The 1835 Constitution on display at the Michigan Historical Center on Statehood Day in 2013.
On January 26, 1835, Acting Territorial Governor Stevens T. Mason issued an enabling act authorizing the people of Michigan to form a constitution and state government. The Michigan Territorial Council, the unicameral governing body of the Michigan Territory called a constitutional convention in anticipation of statehood. The convention lasted until June 24, and the proposed constitution was adopted by the voters on October 5, 1835, by a 5-to-1 margin. A bill of rights was included in this constitution, though suffrage was granted only to white males over age 21. The constitution established a superintendent of public instruction, an office which still exists today, and the Secretary of State and the Attorney General, as well as the auditor general and the justices of the Supreme Court were to be appointed, not elected.
Happy birthday, Michigan! On January 26, 1837, more than a year after Michigan adopted its first constitution and elected its first governor, President Andrew Jackson signed the bill making Michigan the nation’s 26th state. The delay was caused by a disagreement and subsequent “war” over the port-town Toledo. The compromise that gave Michigan the western two thirds of the Upper Peninsula shaped Michigan’s future of copper and iron riches, as well as timber and other natural resources.
In honor of the event, the Michigan Historical Center annually hosts a special Statehood Day celebration on the Saturday closest to the date. On that day, admission to the Michigan Historical Museum is free, courtesy of the Michigan History Foundation. Normal activities might include playing with toys that children would have enjoyed in 1837; turning wool into yarn; learning about quilt making; exploring Native American life; and snacking on a Michigan birthday cookie. In the Archives of Michigan on the second floor, visitors can view statehood documents, including Michigan’s first constitution.
In 2018, the Michigan History Center’s special celebration started at 10 a.m. and concluded at 4 p.m. and provided the following opportunities:
- Enjoy a slice of birthday cake while listening to folk tunes performed by violinist and ethnomusicologist Laurie Sommers.
- Enjoy historic tunes performed by local legends Acoustic Strings.
- Try out book-making with the Library of Michigan.
- Practice surveying with the Michigan Society of Professional Surveyors Reenactment Group.
- Participate in butter-churning, rope-making and other historic craft and trade demonstrations.
- View statehood documents, including Michigan’s first constitution, a letter from President Andrew Jackson and a rare manumission document.
New for 2018! Join our Statehood Day Euchre Tournament. Euchre/Uker/Juker was rising in popularity throughout the United States during the Statehood Era and was one of the most fashionable games in the country by the late 1800s. It remained “on top” until the turn of the century when Bridge began to eclipse its popularity.
For those who can’t make it to Lansing, some of these statehood documents are available to view online at seekingmichigan.org/discover/early-documents.
Can’t attend? Throw your own birthday party for Michigan, celebrating the fact that we became the 26th state on Jan. 26, 1837. Every great party needs a theme and you can never go wrong with dinosaurs. So focus your party around a mastodon theme. For those who have been living in the ice age, the mastodon is our state fossil. Mastodons, which were basically elephants on steroids, roamed Earth until they went extinct about 10,000 years ago. More than 250 mastodon fossils have been found in Michigan. So if you want the mother of all scavenger hunts, take your friends and relatives on a mastodon fossil hunt. Hint: Start in Saline, where mastodons used to hang out.
Get creative
It’s always fun to do some arts and crafts at a birthday party, so get the kids together and try to come up with a new state seal and flag.
Our official state flag looks like two cartoon characters — an elk and a moose — are standing on a teeter-totter, holding a shield that says, “Tuebor,” which means — “Fire Millen!” — in Latin. No, just kidding. It actually means, “I will protect.”
Show off your knowledge
If you want to be the life of your Michigan birthday party, it’s important to know some obscure Michigan facts.
If someone happens to ask you, “Hey, man, do you know our state soil?”
You should not say, “Ketchup and mustard on a bowling shirt.”
Rather, you should say, “Why, of course. It’s Kalkaska soil series, according to Act 302 of 1990.”
And if they ask, “Why the heck do we have a state soil?”
