There are 100 trivia guestions here in groups of 10 questions, then 10 answeres.

Question:

112 On Jan. 13, 1977, who signed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act? The act prohibits discrimination in Michigan on the basis of "religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight, familial status, or marital status" in employment, housing, education, and access to public services.

113 On Jan. 12, 1878, the first so-called "women's edition" of the Detroit Free Press was published. What was this edition named?

114 On Jan. 10, 1964, who officially took over as the owner of the Detroit Lions?

115 On Jan. 7, 1840, who became Michigan's second governor?

116 Where did an exhibit featuring Michigan meteorites recently open?

117 On January 5, 1870, the University of Michigan Board of Regents voted to allow what?

118 Where did Aretha Franklin's father, C.L. Franklin, serve as a pastor in Michigan?

119 What was the first paved road in Michigan?

120 When "Sesame Street" debuted in 1969, a Paw Paw, Michigan-born educator played one of the characters, Susan Robinson. What is the name of that actress?

121 What is the name of the last manned offshore light in the Great Lakes?

Answer:

112 Gov. William Milliken signed the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act on Jan. 13, 1977.

113 On Jan. 12, 1878, the first so-called "women's edition" of the Detroit Free Press was published. This edition was named "Household."

114 William Clay Ford Sr. took over as the owner of the Detroit Lions on Jan. 10, 1964.

115 William Woodbridge became Michigan's second governor on Jan. 7, 1840

116 An exhibit featuring Michigan meteorites recently opened at the Abrams Planetarium.

117 On Jan. 5, 1870, the University of Michigan Board of Regents voted to allow women to attend the school.

118 Aretha Franklin's father, civil rights activist C.L. Franklin, served as a pastor at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit.

119 Michigan's first road paved with concrete was on Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

120 When "Sesame Street" debuted in 1969, Paw Paw, Michigan-born educator Loretta Long played one of the characters, Susan Robinson.

121 The North Manitou Shoal Light, also known as the North Manitou Light, is the last manned offshore light in the Great Lakes.

Question:

102 Michigan and New York were the first two states to establish "traveling libraries." New York was first in 1892; when did Michigan begin its traveling library program?

103 What metro Detroit resident was aboard the USS Arizona when the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor happened? This individual was metro Detroit's first reported casualty of World War II.

104 How many Underground Railroad stops existed in Michigan between the 1820s and 1865?

105 What County in Michigan was the last one to be formed?

106 What was the name of the street that ran through Detroit's Black Bottom neighborhood and was known as a cultural hub for blues and jazz music before the city government razed the predominantly Black neighborhood in the 1950s?

107 Michigan leaders meeting at the "Frostbitten Convention" in Ann Arbor on Dec. 14, 1836 agreed to gain the western Upper Peninsula and recognition of statehood in exchange for what?

108 Michigan saw its greatest amount of snowfall ever recorded during which winter?

109 When this railroad terminal opened in Michigan on Dec. 16, 1913, it was the tallest in the world. Where in the state was it located?

110 The world's largest limestone quarry is located near which Michigan city?

111 Where is Michigan's oldest lighthouse located?

Answer:

102 Michigan established its traveling library program in 1895. It was the second state in the country to do so, after New York.

103 Ben Marsh, Jr., a 25-year-old ensign aboard the USS Arizona, became metro Detroit's first reported casualty of World War II when he died during the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

104 According to the Detroit Historical Society, there were at least seven paths that led freedom seekers from Michigan to the Canadian shore and it is estimated that 200 Underground Railroad stops existed throughout Michigan between the 1820s and 1865.

105 Dickinson was the last county in Michigan to be formed.

106 Hastings Street ran through Detroit's Black Bottom neighborhood and was known as a cultural hub for blues and jazz music before the city government razed the predominantly Black neighborhood in the 1950s.

107 Michigan leaders meeting at the "Frostbitten Convention" in Ann Arbor on Dec. 14, 1836 agreed to gain the western Upper Peninsula and recognition of statehood in exchange for the "Toledo Strip."

108 Michigan saw its greatest amount of snowfall ever recorded during the winter of 1978-79

109 When the Michigan Central depot opened in Detroit on Dec. 16, 1913, it was the tallest railroad terminal in the world.

110 The world's largest limestone quarry is located near Rogers City.

111 Michigan's oldest lighthouse is the Fort Gratiot lighthouse in Port Huron. It was built in 1825.

Question:

QQQ. Who was the first woman to practice law in Detroit and the first woman to argue a case in front of the Michigan Supreme Court?

RRR. Which famous tennis player was born in Saginaw?

SSS. University of Michigan's Clements Library recently acquired a rare hand-drawn map of Detroit from what year?

TTT. Where is Michigan's largest freshwater spring?

UUU. What architect designed the Detroit Public Library? [Hint: You might know him from such commissions as the Woolworth Building in New York City, one of America's first skyscrapers, and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C.]

VVV. What restaurant is recognized by the state of Michigan as being the oldest business in Michigan still operating in its original building?

XXX. Where in Michigan is there a sculpture honoring Sherm Poppen, who's known as the grandfather of snowboarding thanks to his "Snurfer" invention?

YYY. The Henry Ford Museum has a test tube with whose "last breath"?

ZZZ. Where is the Moist Towelette Museum located in Michigan?

101. What Michigan city was formerly known as Frenchtown?

Answer:

QQQ. Martha Helen Strickland Clark was the first woman to practice law in Detroit and the first woman to argue a case in front of the Michigan Supreme Court.

RRR. Tennis star Serena Williams was born in Saginaw.

SSS. University of Michigan's Clements Library recently acquired a rare hand-drawn map of Detroit from 1761.

TTT. Michigan's largest freshwater spring is Kitch-iti-kipi in Manistique.

UUU. Cass Gilbert is the architect who designed the Detroit Public Library.

VVV, Old Tavern Inn in Sumnerville is recognized by the state of Michigan as being the oldest business in Michigan still operating in its original building.

XXX. A statue honoring Sherm Poppen, who's known as the grandfather of snowboarding thanks to his "Snurfer" invention, is located in downtown Muskegon.

YYY. The Henry Ford Museum has a test tube that's said to have Thomas Edison's "last breath."

ZZZ. The Moist Towelette Museum is located in the office of Michigan State University Planetarium Production Coordinator John French. The exact location is Room 100 in the Abrams Planetarium.

101. The city of Monroe was formerly known as Frenchtown.

Question:

III. One of the country's oldest soft drinks, Vernor's Ginger Ale, was created in what Michigan city just after the Civil War?

JJJ. What was the University of Michigan originally named?

KKK. What city was Michigan's first capital?

LLL. What Michigan town bills itself as the "magic capital of the world"?

MMM. What was the worst year for shipwrecks in Lake Superior, with 38 major wrecks recorded?

NNN. Where in Michigan is there a sign that reads "45th parallel halfway between equator and north pole"?

OOO. What was the name of the ship that sank in Lake Superior on Nov. 10, 1975?

PPP. How much was the Michigan-made Curved Dash Oldsmobile sold for in 1901, when it became the country's first mass-produced automobile?

QQQ. On Nov. 8, 1870, who went to the polls for the first time in Michigan?

RRR. On November 5, 1918, Michigan became the seventh state in the U.S. to allow women to do what?

Answer:

III. In 1862 Detroit pharmacist James Vernor concocted a new drink. It was a mix of medical tonic, vanilla and spices, with a touch of ginger to soothe a sour stomach.

JJJ. University of Michigan was originally named the Cathelepistemian.

KKK. Detroit was Michigan's first capital.

LLL. Colon, Michigan bills itself as the "magic capital of the world."

MMM. 1905 was the worst year for shipwrecks in Lake Superior, with 38 major wrecks recorded.

NNN. The signs that read "45th parallel halfway between equator and North Pole" can be

found near Leland, Sutton’s Bay, Bellaire, Gaylord, Atlanta, Allen’s and Kewadin.

OOO. The SS Edmund Fitzgerald was an American Great Lakes freighter that sank in Lake Superior during a storm on November 10, 1975, with the loss of the entire crew.

PPP. The Michigan-made Curved Dash Oldsmobile sold for $650 in 1901, which would be about $20,220 today, when it became the country's first mass-produced automobile.

QQQ. On Nov. 8, 1870, African American men in Michigan could vote for the first time in a state election.

RRR. On Nov. 5, 1918, voters passed the suffrage amendment, making Michigan the seventh state in the U.S. to allow women to vote.

Question:

YY. On November 4, 1975, residents in which two Michigan cities had the chance to secede from Michigan in a move that would have turned their communities into the 51st state?

ZZ. On Nov. 3, 1908, what presidential candidate won every county in Michigan?

AAA. On Nov. 2, 1920, the first woman was elected to the Michigan Legislature. What was her name?

BBB. On Nov. 1, 1923, the bridge to what Michigan island opened?

CCC. On Oct. 29, 1829, Ingham County was established by an act of the Michigan Territorial Legislature. Who was the county named for?

DDD. Who was the first Native American to become the director of the Michigan Department of Civil Rights on Oct. 28, 2013?

EEE. What national historic park was established in the Upper Peninsula on Oct. 27, 1992?

FFF. The man known as the voice of University of Michigan football died in Ann Arbor on Oct. 26, 1981. What was his name?

GGG. On Oct. 25, 1889, what allowed the first permanent connection between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas?

HHH. After a local temperance movement (a precursor to Prohibition) shuttered it in 1914, what brewing company reopened in Michigan's capital city on Oct. 22, 2015?

Answer:

YY. On Nov. 4, 1975, residents in Marquette and Iron Mountain voted against seceding from Michigan and turning their communities into a 51st state.

ZZ . On Nov. 3, 1908, William Howard Taft won every county in Michigan.

AAA. On Nov. 2, 1920, voters elected Eva McCall Hamilton, the first woman to serve in the Michigan State Senate.

BBB. On Nov. 1, 1923, the bridge to Belle Isle opened.

CCC. Ingham County was named for Samuel Ingham, the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury under President Andrew Jackson.

DDD. Matt Wesaw was the first Native American to become the director of the Michigan DDD. Department of Civil Rights on Oct. 28, 2013.

EEE. Keweenaw National Historic Park was established in the Upper Peninsula on Oct. 27, 1992.

FFF. Bob Ufer, the man known as the voice of University of Michigan football, died in Ann Arbor on Oct. 26, 1981.

