It's Lansing's Birthday! by Eridony

2009 is the Sesquicentennial of the City of Lansing. The Lansing 150 Grand Finale is next Friday (Nov 20) immediately following Silver Bells in the City from 8-11 PM in the Lansing Center. This event concludes Lansing’s year long Sesquicentennial Birthday Party and will include free entertainment and a free reception.

As part of the celebration they are holding an "I AM LANSING" contest. Area residents, businesses and organizations can submit photos, videos and/or essays about Lansing and judges will decide the Best Lansing Story. The winner will receive a $500 cash prize and you can enter until midnight this Friday! Head over to lansing150.com for all the details!

The City of Lansing history page (and the City of Lansing) begins:

In the winter of 1835, two brothers from Lansing, New York plotted the area just south of downtown Lansing, naming the territory "Biddle Town." Most of this land was in a floodplain and underwater for much of the year. Despite the condition of the land, the brothers returned to New York to sell the plots to unsuspecting individuals wanting to test their fortunes in a new land. The group of settlers arrived to Mid-Michigan only to find their plots submerged under several feet of water. Nevertheless, many in the group chose to stay and established what is now Metropolitan Lansing. They christened the town "Lansing Township" after their home village in New York.

You can get a ton more great old photos of Lansing from Seeking Michigan, check out a sweet view of Lansing from the Lansing standpipe in the late 1800s on Michigan in Pictures and learn lots more about Lansing at absolutemichigan.com/Lansing!

Photo: Bird's eye view of the city of Lansing (Mich.); 1866. Courtesy Seeking Michigan.

Life Magazine has a feature titled WWII: How Detroit Won The War that provides an excellent photographic look at how the Motor City retooled to become "The Arsenal of Democracy". Photos include Chrysler's Tank Assembly, Dodge's military vehicle production and Willow Run Bomber Plant where more than 18,000 B-24 Liberators were built between 1940 and 1945. They note that the auto industry's contribution to the war effort was valued at more than $50 billion worth of materials - an astounding 20% of the nation's war production.

You can see a ton more photos of the Willow Run Bomber Plant right here that provide a fascinating look into what Charles Lindbergh called "the Grand Canyon of the mechanized world." Here's the story of Willow Run (and how many newsreels did this guy voice??):

Photo Credit: Library of Congress photo LC-USE6- D-008797, Howard R. Hollem, photographer. Production. B-24E (Liberator) bombers at Willow Run. Looking up one of the assembly lines at Ford's big Willow Run plant, where B-24E (Liberator) bombers are being made in great numbers. The Liberator is capable of operation at high altitudes and over great ranges on precision bombing missions. It has proved itself an excellent performer in the Pacific, in Northern Africa, Europe and the Aleutians. Ford's Willow Run Plant, Michigan

Here's Ford's 2010 Mustang, the history of the Ford Mustang from classic pony cars and the Ford Mustang entry on Wikipedia. You can check out the first Mustang commercial or settle back and watch this video on the making of the Ford Mustang:

Here's a boatload of Michigan charter fishing companies and also check out our Michigan Hunting & Fishing page and the salmon slideshow from the Absolute Michigan photographers.

I thought it would be good to open with a brief excerpt from panicky screaming with Roar of the Tigers - click through for the full version with 100% more panic. Samara says she doesn't deal well with tight pennant races ... something that could be good for some more interesting photoshopping today at Roar of the Tigers.

The 2009 Detroit Tigers have worked tirelessly over the last week to create a dramatic pennant finish. After putting the Minnesota Twins two games back, the Tigers have failed to close the race out with three straight losses and are tied with the Twins on the last day of the season. Minnesota  meets the Kansas City Royals while the Tigers face the Chicago White Sox at 1 PM at Comerica Park. The forecast is for clouds, some showers and 50s as Justin Verlander takes the mound. I suspect, however, that it will be more of a question of whether or not the Tigers bring their bats to the game today ... and especially, Mack Avenue Tigers is looking at YOU Miguel Cabrera. Here's the win/lose/tie scenarios from the Freep.

Although we've come down to the final day of the season, Detroit News columnist Jerry Green says 2009 is far from legendary as pennant races go. Some - such as 1967alpennant.com - consider the '67 race in which the Tigers, Twins and Red Sox battled to the final out.

Speaking of pennant races, Mike McClary at The Daily Fungo is trying to deal with his nervousness by looking at the exciting 1987 pennant race in which the Tigers came from behind to swipe the pennant from the Blue Jays. Here's October Surprise part 8 when the Tigers pulled ahead by beating the Jays in the 12th inning as Trammel singled home Jim Walewander (never thought I'd hear that name again). See them all in the Blast from the Past section.

If you're the optimistic sort - or you just want a chance to see some playoff baseball - you can still get tickets for the possible home games vs the Yankees on Sunday and Monday.

There's little left to say but "C'mon Tigers - let's get this job done!" ... although of course you can't say "Panic" and "Detroit" without bringing in David Bowie. Here he is in the Diamond Dogs era...

Photo: The Corner, Kaline's corner, Michigan & Trumbull...Tiger Stadium by MichiPictureGuy

Yesterday the last of Tiger Stadium was taken down. For more than 100 years, Michigan & Trumbull aka "The Corner" was the address of Tiger baseball, home to greats from Cobb, Greenberg & Kaline to Gibson, Trammel & Whitaker.

