Iron County's Bates Hall Preservation Society recently donated a World War II military portable field camp bathtub to the Menominee Range Historical Museums in Iron Mountain. The Bates Township non-profit acquired it during its rummage sale fundraiser in June. The rare find will be on display in the World War II Glider and Military Museum building. From left are Bates Hall Preservation Society Secretary/Treasurer Sue Passamani, BHPS Director/Bates historian Avie Powell and MRHM Operations Manager Dianne Castelaz-Chiapusio. (Terri Castelaz/Daily News photo)

IRON MOUNTAIN — Iron County’s Bates Hall Preservation Society has gifted a “rare find” to the Menominee Range Historical Museums in Iron Mountain: A World War II military portable field camp bathtub.

“We felt very strongly that it was something that needed to be shared, because we love history,” BHPS Secretary/Treasurer Sue Passamani said.

MRHM Operations Manager Dianne Castelaz-Chiapusio said they’d never seen this kind of tub before.

“It was a no-brainer to accept it,” she said. “The board was very happy and appreciative to the society for donating it to the museum.”

The folding bathtub will be exhibited near the glider area in the World War II Glider and Military Museum building.

Castelaz-Chiapusio said the museum plans to add a description of the World War II artifact — and possibly a mannequin — for visitors.

The unexpected treasure was discovered during BHPS’s annual rummage sale fundraiser in June.

When sorting through donated items, one item stood out.

“Initially we thought it was a tent cot because it was still folded up,” Passamani said.

After further inspection, they decided a Google search would be needed.

“We were then thinking it could possibly be some type of old-time cow trough,” Passamani said. “Looking at it, we thought someone could still use this for something.”

But excitement grew after a volunteer discovered its true identity, she said. The World War II military portable field bathtub was made by the Robinson Manufacturing Co. of Dayton, Tenn., and used by U.S. Army from 1890 to the 1950s.

“When we discovered it was a ‘valuable, rare find,’ we could have sold it,” she said. “But how do you sell history when you are trying to preserve it? It just didn’t sound right to us.”

This piece of history, they reasoned, needed to be shared with others. Yet the tub’s size — more than 2-by-5-feet — would make it a challenge for the Bates facility to display, she said.

So they began to reach out to several Iron County museums, as well as the Upper Peninsula Military Museum.

“They referred us to contact the Iron Mountain museum,” she said, adding the Escanaba museum would have accepted the tub but put it in storage.

After discussions and photographs were exchanged, Castelaz-Chiapusio immediately accepted.

“It’s been really nice to work with Dianne,” she added. “I’m very happy this treasure has a place where it can be viewed by the public.”

Passamani noted that unfortunately they don’t know the tub’s background. The society thanks the anonymous donor and is pleased to hand it to a museum where it rightfully belongs.

The Bates Hall Preservation Society was formed in 2021, with its first mission to move and restore the 1907 historic Bates Township Hall.

Currently, the structure is too close to U.S. 2 and the Bates Amasa Road, causing the field stone basement to rapidly deteriorate, Passamani said.

Since 2022, the society has raised $281,000 from fundraisers, donations and grants.

“You know people want to save our hall,” she said. “We had a great response.”

The future plan is to create a mini-museum in the Bates Township Hall.

“This will contain display cases that fit artifacts,” Passamani said. “The people had the foresight to save some stuff — we have some really cool things, including a wooden water pipe.”

They hope to have the renovation and museum complete by April.

“It’s pretty exciting,” she added.

The World War II Glider and Military Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at 302 Kent St. in Iron Mountain.

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Terri Castelaz can be reached at 906-774-2772, ext. 85241, or tcastelaz@ironmountaindailynews.com.