Ice Cold Pop!
Each summer, Mother Nature brings us hot, humid days and nights that barely cool off. Thankfully, Michigan-born businesses offer some relief in the form of sweet, refreshing treats.
Before Cash for Clunkers…
The Cash for Clunkers program has no doubt rounded up an abundance of—well—clunkers. In this, it is much like the 1938 campaign dubbed “National Used Car Exchange Week.”
The Kingdom of St. James
Today, Beaver Island is renowned for its natural beauty and strong Irish roots. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was better known as a home to royalty, albeit self-proclaimed royalty.
Magic and Miss Michigan
With the wave of a wand, Miss Michigan displays the “magic” of her state! Who is this young lady and why was this photo taken?
The Million Record March Heads to the Finish Line
The Michigan death records collection here at Seeking Michigan, covering the years 1897 to 1920, is now largely complete. With the records added recently, there are now more than 960,000 certificates available for free at this site, meaning that the project is now 99% complete.
Driving to the Dinosaurs
Roadside attractions, derided by some as “tourist traps,” have quite a history. Michiganians began thinking about attracting auto tourists almost as soon as they began making cars.
“…Add a Little Sugar”
Say the name “Kellogg,” and one might immediately think of cereal. Relatively few people realize, however, that that same cereal sprung from the early days of the health food industry.
Arsenal of Democracy
As the United States entered World War II, the US military needed weapons. Already well known for expertise in manufacturing, Michigan seemed the logical place to begin mass production of defense products.
Anatomy of a Lawyer
John D. Voelker, an Ishpeming, Michigan attorney and avid trout fisherman, is best known as the author of Anatomy of a Murder. (He wrote it under the pen name “Robert Traver.”) The book spawned a classic 1959 film adaptation.
Building Better Boats
Detroit’s John L. Hacker gained exceptional fame as a boat designer. He created racing boats, cruisers and recreational runabouts, and became the founder of the Hacker Boat Company.
One of the best known agencies from the Great Depression was the WPA, or Works Progress Administration (”Work Projects Administration” after 1939). The reach of the WPA projects is legendary–from bridges to stream improvements to roads to arts, crafts and writing projects. The WPA even thought about holiday planning.