Last night Absolute Michigan pool photographer Ken Jacoby said "I want you to do a post tomorrow titled "Tiger Stadium is no more" and it was funny to see the coincidentally titled Tiger Stadium is no more in this morning's Freep. Check it out for a cool video by Marcin Szczpanski of the final demolition.

On Absolute Michigan & Michigan in Pictures we've done a lot of posts about the old ballpark. Some of my favorites:

• Tiger Stadium at the Corner of Michigan & Trumbull
• Tiger Stadium, in Pictures
• What Will Happen to Tiger Stadium?
• A belated 97th birthday tribute to "The Corner" which features a song by Ben Hassenger
• and Photo Friday: At the old ball game... by kcjacoby which is the gateway to a ton of photos taken by members of Exposure.Detroit who were lucky enough to take a tour of the stadium two years ago.

You can get some more Tiger Stadium posts at Michigan in Pictures and also check out the Tiger Stadium slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool.

YouTube has some nice videos including Talkin' Baseball: Tiger Stadium, Last Game at Tiger Stadium, and Ernie Harwell's memories of Tiger Stadium. Here's Jeff Daniels doing the Tiger Stadium segment from The Story of America's Classic Ballparks:

This photo depicts apple pickers in the Old Mission Peninsula. It was taken in the early 1890s. (The caption on the front of the photo gives the year as “1894.” However, identifying information on the back gives the year as “1891.” The exact date, then, is uncertain.) Definitely click the photo for a larger view!

Michigan’s Fruit Belt

Michigan’s “fruit belt” strides the shore of Lake Michigan. The Lake itself plays a key role. It functions as a moderating body, preventing temperatures from getting too cold in the fall and too hot in the summer. It also provides the frequent rainfall that fruit farmers require. This climate combines with rich soil and regional topography to provide ideal fruit-growing conditions.

The Growth of an Industry

Michigan’s fruit industry started to boom about the time of the Civil War. By then, Chicago’s growing population had provided a ready market. Transportation improvements (notably the expansion of railroads) provided greater access to this and other population centers.

In Grand Traverse County (where the photo above was taken), the fruit industry grew as the lumber industry declined. In 1872, Grand Traverse County yielded 3,241 bushels of apples. Thirty years later, that number had increased to 276,000 bushels for a single year! Around the same time, Grand Traverse County had become Michigan’s number one county for cherry production.

Some Current Numbers…

Michigan continues to be a leader in fruit production. In the year 2000, it ranked third nationwide in apple production. The state also ranks first in the production of blueberries and red tart cherries and fourth in the production of sweet cherries. Many other fruits, including peaches, plums, grapes and strawberries, grow abundantly here. For more information, click Michigan Agricultural Commodities to visit the Michigan Department of Agriculture’s Commodities Site.

Also check out absolutemichigan.com/apples for some great links and recipes!

On September 1, 1980, Emil and Mary Petri hosted a Labor Day picnic to remember. Their guests included Republican Presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and Michigan Governor William Milliken. (That’s Mary Petri seated in the middle, between the two.)

In the original Detroit News report, Emil Petri noted that he “had been approached by friends in the Republican party” about hosting the barbecue. The Petris agreed. On the Friday before the party, they learned that Reagan and Milliken would also appear!

Emil was an Allen Park steelworker who had been laid off earlier in the year. The economy was in a downturn, and many of Petri’s neighbors were also unemployed. The blue-collar neighborhood had traditionally been a Democratic stronghold. Reagan listened to the neighbor’s stories as he munched a hot dog and sipped a Stroh’s Light.

Reagan gained at least one vote: Mary Petri’s. While Emil identified himself as a Republican, his wife had traditionally voted Democrat. After the party, she declared that she’d be voting for Reagan that year. “This wasn’t staged,” she said of their encounter. “Nothing was held back.”

Reagan and Milliken both made personal contributions to the Petris’ picnic. Reagan donated a hunk of kielbasa, while Milliken brought some potato salad.

The Archives of Michigan contains many photographs of state and national political figures. The Archives also houses Michigan Executive Office records, while the private papers of many governors (including William Milliken) can be accessed at the University of Michigan’s Bentley Historical Library. Those interested in Ronald Reagan can visit the web site of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.

"Les Paul brought six strings to electricity and electricity to six strings. Les Paul was an innovator, a groundbreaker, a risk taker, a mentor and a friend. Try to imagine what we'd be doing if he hadn't come along and changed the world. There will always be more Les to come. That's certified."
~ Billy Gibbons, one of many to praise Paul

Electric Blues by Rudy Malmquist

Les Paul, designer of the Gibson Les Paul and an incredibly influential musician, passed away Friday at the age of 94.

Wikipedia says that in addition to collaborting on the the guitar that bore his name, Paul is credited with recording innovations including overdubbing, tape delay, phasing effects, and multitrack recording. The "Wizard of Waukesha" was also one of the most influential guitarists ever, developing licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing that set him apart from his contemporaries and have carried through to the modern day.