GGG. On Oct. 25, 1889, an underwater telephone cable across the Straits of Mackinac allowed the first permanent connection between the Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

HHH. After a local temperance movement (a precursor to Prohibition) shuttered it in 1914, Lansing Brewing Company reopened on Oct. 22, 2015.

You don’t have to be a magic expert to know the name Harry Houdini. This legendary illusionist and actor was a visionary in his day and remains an icon in the world of magicians. What you might not know, however, is that Houdini’s legacy maintains a dark and strange connection to our beloved Great Lakes State; and you’ll wonder why you hadn’t heard this story before.

In October of 1926, Harry Houdini traveled to Toronto, where he was scheduled to perform one of his absolutely fascinating magic shows. At age 52, he had enjoyed a long and storied career, which made him a highly demanded act across the globe. Houdini was known for his superhuman feats. He regularly impressed audiences with everything from great escapes to disappearing acts, along with all sorts of illusions that made him seem superhuman.

On the evening of October 22nd, 1926, two McGill University students approached Houdini in his Toronto dressing room and asked if it was true that he could withstand a punch to the stomach, no matter how forceful. Before Houdini could answer, one of the students delivered four intense abdominal blows to the magician, apparently under the impression that Houdini had braced himself.

Houdini continued with his Toronto show despite extreme stomach pain and fever as a result of the students’ unexpected assault. A doctor quickly diagnosed him with appendicitis and a dangerously high temperature. But in true superhuman fashion, Houdini still insisted upon performing the next night at Detroit’s Garrick Theater.

Audience members stated that Houdini collapsed on stage during his Detroit performance, only to return and perform the remainder of the show in its entirety. By the time he completed the set, he was deeply exhausted and in extreme physical pain. He was rushed to the Motor City’s Grace Hospital for emergency treatment with his wife at his side.

On Halloween night, 1926, Harry Houdini died in his Detroit hospital bed. His last words were reportedly, “I’m tired of fighting.” In an eerie twist, his body was actually transported from Michigan to New York in the casket he often used while being "buried alive" during his stunts.

While history fondly remembers Houdini and his mind-boggling illusions, many people aren’t aware of the sad circumstances surrounding his last days and eventual demise. This legendary magician performed his final show and ultimately lost his toughest battle right here in the Great Lakes State.

HELL, MI - Netflix is in Hell. Hell, Michigan, that is. The streaming service is filming in the tiny Michigan town for “Netflix is a Joke” and everyone is welcome to join in on the fun with free food as an extra incentive.

Hell is located about 20 miles northwest of Ann Arbor. It consists of just a few businesses. “We call it Uptown, Midtown and Downtown,” said John Colone, the unofficial Mayor of Hell. “That’s because there’s one business in each area.” Colone says Netflix has been in Hell since Monday and plans to be there until Friday. “We were told we were chosen to be profiled as one of America’s funniest little towns and they wanted to come and do something on us,” added Colone. Netflix is also picking up the tab on food this week. The streaming service is giving free pork, baked beans, coleslaw and cornbread at the Hell Hole Bar from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. And then on Friday, it will give away ice cream from Screams Creamatory from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

“Just the whole idea of our town is that we like to make fun of it,” Colone told MLive. “It’s just good fun for everyone.” Hell consists of two restaurants, an ice cream shop, a miniature golf course and a small wedding chapel. Colone says everything in Hell is all about having fun. “We have a wedding chapel where we always say that every marriage has nowhere to go but up. We have one of the largest miniature golf courses in the state. We have hiking trails all over the area. You can even rent horses. While other towns are historical, we call ourselves hysterical.”

There’s no word yet on when the Netflix program involving Hell will air, but MLive will be sure to find out as the release date gets closer. We’re told “Netflix is a Joke” is also filming in the towns of Weed, CA, Knockemstiff, OH, Climax (Georgia or Michigan, we aren’t sure), No Name, CO, Zigzag, OR, Smackover, AR, Sandwich, MA and Peculiar, MS.

A walk through the Flat River Historical Museum, in the Montcalm County city of Greenville, is a walk-through time. The present “Main Street Greenville” period rooms on the second floor allow visitors to experience the shops and homes of Greenville’s yesteryear. The lower level of the museum is dedicated to the city’s manufacturing heritage, and exhibits explore the many refrigerator companies that called Greenville home, plus the lumbering and farming heritage of the area. Recently, a fur trading post and Native American display were added, and several interactive exhibits are being included for a fully immersive historical visit.

After a tour of the museum, guests can enjoy the Victorian garden next to the building—a family favorite.

Historical Society of Michigan

Michigan Radio's M I Curious project is a news experiment where we investigate questions submitted by the public about our state and its people. As part of our M I Curious project, Shelly Scott asked Michigan Radio this question:

Have there ever been pirates on the Great Lakes?

“I thought: we’ve got such nice water bodies around here, why don’t we hear anything about fantastic things that happened on the Great Lakes?” she says. Scott is an engineer at Ford and she’s also a leader of her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. These 5th grade girls had some questions about freshwater pirates too:
“What do pirate ships look like? Was there any pirate treasure in the Great Lakes? How did they get away with stealing other people’s treasure?” asked Maria Kokko, Lilli Semel and Shannon Scott.

Freshwater piracy

Michigan has such a wealth of talent that we thought it was only fair to recognize the famous runners up from each of our state's 83 counties. From star athletes to iconic musicians, there are plenty of names that would have been worthy of our most famous list, had they not been beaten out by other Michigan celebs. Just like our original list, this lineup varies wildly from county to county. Some counties are the birthplace to huge names that you will immediately recognize, while others are less known (and perhaps more fun to discover).

Alcona County - Born Jan. 21, 1857, in Harrisville, Michigan, M.C. Miller was a sailor. Miller, who started sailing at the age of 10, was the captain of several ships, including the Hattie Brown and Cora B, according to the book "History of Bay County." According to the book, he lived much of his life in West Bay City.

Alger County - Brock Strom, born Sept. 12, 1934, in Munising, Michigan, was the captain of the 1958 undefeated Air Force Academy football team. Strom, who was an offensive tackle, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

Allegan County - Former Major League pitcher Phil Regan was born April 6, 1937, in Otsego, Michigan. Regan debuted in 1960 with the Detroit Tigers and subsequently played for the Dodgers, the Cubs and the White Sox. He served as a coach for Major League, Olympic, minor league and collegiate teams until his retirement in 2015.

Alpena County - Film director Joel Potrykus was born in 1977 in Alpena County. Now residing in Grand Rapids, Potrykus won the Best Emerging Director award at the 2012 Locarno International Film Festival for his first feature-length film, "Ape." Since then, he has directed films "Buzzard" and "The Alchemist Cookbook."

Antrim County - Author and athlete Rex Beach was born Sept. 1, 1877, in Atwood, Michigan. Known for his adventure novels, many of Beach's works were turned into films, such as "The Spoilers" and "The Silver Horde." During the 1904 Olympic Games, Beach won a silver medal as part of the American water polo team.

Arenac County - Standish native Pat O'Keefe was a high school athlete, a college baseball standout and a minor league player before going on to become the winningest coach in Michigan high school baseball history. During his nearly 50 years coaching for Grand Ledge, he has more than 1,200 wins under his belt. O'Keefe is a member of several halls of fame, including the Michigan Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baraga County - Born Sept. 22, 1934, in L'Anse, Michigan, June Webb is a country singer/songwriter known for songs like "Looking Glass" and "A Mansion on a Hill." She was the lead female singer for the Roy Acuff Show for a period of time in the 1950s and 60s. In 2011, Webb was inducted into America's Old Time Country Music Hall of Fame.

Barry County - Born Nov. 20, 1877, in Hastings, Michigan, Charles Rufus Morey is known as one of the first to teach art history in the U.S. He was one of the founders of the College Art Association, which currently has more than 13,000 members. Morey founded the Index of Christian Art at Princeton, where he taught for many years.

Bay County - Best known for her role on the hit AMC show "Breaking Bad," Betsy Brandt's career as an actress has been mostly concentrated in theater and television. Brandt, born Nov. 14, 1973, in Bay City, currently stars in the CBS sitcom "Life in Pieces."

Benzie County - Born Sept. 21, 1885, in Benzonia, Michigan, Paul Frederick Brissenden was a writer focused on the history of American labor. His book "The I.W.W.: A Study of American Syndicalism," which focused on the Industrial Workers of the World labor union, was his most well-known work.

Berrien County - David Adkins, better known as Sinbad, was born Nov. 10, 1956, in Benton Harbor, Michigan. A stand-up comedian who has also appeared in films and on television, he once had his own show "The Sinbad Show" on FOX. He has also starred in "First Kid," "Jingle All the Way" and "Houseguest."

Branch County - Race car driver Scott Brayton was born Feb. 20, 1959, in Coldwater, Michigan. Fourteen times, Brayton competed in the Indianapolis 500 before he died in a crash during practice for the 1996 race. In total, he participated in 148 races.

Calhoun County - Jamie Hyneman is known for being half of the duo behind the highly-popular and recently-ended Discovery series "MythBusters." Born Sept. 25, 1956, in Marshall, Michigan, Hyneman is the owner of special effects company M5 Industries, where "Mythbusters" was filmed. He has worked on special effects for movies like "Top Gun," "Flubber" and "The Matrix."

Cass County - Wrestler Chris Taylor of Dowagiac, Michigan was born June 13, 1950. During the 1972 Munich Olympics, Taylor won a bronze medal in freestyle wrestling. Before joining the American Wrestling Association, he wrestled for Dowagiac High School, Muskegon Community College and Iowa State University. Taylor died of a heart attack at the age of 29.

Charlevoix County - Architect Earl A. Young, well-known for designing the unique northern Michigan houses often reffered to as the mushroom houses, was born March 31, 1889, in Marcelona, Michigan. The homes feature stonework and distinct curves. Young sought to incorporate nature into the design of his homes.

Cheboygan County - New York Time best-selling author Scott Sigler has penned more than a dozen sci-fi novels, along with several novellas and many short stories. He is well-known for his latest series, the "Generations" trilogy, which started with the #1 best-seller "Alive." Sigler is a native of Cheboygan, Michigan.

Chippewa County - If you've visited or attended Lake Superior State University, you might be familiar with the Taffy Abel Ice Arena. Perhaps you also know, then, that Clarence "Taffy" Abel was an NHL player and Olympic silver medalist. A member of two Stanley Cup-winning teams, Abel was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame. He was born May 28, 1900, in Sault Ste. Marie and died in his hometown on Aug. 1, 1964.