You should say, “I have no idea. Pass me another coney dog and shut up. It’s your turn to bowl.”
Serve up some local flavor
If you are going to have food at your Michigan birthday party, you will look like a real smarty-pants by serving dry black beans, blueberries and pickling cucumbers because Michigan ranks first nationally in the production of all three. You get immediate induction into the Michigan Food Hall of Fame if you include mints, cherries and a pasty. Bring along some Pepto-Bismol because, frankly, it sounds pretty nasty to serve all of that together.
Honor the native people
It is important to remember that Michigan’s first residents were the Ojibwa, Ottawa and Potawatomi American Indians.
So if your friend says, “How do you want to celebrate Michigan’s birthday?”
You can say, “Let’s hit the casino. I mean, um, let’s go to the casino so that we can honor those who came before us. The first Michiganders. The dudes who gave us Thanksgiving football and the casinos.”
Take in sights — or your pop cans
The state motto is: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam circumspice.
According to a rumor, this is what somebody mumbled during the first Michigan-Michigan State basketball game, while stuffing his face with a hotdog. He was trying to say, “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”
So today, on this special occasion, go out and look about you:
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- Michigan has 11,037 inland lakes and the largest is Houghton Lake. This weekend, Houghton Lake celebrates winter with Tip Up Town, an annual event that is nothing more than an excuse to get together, drive snowmobiles really fast, sit in an ice shanty and drink beer.
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- One of Michigan’s top industries is tourism — which means we are pretty good at selling fudge and T-shirts at tourist traps. The other big industry is cars. Our vehicles are incredible. And you have two more days to hit the North American International Auto Show. It ends Sunday. Leave today if you want to get a parking spot before it closes.
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- If you are stuck doing chores today, you can still feel like you are part of the big Michigan birthday party, while celebrating Michigan’s past. First of all, you can go to the grocery store and take back your returnable bottles and cans. Michigan banned throwaway bottles in 1976, one of the big moments in state history, according to a list on the state Web site. Taking back cans was a drag until they came up with those cool, automatic returnable machines, not to mention that magical soap that disinfects your hands and dries in seconds. The state Legislature is still trying to figure out why these machines reject some bottles and cans, for no apparent reason.
So happy birthday, Michigan. Blow out the candles. Open the presents. And revel in everything that makes this state unique.
Source: Jeff Seidel,”Break out the berries and coney dogs, Michigan turns a year older today”, Detroit Free Press, January 26, 2008. Back then Matt Millen was President and CEO of the Detroit Lions from 2001 until week 4 of the 2008 NFL season. His eight-year tenure as head of the franchise led to the worst eight-year record in the history of the modern NFL (31-84, a .270 winning percentage),[4] and resulted in his termination on September 24, 2008. That explains the Fire Millen comment in the article.
Amy Elliott Bragg, “173 years of Michigan statehood”, Night Train Blog, January 26, 2010
Dan Austin, Celebrate Michigan’s 178th birthday with this quiz, Detroit Free Press, January 26, 2015.
On February 15, 1837, the Detroit Free Press carried an article about Detroit celebrating Michigan’s statehood with toasts, speeches, and bonfires. The day began with the firing of a salute of 26 guns and the Brady Guards made an appearance with their splendid uniformed equippage.
American dentist, George F. Green, from Kalamazoo, Michigan invented the first electric dental drill and received a patent for it on January 26, 1875. Green’s drill had an electromagnetic motor and was designed to prevent tooth decay by filing and polishing teeth.
Source : Encyclopedia Britannica
On January 26, 1956, the first share of common stock in the Ford Motor Company was issued to Henry Ford II, who was then president of the auto maker.
On January 26, 1967 (Day 1) a record snow storm started on a Thursday and continued into the weekend, turning Lansing into a frozen, snow-covered ghost town. In all 15.4 inches of snow fell in a single day.
Source : Lansing’s Record Blizzard of 1967 Photo Gallery from the Lansing State Journal.