There's so much more to be said. Start with:

• Les Paul Online is the artists official web site. Definitely go here to get a feel for the man. Paul's good humor and amazing skills shine through.
• The World Has Lost a Remarkable Innovator and Musician: Les Paul Passes Away at 94 from Gibson Guitar
• What makes the Gibson Les Paul unique and The Man Behind the Guitar from the Les Paul Guide
• See Les Paul Chasing Sound (IN MEMORIAM 1915-2009) at PBS to learn more about the video above,  read some great history and a timeline of Paul's career.
• Legendary guitar-maker Les Paul left mark in Kalamazoo from mLive is just one of the articles they have about Paul.
• Gibson Guitar in Kalamazoo, Michigan from Michigan in Pictures seems to be where people go to ask questions about Gibson guitars the have ... and has some good information about the company.

Photo: Les Paul by Thomas Faivre-Duboz Paris, France

Red, White and Chrome Dream Cruise by kelley girl

The 15th annual Woodward Dream Cruise happens this Saturday, August 15, 2009 in Detroit, Michigan. It's billed as the world’s largest one-day celebration of car culture, and with more 1.7 million visitors and over than 40,000 muscle cars, street rods, custom, collector and special interest vehicles, it delivers. Be sure to check out their Woodward Dream Cruise history page!

Speaking of history, Michigan in Pictures has an excerpt from Cruisin' the Original: Woodward Avenue from Arcadia Publishing that features some excellent photos from the 1950s. Did someone say photos? Check out this Flickr slideshow of Woodward Dream Cruise photos.

The Detroit News are official sponsors of the event and are featuring extensive Woodward Dream Cruise coverage of the activities, photo galleries, live video on Cruise day and live blogging as the event unfolds. Do not miss their Interactive: Your guide to the Woodward Dream Cruise.

Absolute Michigan's video correspondents Scott Allman and Jim McClain visited the Woodward Dream Cruise in 2008 and got some great shots of the cars along with interviews with the interesting and colorful characters that make up the world's largest one-day car event:

It's definitely worth clicking over to see the high quality version.

It also looks at the proposed elimination of the Michigan Department of History, Arts & Libraries (HAL). In a move that lies somewhere between shortsighted and Visigoth, Michigan's Governor has proposed eliminating HAL to save - drum roll please - 2 million dollars. As columnist Jack Lessenberry notes in his essay Saving Our Past from Politicians, that's roughly 1/10th of one percent of the money that is necessary to close our budget gap:

Our state has its own great library too, the Library of Michigan in Lansing, which has been around, in one form or another, since before we became a state. It contains 5.6 million priceless books, documents and records, all in a wonderful building in Lansing.

Any citizen can use the library and check out material from it. Additionally, thanks to federal matching funds, the state library system is able to subscribe to online databases that allow Michigan residents to access a vast array of resources from across the world.

...(Governor Jennifer Granholm) has issued an executive order transferring control of the library to the Department of Education. And that‘s not just a meaningless bureaucratic procedure. Along with it comes dramatic cuts, and a real chance that the library’s extensive collections will be scattered.

James Seidl, who directs a consortium of 49 libraries on southern Michigan was deeply appalled. “Distributing or removing these collections destroys 180 years of collecting, cataloging an preserving materials,” he told the Toledo Blade last week. (read article)

...What that would probably do is end all arts grants funding in the state, which means we would lose matching federal funds as well. The state librarian would be fired. The popular Michigan History magazine would stop publishing. The library would also stop allowing patrons to check out books, which, as respected Lansing columnist Susan Demas noted ironically (read her column), is sort of why libraries exist.

Michigan residents enjoy countless benefits from HAL. I strongly urge you to join the Save the Michigan Dept of History, Arts & Libraries Facebook group and share the link with your friends and urge them to apply some pressure to your Michigan representatives. History is a treasure that we hold for our children and as Jack notes, the lesson of Alexandria is too important to ignore.

Although pleasure boating and shipping have held steady over the years another form of once popular vacation travel is making a regal comeback - seeing the Great Lakes by passenger ship. According to the Great Lakes Cruising Coalition it was 1865 when it first became established upon the founding of the company Anchor Line. The industry carried on albeit with it's shares of ups and downs into the early 1970's.

Cruising…perhaps more accurately described as using the Great Lakes for transportation by indigenous North Americans, had been happening long before this. But in 1865 it took on a more formal aspect when Anchor Line, formerly Erie & Western Transportation co, was formed.

Their historical account of cruising the Great Lakes also takes note of Mark Twain's famous 1895 world tour.

Later that century, on July 17, 1895 Mark Twain traveling on his “At home around the world” tour, boards the S.S. Northland in Cleveland bound for Mackinac. Twain wrote “All that has been said of this fine ocean ship on the Great Lakes is not exaggerated. Across Lake Erie to the Detroit River, Lake St Clair and the St Clair River is a most charming trip”.

The Michigan Department of History, Arts and Libraries has a brief but interesting glimpse into the history of recreational travel on the Great Lakes.

In spite of the hard times during the Great Depression, some people vacationed by taking a cruise of the Great Lakes on the S.S. South American or on the S.S. North American. The whole trip took one week and covered 2,200 miles. The ships made stops, and passengers had a few hours to sightsee and shop at each of the ports.

One of the stops was Mackinac Island, which was called the "Bermuda of the North." Advertisements claimed that there were no mosquitoes or automobiles on the island and that people did not get hay fever.

