quilt for the Annual Sisters of Steam Quilt Raffle.
- Organizing Association displays for Michigan Welcome Centers.
- Sponsoring various projects in the Antique Village by donating a percentage of SOS income back to Association.
- Providing financial assistance to various community organizations such as the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight program, the Tri-County Safe Harbor program, local schools, organ transplants, and other anonymous donations.
A few of the projects the Sisters of Steam have completed:
- Instrumental in completion of the Community Chapel project and the building of new restrooms.
- Worked with Extension to build a garden area in Antique Village.
- Rebuilt the Wooly Sock Shop and the Pottery Shop in the Antique Village.
- Received 2011 Grant from the Community Foundation for the development of the Ice Cream Shop in Antique Village.
- Created Barn Quilts for allbuildingson the U.P. State Fairgrounds.
- Partnered with the Bonifas Art Center, Delta Force Chamber of Commerce, Escanaba High School and Escanaba Public Library on various projects throughout the community.
- Crafted lap blankets for the Upper Peninsula Honor Flight program.
Membership in the Sisters of Steam is free and open to all women who belong to the U.P. Steam and Gas Engine Association.
The Sisters of Steam meet on the third Thursday of each month at 11:30 AM in the Antique Village Community Building.