Addendum : Top Six MSU Closures Due to Snow, Cold, or a Combination
Number 1. The first time the campus was closed was on January 27, 1967, when 26 inches of snow fell on campus.
Number 2. A freak snowstorm on April 3, 1975 dumped 15 inches of wet snow, making roads and sidewalks impassable. Many people weren’t prepared for that kind of weather so late in the spring. It later led to one of the biggest floods in mid-Michigan history about 2 weeks later.
Number 3. The blizzard of ’78 also forced the university to suspend classes, after 24 inches of snow closed MSU for 2 days on January 26 & 27.
Number 4. Cold weather was the reason why MSU suspended classes on January 19, 1994. Temperatures were 18 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 51 degrees below zero, the second coldest temperature recorded this century. While classes were suspended, the university stayed open.
Number 5. On February 2, 2011, classes were suspended for blizzard conditions that brought nearly a foot of snow, high winds and frigid temperatures. University critical functions were maintained, while electronic services and business operations were done remotely. The National Weather Service called this a “top 10 storm” for Michigan.
Number 6. January 6-7, 2014. After nearly two days of suspended operations, classes at MSU are expected to resume at 5pm Tuesday, marking the sixth time in university history it had to close to due to weather.
Sources:
“Recent MSU Closure Marks 6th Time in University History“, WILX News, Channel 10, January 7, 2014.
Eve Adoulos and Hillary Gatlin, “A History of Snow Days at MSU”, Tales from the Archives: Volume One, Campus and Traditions, 1917.
After 24 inches of snow fell on January 25 & 26, the blizzard of ’78 forced MSU to suspend classes for two days.
Students were not disappointed. According to the 1978 Red Cedar Log, the Goodrich ShopRite round out of beer in less than a day. Campus Corners II also sold out their supply. Dooley’s took the opportunity to offer half-off Blizzard Specials on beer and mixed drinks.
Addendum : Top Six MSU Closures Due to Snow, Cold, or a Combination
Number 1. The first time the campus was closed was on January 27, 1967, when 26 inches of snow fell on campus.
Number 2. A freak snowstorm on April 3, 1975 dumped 15 inches of wet snow, making roads and sidewalks impassable. Many people weren’t prepared for that kind of weather so late in the spring. It later led to one of the biggest floods in mid-Michigan history about 2 weeks later.
Number 3. The blizzard of ’78 also forced the university to suspend classes, after 24 inches of snow closed MSU for 2 days on January 26 & 27.
Number 4. Cold weather was the reason why MSU suspended classes on January 19, 1994. Temperatures were 18 degrees below zero, with a wind chill of 51 degrees below zero, the second coldest temperature recorded this century. While classes were suspended, the university stayed open.
Number 5. On February 2, 2011, classes were suspended for blizzard conditions that brought nearly a foot of snow, high winds and frigid temperatures. University critical functions were maintained, while electronic services and business operations were done remotely. The National Weather Service called this a “top 10 storm” for Michigan.
Number 6. January 6-7, 2014. After nearly two days of suspended operations, classes at MSU are expected to resume at 5pm Tuesday, marking the sixth time in university history it had to close to due to weather.
Sources:
“Recent MSU Closure Marks 6th Time in University History“, WILX News, Channel 10, January 7, 2014.
Eve Adoulos and Hillary Gatlin, “A History of Snow Days at MSU”, Tales from the Archives: Volume One, Campus and Traditions, 1917.
The mating bellow of the bull moose will echo through the deep forests near here this fall if an unusual international animal swap is successful.
Wildlife officials in Michigan have made arrangements to trade 150 of the state’s wild turkeys to provincial officials in Ontario in return for 30 adult moose. The moose are being shipped to a wilderness area 45 miles northwest of this old Lake Superior port town in the hope that they establish themselves and grow in number.
The first moose has arrived and was released from a crate after an overnight truck ride from Algonquin Provincial Park. The new arrival is a 975-pound cow moose pregnant with a calf to be born in the spring.
Moose, the largest member of the deer family, once ranged all across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. But, like the elk and wolves that also flourished in the Northern forests, moose fell victim to the post-Civil War boom in timber operations that helped build the cities of the Middle West.