You can see pictures and get information on passenger ships that once sailed the Great Lakes at the Marine Historical Society of Detroit website.

For more historical articles on cruising the Great Lakes check out this Google Timeline - 1800 - 2009.

The photo above is that of the City of Detroit III courtesy of the Marine Historical Society of Detroit.

This vessel was the most beautiful of all the ships in the D & C fleet. Her parlors, 21 in all, were exquisitely furnished and the 477 staterooms were fitted out with the latest equipment. For close to 40 years, this ship sailed between Detroit, Cleveland, and Buffalo.

The Present and Future of Cruising the Great Lakes

There is currently a renewed public interest and resurgence of businesses offer cruises around the lakes and the port cities are eagerly anticipating revenues from this age old form of tourism. There are currently 23 port city members seeking ways to market themselves to cruise companies through the Port Cities Collaborative (pdf).

The Detroit Free Press recently ran an article this potential boost to the economies around the Great Lakes. They also focus on the new docking terminal in Detroit that should be completed in 2010. In "Detroit could cash in on cruise industry" it is stated that:

This summer, three cruise ships will glide through Michigan waters and stop at ports in Wyandotte, Mackinac Island, Manistee, Holland and Houghton.

But within two years, downtown Detroit hopes to get in on the Michigan cruising action.

The photo above is of the extensively refurbished, redecorated and improved Clelia II which will sail between Toronto and Duluth, Minn., this summer, stopping at Mackinac Island and Houghton. To be launched in early 2009 the all-suite Clelia II will offer the finest in small-ship cruise travel. Public facilities include a restaurant that accommodates guests at a single, unassigned seating, two lounges, expansive library with Internet access, state-of-the-art gym/spa, beauty salon, boutique, Jacuzzi, hospital, and ample deck areas for relaxing and sunbathing.

A New Breed of Luxury Small Ship

2010 will see the launch of a new style of luxury small ship the Pearl Mist. The interior of the ship offers luxury accommodations with oversized staterooms, all with private balconies. Exquisite cuisine will be enjoyed in the spacious, glass lined dining salon and relaxing time can be spent in one of the many comfortable lounges. The ship is also designed with latest in cruising comfort featuring fully stabilized hulls, and the ability to reach each port of call more quickly so there will be more time to explore each destination.

Apparently dairy farmers felt very threatened by this yellow, butter-like substance. Another example of Ypsi strangeness is in the article below regarding a glowing piece of pork.

It is important however to note that there is plenty of information on the site that traces the roots and growth of Ypsilanti as a town and that also trace it's cultural past.

Luminous Pork Chop Comes to Light: So Does Cause

Unlike today's Ypsilantians worried about swine flu, local citizens of the past had a different pig-related concern.

They read this story, emanating from nearby Jackson, in the Tuesday, September 26, 1950 Ypsilanti Daily Press.

It is transcribed here as a cautionary tale.

Science, as well as the neighbors, is keenly interested in Russell Mitchell's glowing pork chop.

Mitchell stumbled on the phenomenon of the refrigerator last week. It actually is a pork chop that glows in the dark.

The Jackson Citizen-Patriot explained that the luminous chop "came to light" in an unusual circumstance when Russell opened the refrigerator at his home in a darkened kitchen. The bulb inside the box was burned out. There in the dark, however, was the pork chop, casting its rich and brilliant glow.

Unlike today's Ypsilantians worried about swine flu, local citizens of the past had a different pig-related concern.

They read this story, emanating from nearby Jackson, in the Tuesday, September 26, 1950 Ypsilanti Daily Press.

It is transcribed here as a cautionary tale.

Science, as well as the neighbors, is keenly interested in Russell Mitchell's glowing pork chop.

Mitchell stumbled on the phenomenon of the refrigerator last week. It actually is a pork chop that glows in the dark.

The Jackson Citizen-Patriot explained that the luminous chop "came to light" in an unusual circumstance when Russell opened the refrigerator at his home in a darkened kitchen. The bulb inside the box was burned out. There in the dark, however, was the pork chop, casting its rich and brilliant glow.

If you're interested in knowing what caused the pork chop to glow in the dark you'll have to head over to 'Dusty Diary ....An Exploration of the Ypsilanti Archives'!

The photo above is from Ypsilanti's Depot Town and appears in the post 'Quiz Time: Date That Photo!' Maybe YOU can add to the facts surrounding this old photo....

Last "Everything" at Tiger Stadium by RichKD

Tiger Stadium from Wikipedia

Tiger Stadium (formerly known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium) is a stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. It hosted the Detroit Tigers Major League Baseball team from 1912 to 1999, as well as the National Football League's Detroit Lions from 1938 to 1974. It was declared a State of Michigan Historic Site in 1975 and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1989. The stadium is nicknamed "The Corner" for its location on Michigan Avenue and Trumbull Boulevard. Many in the metropolitan Detroit area feel that the stadium serves as a living metaphor for the city.

On April 20, 1912, Navin Field was opened, the same day as the Boston Red Sox's Fenway Park. The intimate configurations of both stadiums, both conducive to high-scoring games featuring home runs, prompted baseball writers to refer to them as "bandboxes" or "cigar boxes".

