On This Day in History

The Pride Beneath Our Feet On July 18, 1991 a crowd of over 150 conservationists, environmental leaders, and government officials gathered in Kalkaska County. They were there to honor a quiet but vital part of Michigan’s natural heritage.  Honoring Kalkaska Sand, officially designated as Michigan’s State Soil. Now, you might not think soil is something to throw a party over. But when it comes to Kalkaska Sand, it’s more than just dirt. It is a living, breathing part of Michigan’s ecosystem and economy. First identified and mapped in 1927, Kalkaska Sand is found in both the Upper and Lower Peninsulas…. Read More »

The Wild West Hits Manistee, 1898 On this day in history—July 18, 1898—the streets of Manistee, Michigan, were anything but ordinary. Buffalo Bill Cody, the legendary frontiersman turned showman, rolled into town with his world-famous Wild West Show, bringing with him a spectacle the likes of which the locals had never seen. Thousands gathered from near and far, crowding steamboats, trains, and streets to get a glimpse of the man, the myth, and his traveling band of sharpshooters, horsemen, and international performers. William F. Cody was born in 1846 in the Iowa Territory and earned his nickname “Buffalo Bill” after… Read More »

Frontier Schooner That Sailed Into War On this day in history, June 19, 1812, a seemingly routine voyage out of Detroit would become an unforgettable moment in Great Lakes history. It will serve as a cautionary tale of how international politics can turn entrepreneurial dreams into wartime disasters. The vessel at the center of it all was Friends Good Will, a topsail sloop built by Massachusetts-born merchant Oliver Williams. Williams was no stranger to risk. Born in 1774 in the Revolutionary-era village of Roxbury, Massachusetts, he came of age alongside the fledgling American republic. By 1808, he was deep in… Read More »

Surprise at Sunrise When war was declared between the United States and Great Britain in June of 1812, few on the American frontier had any idea what was coming. The small garrison stationed at Fort Mackinac on a quiet island in the Straits between Lakes Michigan and Huron had not received word. But on the morning of July 17, 1812, those sleepy soldiers awoke to find the British already perched high above them, cannon aimed and ready. The capture of Fort Mackinac was the first military engagement on U.S. soil during the War of 1812. It was a bloodless but… Read More »

Robert Wadlow’s Final Days in Manistee On July 15, 1940 Robert Pershing Wadlow, known as the Alton Giant passed away in Manistee at just 22 years old. Standing at an astonishing 8 feet 11.1 inches tall, he was the tallest man ever recorded. Wadlow was in town as a guest of honor at the Manistee National Forest Festival when tragedy struck. A small blister on his ankle, caused by a faulty leg brace, became infected. Despite treatment—including a blood transfusion and surgery—he died in his sleep just eleven days later. The Gentle Giant Robert Wadlow’s towering height was the result… Read More »

Mio records record temperature of 112 degrees In the middle of the Dust Bowl and Great Depression, the summer of 1936 brought with it an unforgiving heat wave that left much of North America sweltering. And on July 13, 1936, a small Northern Michigan town etched its name into the weather history books. That day, Mio, Michigan—tucked in the Au Sable River valley—hit an unbearable 112 degrees Fahrenheit, making it the record for Michigan’s hottest day. 🌞 And Mio wasn’t alone. That same day, Saginaw sizzled at 111°F, while other cities weren’t far behind: Kalamazoo – 109°F Grand Rapids –… Read More »

Up in Flames In the early days of Alpena, Michigan, the booming lumber industry brought both prosperity and danger. The city’s rapid growth, wooden structures, and proximity to sawdust-laden mills made it a tinderbox waiting for a spark. That spark came on July 12, 1872, when a catastrophic fire consumed the heart of Alpena, leaving destruction and resilience in its wake. Fire of 1871 Just over a year earlier, Alpena had officially incorporated as a city on March 29, 1871. Within weeks, fire struck the business district on the north shore of the Thunder Bay River, prompting the formation of… Read More »

🎩 Grand Visions & Ghost Stories The Grand Hotel, a Victorian marvel officially opened its doors to a curious and growing number of tourists on Mackinac Island. Built in a record-breaking 93 days, this now-iconic structure quickly became the crown jewel of Michigan tourism. From its opening on July 10, 1887 to today, it still holds court over the Straits of Mackinac today. But its story isn’t just about style and leisure. The hotel was built on a foundation literally steeped in mystery. According to local legend, during construction, workers unearthed hundreds of human skeletons. There were so many that… Read More »

👑 James Strang’s Reign Begins In 1843, James Jesse Strang took the first steps toward becoming one of the most unusual figures in American religious and political history. That year, he settled in Burlington, Wisconsin, and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ambitious, intelligent, and charismatic, Strang would soon find himself at the center of a power struggle. That struggle would see him crowned as the only King in U.S. history. Just one year after his conversion, Mormon leader Joseph Smith was murdered. While most followers chose Brigham Young to lead them westward, Strang claimed to have… Read More »

Barrels of Change In the early days of the mining boom, the iron ore buried beneath the rugged wilderness held promise. But little practicality, transportation was a nightmare. Mule teams, makeshift plank roads, and schooners only getting the job halfway there. The dreaded St. Marys River rapids brought things to a halt. But on July 7, 1852, a tiny but mighty shipment changed all of that. That day, the Marquette Iron Company shipped six barrels of Lake Superior iron ore to New Castle, Pennsylvania. This marked the first time iron ore made the full journey via the Great Lakes from… Read More »

🚫 No Cars Allowed Imagine a place where the hum of engines is replaced by the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves, where streets smell of lilacs and fudge instead of exhaust, and where your morning traffic jam might be a few wayward tourists learning to steer a bike. Welcome to Mackinac Island, Michigan. The island is a unique, car-free haven where time feels like it took a detour around the motor age. And it all began on July 6, 1898, when the Mackinac Island Village Council officially banned “horseless carriages” from its peaceful streets. The ban wasn’t just whimsical nostalgia—it was… Read More »

🎸 Rock Concerts, Dairy Cows & French Castles In the charming lakeside town of Charlevoix, there’s a stone castle. The castle has been a farm, an art gallery, a raucous concert venue, and today, a fairytale wedding destination. Castle Farms is more than just a picturesque structure — it’s a place that has reinvented itself again and again since its birth in 1918. On this day, we take a look back at the multifaceted history of one of Northern Michigan’s most iconic landmarks. It all began with Albert Loeb, acting president of Sears, Roebuck & Co. He was a man… Read More »