, , , , , ,

State of the Art in Ypsilanti, 1926

Laura Bien has a great feature on how "lightning slingers" kept Ypsilantians updated on the saga of Irving Berlin and socialite Ellin Mackay with The 1926 Modem on North Huron Street. It begins: In the fall of 1925, Ypsilantians, and the nation,…
, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Michigan Books: Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg

Annie's Ghosts: A Journey into a Family Secret by Steve Luxenberg (Hyperion). The fear of mental illness hits deep into the psyche, and that terror brings about this fascinating book of research into family genealogy, personal history and secrets…
, , , , , , ,

Celebrate Michigan's 173rd Birthday at the Michigan Historical Museum!

Michigan Library I by farlane In 1837 Michigan became the 26th state in the Union. The Michigan Historical Museum in downtown Lansing will host its annual Statehood Day celebration on Saturday, January 23, 2010 and the public is invited…
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Michigan Books: American Salvage: Stories by Bonnie Jo Campbell

American Salvage: Stories by Bonnie Jo Campbell (Wayne State University Press). In these stories about cold, lonely, working-class Michigan life, Campbell creates a world where salvation counterbalances loss and despair, and she leaves the reader…
, , , , , , ,

January 11, 1805: Creation of the Michigan Territory

Wikipedia's entry on the Michigan Territory says that in December of 1804, the settlers of Michigan petitioned Congress to have Wayne County be set as an independent territory: The Michigan Territory was established by an act of the United…
, , , , , , , ,

Detroit's Purple Gang

The Purple Gang - Jewish Organized Crime from J-Grit (The Internet Index of Tough Jews) begins: The Purple Gang was to Detroit what Al Capone and his gang were to Chicago. From the late 1920s until their demise in the the early 1930s their…
, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Snow Job: Shoveling out Negaunee and great moments snow technology

by Bob Garrett, Archives of Michigan, courtesy Seeking Michigan. The goal of Seeking Michigan is simple: to connect you to the stories of this great state. Visit them regularly for a dynamic & evolving look at Michigan's cultural heritage. Michigan…
, , , , ,

Remembering Y2K

The Day The Earth Will Stand Still by Mykl Roventine 10 years ago I was - like many other information industry professionals - nervously counting down to Y2K. The Year 2000 Problem / Y2K entry at Wikipedia has a good overview of the issue.…
, , , , , , , ,

The Christmas Tree Ship

This feature ran a few years ago on Michigan in Pictures... Above is a portrait of Elsie Schuenemann at the wheel of the Christmas Ship, near the Clark Street Bridge on the Chicago River in the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois.…
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Michigan seeks to use Land Banks for redevelopment

Abandoned Richardsonian Romanesque House in Detroit ( Former James Scott Mansion ) by Derek Farr Michigan has 29 land bank authorities - more than any state. The Detroit News reports that Michigan is going to try to use these land banks…
, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Maker Faire Detroit - From Motor City to Maker City

It Must be Maker Faire time! by Erik Charlton In Maker Faire Detroit 2010, Dale Dougherty of Make Magazine announces the first-ever Maker Faire Detroit,  July 31-August 1, 2010 at The Henry Ford Museum : Last summer, after our Maker…
, , , , , , , , , , ,

Seeking Michigan: Saving Pictures of History

By Laura Boyd and Kyle Grimm, Archives of Michigan, Archives of Michigan, courtesy Seeking Michigan. The goal of Seeking Michigan is simple: to connect you to the stories of this great state. Visit them regularly for a dynamic & evolving…