The folks behind Save Tiger Stadium tell us:

The reports of Tiger Stadium’s demise are greatly exaggerated. For over a year The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has been quietly working on a plan to preserve the entire playing field and a significant portion of the beloved old ballpark. This is a plan the Detroit City Council approved last summer because we don’t want to build a monument to honor Detroit’s baseball history, we want to keep it.

What would a birthday be without song? So we present The Corner by Ben Hassenger

Yesterday Mark "The Bird" Fidrych died in an accident on his Massachusetts farm at the age of 54. I read a lot of words about Fidrych, who had one magical season in 1976 at the very height of my own love of baseball. I think the best were written by Michael Rosenberg who also wrote this excellent feature on Fidrych in 2006 and said:

Mark Fidrych reminded you of your childhood, no matter how old you were when he pitched. This was his charm, his curse, his legacy. He personified athletic innocence.

His childlike love of the game is what's remembered by many, but for the 1976 season he was also a devastating pitcher who went 19-9, finished as runner up for the Cy Young, led the majors in ERA and won the AL Rookie of the Year award. From Sports Illustrated:

...he did not pitch like any 21-year-old anyone had ever seen. He had impeccable, almost freakish, control. He hardly ever walked anyone. He walked one batter in an 11-inning victory at Texas on the fifth of June, and followed it up by walking nobody his next time out against the California Angels. He won nine of his 10 first decisions. He allowed just one run against the New York Yankees on Monday Night Baseball. He threw an 11-inning shutout against Oakland on July 16.

1954-2009 by Boston Wolverine

The second best words I read were penned by Samara Pearlstein at Roar of the Tigers who also took the photo to the left and suggests:

I suggest a memorial to one of the best things about him-- his ability to bring fun to a sometimes deeply (some would say 'overly') serious sport. Baseball is, after all, a game, and it's SUPPOSED to be fun; Fidrych understood that.

So, tomorrow, go out and do a little something 'willfully eccentric' (thanks for the phrase, commenter Matt). Talk to your car. Groom the seat of your office chair with your hands. Change pens because the old one doesn't have enough great ideas in it. Smile at yourself a little, and think of the Bird.

Much more about this weird and wonderful character can be found in the Detroit Tigers statement on Fidrych, Wikipedia's Mark Fidrych entry and at BaseballReference.com's page for Mark Steven Fidrych. Please share your comments, memories and links in the comments below.

Definitely watch this interview with Mark "The Bird" Fydrich.

Fishing Fun from Seeking Michigan on Vimeo.

Much more Michigan history at Seeking Michigan.

Justin Verlander gets the start at 7:15 PM in Toronto. The Tigers home opener is Friday at 1:05 vs the Texas Rangers.

Computers in the 1950s by Seeking Michigan

The Department of History, Arts and Libraries has launched the Seeking Michigan Web site (www.seekingmichigan.org), a growing collection of unique historical information that - through digitized source documents, maps, films, images, oral histories and artifacts - creatively tells the stories of Michigan's families, homes, businesses, communities and landscapes. The site also employs the latest Web technologies and social media.

Sandra Clark, director of the Michigan Historical Center, says that the thrust of Seeking Michigan is to move the archives and library experience out of the buildings and into people's lived. "We want to give visitors historical content and, whenever possible, the context for that content," she explained. "For K-12 educators, there's also a 'teach' page that links up with related resources and grade-level content expectations. Seeking Michigan is definitely a big boost for those who already have an interest in our state's history, including scholars, authors, genealogists and publishers," she said. "What we're very excited about is the prospect of introducing new generations of Michigan residents to the Michigan they thought they knew and helping them forge connections with our state's remarkable past."

With plans in place to add much more material, Seeking Michigan currently includes:

• More than 100,000 pages of Civil War documents
• Approximately 10,000 photographs
• A variety of Michigan sheet music
• Lots of old video!
• Roughly 1 million death records, indexed for easy searching by name, death date, location and age
• A rich section about Michigan's 44 past governors
• Works Progress Administration data (circa 1936-1942) about land and buildings throughout rural Michigan
• Oral histories with notable Michigan residents

Check it all out at seekingmichigan.org!

The last Wednesday of every month is a "Weird Wednesday" on Absolute Michigan.

According to maritime historian Wes Oleszewski - via Haunted Great Lakes where you can read about their investigations and perhaps a second ghost at "Wobble Shanks" - the ghost story belonging to Waugoshance is always the first told by lighthouse enthusiasts and historians. The tale below is patched together from their excellent web site and also from the Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society.

In the 1800s, Waugoshaunce was kept by John Herman, a lighthouse keeper well known both for his penchant for practical jokes and for his heavy drinking on the job. Legend has it that one night while drunk, he locked his assistant in the lantern room as a practical joke. When his assistant finally gained his freedom, he searched high and low, but Herman was nowhere to be found and never seen again.

Future lightkeepers who knew the history refused the assignment. Those that did not, however, experienced such pranks as having their chairs kicked out from underneath them when they fell asleep and even having coal shoveled into the boiler with no one around.