Clare County - Soprano Amy Petrongelli is a 2003 graduate of Harrison High School. She debuted at Carnegie Hall as the soprano soloist for Haydn’s "Creation" in 2013. Petrongelli, one of the founders of the Khemia Ensemble, has also performed in productions of "Little Women," "Gianni Schicchi" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream," among others. She was recently inducted into the Harrison Community Schools Alumni Hall of Fame.

Clinton County - Advertising executive Leo Burnett was born Oct. 21, 1891, in St. Johns, Michigan. Named one of Time Magazine's 100 most influential people of the 20th century, Burnett is known for creating some of the most iconic advertising campaigns and founding Leo Burnett Worldwide. The characters he created include Tony the Tiger, the Marlboro Man, the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Jolly Green Giant

Crawford County - Born Dec. 11, 1937, in Grayling, Michigan, Jim Harrison was the author of more than a dozen novels, several novella trilogies, countless works of poetry and much more. He might be best remembered for his novella "Legends of the Fall," which was adapted into a 1994 film starring Brad Pitt. Some of his other well-known works include "Dalva," "True North" and "Wolf: A False Memoir."

Delta County - Journalist Tom Bissell was born Jan. 9, 1974, in Escanaba, Michigan. Bissell, a 2010 Guggenheim fellow, is known as co-author of "The Disaster Artist," an account of an actor's experience working on the cult hit film "The Room." His other books include "Apostle," "Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter" and "Magic Hours: Essays on Creators and Creation."

Dickinson County - Former NFL coach Steve Mariucci was born Nov. 4, 1955, in Iron Mountain, Michigan. He was the head football coach for the California Golden Bears before moving on to head coaching positions with the San Francisco 49ers and the Detroit Lions. Since his time with the Lions ended in 2005, Mariucci has worked as an analyst for NFL Network.

Eaton County - Matt Greene was born May 13, 1983, in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Currently, he is an NHL defenseman and alternate captain for the Los Angeles Kings. Greene was a second-round draft pick in 2002 for the Edmonton Oilers.

Emmet County - Actress Megan Boone was born April 29, 1983, in Petoskey, Michigan. She is best-known for her role as Elizabeth Keene on the NBC series "Blacklist." She had a recurring role on "Law and Order: Los Angeles" and has appeared in the films "Step Up Revolution" and "My Bloody Valentine."

Genesee County - Actor and former NFL player Terry Crews was born July 30, 1968, in Flint, Michigan. Currently starring as Terry Jeffords on the FOX sitcom "Brooklyn Nine-Nine," Crews has previously starred in the TV series "Are We There Yet?" and "Everybody Hates Chris." His acting career started after he left the NFL in 1997.

Gladwin County - Former Major League Baseball pitcher Jim Kern was born March 15, 1949, in Gladwin, Michigan. He was picked as an American League All Star three years in a row. During his 12-year Major League Career, Kern played for six teams, including the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers. In 1979, he finished fourth in American League Cy Young Award voting.

Gogebic County - Jack Gotta, born Nov. 14, 1929, in Ironwood, Michigan, is mainly known as a player and coach of professional football in Canada. After playing in college, Gotta was picked up by the Cleveland Browns in 1956 but, after he was cut, moved on to play in the Canadian Football League. After his career as a player ended, he coached for several Canadian teams and the Birmingham Americans during the only season in which the team won the World Football League World Bowl. Gotta died June 29, 2013 at age 83.

Grand Traverse County - Born Wayne James McMeekan Jan. 30, 1914, in Traverse City, Michigan, David Wayne was a television, film and stage actor. He played supporting roles in films like "Adam's Rib" and "How to Marry a Millionaire." Wayne was also known for playing Dr. Amos Weatherby on the television series "House Calls." Perhaps his largest accomplishment was winning the first ever Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for his work as Og in "Finian's Rainbow."

Gratiot County - Known as the Michigan Madman, Elon Jack "E. J." Potter was born April 24, 1941, in Ithaca, Michigan. Potter was known for his high-speed motorcycle drag strip racing. He nearly hit 200 miles per hour on a tree-wheel motorcycle equipped with a jet engine. In 1999, he published a memoir titled "Michigan Madman: As Told to You."

Hillsdale County - Five-time AFL All-Star pick, Keith Lincoln was born May 8, 1939, in Reading, Michigan. A running back drafted in 1961 by the San Diego Chargers, Lincoln also spent some time playing for the Buffalo Bills. A member of the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame and the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame, Lincoln still holds a post-season record for gaining 329 yards from scrimmage in the 1963 AFL Championship game against the Boston Patriots.

Houghton County - Notre Dame football star George Gipp was born Feb. 18, 1895, in Laurium, Michigan. He is known for uttering the phrase "win one for the Gipper" to coach Knute Rockne while on his deathbed. Ronald Reagan, years before his presidency, played Gipp in the film "Knute Rockne, All American." Reagan later used Gipp's famous quote as a political slogan, most notably telling George H.W. Bush during the 1988 Republican National Convention to "go out and win one for the Gipper."

Huron County - William L. Potts, born in Bad Axe, is credited as the inventor of the modern traffic light. While working as a Detroit police officer, Potts created the modern traffic light that uses a green light, yellow light and red light. A simpler style of traffic light with just a red light and green light was already in use in London when Potts invented his traffic light. In 1920, the first three-color traffic light was installed at Woodward and Michigan in Detroit.

Ingham County - Award-winning actor Burt Reynolds was born Feb. 11, 1936, in Lansing, Michigan. A pop culture icon, Reynolds is known for work on television and in film. He is best known for roles in "Boogie Nights," "Evening Shade," "Deliverance," as well as for his mustache.

Ionia County - Architect Sumner Spaulding was born June 14, 1892, in Ionia, Michigan. Sumner famously designed the Harold Lloyd Estate, which is commonly referred to as Greenacres. The property is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and is also a California Historical Landmark. Spaulding also designed, in collaboration with other architects, properties like the the Catalina Casino on Catalina Island, Westchester High School in Los Angeles and the Behrendt House in North Hollywood.

Iosco County - A well-known comic book artist, J. Scott Campbell was born April 12, 1973, in East Tawas, Michigan. Campbell is best-known for his work with Marvel Comics, specifically his work on "The Amazing Spiderman." Much of his work involves creating covers for comic books, including an issue of "Justice League of America" and the six-issue run of "Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash."

Iron County - An adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Emil Hurja was born Jan. 22, 1892, in Crystal Falls, Michigan. Credited as the first person to poll for a presidential candidate, Politico recently called Hurja "F.D.R's Nate Silver." A captain in the Army, Hurja also served as executive director of the Democratic National Committee in the 1930s and appeared on the cover of Time magazine in 1936.

Isabella County - Professional golfer Dan Pohl was born April 1, 1955, in Mt. Pleasant. Pohl, also known as Pohlcat, won two PGA Tour tournaments in 1986. He also tied Craig Stadler in the 1982 Masters Tournament before losing in a playoff.

Jackson County - A current co-host on the ABC talk show "The View," Paula Faris was born Oct. 26, 1975, in Jackson, Michigan. She previously worked as an anchor for "World News Now" and a weekend co-anchor for "Good Morning America."

Kalamazoo County - Political adviser Huma Abedin was born July 28, 1976 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Abedin most recently worked as vice chair of Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign. She also worked for Clinton during her 2008 presidential bid and during her time serving as secretary of state under President Obama. Currently estranged from her husband, former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner, Abedin has recently been in the spotlight due to sex scandals involving Weiner.

Kalkaska County - Jeremy Wilkinson, a star athlete during his time at Kalkaska High School, went on to play football for Northern Michigan University. As a wide receiver at NMU, Wilkinson set records for single-game receiving yards and touchdowns. After playing in college, he went on to play arena football.

Kent County - Frontman for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis was born Nov. 1, 1962, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. As part of the band, which has a history that runs more than three decades, Kiedis was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Some of the band's biggest hits include "Under the Bridge," "Give It Away" and "Scar Tissue."

Keweenaw County - Lt. Col. Antoine Gaujot, born Dec. 12, 1878, in Eagle Harbor, Michigan, received the Army Medal of Honor in 1899 for actions taken while serving in the Philippines. Gaujot's brother, Col. Julien Gaujot, also received a Medal of Honor, making the duo a unique pair of siblings to share the distinction. The two are the only set of brothers to receive the Medal of Honor for separate conflicts.

Lake County -Brandon Childress, a native of Baldwin, Michigan, was a two-sport star athlete during his time at Baldwin High School. With options to play basketball or football during his college career, Childress chose to play football at Central Michigan University. A redshirt freshman wide receiver, Childress had 327 receiving yards and a touchdown during the 2016 football season.

Lapeer County - A member of the National Academy of Sciences, George Owen Squier was born March 21, 1865, in Dryden, Michigan. A major general in the U.S. Army, Squier is credited with the invention that first allowed multi-line telephone communication. He also worked with the Wright Brothers to acquire the first airplanes used by the Army and helped establish the Aeronautical Division, U.S. Signal Corps, a precursor to the U.S. Air Force. Squier, who also is responsible for the creation of Muzak, is memorialized in Dryden with a water park and historic district bearing his name.

Leelanau County - Olympic bronze medalist Alisha Glass was born April 15, 1988, in Leland, Michigan. Glass, who was twice named USA Volleyball Female Indoor Athlete of the Year, was a star high school athlete before going professional. The 2016 Olympic Games was her first Olympic appearance.

Lenawee County - Composer and lyricist James Royce Shannon was born in 1881 in Adrian, Michigan. He is best-known for composing songs like "The Missouri Waltz," "Too Ra Loo Ra Loo Ral," and "There's a Red Bordered Flag in the Window." Besides working on music, Shannon worked as a drama critic for the Detroit Free Press and as the assistant manager for the Majestic Theater.

Livingston County - Former professional hockey player Andy Hilbert was born Feb. 6, 1981, in Howell, Michigan. During college, Hilbert played on the University of Michigan hockey team and was drafted to the NHL in 2000. He was drafted by the Boston Bruins in the second round and played for several other teams before an injury forced Hilbert to retire in 2010.

