Avon in the Civil War

In 1860, Avon Township was a relatively sleepy farming community; dotted with mills, farmhouses, barns, and a main street lined with blacksmith shops, livery stables, hotels, and other establishments common to a mid-19th century Michigan village. In 1861, when shots were fired on Fort Sumter, Avon’s sons answered Abraham Lincoln’s call for troops and enlisted to defend a broken union. Hear the stories of these men, from the brothers who paid the last full measure of sacrifice at Williamsburg, to the brothers-in-law who never made it home from Andersonville, to the boys who fought at places like the Wheatfield at Gettysburg and Snodgrass Hill at Chickamauga. Avon men participated in almost every major battle of the Civil War.

Join RAHS member and American Civil War researcher Chris Brown for this in-depth dive into Avon’s representation at the Civil War’s most intense fights as he covers all of these topics and more with a local flair that will tell just how impressively involved the community really was in America’s darkest hours.

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Follow the web link below to register.