Thanks to reader Marly for her correct answer to May’s mystery photo! The Grand Traverse County Courthouse (the historic building) was completed and in operation in 1900. You can read all about the ceremony for its opening in past issues of Grand Traverse Herald, a predecessor to the Traverse City Record-Eagle, now available online courtesy of the Newspaper Digitization volunteers at Traverse Area District Library:

http://localhistory.tadl.org/collections/show/24

If you’ve missed the peals of the great bell at the historic Grand Traverse County Courthouse as much as your editors have, you’ll be pleased to know that we once again have a bell to be proud of!

A Restore the Bell rededication ceremony will be held this Saturday May 2, starting at 11:15am at the Courthouse building, corner of Boardman and Washington. The bell will ring for the first time since 2008 at noon. Please gather at the north lawn and bring your own chairs. Event is free and open to the public, and will include a number of speakers.

Preservation is all about Perseverance and Patience; Grand Traverse Journal salutes the success of that fine group of citizens who got the bell ringing again!

So here’s this month’s mystery: What decade was the Courthouse built?

Perhaps you’ll attend the ceremony and find out!

Image courtesy of photographer Jimmy Emerson, https://www.flickr.com/photos/auvet/14734511549/