Photo from Phil Gregg's collection
Just across the street from the new Ace Hardware is the Mormon Print Shop Museum and home of the Beaver Island Historical Society. This is the oldest building on the island. It was in this building that the first newspaper north of Grand Rapids, Michigan was printed, "The Northern Islander" and the "Daily Northern Islander" along with various religious tracts and books. This photograph was taken in 1957 just after it had been saved at the last minute from being razed. A group of concerned businessmen raised the money to purchase the building and Mr. A. J. Roy began work on restoring it.
Today the building looks a lot different. The part to the right was used as a post office during the time the present post office was the Silver Top Saloon. This museum is open Memorial Day to Labor Day, and other times by appointment. There is a small admission charge that also allows the visitor admittance to the Marine Museum across the harbor.
Yes, this is really a jail cell and it was really used. The island did have a jail about 1911 and the building was located where Harbor View Motel now sits overlooking the harbor. Built in Rock Island, Illinois, these two cells were used only once or twice and then in the early 1930's the jail mysteriously burned down. The cells then sat on site for years until they were moved to the present site at the Print Shop Museum.