Eventually the story, the loneliness of the light and the opening of the larger and more powerful White Shoals light a few miles to the north, closed the light in 1912 and left the ghost alone at Waugoshance. Terry Pepper's Seeing the Light relates that the Waugoshance Light sat undisturbed by all but the forces of nature until the early 1940s when hotshot flyboys decided that the old lighthouse would make a perfect target for bombing practice during their military pilot training. Apparently a number of missiles hit their target, as a massive fire broke out on the structure, completely gutting the interior of the tower and keepers dwelling of anything combustible.

Again the light lay dormant until 1998 when Chris West formed Waugoshance Lighthouse Preservation Society. The society is working to raise funds to stabilize the lighthouse structure and they have applied for a US Coast Guard Property Lease in order to begin plans for the restoration of the lighthouse. Find out more at waugoshance.org.

Dr. Frost will speak about her book, particularly bout the Blackburns’ experience of freedom and re-capture in Michigan. She will explain the legal debate in Canada that resulted in a refusal to extradite the Blackburns to all but certain re-enslavement. The Blackburn case was the first serious legal dispute between Canada and the United States regarding the Underground Railroad. The impassioned defense of the Blackburns by Canada’s lieutenant governor set precedents for all future fugitive-slave cases.

Mark Harvey and the Archives staff have assembled a collection of legal documents from the Blackburn case that will be on display on the first floor of the Michigan Historical Museum all weekend, Feb. 7-8. These items include copies of affidavits sworn in Louisville by those seeking to regain custody of the couple; copies of warrants issued in Wayne County for the arrest of the Blackburns under the federal Fugitive Slave Law of 1793; and documents sent to Territorial Governor Porter explaining why they were refusing Michigan’s request for extradition. This case helped to establish Canada as the ultimate haven for men, women and children who escaped slavery in the American South.

Copies of "I've Got a Home in Glory Land" will be on sale in the Museum Store and Dr. Frost will be available to sign copies of her book following the presentation.

The Lansing City Pulse has a feature interview article with Dr. Frost in the Feb. 4, 2009 edition.

You can click over to see events & exhibits in Michigan relating to Abraham Lincoln, including the cool " This Week in the Life of Lincoln" feature and an essay contest. Check out a video of Lincoln's only Michigan appearance, on August 27, 1865 at a rally for the first-ever Republican presidential candidate, Charles C. Fremont, in Kalamazoo:

Spikes High by Dave Hogg

The above video is from a 1930 interview of Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb with Grantland Rice. You can see some photos along with the extended interview right here.

Michigan History Magazine notes that on February 2, 1936, Ty Cobb became one of the first players selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown:

According to many observers, Ty Cobb may have been baseball's greatest player. His batting accomplishments are legendary—a lifetime average of .367, 297 triples, 4,191 hits, 12 batting titles (including nine in a row), 23 straight seasons in which he hit over .300, three .400 seasons (topped by a .420 mark in 1911), and 2,245 runs. Nicknamed "The Georgia Peach," Cobb stole 892 bases during a 24-year career, primarily with the Detroit Tigers.

Much more about one of the greatest players ever to play the game (and probably one of the meanest) at Remembering Detroit Tiger Legend Ty Cobb from Absolute Michigan.

There were many bad poets in the 19th Century, an era when people penned over-the-top verses as serious and popular entertainment. But according to the Literary Encyclopedia, America's most famous bad poet was Manton, Michigan's Julia A. Moore.

The wife of a farmer and the mother of ten, Moore published her first book of poetry in 1876, unaware that people were buying it mostly to laugh at her verses about tragic death and lost love. Even Mark Twain said her poetry always made him laugh. She was finally shamed out of her writing career, although every year the Flint Public Library remembers her with a bad poetry contest. And she will remain the champion of invented, mystifying words such as the strangely undecipherable, "Hithertoherebefore."

You can read the full story of Julia A. Moore and samples of her verse in "Strange Michigan: More Wolverine Weirdness" by Linda S. Godfrey and Lisa A. Shiel. Regarding the image, I can only say that someone got a little carried away. They are resting comfortably in a safe and cushiony room.

More about Julia Ann Moore (because we just couldn't leave well enough alone)

The Wikipedia entry for Julia Ann Moore relates that her first book of verse, The Sentimental Song Book was published in 1876 and it quickly went to a second printing and then was republished under the title The Sweet Singer of Michigan Salutes the Public. It sounds as if it was very consciously promoted as bad poetry and received extremely biting reviews ("Shakespeare, could he read it, would be glad that he was dead"). An excerpt from Grand Rapids suggests that they might have been somewhat justified:

Indian girls and boys were seen,
With their bow and quiver,
Riding in their light canoes
Up and down the river.
Their hearts were full of joy,
Happy voices singing
Made music with forest birds,
They kept the valley ringing.

While she was the butt of jokes for much of her career, Moore ended her last appearance at the Grand Rapids Opera House by telling the jeering crowd: "You have come here and paid twenty-five cents to see a fool; I receive seventy-five dollars, and see a whole houseful of fools."

Blizzard of '78 - Somerset, MI by Billie K67

"The most extensive and very nearly the most severe blizzard in Michigan history raged throughout Thursday January 26, 1978 and into part of Friday January 27. About 20 people died as a direct or indirect result of the storm, most due to heart attacks or traffic accidents. At least one person died of exposure in a stranded automobile. Many were hospitalized for exposure, mostly from homes that lost power and heat. About 100,000 cars were abandoned on Michigan highways, most of them in the southeast part of the state."
~National Weather Service Ann Arbor Meteorologist in Charge, C.R. Snider on January 30th, 1978

Wikipedia's entry on The Great Blizzard of 1978 relates that Michigan Governor William Milliken declared a state of emergency and called out the Michigan National Guard, the Michigan State Police pronounced Traverse City, Michigan "unofficially closed" and warned area residents to stay home, and classes at the University of Michigan were canceled for the first time in its 140 year history.

