What are the opening hours?

Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm

Michigan History Magazine

Home
United States
Lansing, MI
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].

06/19/2026

Happy Juneteenth—also known as Freedom Day!

Juneteenth marks the day when U.S. General Gordon Granger and his federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.

After the war ended in the spring of 1865, General Granger’s arrival in Galveston that June signaled freedom for Texas’s 250,000 enslaved people. That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment. Juneteenth marks an effective end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.

06/16/2026

In 1948, Detroit’s police commissioner, Harry S. Toy, banned more than 30 comic books, claiming they were unfit for public consumption. In Port Huron, students at a local Catholic school took more dramatic action by staging a bonfire where they burned more than 1,000 comic books.

Those Michiganders were not alone—across the country, Americans were taking aim at comic books that they deemed immoral or unpatriotic. Critics claimed that crime and horror comics were readers to violence, encouraging them to commit a host of offenses—and Michigan was no exception to the trend of paranoia and fear that swept the country. An example of this argument could be found in Leelanau, Michigan, where a newspaper editorial partially blamed comic books for a spate of vandalism, and in Ferndale, Michigan, where a 16-year-old was accused of stabbing a gas station attendant to death during a botched robbery. The accused’s mother stated that “he was always a good boy…But a few months before this started, he started reading these things. He would just lie on the bed and read his comic books…He started talking like the hoodlums in the stories.”

Read “Banned!: Michigan and the Great Comic Book Scare” in Michigan History magazine! Learn what’s inside the issue at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

06/12/2026

The “Profiles” section of the current issue of Michigan History remembers Ruth Mott, the wife of the industrialist and philanthropist Charles “C.S.” Mott, as a leader, philanthropist, and visionary in her own right.

After her marriage to C.S. in 1934, the Motts settled at Applewood, a 65-acre estate that now serves as a public historic site and the home of the Ruth Mott Foundation. The Foundation’s precursor, the Ruth Mott Fund, was established in 1979 as a grant-making entity and prioritized health, environmental protection, and the prevention of nuclear war. It provided millions of dollars in support of scientific studies, programs, and works of art. Today, the Ruth Mott Foundation awards grants focused on north Flint and priorities voiced by Flint residents, and Applewood Estate is open to the public and welcomes tens of thousands of visitors each year.

Learn all about prominent Michiganders in Michigan History magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

06/10/2026

The Ford Thunderbird—introduced in 1954—was born during “The Golden Age of the Car” according to one automotive historian, when was gas inexpensive, the road system was rapidly expanding, and the growing middle class had expendable income to spend on things like upscale cars.

As one of the earliest “personal” cars, a Thunderbird was more than just a conventional sedan, yet not quite a sports car. Over 51 years of production and 11 generations of model changes, Thunderbirds appealed to drivers who sought status and style. During that time, more than four million “T-Birds” were sold. Beloved to this day by classic car buffs, the T-Bird turned heads from the very beginning. Only one question remains…what color was yours?

Learn all about the history of this iconic automobile in the cover story of the current issue of Michigan History magazine, “The Ford Thunderbird: An American Original” by Barry Levine! Check out our award-winning magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Photo courtesy of the National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library.

06/08/2026

If you look forward to each issue of Michigan History magazine, why not unlock even more great history content with an HSM membership…plus a special bonus?

For a limited time, Michigan History subscribers can upgrade their subscription to a membership and get two free admission ticket to one of two of Michigan’s best museums: The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and the Michigan Flight Museum!

Go Beyond the Page by upgrading to a membership today: https://hsmichigan.app.neoncrm.com/forms/beyond-the-page-2026

06/04/2026

From July 9 through July 26, the “Freedom Plane National Tour: Documents That Forged a Nation” traveling exhibition will be hosted at The Henry Ford in Dearborn to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding! Will you be making a trip to see the documents in person?

The exhibit features several founding era U.S. documents provided by the National Archives, including the 1783 Treaty of Paris, George Washington’s 1778 Oath of Allegiance, and the 1774 Articles of Association. The Henry Ford is one of eight venues from across the country selected for the exhibit, which will be free and open to the public.

Keep up with all sorts of Michigan historical news in Michigan History magazine and Chronicle, HSM’s membership magazine! Learn more at https://hsmichigan.org/read

06/02/2026

If you love Michigan History magazine and want even MORE historical content, let us introduce Chronicle, HSM’s membership magazine! Issued quarterly, the magazine contains articles that celebrate Michigan’s history and the preservation of the state’s diverse cultures and heritages, as well as promotion and awareness for HSM’s organizational members.

In the new Spring 2026 issue, we explore the history of Rochester’s Honor Roll—a distinct type of war memorial—and its restoration, the work of commercial illustrator Robert Thom, northern Michigan’s defunct car companies, the story of Michigan’s only 250-year-old farm, and much more!

Want to stay in the loop with all the Michigan history news and hot spots that Chronicle has to offer? Learn about Chronicle and the other benefits of becoming an HSM member at https://hsmichigan.org/join/household-memberships

05/29/2026

The year 2025 marked the 200th anniversary of a beloved portrait in the Michigan State Capitol. The painting depicts the esteemed Frenchman Marie Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette, more commonly known as Lafayette.

Although Lafayette never visited Michigan, he is celebrated as one of the greatest heroes of the American Revolution. Throughout his life, his name was synonymous with the enduring struggle of liberty, equality, and self-government. His image continues to serve as a timeless and inspiring example of that struggle.

Want to learn more about “America’s favorite fighting Frenchman” and how is portrait ended up in the senate chamber of the Michigan Capitol? Get the scoop in Michigan History magazine at https://www.hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

05/27/2026

Prior to the arrival of Europeans in Michigan, much of the southern Lower Peninsula was dominated by oak openings—fire-dependent savannas centered on large burr oaks. These savannas were home to diverse populations of flora and fauna, and the local Indigenous people—whose livelihoods relied on the plants and animals found in the savannas—would maintain the ecosystem through controlled burns.

Following settlement by Europeans, most of these savannas and the majestic oak trees they surrounded were wiped out as the region was cleared for agricultural development. One of the few burr oak trees that survived that era can be found in Frenchtown Charter Township, located in Monroe County in southeast Michigan. In 1976, the International Society of Arboriculture and the National Arborists Association issued several plaques around the country, celebrating trees that were at least two hundred years old and had witnessed the birth of the nation. One of those plaques was dedicated to Monroe County’s burr oak tree! In the photo below, see the Semiquincentennial Tree in Monroe County as it appears today.

Keep up with local Michigan history, culture and news with Michigan History magazine at https://hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Address

7435 Westshire Drive
Lansing, MI
48917

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm

Telephone

+15173241828

Website

https://www.hsmichigan.org/read/michigan-history

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Michigan History Magazine posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Address
Telephone
Opening Hours
Alerts
Contact The Business
Claim ownership or report listing

Want your business to be the top-listed Media Company in Lansing?