In 2020 I relaunched my YouTube channel, which began with just showcasing features of the area and region where I live in Battle Creek, and Calhoun County. I started with hiking trails and moved onto festivals and events when possible. It was a period of time that allowed me to get reaquainted with video editing again, learn new skills and also try to find where I was going with it.
About five months into creating content on my channel, I experimented with a history video featuring historic markers in downtown. Learning about history has always been a passion of mine, and a majority of the books I read each year are based on some aspect of history that interests me at the time. So this video was not only an experiment away from my prior approach to content, but it was something I really enjoyed.
So my surprise the video on historic markers did very well, and so I created another one. The second one also was well received. I then took a bolder step, at least the way I saw it at the time, and visited Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek. I had done some reading on the cemetery beforehand, and decided to go there and film a video on some of the more well known gravesites and also a few others I was interested in. I was very pleased when that video became very popular, and from there I was onto a new direction for my channel.
I created several videos in a row on Oak Hill, and then someone in the comments suggested I might try another cemetery in the area. I ventured into that as a new project, and that new video seemed to be well received. I soon learned that there was an audience out there for content on local history, and because it was my passion, I became to challenge myself to learn about new areas of local history and create videos as I went along.
Since then I have created many videos on local history, and in February of 2022, my channel grew to over 1000 subscribers, perhaps the first big milestone for any content creator. To expand on vision I launched a Merchandise line of clothing aboout my channel, and also in the last few weeks launched a Podcast Tales of Southwest Michigan’s Past.
I have also been invited to speak in the community, and I was also asked to join the board at the Battle Creek Regional History Museum in January of this year, which I accepted.
So I thought I would give anyone intersted in reading this some of this history of the growth of my YouTube channel, and how it came about. In the future I plan to primarily concentrate on history videos, but also cover local events that I am interested in, because ultimately they become part of our history as well. I am very excited to see what the future holds on this journey.