Luce County - A former NFL defensive end, Len St. Jean was born Leonard Wayne St. Jean Oct. 27, 1941, in Newberry, Michigan. Becoming a Boston Patriot in 1964 after attending Northern Michigan University, St. Jean was an AFL All-Star selection in 1966. He was also chosen for the Boston Patriots 1960s All-Decade Team.

Mackinac County - One of the wealthiest men in Wisconsin during his time, Hercules Louis Dousman was born Aug. 4, 1800, on Mackinac Island, Michigan. The Wisconsin Historical Society lists Dousman as a fur trader, lumberjack, land spectator and businessman. He also was an investor in the first railroad to connect Wisconsin with the Mississippi River.

Macomb County - Comedian and actor Dave Coulier is not Canadian, despite the fact that some assume he is. Coulier, who is known for playing Joey Gladstone on "Full House" and the newer reboot "Fuller House," was born Sept. 21, 1959, in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. He is also known for his impressions and voice work.

Manistee County - A pioneer for women in aviation, Harriet Quimby was born May 11, 1875, in Arcadia, Michigan. Quimby, whose memory is enshrined at the National Aviation Hall of Fame, was the first woman to receive a pilot's license in the U.S. She was also an accomplished journalist and screenwriter.

Marquette County - Known by the pen name Robert Traver, John D. Voelker was born June 29, 1903, in Ishpeming, Michigan. He is known for authoring the 1958 novel "Anatomy of a Murder," which was the basis for the best-selling film of the same name. Voelker, who authored several other books, also had a successful law career. He was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1957.

Mason County - Born Dec. 14, 1947, in Ludington, Michigan, Mike Hankwitz is the defensive coordinator for Northwestern University. Hankwitz played football while attending the University of Michigan. Shortly thereafter, in 1970, he began a college coaching career that has spanned decades and numerous colleges. He has worked in his current position since 2008.

Mecosta County - Current manager for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Clint Hurdle was born July 30, 1957, in Big Rapids, Michigan. Hurdle is a former outfielder who played for five separate Major League teams, including the Kansas City Royals, the team to which he was drafted in 1975. He also spent time as coach for the Colorado Rockies and the Texas Rangers. In 2013, Hurdle was named National League Manager of the Year.

Menominee County - Silent film actress Kathleen Kirkham was born April 15, 1895, in Menominee, Michigan. She is known for appearances in early "Tarzan" films, as well as roles in "The Married Virgin," "A Modern Musketeer" and many other films of the silent era. Before her work in film, Kirkham was a stage actress.

Midland County - Drummer Steve Shelley was born June 23, 1962, in Midland, Michigan. In 1985, Shelley joined critically-acclaimed rock band Sonic Youth and was a core member of the band until their split in 2011. He has also played drums for Sun Kil Moon, Cat Power, Disappears and others.

Missaukee County - Born March 21, 1924, in Lake City, Michigan, Albert Engel Jr. was a judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. As a U.S. District judge in 1973, Engel presided over a lawsuit that sought integration of Grand Rapids Public Schools. He died April 5, 2013 at the age of 89.

Monroe County - Tennis player, instructor and broadcaster Vic Braden was born Aug. 2, 1929, in Monroe, Michigan. He was well-known as a coach to champion tennis players, writing books and hosting an instructional tennis show on PBS in the 80s. He was, at one point, called the highest paid tennis coach in the world. Braden died of a heart attack Oct. 6, 2014.

Montcalm County - The billionaire behind the Meijer grocery store chain, Fred Meijer, was born Dec. 7, 1919, in Greenville, Michigan. Meijer invested millions into West Michigan, including creating the Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. He is known as the man behind the concept of the superstore, after the first Meijer store offered "one-stop shopping" in 1962.

Montmorency County - Hillman star athlete Matt Oswald, seen here stealing third base in 1996, is an inductee of the Hillman High School Sports Hall of Fame. Oswald, who helped Hillman win state baseball titles in 1994 and 1997, earned 15 varsity letters in four sports. He received a scholarship to play baseball at Central Michigan University.

Muskegon County - Seen here waving to a crowd, Earl Morrall spent 21 years playing for the NFL. Born May 17, 1934, in Muskegon, Michigan, Morrall was the second overall pick in the 1956 NFL draft. The MSU grad played for six different NFL teams, including six seasons with the Detroit Lions. Morrall, who died in 2014, was a three-time Super Bowl champion and was named NFL MVP in 1968.

Newaygo County - A starter for the Minnesota Vikings, NFL guard Joe Berger was born May 25, 1982, in Fremont, Michigan. After playing in college for Michigan Tech, Berger was drafted in 2005 by the Carolina Panthers. He also has played for the Dallas Cowboys and the Miami Dolphins.

Oakland County - Dr. Jack Kevorkian, who died in 2011, is remembered for his activism regarding physician-assisted suicide. Born May 26, 1928, in Pontiac, Michigan, Kevorkian served eight years in prison for second-degree murder as a result of a conviction for his role in the assisted suicide of a patient. He has been the subject of documentaries and the 2010 HBO film "You Don't Know Jack," in which Al Pacino played the role of Kervorkian.

Oceana County - Larry Paul Kelley, born in Hart, Michigan, is known for coming up with a way to produce man-made gemstones. A University of Michigan graduate, Kelley holds a patent for a method and device that creates thin semiconductor crystal layers used in solar cells.

Ogemaw County - Olympic athlete Alex Rose was born Nov. 17, 1991, in West Branch, Michigan. He finished 29th in the discus throw during the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio. A Central Michigan University alum, Rose is a dual citizen who represented Samoa at the Olympic Games.

Ontonagon County - Born Jan. 22, 1861, in Rockland, Michigan, Jack Carkeek was a champion of Cornish wrestling. Carkeek toured the country and the world taking on opponents. He was also known for getting arrested several times and serving jail time for fraud. Carkeek died March 12, 1924, in Havana, Cuba.

Osceola County - Astronomer Forest Ray Moulton was born April 29, 1872, in Le Roy, Michigan. A professor at the University of Chicago, he was known for coming up with the Chamberlin-Moulton planetesimal hypothesis, along with Thomas Chrowder Chamberlin. Moulton also wrote several astronomy texts and was the name sake of the Moon's Moulton crater and the Moulton plane in geometry.

Oscoda County - Basketball coach Jay Smith of Mio, Michigan was born June 21, 1961. Smith, the current head men's basketball coach at Kalamazoo College, graduated from Mio High School as the state's all-time leading scorer in 1979. He has previously worked as a basketball coach for Grand Valley State University and Central Michigan University.

Otsego County - Jake Dombrowski was born March 3, 1991, in Gaylord, Michigan. Dombrowski was a punter at Harvard during his college years, earning First-Team All-Ivy League honors during his senior year. He was signed by the Buffalo Bills in 2014 but never saw an NFL game.

Ottawa County - Cartoonist and animator Winsor McCay publicly stated he was born Sept. 26, 1869, in Spring Lake, Michigan. He was best known for his comic strip "Little Nemo" and the early animated film "Gertie the Dinosaur." According to Britannica, Gertie was the first character created specifically for an animated film, since others had been adapted from comic strips. McCay also created several other animated films and then focused on comic strips until his death in 1934.

Presque Isle County - An inductee of the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame, Marjorie Matthews was born July 11, 1916, in Onaway, Michigan. In 1980, Matthews was the first woman elected bishop within the Methodist Church. She served as a bishop in Wisconsin until she retired in 1984. Matthews died in 1986 at age 69.

Roscommon County - Roscommon's Bob Frye is a 2016 inductee of the Michigan Ski Hall of Fame. Frye founded Cross Country Ski Headquarters and was a co-founder of the Great Lakes Nordic Ski Council, which is now known as the Great Lakes Winter Trails Council. He also owns the patent to Ski Bones, which are used to hold together the tips and tails of skis.

Saginaw County - While her family moved to Compton, California when she was young, tennis star Serena Williams was born Sept. 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. Williams currently holds the most titles of any active tennis player, having won 38 titles between singles and doubles events. She is widely considered one of the best — if not the absolute best — female tennis players in the history of the sport.

St. Clair County - Silent film star Colleen Moore was born Aug. 19, 1899, in Port Huron, Michigan. Credited for popularizing the bobbed haircut for women, Moore starred in films like "Ella Cinders," "Lilac Time" and a 1934 film adaptation of "The Scarlet Letter."

St. Joseph County - Best-known for her role in the 1940 Marx Brothers film "Go West," June MacCloy was born June 2, 1909, in Sturgis, Michigan. MacCloy, who also starred in "Glamour for Sale" and "The Big Gamble," was known for her unique, low singing voice.

Sanilac County - Charles Lathrop Pack was born May 7, 1857, in Lexington, Michigan. Pack was a rich timberman and biographer Alexandra Eyle stated Pack was one of the five wealthiest men in the country prior to World War I. He became a vocal advocate for conservation of forests during his lifetime and was also known as an avid philatelist.

Schoolcraft County - Born November 11, 1941, in Manistique, Michigan, Ronn Rubick was a football player and coach. During his high school years, Rubick was known as the "Manistique Missile" and was named U.P. Back of the Year, as well as being named to the National High School All-American Team. He was also a successful high school coach and in 1978 was inducted into the Upper Peninsula Sports Hall of Fame. Rubick died in 2009 at the age of 67.

Shiawassee County - Named the New York Giants player of the decade for the 1970s, Brad Van Pelt was born April 5, 1951 in Owosso, Michigan. The linebacker played 12 years in the NFL after a successful college career at Michigan State University. Van Pelt received the Maxwell Award in 1972, was a two-time All American and an All-Star selection five years in a row. He died suddenly in 2009 at age 57.

Tuscola County - Sports reporter and reality TV contestant Heidi Androl was born Oct. 29, 1980 in Unionville, Michigan. A 2006 finalist on the NBC show "The Apprentice," Androl went on to work as a sports reporter for FOX Sports, NHL Network and Showtime.

Van Buren County - Rock bassist D'arcy Wretzky was born May 1, 1968, in South Haven, Michigan. Wretzky is known for her work as the original bass player for Smashing Pumpkins. In 2012, the Recording Industry Association of America certified the band's 1995 album "Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" diamond, meaning it sold 10 million copies. Wretzky left The Smashing Pumpkins, known for songs like "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" and "Today," in 1999.

Washtenaw County - Currently playing Spencer Monroe on the hit AMC series "The Walking Dead," Austin Nichols was born April 24, 1980, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Nichols is also known for roles on the TV show "One Tree Hill" and the movies "The Day After Tomorrow" and "Wimbledon."

