michigan history

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Hugh Matthews Survived Civil War POW Camp, Returning to Work & Raise His Family

Throughout the pages of the recently-released historical novel The Penny by Michigan author Stewert James, readers find intertwined storylines that bring generations of families and friends together during often difficult times. One of the more compelling stories, one that warrants a more in-depth look, is Hugh Matthews – James’ great-great-grandfather.

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FAREWELL TO BACHELORHOOD: Ernest Hemingway’s Wedding in Northern Michigan

It should come as no surprise that Ernest Hemingway chose northern Michigan as the setting for his first wedding. This rural countryside was his first real love, so it was fitting that he and his muse would begin their marriage alongside the towering trees and flowing rivers which shaped his life. This year – September 3 – marks the 100th anniversary of the marriage between Hemingway (at the time, a life-long summer resident on Walloon Lake) and Hadley Richardson.

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Lost Love & Found Spirits in Nahma – the Heart of the Hiawatha

So we stayed at the haunted Nahma Inn in October of 2019 and met several locals who shared stories with us about Nellie Fleming and her spirit who resides within this 1908 building. Apparently there are as many as 5 ghosts here – maybe Charles Good who lived for a time in the room (#17) across from Nell (#16)…and an on-again-off-again affair was known within the town. At one point, Nell’s sisters also lived here (1930 census)…including Anne (pictured) who was a local boys high school basketball coach and school superintendent (and I suspect is actually a sister-in-law, married to Nell’s only brother, John).

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Estate of Elegance

It isn’t often that a place can be regarded as opulent and intimate at the same time, but that is exactly the feeling one gets when visiting the 30,000-square-foot Ford House (fordhouse.org) along the shores of Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe Shores.The former home of Edsel Ford (the only child born to Henry and Clara Ford), his wife, Eleanor (Clay) and their four children, was completed in 1928. Inspired by England’s Cotswold storybook cottages, it features sandstone exterior walls adorned with ivy, along with a limestone shingled roof.

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CHARACTER ASSASSINATION: Michigan’s Unknown Presidential Candidate

Dean Templeton was a lot of things. Above all, he was a character with a colorful yet often dark past.

Born in Flint, Michigan in 1921 to Ralph and Myrtle Templeton (the second of five children), Dean’s childhood was riddled with neglect, abuse, mental anguish and broken hearts. As an adult, he became consumed with the idea of running for President of the United States and began a cross-country, hitchhiking campaign which landed him in Washington state in 1975. It was there, Dean’s bid and his life abruptly ended at the hands of an assassin. Today, more than 45 years later, Dean’s murder remains unsolved.

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Recognizing Michigan’s State Symbols

On March 3, 1955 (65 years ago), the eastern white pine tree (Pinus Strobus, also known as a “soft pine”) was adopted as the official State Tree of Michigan. This conifer tree can be found in almost every county of the Upper and Lower Peninsula, typically growing in mixed forests and sandy plains. Click here to learn more about this and the other Michigan State Symbols.

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A President’s Day Digital Tour of Grand Rapids with Pure Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford

Ford was the only U.S. president to hail from Michigan and now, decades after his service, his legacy is being celebrated in a new digital way.  The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation has partnered with Midland, Michigan-based Map-N-Tour to develop a web and mobile app to educate and entertain visitors on a self- guided tour of sites around Grand Rapids that help tell the Ford story.

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“Michigan’s Ghostly Beacons” Scheduled Throughout the Fall Season at Libraries Statewide

For nearly 20 years, Dianna Stampfler has been speaking about Michigan’s lighthouses, their keepers and their ghosts. This fall, she will present a series of free programs called “Michigan’s Ghostly Beacons” at libraries around the state.

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Mackinac State Historic Parks Celebrates Longest-Running Archaeological Dig in American History

In 1959, the Mackinac Island State Park Commission contracted with Michigan State University to carry out a season of excavation, which has continued every summer since, turning into one of the longest ongoing archaeological digs in North America. This summer, Mackinac State Historic Parks’ archaeological program began its 60th consecutive season of work at Colonial Michilimackinac, in Mackinaw City, on Friday, May 24, with the cleaning and preparation of the dig site, and the kicked-off in full on June 4.

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