Wildlife Hunted Ruthlessly
Vast stands of timber were leveled, and the wildlife was hunted ruthlessly for sport or meat for lumberjack camps. By the turn of the century, when the forests were finally depleted, moose had been all but eliminated from the Upper Peninsula. Deer, not native to the area, moved in to feed on the scrub regrowth on the logged land.
But an attempt to bring back moose in the late 1930’s failed, partly because of a parasite carried by deer that affected the nervous system and partly because of poaching that was encouraged when meat rationing was imposed in World War II.
But now wildlife biologists say many regrown forests, including some along the northern coast of the Upper Peninsula, have matuured to the point where they have become hostile to deer, whose numbers are dwindling, and ideal for moose. Deer find it difficult to survive the harsh winters here without feeding on the kinds of low vegetation that cannot grow in the shade of tall trees.
Moving the Moose
Wildlife officials hdevised a plan to capture and transfer moose to the Upper Peninsula. Using a light helicopter, they chase the moose onto the frozen lakes of Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park and then shoot them with tranquilizing darts.
Once the moose are downed, a second, larger helicopter is called in to carry them in a sling five to 10 miles to a base camp. There they are to be weighed, fitted with collar that emit radio signals for subsequent tracking, and put in large wooden crates for the 16-hour truck ride to their new home.
Source:
John Holusha, “Ontario Moose Resettled in Michigan“, New York Times, January 26, 1985, p. 6.
John Hussar, “Moose Free to Roam in Their New Home“, Chicago Tribune, March 26, 1985.
“Algonquin Park/Michigan Moose Transfer 1985“, Algonquin Provincial Park (Canada) Official Website.
John Robinson, “The Great Michigan Moose Transfer of 1985“, 99.1 WFMK, April 28, 2020.
Escanaba in da Moonlight is a 2001 movie starring Jeff Daniels. It is a comedy about hunting and hunting traditions and is set (and filmed) in the Escanaba, Michigan area. The film is known for its spectacular usage of upper peninsula Chickens and deer. The movie is the film adaptation of the play of the same name, which premiered at Jeff Daniels’ Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, Michigan.
A significant portion of the movie involves references to elements of “Yooper” (slang reference to residents of the U.P. or Upper Peninsula of Michigan) and broader Michigan culture. Some references are obscure to viewers unfamiliar with this culture and might be considered in-jokes.
Some examples include:
- Pasties—the traditional foodstuff at the Soady deer camp, and food commonly associated with Yooper culture
- Leinenkugel’s Beer—Remnar brings a case to deer camp, a reminder of Escanaba’s proximity to Wisconsin, where Leinenkugel’s is produced
- Mackinac Bridge—simply referred to as “the Bridge” throughout the film, the bridge that connects Michigan’s peninsulas
- Mackinac Island Fudge—Albert refers to tourists from the Lower Peninsula of Michigan as “those fudgesuckers,” a reference to the fudge made on Mackinac Island, a considerable draw for tourism from within the state
- The Superior State—used a few times to refer to the film’s location; although a nickname for the state of Michigan as a whole, Superior is also the name of a once-proposed 51st state formed from the Upper Peninsula and, in some iterations, parts of Wisconsin
- US Highway 41—an old shield for this highway hangs on the wall in the Soady cabin; an important north-south highway in the western to central U.P.
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore—natural formation along lake shore mentioned briefly
- Euchre—a card game popular in the Midwest, possibly introduced to the United States by the early German settlers of Michigan
- M-35—a state highway starting at Menominee in the south, passing through Escanaba, and ending at US 41/M-28 between Marquette and Negaunee in the north
The snow and bitter cold could not dampen the excitement of the crowd that was filing into the Capitol on Monday, January 26, 2004. From the serious coin collectors to the casual history buffs, it was a day that had been anticipated for years. Michigan, the 26th state to enter the union, was going have the Michigan Quarter unveiled on her 167th birthday. Two heated tents mysteriously guarded the entrance to the Capitol. Visitors wondered out loud about their purpose. They would have to come inside the Capitol to find out.