Wayne County - Rock musician Bob Seger was born May 6, 1945, in Lincoln Park, Michigan. Since 1976, when Seger released first commercially-successful album with the Silver Bullet Band, "Night Moves," he has been a staple of American rock music. Seger has sold more than 50 million records and is known for songs like "Old Time Rock and Roll," "Hollywood Nights" and "Like a Rock."

Wexford County - Born March 12, 1983, in Cadillac, Michigan, Luke Winslow-King is a singer-songwriter specializing in blues and jazz. Now based in New Orleans, King recently released his fifth studio album, "I'm Glad Trouble Don't Last Always." He studied music in college and is known for playing the slide guitar.

KEWEENAW PENINSULA, MI - You might not think of Michigan as a hotbed of earthquake activity, but for a couple years a century ago, our Upper Peninsula was rattled by what some have called a swarm of seismic activity. And these weren't just faint tremors. These were earthquakes that made a 427-foot boat out in Lake Superior quiver from stem to stern, then swing around in a different direction. They twisted railroad tracks near Houghton into the shape of a snake. And they sent miners running out of their underground tunnels - and prompted some of the men on the next shift to refuse to go to work.

From 1902 to 1909, more than 20 earthquakes jarred the Upper Peninsula, according to author Lisa Thiel in her book "Forgotten Tales of Michigan's Upper Peninsula." She researched old newspaper accounts of that era to describe the damage done by some of the larger quakes. Because these were felt across Copper Country, the early thought was that they were connected to the area's many mining operations. Descriptions blamed them on "air blasts" in the mines.

In the 1970s, a geologist's report for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources dug a bit deeper:
"It is thought that if the mining operations were not directly responsible for the earthquake, they at least facilitated rock slippage by creating avenues of weakness in the rocks of the subsurface," according to the description of a 1905 quake near Calumet, which measured a 5 on the Richter scale.

Below, we'll share a few of the earthquakes' descriptions. Some of these accounts are shared in Thiel's book. Others were described in newspapers from Michigan and Minnesota, or were compiled by the people behind Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula Facebook page, an Upper Peninsula tourism group that often shares fascinating tidbits about the Mitten's Land of the Upper Hand.

July 26, 1905: On this evening, there was an earthquake near Calumet that measured a 5 on the Richter scale. According to an DNR report on that quake: "Chimneys were toppled and plate glass windows were broken in Calumet, and the shocks from the earthquake were sensed as far north as Copper Harbor (50 kilometers) and as far east as Marquette (105 kilometers)." A local newspaper carried a report of the damage under the headline "Copper Country Shaken." It read:
"A severe shock of earthquake was felt throughout Copper Country at 6:20 o'clock Wednesday evening. The disturbance was especially severe at Calumet, where many windows were smashed, dishes were knocked from shelves, pictures fell from the wall and buildings swayed perceptibly, in some cases chimneys toppling over. The quake, which was at first attributed to an air blast, caused considerable excitement and at different mines the night shift men refused to go to work. At about the same hour, the shock was felt in Marquette and surrounding towns."

April 19, 1906: Great Lakes Capt. Harry Gunderson told The Duluth News Tribune that his crew aboard the 427-foot steamer Henry Steinbrenner was shaken by an earthquake when they were off the Keweenaw Peninsula's Eagle Harbor. The ship was on its way to Duluth on a day with nice weather and just a light breeze. Gunderson gave this account of what happened on board:
"Without warning, the great vessel suddenly quivered from stem to stern. She seemed to come to a standstill, though there was no shock of collision or jar from beneath to indicate grounding. The vessel rocked as if in the trough of a sea. Captain Gunderson dashed on the deck to find the lake in a terrible commotion. The needle in the compass raced in a circle, and the ship, which had been pointing a little south of west, swung around to the north in spite of the effort of the wheelsman. The water became smooth again almost immediately, and in a few minutes, there was nothing to indicate that anything unusual had occurred."

May, 1906: An earthquake near the Atlantic Mine south of Houghton left a section of railroad tracks twisted into an S-shape. "Here, almost directly above the lode of the mine, railroad tracks were severely deformed and caving occurred at the ground surface. Two other earthquakes were also experienced during 1906 in this mining region."

When a 3.6 Canadian earthquake rattled southeastern Michigan on April 19, 2018, and a 4.2 earthquake struck Michigan on Saturday, May 2, 2015; the common reaction was: Earthquake? In Michigan? Seriously? The surprise was not misplaced. Earthquakes in Michigan are rare and tend to be minor. In fact, Saturday's quake was the state's most powerful earthquake since 1947. The quake occurred about 12:20 p.m., with an epicenter about five miles south of Galesburg in Kalamazoo County. Below are seven facts about earthquakes in Michigan, drawn from the U.S. Geological Survey and other government websites.

1. Michigan has "very small probability of experiencing damaging earthquake effects," the Federal Emergency Management Agency says.
In fact, most tremors felt in Michigan originate elsewhere. Michigan normally does not have earthquakes; the state's emergency preparedness web page says. “However, we can suffer effects from earthquakes in neighboring states that have a higher likelihood of them.”

2. One of the earliest records of earthquake tremors felt in Michigan occurred in 1811 and 1812 from the New Madrid earthquakes in southeast Missouri.
Four earthquakes, each estimated at a magnitude of between 7.0 and 8.1, occurred between Dec. 11, 1811, and Feb. 8, 1812, in southeast Missouri and northwest Arkansas. "As many as nine tremors from the New Madrid earthquake series were reported felt distinctly at Detroit," the U.S. Geological Survey website says. If a similar earthquake occurred today in the New Madrid Seismic Zone, it could result in "the highest economic losses due to a natural disaster in the United States," according to a 2008 FEMA report. Michigan was not among the states listed at high risk in the report.

Those were the first well-recorded tremors. However, Wisconsin historian Dave Thorson said a 1793 journal references tremors near the Porcupine Mountains on Lake Superior. The journal was written by Jean Baptiste Perrault, a prominent fur trader in the late 18th and early 19th century. In addition, a 1977 state document says quake tremors in Michigan were documented as early as 1638 by French Jesuit missionaries.

3. Between 1872 and 1883, Michigan had a number of moderate earthquakes.
On Feb. 6, 1872, three shocks lasting 30 seconds were reported at what is now Bay City. Tremors strong enough to frighten horses were felt around Dearborn on Aug. 17, 1877. On Feb, 4, 1883, an earthquake cracked windows and shook buildings at Kalamazoo. The shock was felt in southern Michigan and northern Indiana, and even as far away as St. Louis.

4. "A series of unusual occurrences in the Keweenaw Peninsula mining area form a significant part of the seismic history of Michigan," according to the USGS.
"The first disturbance was on July 26, 1905 at about 6:20 in the evening," the USGS website said. "At Calumet there occurred what appeared to be a terrific explosion. "Chimneys fell with a crash and plate glass windows were broken. The explosion was heard far down in a mine and the shock was felt all over the Keweenaw Peninsula area and as far away as Marquette, about 70 miles southeast across Lake Superior.

Ten months later, on May 26, 1906, a similar phenomenon occurred. Train rails were twisted, and there was a notable sinking of the earth above the Atlantic mine. The disturbance was reported felt over an area about 30 to 40 miles in diameter. Another shock occurred in the same region on January 22, 1909. A rumbling tremor was felt around Houghton and was believed to be caused by the crushing of pillars in a mine," USGS website said. Today, the Keweenaw earthquakes "are generally dismissed as mine collapses," according to historian Lisa Shiel.

5. Michigan's strongest earthquake on record occurred on Aug. 9, 1947, about 35 miles from the epicenter of Saturday's quake.
The 1947 had a magnitude of 4.6 and was centered near Coldwater. It damaged chimneys and cracked plaster over a large area of south-central Michigan and was felt as far away as Muskegon and Saginaw and parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.

6. The most recent Michigan earthquake of at least 3.0 occurred on Sept. 2, 1994.
The epicenter of the 1994 quake was Potterville, which is southwest of Lansing, and it had a magnitude of 3.5. It was felt as far away as Grand Rapids and Jackson.

7. Earthquakes in this part of the country are typically felt over a much broader region than West Coast quakes.
"East of the Rockies, an earthquake can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast," the USGS website says. A magnitude 4.0 eastern U.S. earthquake typically can be felt as far as 60 miles from where it occurred, and it infrequently causes damage near its source. A magnitude 5.5 eastern U.S. earthquake usually can be felt as far as 300 miles from where it occurred, and sometimes causes damage as far away as 25 miles.

Saturday's earthquake could be felt in parts of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin, as well as southern Ontario.

When a 3.6-magnitude earthquake struck in Canada last week, people 50 miles away in Ypsilanti said they felt tremors underfoot. Why is it that the Great Lakes area can sometimes feel earthquakes that have epicenters so far away?

The secret to all that extra ground-shaking, it turns out, is in our old, dense rocks. According to scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey, earthquakes that happen east of the Rocky Mountains can cause long-distance tremors compared to a quake of the same size out West. Our area of North America has rocks that have been subjected to extreme pressure and temperatures. They're also millions of years older than the rocks that formed out West, and their early fault lines have had a lot more time to heal. All that makes our rock layers here tougher than what you'd find west of the Mississippi River, and so seismic waves produced by earthquakes travel more easily through our rocks.

"In contrast, rocks in the West are younger and broken up by faults that are often younger and have had less time to heal," according to a U.S.G.S. report. "So when an earthquake occurs, more of the seismic wave energy is absorbed by the faults and the energy doesn't spread as efficiently."

In an interview with Michigan Radio this week, Oliver Boyd, a U.S.G.S. research geophysicist, said while earthquakes in Michigan continue to be rare, there have been instances where people here have felt quakes that had an epicenter far away. In 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in Mineral, Va., was felt in Michigan, he said.

Here are milestones we will hit this year, in honor of 2018. Feel free to get nostalgic.

200 YEARS AGO: The U.S. Takes Control Of The Upper Peninsula. Though it wouldn't be added to Michigan's land until nearly two decades later, the Upper Peninsula was finally surrendered by the British and officially became U.S. territory in 1818. Islands in the St. Clair River also were completely turned over to the U.S. that year, as the result of the Boundary Settlement of 1818. Those boundaries also split Sault Ste. Marie into two cities — one in the U.S. and one in Canada, as it remains today.

