“God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas day.” The traditional holiday carol lofted across the three acres of the Realy farm, northeast of Jackson, Michigan. This small group of carolers had created a portal, welcoming us to the 1880’s Waterloo […]
History and Culture
108 posts
Did you know that thirteen mills had once lined McCoy Creek in Buchanan, Michigan? Pears Mill, built in 1857-58, is currently the only existing mill along the millrace. Pronounced “Peers” the Greek Revival flour mill still operates. Join us as we investigate this engineering marvel which has been carefully restored […]
Fifty-six years after the United States had become a nation, Calvin Snell built his home along US-12, the Chicago Road, in the Michigan Territory. From 1832-1843 Calvin Snell offered meals and rest for people making the five day stage coach journey from Chicago to Detroit. Later it was named “Walker […]
“Oh. I have been looking forward to this stop on our tour of US-12.” Chuck’s eyes widened as we approached Drier’s Butcher Shop on South Elm Street in Three Oaks, Michigan. First opened in 1875, Drier’s Butcher Shop has served the Three Oaks community, surrounding areas and some well known […]
With clogged traffic on I-96, I meandered east along Eleven Mile Road near the city of South Lyon. I was happily heading to Ann Arbor to meet my daughter for lunch. As I turned onto Milford Road I noticed American flags standing behind a black iron fence. It was a […]
Did you know that Mastodons had once roamed through Michigan? Mammoths, too. Honestly, I had never thought about this until my husband, Chuck, had mentioned the largest Mastodon trail had been found near Saline, Michigan. Join us as we travel along US 12 to find this time-worn trail! Mastodon Evidence […]
Who can claim to be the inventor of the Coney Dog? Well, this controversy centers around Michigan: Jackson and Detroit. This quarrel follows Macedonian immigrants who had passed through Ellis Island in the early 1900’s. Join Chuck and I as we taste our way to the truth about who brought […]
Did you know that Grand Rapids had been the first city in the world to have commercial electric lighting service? I had no idea of this amazing, local history! My husband, Chuck, had been walking along the Grand River last Tuesday, August 20th when he came upon a curiously large […]
Standing on a reef of limestone, off the shore of Alpena, Michigan is the second oldest lighthouse in Lake Huron, Thunder Bay Island Lighthouse. The treacherous reef has earned the label “Shipwreck Alley.” This island has been draped in stories of human tragedy and heroism. All of these tales are […]
Did you know that there had been a Great Black Swamp southwest of Lake Erie? In 1813 a soldier had written that his “comrades slogged through water six inches deep, underlain by ice. Often the ice broke, dropping them neck-deep in the swamp.” Can you even imagine being stuck in […]