Michigan History Magazine

Michigan History Magazine Published since 1917, Michigan History is about-and a part of-Michigan's fascinating past. To learn more about the Society, visit www.hsmichigan.org.

Michigan History magazine was first published in 1917 as a journal and evolved into its current magazine format in 1978. The publication is part of the non-profit Historical Society of Michigan, the state's oldest cultural organization. Is there a story that you would like to see published in Michigan History? Send your idea to [email protected]. All subscription inquiries can be directed to [email protected].

We love hearing from you! Each issue of Michigan History magazine features a handful of letters our readers have sent to...
10/28/2025

We love hearing from you! Each issue of Michigan History magazine features a handful of letters our readers have sent to us regarding recent issues. Thanks very much to Thomas Douma of Charlotte, who shared the following with us:

“The article “Peaceful Warm Memories: Growing Up in Kalamazoo in the 1940s” by Carolyn Comer Wysong in the July/August issue brought back warm memories of my childhood. We lived in mid-Michigan and often visited my grandparents in Wisconsin. My grandfather was a truck farmer, raising onions, tomatoes, and cabbages. He took his produce to farmer’s markets. I went with him several times, and one memorable time an old man came up to me to buy some of my grandfather’s cabbages. We were selling them for 25 cents and he offered me 20 cents for 2 of them. “I don’t know, you’ll have to ask Grandpa!” I responded. He and Grandpa thought that was hilarious!” Thanks for sharing this sweet memory, Thomas!

Write to us anytime by emailing us at [email protected] or writing us a letter to 7435 Westshire Dr., Lansing, MI 48917. We look forward to hearing from you!

As the days get colder and the nights grow longer, people long ago—like today—turned to social get-togethers to reconnec...
10/24/2025

As the days get colder and the nights grow longer, people long ago—like today—turned to social get-togethers to reconnect with their communities and pass the time. Whether it be a formal ball or a night on the town, Michiganders are happy for any excuse to celebrate. So put on your Sunday best, grab your dancing shoes, and check out this gorgeous party must-have from the past!

Elizabeth Parke Firestone, whose daughter Martha married into the Ford family in 1947, owned this Tiffany & Co. fan, replete with mother-of-pearl ribs and embellished with needle lace leaves. Firestone amassed an impressive collection of clothing that offered important insight to fashion history, so she and her family donated the collection to the Benson Ford Research Center.

Did you know that, for a limited time, if you gift a new subscription of Michigan History, you get a FREE ticket to a MI historical destination? Learn more at https://hsmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/forms/2025-holiday-ticket-sale or to learn more about the magazine, check out https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

It’s here, it’s here! The final 2025 issue of Michigan History magazine is here! We think this is a special issue and we...
10/22/2025

It’s here, it’s here! The final 2025 issue of Michigan History magazine is here! We think this is a special issue and we can’t wait to hear what our readers think of it. Has your copy arrived yet?

This issue’s cover story, “Edmund Fitzgerald: The Legend Lives On” by Bruce Lynn of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum is a commemoration of the 50-year anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald on November 10, 1975. In the words of Amy Wagenaar, HSM’s Director of Communications, on the first page of the issue, “This is one of those topics that strikes a statewide, cross-generational chord. Whether it is the mystery surrounding the tragedy itself or the cultural effect of [Gordon] Lightfoot’s wide-reaching “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald,” there is something about this tale that lingers and fascinates us.” As the 50th anniversary approaches, whether we as individuals can personally recall the tragedy or not, we wanted to provide a deeper insight into the catastrophe that has become an enduring legend, both in Michigan and beyond.

Also in this issue: one hundred years of hospitality at the Doherty Hotel in Clare, the legacy of Andrew J. Blackbird, Gordon W. Lloyd’s “little wood churches,” the beautiful Rose Estate—which at one time was home to none other than Aretha Franklin—the story of rock ‘n’ roller Del Shannon, pilot Margaret Kirchner, the Fisher Building in Detroit, and so much more!

Want to read this issue? Get your copy today at https://hsmichigan.org/join/subscribe-michigan-history

Trivia time! Michigan boaters may have a leg up on this one…Which of the following statements about Michigan boat-maker ...
10/20/2025

Trivia time! Michigan boaters may have a leg up on this one…Which of the following statements about Michigan boat-maker Gar Wood is true?

A. He invented a hydraulic hoist for dump trucks in the early Aughts.
B. He won five straight American Power Boat Association Gold Cup races.
C. He had two teddy bears that served as good luck charms.
D. He almost died in 1928 during a test run of his racing boat Miss America VI.