The Capitol rotunda was the scene of the Michigan Quarter unveiling. Groups of schoolchildren crowded around the small stage set up on the glass block floor. Adults surrounded the school children, cameras flashing at the pre-ceremony happenings. The United States Mint Eagle and two costumed reenactors from the Mackinac Island State Historic Park mingled with the crowd. Crowds of children and adults peered over the two balconies above the main floor and watched the activity below. The first murmurs of “There’s the Governor” came from their bird’s eye view.
After a wonderful rendition of the National Anthem by the Hayes Middle School Select Ensemble, Dr. William Anderson, director of the Department of History, Arts and Libraries opened the formal program. “Today is something to be remembered,” Dr. Anderson told a crowd of about 400 as they waited for the unveiling of the new Michigan Quarter. He reminded the crowd, “You can all say ‘I was there’ when a new chapter of Michigan’s history began.”
Dr. Anderson went on to introduce several guest speakers. David O’Leary, secretary, Capitol Bancorp expressed the great pride that Capitol National Bank-the event sponsor-had in being part of this event. Richard Watts, president, Michigan State Numismatic Society gave a brief history of money in Michigan and the significance of the “first strike” Michigan Quarter to coin collectors. Michigan storyteller and author, Larry Massie held the crowded spellbound as he told tales highlighting the spirit of the Great Lakes that surround Michigan-the most prominent feature on the Michigan Quarter.
U.S. Mint Director Henrietta Holsman Fore spoke of the 50 States Quarters program, “It is the most successful coin program in the history of the United States’ coin history. One hundred and thirty million Americans are collecting the state quarters. That’s almost one in every household.” When asked by a student how Michigan’s theme compared to the other state quarters unveiled to this date, Henrietta replied, “Discovery and innovation are the top themes. Then the natural richness of our country and natural beauty. The third theme is liberty. Michigan’s coin is about the natural beauty of the land. It’s a wonderful lesson in topography.”
Joining U.S. Mint Director Fore on the podium was Governor Jennifer Granholm. As governor she made the final decision in choosing the recommended design. With a unique bit of fanfare-the sound of bagpipes from the costumed interpreters from Mackinac State Historic Park-the Governor and the U.S. Mint Director unveiled the Michigan Quarter. Governor Granholm placed it with the other state quarters in the large map of the United States that served as a back drop for the podium. She then took a roll of shinny new quarters and showed them to the school children in the front row. She explained to the children and the crowd that Michigan’s quarter features a textured map of the state along with the outlines of the five Great Lakes and the motto “Great Lakes State.” “If I must say so, this is the best looking quarter I have ever seen,” Granholm said. “Pretty soon people across the globe are going to reach into their pocket and pull out a Michigan Quarter.”
The official program ended with several songs from the Hayes Middle School Select Ensemble, recently selected as one of the top three middle-school ensembles in the state. Voices from the crowd could be heard in agreement that the singing of these junior high students lived up their billing. As the last song ended, the crowd started filing out into the five-degree temperatures. The formal part of the program had ended, and the interactive part of the program was just beginning. In the huge heated tents outside the capitol adults could purchase the “first strike” quarters and all children who attended the ceremony received a quarter at no charge-thanks to the event’s sponsor Capitol National Bank.
Those in line took time to stare at the armored truck butted up closely to the 40′ x 60′ tent. Inside the tent the noise of children mixed with the hum of the heaters to make it feel like a truely festive atmosphere. Once inside, even the most casual coin collect felt like a member of the Michigan State Numismatic Society. On the north side of the tent, officials from Capitol National Bank sold rolls of new Michigan quarters at $10 per roll-sorry only one per person! They were extremely efficient and you had the impression they had rehearsed. On the south side of the tent, Department of History, Arts and Libraries staff members handed out the free quarters to school children. It was a Christmas-like atmosphere with smiling faces on both sides of the long tables.