More Links:

• Mid-Michigan Weather has a great selection of photos from the Blizzard of 1978
• The National Weather Service in Detroit explains the unique weather pattern that spawned this monster storm
• The Traverse City Record-Eagle has an account of the blizzard of 78
• Here's a photo of the massive drifts in Kalamazoo
• Weather blogger Bill Steffen has some details, noting that Muskegon received a whopping 52" of snow and measured a 14' high snow drift.
• WGBU-TV has some photos of the storm's impact on northeast Ohio.

Untitled by Blackbeard Ben

This morning I found kind of a cool video showing all 43 Presidents and President-elect Barack Obama. It was pretty neat watching the march of familiar faces like Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Lincoln and FDR peppered with the less familiar John Tyler, Chester Arthur and two-time President Grover Cleveland and then to see at the end a face that was not the same shade as all the others. It reminded me of this poster by Patrick Moberg. More than that, it said to me that times are changing - that we will see the office of President held by a woman, by a Latino, and by people of so many races that one day, the color of the wrapping paper might not matter at all.

To me, that is the promise of America: we are who we live our lives to be, and not what we look like.

At Wikipedia you can learn about the number 44. It is apparently a happy number, and is the number of Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, Floyd Little, Jim Brown, Ernie Davis, Jerry West and George Gervin (and Rick Mahorn). In less glamorous sports news, it's also the number of years William Clay Ford Sr. has been chairman of the Detroit Lions ... number of playoff wins over that time? Just one.

As far as I can tell, today's inauguration will be the first to be massively webcast, and those of you who are working may want to tune in via CNN/Facebook or the Presidential Inaugural Committee web site to watch online and also see all kinds of maps and schedules for the days activities. Flickr's most recent inauguration and most interesting inauguration slideshows will probably be pretty interesting as well. If all that's too old school for you, you can check out the Inauguration on Tumblr, and Mike Wendland points out Current/Twitter's plan to let you tweet about the inauguration on TV. If it's not old school enough, check out "I do solemnly swear" ...Presidential Inaugurations from the American Memory at the Library of Congress.

Just before dawn on the 7 degree morning that is January 20, 2009 here in Leland, Michigan, I am doing much the same thing that I have on Tuesday mornings for the last 11 years: poking around the Michigan internet, looking for things I can share with my neighbors.

Today, I think I'd like to share with you my excitement not for the inauguration of Barack Obama. Athough I am pretty excited about that, I'd most like to share my belief that despite the grave local, national and international challenges on political, military, economic and environmental fronts we are facing, we are a can-do people, and by whatever God or gods or goddesses we do or don't believe in, we - meaning all of us, together - are going to do something about it.

What do you think?

You'll also want to check out Martin Luther King's Wikipedia entry and Martin Luther King's birthday at the Library of Congress.

Here is an excerpt from the text of Dr. Martin Luther King's December 18, 1963 address at Western Michigan University:

The world in which we live is geographically one. Now we are challenged to make it one in terms of brotherhood. Now it is true that the geographical oneness of this age has come into being to a large extent through man's scientific ingenuity. Man through his scientific genius has been able to dwarf distance and place, time and change. Our jet planes have compressed minutes into distances that once took months and weeks and days. I think Bob Hope has adequately described this new jet age in which we live. He said "It is an age in which it is possible to take a non-stop flight from Los Angeles, California to New York city--a distance of some three thousand miles--and if on taking off in Los Angeles you develop hiccups, you will 'hic' in Los Angeles and 'cup' in New York City." You know it is possible because time difference to take a non-stop flight from Tokyo, Japan on Sunday morning and arrive in Seattle, Washington on the preceding Saturday night and when your friends meet you at the airport and ask when you left Tokyo, you will have to say, I left tomorrow.

Now this is a bit humorous but I'm trying to laugh a basic fact into all of us. It is simply this, that through our scientific genius, we have made of this world a neighborhood. Now through our ethical and moral commitment, we must make of it a brotherhood. We must all learn to live together as brothers or we will perish together as fools. This is the great challenge of the hour. This is true of individuals. It is true of nations. No individual can live alone. No nation can live alone.

...or state. We have a lot of work before us, and I hope that Michigan can be an active and engaged part of reshaping our naton and world for a changed future. I think that everyone might need to watch this speech every so often. When I hear it, I think about people who are still battling discrimination through race of course, but also through where they happen to live and who they choose to love. It's always the time to make real the promises of Democracy.

The R.E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing is a great place to learn about Olds and about the automotive industry in Lansing. The page on the Reo Motor Car Company Plant from the National Historic Landmark program says that:

By 1907 Reo had gross sales of four million dollars and the company was one of the top four automobile manufacturers in the US. After 1908 however, despite the introduction of improved cars designed by Olds, Reo's share of the automobile market shrank due in part to the development of giants like Ford and General Motors. Reo's stagnation must be attributed in large part to Olds himself, who was talented mechanically but not administratively.

