CASSOPOLIS — A Dowagiac native was recently recognized for her efforts to digitally document a historical society in Michigan.

The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County recently announced that Lin Pollard of Dowagiac is the 2018 winner of the State History Award for Websites from the Michigan Historical Society. The prestigious award is given yearly in several categories. Nominations are reviewed by a committee and winners are chosen based on the nomination and their work.

Pollard was chosen in the media category for the URSCC website, urscc.org, which she created in 2010 and has updated and expanded since that time.

Thousands of visitors from all over the world visit the website to learn about the history of the Underground Railroad in Cass County, the restoration of the Bonine House, The Carriage House, and The Bogue House that were stations on the UGRR, as well as annual events and activities of URSCC.

The latest addition to the comprehensive website is the digitized portion of the Bonine House Research Library with more than 9,000 documents online.

Pollard said she did not realize she was nominated for the award, so the letter notifying her came as a complete surprise.

“I almost didn’t open it,” she said. “I’m thrilled to be honored in this way. The URSCC website is a labor of love. As a board member, I’ve seen us grow phenomenally since 2010 when we became a 501c3. The website chronicles all that and so much more. ”

Pollard also creates all the graphics for URSCC, designing fliers, banners, posters, and pamphlets for the organization.

“Lin has been with us since the beginning and we wouldn’t be here without her,” said Mike Moroz, president of URSCC. “Through the website and other items, she tells the story of Cass County and the Underground Railroad to the world. Lin truly deserves this recognition and we couldn’t be more proud of her.”

Members of the Underground Railroad Society say Pollard is a talented artist, painting and creating computer art. She is a member of Cass Area Artists, and invites everyone to the Cass Area Artists Show at the Sinclair Station in Cassopolis on Saturday, Oct. 13.