With the formal ceremony over and the distribution of the new “first strike quarters” completed, the crowd started making its way over to the Michigan Library and Historical Center for the remainder of the Michigan Quarter celebration. The educational program started with the showing of the History Channel’s Modern Marvels: U.S. Mints, Money Machines at 12:30 p.m. Those who viewed the movie remarked how well it told U.S. history from the Revolutionary War to the present through the vehicle of money. Many commented that it was hard to believe that paper money was not a national currency until the Civil War.
A portion of the award-winning “Historic Mackinac on Tour” was presented in the “Two-Cultures” gallery on the second floor of the Michigan Historical Museum. Costumed interpreters Dennis Havlena and Jim Evans taught the history of fur as Michigan’s first money. Music was provided by the bagpipers and their lessons were the hands-on variety. Visitors lingered extra-long as they handled and investigated artifacts that Dennis and Jim had set out. Meanwhile on the first floor, visitors were also involved in an interactive program of storytelling with Larry Massie, a storyteller and one of Michigan’s most prolific Michigan history authors. Larry engaged visitors as he told tales about Michigan wildcat banking of the 1830s. Visitors at each program came away with a new perspectives on money’s role in Michigan history.
The day’s program ended with the 2:30 p.m. presentation by members of the Quarter Commission as they recounted their experiences in helping design the new quarter. Their presentation featured the various aspects of the design process. One slide showed the five final choices for the Michigan Quarter. Members of the audience learned that the Michigan Quarter was not the final design choice of all the members. The members explained that the Michigan quarter took more than two years to develop. A 25-member quarter commission, coordinated by HAL chose designs from among more than 4,300 submissions.
The program pointed out that the Michigan Quarter is the 26th coin to be released by the U.S. Mint’s 50 State’s Quarters Program, which began with Delaware in 1999 and will end with Hawaii in 2008. Members of the audience also learned why a “first strike” coin is so important to coin collectors-as the coin is minted, the dies wear slightly and the end runs of coins tend loose that extra-sharpness. The average person would not notice the difference, but a serious coin collector will always seek a “first strike” coin whenever possible. The program ended with the members of the commission sharing with the audience on how proud they are of the Michigan Quarter. With its clean outlines of the Great Lakes and textured map of the state, the Quarter Commission is confident that the Michigan Quarter design will stand the test of time and remain a source of Michigan pride as millions of Michigan Quarters circulate throughout the nation and the world.
For another article, see Zlati Meyer, “Michigan’s quarter unveiled on state’s 167th birthday”, Detroit Free Press, January 25, 2015.
Gov. Rick Snyder appeared today before the Michigan Civil Rights Commission in what state officials believe is the first such visit by a sitting governor in more than 50 years.
But Snyder had nothing new to say about two hot civil rights issues — same-sex marriage and expansion of the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
In fact, Snyder didn’t mention either issue in highlighting a short list of his civil rights priorities for the year. Instead, he talked about improved racial and ethnic relations, expanding immigration, embracing native American culture, expanding opportunities for people with disabilities, and addressing mental health issues and criminal justice reform.
After Snyder’s brief presentation, commission member Agustin Arbulu noted that Snyder had encouraged debate about amending the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act during his Jan. 20 State of the State address and asked if he had any specific changes he would like to see.
“That was actually on my list,” of priorities, Snyder told Arbulu. “Discrimination isn’t right.” Snyder offered no specific recommended changes, saying he wants to “continue a dialogue and discussion on it and hopefully make positive progress.”
The governor also said he was looking forward to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on the same-sex marriage issue “so we can get clarity.”
Vicki Levengood, a spokeswoman for the Michigan Department of Civil Rights, said today’s appearance by Snyder appears to be the first time a sitting governor appeared before the commission in more than 50 years.
A search of records suggests the last governor to appear before the commission was Republican Gov. George Romney, who attended when he swore in the original commission members in January of 1964, Levengood said.
For the full article, see Paul Egan, “Snyder makes rare appearance at civil rights panel”, Detroit Free Press, January 26, 2015.