Trick question, they’re all true! Named after two United States presidents, Garfield Arthur “Gar” Wood was the embodiment of big-time powerboat competition during the early decades of the twentieth century. As the sport’s first superstar, Wood was to boat racing what Babe Ruth was to baseball—powerful, dominant, dramatic, fun-loving, culture-changing, and iconic. Throughout Wood’s most productive years as a successful entrepreneur, inventor, and racer, the eyes of the world often focused on Southeast Michigan where reporters and fans followed his every move. To learn more about Gar Wood, his inventions, his harrowing racing career, and more, check out “Outfoxing the Competition: Fearless Powerboat Racer Gar Wood” by Kendall Wingrove in the September/October issue of Michigan History magazine!

Learn more about the magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Can you identify which of the cars below is the Ford Falcon, which is the Ford Edsel, and which is the Lincoln Continent...
10/16/2025

Can you identify which of the cars below is the Ford Falcon, which is the Ford Edsel, and which is the Lincoln Continental? If you were able to identify them all, then you likely have an idea of what all these models have in common: they were all produced during the tenure of Robert Strange McNamara, who held a variety of high-level positions at Ford before being named company president in 1960.

President John Kennedy once said Robert McNamara was “the most intelligent human being he had ever met.” Others described him as the man computers tried to imitate. Though best remembered for his controversial service as Secretary of Defense during the Vietnam War, McNamara played a crucial role as an executive at Ford Motor Company from 1946-1960. His data-driven management techniques changed the trajectory of the company and are still used in the business world today. To learn more about McNamara, his impressive tenure at Ford, and the legacy he left on business and manufacturing, check out the article “A Managerial Maverick: Robert McNamara at Ford” by Barry Levine.

Did you enjoy this cover story in the September/October issue of Michigan History magazine? Our November/December issue should be hitting your mailbox soon! Learn more about the magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

When we discuss the history of music in Michigan, there are lots of names certain to come up, depending on what you list...
10/14/2025

When we discuss the history of music in Michigan, there are lots of names certain to come up, depending on what you listen to. If you like Motown and soul, Smoky Robinson, Stevie Wonder, or Aretha Franklin may come to mind first. Lovers of rock music may be quick to name Bob Seger, Jack White, or Alice Cooper. But did you know that before all of that, an internationally famous concert pianist and brilliant conductor made his home in Grand Rapids?

Ottokar Malek was born in the Czech Republic in 1875 and began touring Europe at 21 years old. At the height of an exceptional career, he was scheduled to perform at the largest concert hall in Berlin, when he received a “Dear John” letter from his fiancée. Heartbroken, Malek cancelled the performance, packed a suitcase, and headed for America in April 1902. He relocated to Chicago, where he started touring and quickly began receiving rave reviews. He began teaching at two music academies in Chicago as well as giving private lessons, in which he taught his unique piano method: The Malek Method. Malek eventually relocated to Grand Rapids, where he began getting involved with the music community. In 1914, Malek was offered a lease of the historic Sweet House, where he opened the Malek School of Music, and in 1919, Malek accepted an offer to become the director of the St. Cecilia Society’s orchestra, which Malek named the Grand Rapids Civic Orchestra. He expanded the orchestra from 25 to 65 musicians and its first concert took place on March 30, 1920. The orchestra had four successful seasons before Malek’s sudden death, of which one year after, the orchestra became known as the Grand Rapids Symphony.

Read more “Profiles” of notable Michiganders in each issue of Michigan History magazine! Order your copy today at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Calling all naturalists, arborists, and botanists, this feature article in the September/October issue of Michigan Histo...
10/10/2025

Calling all naturalists, arborists, and botanists, this feature article in the September/October issue of Michigan History magazine is for you! Check this brief summary of “An Evergreen Industry: Michigan’s Ground Pine” by Le Roy G. Barnett.

“The forests of Northern Michigan are renowned for their abundant supplies of timber, occasionally hewn from the trunks of towering evergreen trees. However, those same forests are also home to other, smaller plants—such as ferns, Lycopodium, which is pictured below and was known as “Ground Pine”, and moss—that are easy to forget about when compared to their larger, more impressive neighbors. In the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries, some enterprising Michiganders realized that those common, overlooked plants could be used in novel ways, allowing clever and industrious business owners to make impressive profits.”