155 YEARS AGO: The Seventh-Day Adventist Church Is Founded In Battle Creek. In May of 1863, delegates from across the country gathered in Battle Creek to officially form the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The history of the religious denomination is preserved in its founding city, with the Historic Adventist Village opening in 2000.

Henry Ford Was Born. The founder of the Ford Motor Co., Henry Ford, was born July 30, 1863, in Greenfield Township.

110 YEARS AGO: General Motors Founded In Flint. On Sept. 16, 1908, William Crapo Durant founded General Motors in Flint. It's said that Durant, a wealthy carriage maker, actually hated cars, but he founded one of the world's largest automakers anyway. In the end, things didn't go Durant's way, and he lost his fortune, ending up as a bowling alley manager in Flint. The company he founded, however, has lasted for 110 years.

The First Model T Built For Sale Is Constructed. The first Model T constructed for sale to the public was built on Sept. 27, 1908. It was a 1909 model built at the Ford Piquette Avenue Plant. Within the next 15 months, Model Ts were produced, according to the website fordpiquetteavenueplant.org.

100 YEARS AGO: Michigan Bans The Sale Of Alcohol. After a statewide vote banned the sale of booze, Michigan went dry on May 1, 1918. That was less than two years before an amendment prohibiting the sale of alcohol was added to the U.S. Constitution and the entire country went dry. Michigan ended up repealing Prohibition in 1933, making it the first state to do so.

75 YEARS AGO: Detroit Race Riots. Racism and unequal living conditions for people of color in Detroit prompted a race riot starting on June 20, 1943, according to the Detroit Historical Society. About 200 people gathered on Belle Isle, starting fights and sparking the riot that would ultimately result in the death of 34 people and injuries to hundreds of others. Other U.S. cities experienced similar riots that year. Twenty years later, Martin Luther King Jr. led the Walk to Freedom March on June 23, 1963, scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the riot.

70 YEARS AGO: Alice Cooper Was Born. Singer, songwriter and radio host Alice Cooper was born Feb. 8, 1948, in Detroit. Make sure to wish him a happy 70th birthday this year. Apparently, 1948 was a good year for Michigan rock 'n' roll, as fellow musician Ted Nugent was born on Dec. 13, 1948, in Redford. The Motor City Madman will join Cooper in the 70-year-old club later in the year.

65 YEARS AGO: The Deadly Beecher Tornado. An F5 tornado hit Beecher on June 8, 1953, killing 116 people and destroying nearly 350 houses. The tornado remains one of the deadliest in American history. That same day, several other tornadoes hit Michigan. A few weeks before the deadly June 8 disaster, a tornado hit the Port Huron area, killing two and injuring dozens on May 21.

60 YEARS AGO: Mackinac Bridge Dedication. Sure, the Mighty Mac first opened to traffic in 1957, but 1958 was the year construction was completed on the bridge and the dedication of the Mackinac Bridge, complete with a glorious parade to celebrate the structure on June 28, 1958.

Madonna Was Born. Pop icon Madonna will turn 60 this year. The Material Girl was born Aug. 16, 1958, in Bay City.

55 YEARS AGO: Little Stevie Wonder Sets A Record. Saginaw's own Stevie Wonder became the youngest solo artist ever to hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on Aug. 10, 1963 with his single "Fingertips — Pt 2." He was age 13 at the time it went to No. 1, but the legendary Michigan musician was just 12 when the song was recorded.

30 YEARS AGO: Last Playboy Club Closes In Lansing. While Playboy Clubs located in much larger U.S. cities closed their doors, the Lansing location had the longest life. The nightclub shut down for good on July 31, 1988, when the cocktail waitresses hung up their bunny ears and bunny tails for the last time.

25 YEARS AGO: Miss Michigan Kenya Moore Crowned Miss USA. These days, you might know her as one of the "Real Housewives of Atlanta." Back in 1993, Kenya Moore was taking the stage at Miss USA to compete for a crown while representing Michigan. And compete she did, because she took home that crown. She went on to compete in Miss Universe, ultimately getting a spot in the top six.

20 YEARS AGO: Strike At Gm Plant In Flint Lasts 7 Weeks. On June 5, 1998, 3,400 General Motors workers in Flint walked off the job and started a strike that would last 54 days. Shortly after the Flint Metal Center workers took to the picket line, another 5,800 from the Delphi Flint East plant followed suit. A total of 30 GM plants were forced to shut down operations and a loss of more than $2 billion was reported.

10 YEARS AGO: Last Time Red Wings Won The Stanley Cup. The Detroit Red Wings hold the distinction of being the U.S. based NHL team with the most Stanley Cup wins. They have 11, and the last one came in 2008 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Yes, that was already a decade ago.

5 YEARS AGO: Detroit Files For Bankruptcy. Detroit became the largest city in American history to file for bankruptcy July 18, 2013. The decision came after the state appointed an emergency manager to address the debt facing the Michigan's largest city. At the time of the filing, Detroit's debt was estimated at nearly $19 billion. What a difference five years has made to the comeback city.

Grand Rapids is best known today for great beer, ArtPrize and the mighty Grand River. But the second-largest city in Michigan has produced some big names in sports, entertainment and art, too. Did you know these famous faces entered the world right here? Sure, you probably knew about some of them, but there are probably some you didn't. Ponder these folks (presented in alphabetical order):

Ray Bentley - Former NFL linebacker, sports broadcaster.
Devin Booker - NBA player.
Roger Chaffee - astronaut, Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
Shawn Christian - Soap Opera actor.
Lorna Gray – Actress.
Thom Hartmann – radio host and author.
Adina Howard – Singer.
Lisa Kelly – first woman to be featured on the History Channel series "Ice Road Truckers."
Anthony Kiedis - Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman.
Eric Allen Kramer – actor.
Taylor Lautner – actor.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. - professional boxer.
Andy Riéhter - Actor and comedian.
Marvin Sapp – gospel singer and author.
Paul Schrader - screenwriter and director.
Del Shannon – singer.
Reed Timmer - meteorologist and storm chaser.
Morgan Tuck - WNBA player.
Chris Van Allsburg - author and illustrator Jess Walton – actress.
Joe Warren - wrestler and MMA.
Elizabeth Wilson – actress.
Tony Baker - actor and comedian.
Ford Beebe - screenwriter and director.
Otto Brower – director.
James Callahan – actor.
Frederick Stuart Church – artist.
Dennis Frederiksen – musician for Toto.
Arnold Gingrich - editor
Stacy Haiduk - actress
Matt Keeslar - actor
James Kirkwood - actor, director and writer.
Kevin Max – musician for DC Talk).
Colleen O'Shaughnessey -voice actress for “Sonic the Hedgehog”.
Ray Teal – actor; sheriff on “Bonanza”.

Tiny Cities

The History of the USS Michigan

Reprinted from Wikipedia Searches

Side Wheel Steamer

USS Michigan was the United States Navy's first iron-hulled warship and served during the American Civil War. The side wheel steamer Michigan was built in response to the British Government arming two steamers in response to the Canadian rebellions in the late 1830s with Secretary of the Navy Abel P. Upshur selecting an iron hull partly as a test of practicability of using such a "cheap and indestructible a material" for ships. The ship was designed by Samuel Hart, and fabricated in parts at Pittsburgh in the last half of 1842, transported overland and assembled at Erie. The launch on 5 December 1843 was unsuccessful with the ship sticking after moving some 50 feet (15.2 m) down the ways and efforts to complete the launch ended by nightfall. On returning in the morning Hart found Michigan had launched "herself in the night" and was floating offshore in Lake Erie.

By 1908 the ship was noted in the journal The American Marine Engineer as being the oldest metal hulled vessel then existing and of interest to engineers because of the ship's age. The two engines were inclined simple steam engines of 36 inches (91.4 cm) with a 96 inches (243.8 cm) stroke that were original and running well in 1908. The first of three sets of boilers were return flue type that lasted fifty years before finally being replaced by bricked in return tube types. The operating pressure was low, 25 pounds (11.3 kg) sufficient to drive the engines at 20 rpm, with engine room piping of .125 inches (0.318 cm) thick copper connecting with brass flange joints. When, about 1905, the ship finally changed from kerosene lights to electric a special engine for the dynamo had to be constructed to operate on the low pressure steam. The steam was also used in a peculiar system for repelling boarders with hot water direct from the boiler. Coal consumption before the latest modifications was two tons per hour and after the modifications was as low as one half ton per hour. The ship carried two steam launches. The ship had never made even ten knots until dispatched from the harbor at Cleveland to Buffalo to prevent riots on the assassination of President William McKinley 6 September 1901 and, with the safeties weighted, she made almost fourteen knots at 30 rpm at one point.

Early Career
Michigan commissioned 29 September 1844 under the command of Commander William Inman and operated on the Great Lakes out of Erie, Pennsylvania, throughout her career. In May 1851, she assisted in the arrest of Mr. James Jesse Strang, known as "King James I", who headed a dissident Mormon colony on Beaver Island at the head of Lake Michigan, some 37 mi (60 km) from the Straits of Mackinac. Strang was soon freed, but was assassinated by two of his followers on 19 June 1856. The assassins fled to Michigan for sanctuary and were taken to Mackinac and released.

In an encounter with Great Lakes "timber pirates" the USS Michigan was rammed in the early hours of 6 May 1853, in southern Lake Huron, by the wooden-hulled Buffalo, the Michigan was badly damaged, but the Buffalo proceeded south towards the St. Clair River and was not "captured." Despite this, the Michigan assisted in arresting several of the timbermen who had been stealing timber in Michigan.

American Civil War
During the American Civil War, Michigan was armed with a 30-pounder Parrott rifle, five 20-pounder Parrott rifles, six 24-pounder smoothbores, and two 12-pounder boat howitzers. The Confederate States of America considered launching attacks against the North from Canada. Early in 1863, Lieutenant William Henry Murdaugh, CSN, planned to lead a group of Confederate naval officers to Canada where they would purchase a small steamer, man her with Canadians and steam to Erie to board Michigan and use her against locks and shipping on the Great Lakes. However, Confederate President Jefferson Davis didn't approve the plan.

Michigan cruised on the Great Lakes during most of the war providing an element of stability and security. On 28 July 1863, a short time after New York City had been seriously shaken by riots, Commander John C. Carter commanding Michigan reported from Detroit, "I found the people suffering under serious apprehensions of a riot....The presence of the ships perhaps did something toward overawing the refractory, and certainly did much to allay the apprehensions of the excited, doubting people." During August 1863, Michigan was called on for similar service in Buffalo, New York.

