Videos

The Pontiac Asylum for the Insane – Michigan’s Grand Psychiatric Experiment

Posted on December 2, 2025May 28, 2026 by Michael Hardy

In the 1910 postcard, the Eastern Michigan Asylum for the Insane looms over a bare yard in Pontiac. The Pontiac

Hedge’s Wigwam, Pleasant Ridge- 1930s Roadside Icon of Woodward Avenue

Posted on December 1, 2025June 29, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Hedge’s Wigwam once stood at Woodward and 10 Mile as a concrete teepee cafeteria serving barbecued beef and chicken pot pie to generations of Michigan motorists. This article traces its rise from juice stand to landmark, its 1967 closure, 1972 fire and the statues that remain.

Stump Battles of Edmore Michigan

Posted on November 28, 2025November 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

These scenes from around Edmore Michigan, in Montcalm County, show what came after Michigan’s great lumber boom. Once this ground

Celebrating The History of Richmond Michigan – Convenient Small-Town Living 1890–1930

Posted on November 24, 2025November 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

From the brick Hotel Lenox to St. Augustine’s stone church and the steady hum of the Grand Trunk Railway, the history of Richmond Michigan between 1890 and 1930 shows how a modest farm town adopted modern life without losing its close community ties.

Fascinating Loosemore Point Legend – The Driftwood Castle and “Indian Gold” Myth in Michigan’s Thumb

Posted on November 22, 2025January 1, 2026 by Michael Hardy

We examine a local legend of Indian gold and a hermit who made a castle at Loosemore point near the tip of Michigan’s Thumb.

Defunct Michigan Automakers – 8 Tough Lessons from the Michigan’s Lost Car Companies

Posted on November 19, 2025November 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

Defunct Michigan automakers once filled Detroit, Lansing and Kalamazoo with factories, jobs and big promises. This feature profiles Packard, Hudson, AMC, REO, Hupmobile, Detroit Electric and Checker, and explains how each tried to stand against the Big Three before finally closing the doors.

History of Chesaning Michigan – Big Rock Beginnings

Posted on November 11, 2025July 10, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Chesaning grew along the Shiawassee with mills, farms, rail service, and Main Street parades. See how a Chippewa place-name and early industry shaped a Michigan river town between 1900 and 1930.

Lakeville Michigan History – Early Days of Resorts, Camps, and Cottage Life (1880-1940) – Video

Posted on October 31, 2025January 1, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Lakeville Michigan history unfolds through rare photos. See how this Oakland County village shifted from mills to summer cottages, Echo Grove Camp, and lakeside tourism.