Finding Fun in Michigan & Beyond
This tag hints at articles and stories about Michigan history and the Michigan Thumb region. Michigan was part of the Northwest territory, and starting in 1815, the fur trade and influx of settlers and land speculators began.
By the time Michigan became a state in 1838, much of the southern third was already cris-crossed with improved Indian trails and initial roads. In a few short years, the lumbering era would begin, followed by the agriculture growth resulting from the cleared land.
by While neglected, with broken windows, faded peeling paint and vines almost covering one end, this historic depot helped make the region an economic powerhouse for the eastern shore of the Thumb for decades
by Gretchen Whitmer’s order to “Stay Home, Stay Safe” is a Michigan shutdown of the nonessential business due to the coronavirus outbreak. This was done once before by Michigan governor Albert Sleeper in October 1918.
by In 1831, two 26-year-old, French aristocrats, Alexis De Tocqueville, and Gustave de Beaumont, decided to strike out, in what today’s terms, would be the ultimate road trip. Namely, traveling overland from Detroit, to the last “white” settlement in the Northwest Territories, to Saginaw Michigan.
by Michigan’s historical markers are one of the oldest state programs in the country for denoting historical , geographic or cultural events and places of significance. A website provided by the Michigan DNR gives details on each and every one of them.
by Michigan Indian Place Names are important historical records of the Saginaw Valley and Upper Thumb, we have found this brief sketch about the original names from the Anishinaabeg to several places and rivers and discovered their meaning.
by The Pigeon Historical Society to relocate and restore two cabins that were originally located in the 1800s German religious colony called Ora Labora.
by Henry Ford established a series of twenty village industry plants in Michigan and other states where Ford Motor’s had a presence. He started acquiring and building the small factories in 1919 until 1944, primarily in southeastern Michigan.
by Part III of the Ora Labora story brings us to 1864. The rapid growth of the colony was costly and the society needs funds to grow. It was time for drastic measures. The raging war in the south was turning in the North’s favor and the colony was on borrowed time until the draft took effect.