During 1864, rumors of Confederate conspiracies in Canada were heard again. In March, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered Michigan to be "prepared for active service as soon as the ice will permit." In the autumn, the Confederates finally struck. Led by Acting Master John Yates Beall, 20 Confederates embarked on the steamer Philo Parsons as passengers and soon seized her. They next captured and burned the steamer Island Queen. Meanwhile, Captain Charles H. Cole, CSA, a Confederate agent in the Lake Erie region, was attempting to gain the trust of Michigan's officers as the Michigan lay off Johnson's Island helping to guard Confederate prisoners. However, Commander Carter discovered Cole's duplicity and had him arrested before Beall reached Johnson's Island on Philo Parsons. When the prearranged signals from shore were not made, Beall reluctantly abandoned his plan and retired to Sandwich (now Windsor, Ontario) where he stripped and burned Philo Parsons.

Later U.S. Navy service
After the Civil War, Michigan remained in U.S. Navy service, and was the ship which intercepted and interned the army of the Fenian Brotherhood as it returned from its invasion of Canada near Buffalo in 1866. Michigan was renamed USS Wolverine on 17 June 1905 to free up the name Michigan for use by the new battleship USS Michigan (BB-27).

Wolverine was decommissioned on 6 May 1912.

Pennsylvania Naval Militia service
Wolverine was turned over to the Pennsylvania Naval Militia, which she served for 11 years, making training cruises in the summer for the United States Naval Reserve. For the 1913 centennial of the War of 1812 Battle of Lake Erie, Wolverine towed the brig USS Niagara from port to port as part of the celebrations. In mid-1920, when the U.S. Navy adopted its modern alphanumeric hull number system, she was classified as a "miscellaneous auxiliary" and designated IX-31. On 12 August 1923, a connecting rod of Wolverine's port cylinder broke, ending her active career.

Relic
In 1927, Wolverine's hulk was pushed up onto a sandbank in Misery Bay on the Presque Isle State Park Peninsula and loaned to the city of Erie, Pennsylvania, as a relic. She was sold to the Foundation for the Preservation of the Original USS Michigan, Inc., on 19 July 1948. But when fund-raising efforts failed to acquire sufficient money for her restoration and preservation, she was cut up and sold for scrap in 1949 to the Ace Junk & Salvage Company. Sam Tanenbaum, proprietor, donated the prow back to the city of Erie.

In 1950, Wolverine's prow was erected as a monument in Wolverine Park in Erie, near the shipyard where she had been built. On 22 February 1998, the prow was moved to the Erie Maritime Museum for restoration. Today it can be viewed inside the museum.

South Carolina-Class Battleship

USS Michigan (BB-27), a South Carolina-class battleship, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the 26th state. She was the second member of her class, the first dreadnought battleships built for the US Navy. She was laid down in December 1906, launched in May 1908; sponsored by Mrs. F. W. Brooks, daughter of Secretary of the Navy Truman Newberry; and commissioned into the fleet 4 January 1910. Michigan and South Carolina were armed with a main battery of eight 12-inch (305 mm) guns in superfiring twin gun turrets; they were the first dreadnoughts to feature this arrangement.

USS Michigan (BB-27) spent her career in the Atlantic Fleet. She frequently cruised the east coast of the United States and the Caribbean Sea, and in April 1914 took part in the United States occupation of Veracruz during the Mexican Civil War. After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Michigan was employed as a convoy escort and training ship for the rapidly expanding wartime navy. In January 1918, her forward cage mast collapsed in heavy seas, killing six men. In 1919, she ferried soldiers back from Europe. The ship conducted training cruises in 1920 and 1921, but her career was cut short by the Washington Naval Treaty signed in February 1922, which mandated the disposal of Michigan and South Carolina. Michigan was decommissioned in February 1923 and broken up for scrap the following year.

Ohio-Class Nuclear-Powered Guided Missile Submarine

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is the second Ohio-class nuclear-powered guided missile submarine in the United States Navy. She is the third ship to bear the name of the state of Michigan.

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) was constructed at the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics Corporation in Groton, Connecticut and was commissioned on 11 September 1982. Michigan arrived in Bangor, Washington on 16 March 1983 and completed sixty-six Strategic Deterrent Patrols.

As of June 2007, Michigan has been converted to an SSGN at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Her hull classification symbol then changed from SSBN-727 to SSGN-727.

On 12 December 2009, Michigan returned to Naval Base Kitsap, her home base, completing her first deployment after the SSGN conversion. The deployment began 10 November 2008, and included numerous missions. The ship also completed several theater security cooperation engagements with Pacific Rim nations.

On 28 June 2010, Michigan was one of three Ohio-class submarines involved in a US response to Chinese missile testing in the contested East China Sea. Michigan, Ohio, and Florida all surfaced simultaneously in the waters of South Korea, the Philippines, and the British Indian Ocean Territory respectively.

USS Michigan (SSBN-727/SSGN-727) is still on active duty with the US Navy. Her moto is Tuebor (I will defend). She is home to 15 officers and 140 crew. Home port is Bangor, Washington.

By Emily Bingham; in The Grand Rapids Press

The naturalization test is a key part of the process for becoming a U.S. citizen— of its 100 questions, an applicant is asked 10 and must get at least six correct.

We decided to imagine what might be on a Michigan naturalization test, and put together the following quiz— covering civics, history, geography and some random trivia— to test readers’ knowledge. (Be warned: Some of the questions are tough.) So, would you make the grade if you had to pass to become a true Michigander? Test your mitten knowledge here. Good luck!

1. WHICH OF THESE IS THE OFFICIAL STATE BIRD OF MICHIGAN?
Parrot; American robin; Common loon; Northern cardinal

2. HOW MANY COUNTIES ARE THERE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN?
83; 75; 99; 4

3. WHEN DID MICHIGAN OFFICIALLY BECOME A STATE?
Jan. 26, 1837; Aug. 21, 1959; June 6, 1944; March 1, 1803

4. WHO IS MICHIGAN’S CURRENT SECRETARY OF STATE?
Rick Snyder; Ruth Johnson; Debbie Stabenow; Bill Schuette

5. WHO WAS THE FIRST GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN?
Stevens T. Mason; Alpheus Fetch; George W. Romney; Rick Scott

6. HOW MANY PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES ARE THERE IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN?
15; 30; 5; 10

7. TRUE OR FALSE? MICHIGAN’S POPULATION IS SEVENTH-LARGEST AMONG U.S. STATES, BASED ON 2015 CENSUS DATA.
True; False

8. TRUE OR FALSE? MICHIGAN IS THE 11TH-LARGEST U.S. STATE, BASED ON AREA.
True; False

9. WHAT IS THE STATE FLOWER OF MICHIGAN?
Apple blossom; Tulip; Rose; Sunflower

10. WHICH OF THESE ANIMALS IS NOT FEATURED ON THE STATE FLAG OF MICHIGAN?
Wolverine; Elk; Moose; Bald eagle

11. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STATEMENTS ABOUT MICHIGAN IS NOT TRUE?
Michigan has more public golf courses than any other state. Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state. Michigan has more rivers than any other state. Michigan has more state forest land than any other state.

12. WHICH OF THESE THINGS WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT INFLUENTIAL MICHIGANDER AUGUSTUS B. WOODWARD IS KNOWN FOR?
He was the first chief justice of the Michigan Territory. He was the first to propose moving Michigan’s capitol from Detroit to Lansing. He was one of the founders of the University of Michigan. He helped redesign Detroit after the fire of 1805.

13. WHERE WAS MICHIGAN’S FIRST PERMANENT EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT LOCATED?
Detroit; St. Ignace; Sault Ste. Marie; Marquette

14. WHAT PERCENTAGE OF MICHIGAN IS FORESTED?
37 percent; 53 percent; 68 percent; 17 percent

15. WHAT DOES “TUEBOR” MEAN ON THE STATE COAT OF ARMS?
We will prevail. Strength. Forever. I will defend.

16. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING COMPANIES WAS NOT FOUNDED IN MICHIGAN?
Gerber (the baby food); Jiffy (the baking mix); Big Boy (the restaurant); Bissell (the vacuum cleaner)

17. “MICHIGAN” COMES FROM THE FRENCH VERSION OF THE OJIBWE WORD “MISHIGAMAA,” WHICH MEANS WHAT?
“Big peninsula”; “Big hand”; “Big forests”; “Big water”

18. TRUE OR FALSE: GERALD R. FORD WAS THE ONLY PRESIDENT FROM MICHIGAN, BUT HE WASN’T BORN HERE?
True; False

19. YOU ARE NEVER MORE THAN __ MILES FROM A LAKE OR RIVER IN MICHIGAN.
15; 22; 6; 3

20. TRUE OR FALSE: MICHIGAN HAS THE SECOND-LONGEST SHORELINE OF ANY U.S. STATE.
True; False

SCORING

0-5 Have you heard of Michigan? It’s a state located in the Midwestern U.S.

6-10 You must be new to Michigan.

11-15 You have an impressive amount of Michigan knowledge, friend.

16-20 You are a true Michigander.

THE ANSWERS:

1. The American Robin is the state bird of Michigan.

2. There are a total of 83 counties in Michigan, with 68 in the Lower Peninsula and 15 in the U.P.

3. Michigan became the 26th state on Jan. 26,1837.

4. Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson was first elected to the position in 2010.

5. Stevens T. Mason, known as the “ boy governor,” was just 23 when he was elected in 1835.

6. Thereare15 public universities in Michigan.

7. False. According to Census data from 2015, Michigan ranked10th, with a population of 9.9 million.

8. True. Michigan is at11th, between Wyoming and Minnesota, when it comes to area.

9. The apple blossom is the state flower of Michigan.

10. A wolverine is not featured on the state flag of Michigan.

11. Michigan does have more lighthouses, public golf courses and state forest land than any other state, but it does not have the most rivers.

12. Woodward did many things, but did not suggest moving Michigan’s state capital (which was moved to Lansing in 1847, 20 years after Woodward’s death).

13. European settlers founded a Jesuit mission in Sault Ste. Marie in1668.

14. 53 percent of Michigan is forested.