The Reo Motor Company did moderately well into the 1920's, but REO struggled during the Great Depression, ultimately ending car production in 1936. Here is a look at the Image of the Month from January 2007 at the Archives of Michigan featuring a set of blueprints of the R.E. Olds Mansion in Lansing.

Having featured many Michigan Notable Books on Absolute Michigan it seemed appropriate to dig up the 2005 notable book - "The Story of Reo Joe: Work, Kin, and Community in Autotown U.S.A." by Lisa M. Fine (You can read excerpts from the book by following the link)

"The Reo Motor Car Company operated in Lansing, Michigan, for seventy years, and encouraged its thousands of workers to think of themselves as part of a factory family. Reo workers, most typically white, rural, native-born Protestant men, were dubbed Reo Joes. These ordinary fellows had ordinary aspirations: job security, decent working conditions, and sufficient pay to support a family. They treasured leisure time for family activities (many sponsored by the company), hunting, and their fraternal organizations. Even after joining a union, Reo Joes remained loyal to the company and proud of the community built around it.

Lisa M. Fine tells the Reo story from the workers' perspective on the vast social, economic, and political changes that took place in the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Lisa Fine explores their understanding of the city where they lived, the industry that employed them, and the ideas about work, manhood, race, and family that shaped their identities."

R.E. Olds: The Man Behind the Wheel

Matt writes: This is a VERY early cut of a documentary I am producing on R.E. Olds, founder of the Oldsmobile and REO car companies. This was played in 2004 at the REO Car Company Centennial celebration (my first big premiere!) and I am currently recutting it for the R.E. Olds Museum in Lansing, MI. (direct link to video)

Additional Resources:
Photos of the REO Motor Plant - Library of Congress

Reo Motor Company - Michigan.gov (History, Arts & Libraries)

An exhaustive compilation of Oldsmobile links - Automotive World Magazine

THE REMARKABLE STORY OF A BABY REO; 1905 TO 2008 - The Auto Channel

At 102, Baby Car Goes Home Again - The New York Times

Oldsmobile was America's oldest nameplate - The Detroit News

Rarely seen interior images of fifty cozy summer cottages and narratives provide a portrait of a special place and state of mind evoked by summer cottage living on beautiful Glen Lake. These cottages are viewed against the backdrop of early summer resort life in northern Michigan the first half of the twentieth century. Dietrich Floeter’s duotone photographs and author Barbara Siepker’s captivating historical narratives include personal anecdotes on each cottage. The cottage is shown in its glory and reveals its importance in the lives of its owners and the broader community. In total they document the essence of these wonderful old cottages as well as life and time of bygone years.

These rich cottage images have been captured with care and reverence by Traverse City photographer, Dietrich Floeter. His intention choice of a wide view camera replicates the type and style of camera that would have been used during the time period of the early resort era. Floeter has captured their essence through close attention to light and detail which he has meticulously set up and framed. Floeter has been a commercial photographer for twenty-three years, specializing in architectural, industrial and aerial work.

A few articles of interest include Historic Cottages of Glen Lake on the Glen Lake Association website, Siepker’s book remembers historic cottages on the Glen Arbor Sun website and Glen Lake Book Wins Big on MyNorth.com. You may also want to check out this slideshow of Glen Lake from the Absolute Michigan flickr pool.

If you want more information or would like to purchase this Michigan Notable Book visit The Cottage Books website, which is owned by author Barbara Siepker.

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.

More about Motown's 50th Anniversary can be found over at Michigan in Pictures.

From the era of European exploration to the beginning of the Civil War, the Straits of Mackinac were a crucial link in the westward water transportation system of the United States. As the primary route to Lake Michigan and the Mississippi Valley, the Straits were a highway for the fur trade, a hotbed of military outposts, and one of the first settled areas of Michigan. Later, the natural beauty of the Straits, and particularly of Mackinac Island, led to the popularity of the area as a nineteenth-century tourist destination. A Picturesque Situation uses documents, maps, drawings, and prints to illustrate the unique history of the Straits from 1615 to 1860.

Beginning in the seventeenth century, Native Americans, soldiers, missionaries, traders, explorers, and scientists recorded their impressions of the Straits of Mackinac in letters, reports, diaries, books, and legal and financial documents. Military officers noted fortifications and topography, surveyors mapped boundaries, cartographers defined local geography, and travelers sketched scenery and local personalities. All of these rare and important glimpses of Mackinac before the age of the camera are elegantly presented in this oversized, full-color volume. The text of A Picturesque Situation complements its many images by detailing their history and incorporating the words and descriptions of people who visited or lived at the Straits before 1860.

Although much has been written about the history of the Straits of Mackinac, most works focus on narrow aspects of its history. Michigan historians and those interested in life in the pre–Civil War United States will appreciate the broad and striking picture of the Straits painted by A Picturesque Situation.

Published by Wayne State University Press

The Michigan Notable Books program annually selects 20 of the most notable books published in the year. The selections are reflective of Michigan's diverse ethnic, historical, literary, and cultural experience. You can click to view more Notable Books featured on Absolute Michigan and learn more about the program at www.michigan.gov/notablebooks.