Want to learn about how these Michigan plants were utilized and the various businesses that popped up as a result of this ingenuity? Read the full article when you become a subscriber to the magazine today! Learn more about Michigan History at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Any “tree-huggers” in the audience? This piece of “Michigan News” is for you! A recent study—a collaboration among resea...
10/07/2025

Any “tree-huggers” in the audience? This piece of “Michigan News” is for you! A recent study—a collaboration among researchers from the Michigan Natural Features Inventory (MNFI), Indigenous communities, and others—looks to tree rings to provide information on the history of controlled burns and Indigenous land management practices in Northern Michigan.

The study of tree rings—called “dendrochronology”—involves counting the rings visible on the surface of a cut tree. Each ring represents a year of growth. Scarring or irregularities in the tree ring can indicate an environmental change—like a forest fire. In recent years, the scientific community in Michigan and throughout the world has been very interested in the concept of controlled burns, a practice where a group of professionals set a designated patch of forest on fire in order to clear out flammable dead matter, release new seeds into the ecosystem, and thin out the underbrush. Without those controlled burns, the underbrush builds up, which could result in larger, unmanageable fires. Essentially, by deliberately setting small, controlled fires in a designated area, scientists and land managers can mitigate the effects of larger, uncontrolled fires in the future. Historically, many Indigenous groups throughout the world have used controlled burns as a form of land management, including Indigenous groups in Michigan. The new study is using information gleaned from tree rings to shed more light on Indigenous land management practices in the hopes of adapting those techniques, using them to mitigate the risk of future wildfires. Further information on the study can be found at bit.ly/4f1o0OA.

There are several pieces of “Michigan News” in each issue of Michigan History magazine…learn how to become a subscriber today! https://hsmichigan.org/join/subscribe-michigan-history

Between 1905 and 1917, thousands of summer tourists traveled to Wa-ya-ga-muh, near Petoskey, to revel in performances of...
10/02/2025

Between 1905 and 1917, thousands of summer tourists traveled to Wa-ya-ga-muh, near Petoskey, to revel in performances of a Hiawatha play—which drew heavily from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s 1855 epic poem “The Song of Hiawatha.” The play was the result of a meeting of Louis O. Armstrong, a colonization agent of the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad Company, and George Kabaoasa and other members of the Garden River Indiana Band in 1893. The stage was surrounded by an amphitheater that seated approximately 2,500 spectators, a grand lodge, an Indian craft workshop, a tea room, and rest rooms. In between the scenes, actors would perform games, canoe races, and other activities that helped to create the illusion that the spectators were sitting next to a lively Ojibwe village.

The play’s unique natural staging and its all-Indigenous cast—save for the role of the Jesuit minister—created a cultural phenomenon that thrived for over a decade. The production lasted between four and five hours and was almost entirely in Anishinaabemowin. The play gave the Ojibwe opportunities to publicly affirm their ongoing presence in the region, despite the play’s departure narrative and the common “removal” policies of the time. By casting Indigenous people from babies to seniors in the play also provided opportunities for intergenerational learning—younger generations learned more of their language, songs, and dances from the Elders.

Read the full article “Beyond the Song of Hiawatha: Reclaiming Indigenous Agency Through Pageants in this issue of Michigan History magazine when you become a member today! Learn more at https://hsmichigan.org/join/household-memberships

Look at these beautiful Michigan fountains—can you identify these five fountains and the communities in which they are c...
09/30/2025

Look at these beautiful Michigan fountains—can you identify these five fountains and the communities in which they are celebrated? If your favorite Michigan fountain didn’t make it into this issue’s “Knowing Michigan” section, let us know in the comments where it’s located!

Fountains, distinctive houses, governors, lighthouses, islands, train stations, and stained glass windows are some of the recent topics for “Knowing Michigan.” What do YOU think would make a good topic for a future issue?

Learn more about this special section and about Michigan History magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

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Michigan History Magazine

Published since 1917, Michigan History is about—and a part of—Michigan's fascinating past. Every issue tells the exciting stories of all of Michigan’s peoples and their impact on their communities, nation and world. The magazine covers a variety of history topics ranging from military history to historical Native American recipes and everything in between. It is published by the Historical Society of Michigan.

The Historical Society of Michigan, the state’s oldest cultural organization, helps to connect Michigan’s past to students, educators, historical organizations, and the public through education programs, conferences, publications, awards, workshops, referral services, networking opportunities, and support for local history organizations. It is a 501(c) nonprofit.

To learn more about Michigan History or the Historical Society of Michigan, visit www.hsmichigan.org.