15. The word “TUEBOR” on the state seal’s coat of arms means “I will defend.”

16. Big Boy is headquartered in Warren, but was founded as Bob’s Pantry” in Glendale, California, in 1936.

17. The meaning of Michigan’s name comes from “bigwater” or“ big lake.”

18. True. The 38th president of the U.S. was born in Omaha, Nebraska; but his mother moved him to Grand Rapids shortly after his birth.

19. You’re never more than 6 miles from water in Michigan.

1. Michigan has the largest State Forest system in the nation.
2. Michigan is home to the Soo Locks, the world's busiest lock system, and the Mackinac and Ambassador Bridges, each formerly the world's longest suspension bridge.
3. Michigan is the 11th largest state of the United States, and it was the 26th state to become part of the United States in 1837.
4. The soda beverage Vernors was invented in Michigan.
5. Faygo was founded in Detroit on November 4, 1907.
6. Michigan is the largest producers of cherries of all the states.
7. The name Michigan is derived from the Indian words "Michi-gama" meaning large lake.
8. The State Nickname is the "Great Lake State." Others include "Wolverine State" or "Water Winter Wonderland."
9. The State motto is “If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”
10. From 13000 BC to 12000 BC The most recent of four major glaciers (Wisconsin glaciation) started to recede leaving a tundra like environment. The melting ice formed the Great Lakes, the Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula (in the Michigan Basin)
11. About 12800 BC Mastodons and other ice age mammals started to appear in the fossil record
12. from 11000 BC to 9000 BC Archeological evidence of Paleo-Indians in the form of sharpened stone tool points known as fluted biface appears.

• Michigan is a leading state in the ownership of recreational boats and in the sale of hunting and fishing licenses.
• Michigan ranks 3rd in the nation in licensed hunters at over 750,000.
• The Great Lakes account for one-fifth of the world's surface freshwater supply.
• Its shoreline is longer than every other state except Alaska.
• Michigan is home to more public golf courses than any other state.
• Michigan has 116 lighthouses and navigational lights.
• Michigan has approximately 40 ski resorts.
• Michigan has more than 4,000 miles of snowmobile trails.
• Michigan ranks 1st in the nation in the number of registered snowmobiles.
• Michigan forestland covers more than 52 percent of the state at 18.5 million acres.

By Garret Ellison as published by MLive on 2-22-15

Sometime in the mid-1890s, a boxcar laden with gold bullion stolen from the Confederacy at the end of the Civil War allegedly was pushed off a ferry into the roiling waters of Lake Michigan during a storm. Today, it awaits discovery on the lake bottom. As far as treasure stories go, it’s a doozy. But is it believable?

Unfortunately, there’s only one way to know for sure whether the story advanced by Muskegon-area shipwreck divers Frederick J. Monroe and Kevin Dykstra is anything more than a new entry in the encyclopedia of theories about what became of the fabled Confederate treasury after the war. Based largely on a deathbed confession relayed to Monroe in 1973, Monroe and Dykstra have spent several years searching the waters off Northern Michigan’s Benzie County for the treasure, which they fully expect will be found this summer. On board with the tale is Frankfort Superintendent Joshua Mills, who is excited by the economic prospects of treasure seekers descending on his coastal town en masse with a modern day version of gold fever.

Less convinced are Civil War historians, who consider the story preposterous. “It’s all a bunch of hogwash,” said Rand Bitter, author of a biography about the Union Army officer at the center of Dykstra and Monroe’s treasure theory. One might expect nothing less when it comes to a gold story.

A Tale Of The Tallest Order?

The thought of Confederate gold sunk in local waters is an intriguing notion that is sure to spark interest among Michigan residents. If true, then the answer to one of the country’s greatest mysteries has been in our backyard for more than a century. The story came under public scrutiny last fall, when Monroe and Dykstra announced the discovery of an unidentified Lake Michigan shipwreck bearing resemblance to Le Griffon, the yet undiscovered “holy grail” of Great Lakes wrecks. Amid the ongoing clamor around Le Griffon, the duo’s real purpose almost was rendered a footnote.

Finding the shipwreck — which they did in 2011 but held back announcing for several years was an accident, they said. The two actually were searching for sunken Civil War gold. Wait … what? Their story about how rebel gold found its way into Lake Michigan seems plausible as plausible, anyway, as any of the other folklore based on the 150-yearold legend of the Confederate treasury, which vanished under fairly well-known circumstances in 1865. There’s even an established Michigan connection. Jefferson Davis, president of the Confederacy, was captured on May 10, 1865, by members of the Fourth Michigan Cavalry near Irwinville, Georgia, about a month after the fall of the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. Davis fled Richmond with the rebels’ hard currency reserves. Accounts differ on the exact size and makeup of the treasure, but it’s generally thought to have been about $1 million worth of gold, silver and jewelry. According to historical accounts, the treasure was gone by the time the cavalry caught u p with Davis and his men, who had little money on them.

What happened to the treasure? Monroe and Dykstra have a theory. Here it goes: A colonel with the Fourth Michigan named Robert Horatio George Minty went back down to Georgia more than a decade after Davis was captured and dug up the hidden gold. Minty, who retired as a brigadier general, was wrongfully court-martialed during the war. This, Dykstra and Monroe think, gave him motive to commit treason. Minty, who worked as a railroad superintendent after the war, somehow managed to get the treasure onto a boxcar headed north for Michigan. His destination: Upper Peninsula copper country, a region with known gold deposits. To get there, the gold needed to cross Lake Michigan. In 1892, the Ann Arbor Railroad began using coal-powered lake ferries to bypass congested Chicago train yards. From Frankfort, the ferries served ports in Wisconsin and the U. P. In dire straits, rail cars were sometimes pushed overboard in rough seas.

During one side-scan sonar search of the lake off Frankfort in 2012, Monroe and Dykstra found a coal car on the lake bottom. The two divers consider it a signpost indicating the deathbed confession is accurate and gold is real. “I believe the boxcar is out there, and this spring we’ll find it,” Dykstra said.

Do The Dots Connect?

Many dots must connect for Monroe and Dykstra’s theory to make sense. Rand Bitter, a former Ford Motor Co. design cost specialist who self-published an exhaustively researched 2006 book called “Minty and his Cavalry: A History of the Sabre Brigade,” thinks the theory is built on a shaky foundation. Col. Minty, Bitter said, was not present when Davis was captured by men led by a subordinate officer, Lt. Col. Benjamin D. Pritchard, of Allegan. “If three tons of gold had been hidden away in a hurry by Pritchard and his men, how would Minty have coordinated that from 150 miles away?” Bitter asked. “He wouldn’t have even known about it. They had to send a courier with word that Davis had been captured.” Other elements of the Minty connection are suspect, Bitter said, who contends that Minty’s postwar railroad employment never put him in the right position to manage a secret boxcar all the way from Georgia to Michigan. After the war, Minty’s first wife, Grace Ann Abbott, apparently was seen in Traverse City wit h a necklace made from a Confederate gold coin sovereign a detail Dykstra and Monroe feel supports their theory. Here, Bitter and the divers almost are on the same page. The coin necklace was real. Bitter thinks it most likely was given to Minty following Davis’ capture. The cavalryman also got Davis’ revolver and holsters, which now are on display in a Richmond museum. He never got any reward money for the capture.

But the hardest part for Bitter to reconcile is the family connection. Minty scandalously moved to Indiana in the 1870s and started a second family with his wife’s sister, Laura Abbott. Minty essentially became persona non grata with much of the Abbott family after that. It’s an important detail, because Minty’s brother-in- law, George Alexander Abbott, was the person who allegedly made the deathbed confession about a boxcar full of gold in Lake Michigan to a friend of Monroe’s grandfather. From depositions taken after Minty’s death, Bitter said it’s quite clear George Abbott did not care much for Minty after the cavalryman’s affair. “That’s supposedly someone who would know all about Minty’s gold?” he asked. “Interesting he’d have all the details.”

Frankfort Ready For Gold Seekers

Bitter and Dykstra have talked, but the divers and the chief critic of their theory didn’t connect before the gold-in-the-lake story hit the news. If the deathbed confession turns out to be true and gold is found, Dykstra acknowledged the possibility that it may not be from the Confederate treasury. The Minty theory grew out of his early research. Dykstra was drawn to the Civil War angle when that was the only reference to missing gold from the time period he could find on the Internet. He realizes it’s a “long stretch.”

Civil War experts aren’t the only skeptics. Shipwreck divers around the state are curious, but some question, privately, whether Monroe and Dykstra aren’t also angling for something like a reality TV show. The duo isn’t tightly networked with the wider Great Lakes shipwreck diving community by choice, they said.

The two men met about 20 years ago at a wedding. Both have backgrounds as professional photographers. Monroe, 61, of Muskegon, is a scuba instructor who said he graduated from dive school in California in 1972. He taught Dykstra, 51, of Fruitport, to dive a few years ago. “I’ve been treasure hunting pretty much my whole life,” Monroe said. The divers have met with Michigan officials, but state archeologist Dean Anderson declined to take a strong position on the veracity of their theory. If gold is found, the state likely will claim it as abandoned material on Michigan bottomland. “It’s not a story I’m familiar with,” said Anderson, who called the divers “forthcoming and cooperative,” particularly in recent discussions about a planned dive to the possible Le Griffon site this spring or summer. “I’m not in any position to evaluate what they’ve had to say” about the gold, he said. “We only learned much detail about it very recently.”

Charles A. Lindbergh was born in Detroit on Feb. 4, 1902.

Michigan began charging an annual license fee of 50 cents in 1915 for Autos.

Michigan's first police woman began walking the beat in Detroit in 1893.

In 1942, the Davison Freeway in Detroit was completed and became the world's first urban freeway.

Michigan ranks Number 1 nationally in the production of dog sleds.

The onion is Michigan's largest fresh-market vegetable crop.

Michigan is the ninth most populous of the 50 United States.

Michigan is the 11th most extensive total area of the 50 United States and the largest state by total area east of the Mississippi River.

Michigan is the only state to consist of two peninsulas.

Michigan was originally part of the larger Northwest Territory until 1800, when western Michigan became part of the Indiana Territory. Eventually, in 1805, the Michigan Territory was formed, which lasted until it was admitted into the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state.

There are 11,000 inland lakes in Michigan, 36,000 miles of streams and 9,679 miles of freshwater coastline.

Boaters spend $3.9 billion each year in Michigan and create 50,000 jobs.

Fishermen contribute $2 billion to the Michigan economy each year.

Coastal tourism is responsible for creating 57,000 jobs and generates $955 million for the Michigan economy each year.