On January 26, 1837, President Andrew Jackson signed a bill
making Michigan
the nation's 26th state. "Michigan"
is believed to come from the from the French form of the
Ojibwa word
mishigami, meaning "great water" and referred originally to
Lake Michigan itself. The Great Lakes
account for one-fifth of the world's surface freshwater supply.
In 1836 a pair speculators from Lansing,
New York sold land to a non-existent city in
mid-Michigan known as "Biddle
City." The New
Yorkers arrived to discover that the plots they had purchased were
located in a marsh or underwater. Some of the pioneers stayed,
and developed a village in what is now Old Town Lansing a mile north of
the
non-existent "Biddle
City."
In 1847, the legislature passed a law to locate the
state capital in mid-Michigan because many were concerned about Detroit's proximity to British-controlled Canada, which had captured Detroit in the
War of 1812. Unable to publicly reach a consensus because of constant political wrangling, the
Michigan House of Representatives privately chose the Township of
Lansing as the capitol out of frustration. The sleepy settlement of fewer than 20 people transformed quickly into the seat of state government and individual settlements began to develop along the
Grand River.
State Symbols:
Bird - American Robin
Fish - Brook Trout
Reptile - Painted Turtle
Wildflower - Dwarf
Lake Iris
Flower - Apple Blossom
Tree - White Pine
Stone - Petoskey Stone
Fossil - Mastodon
Fun Facts:
Michigan
is simultaneously known for its cities, supported by heavy industry, and its
pristine wilderness. Michigan
has the largest state park and state forest system of any state. It is home to
a number of areas maintained by the
National Park Service with 78
state parks,
19 state recreation areas, and 6
state
forests.
Michigan
State University
was founded in 1855 as the nation's first land-grant university and was the first institution of higher learning in the
nation to teach scientific agriculture.
Michigan
was the first state to provide in its Constitution for the establishment of
public libraries and the first state to guarantee every child the right to
tax-paid high school education.
Vernors ginger ale was created in Detroit
and became the first soda pop made in the United States. In 1862, pharmacist
James Vernor was trying to create a new beverage when he was called away to
serve our country in the Civil War. When he returned, 4 years later, the drink
he had stored in an oak case had acquired a delicious gingery flavor.
The Kellogg Company has made Battle Creek the Cereal Capital of the World.
The Kellogg brothers accidentally discovered the process for producing flaked
cereal products and sparked the beginning of the dry cereal industry.
The Detroit Zoo was the first zoo in America to feature cageless,
open-exhibits that allowed the animals more freedom to roam.
Michigan
has more than 11,000 inland lakes, more than 36,000 miles of streams and 116
lighthouses and navigational lights.
The Upper Michigan Copper Country is the largest commercial
deposit of native copper in the world. Detroit
is known as the car capital of the world. Alpena is the home of the world's
largest cement plant. Rogers
City boasts the world's
largest limestone quarry. Elsie is the home of the world's largest registered Holstein dairy herd. Michigan
is first in the United
States production of peat and magnesium
compounds and second in gypsum and iron ore. Colon is home to the world's largest
manufacture of magic supplies. Grand Rapids is
home to the 24-foot Leonardo da Vinci horse, called Il Gavallo, it is the
largest equestrian bronze sculpture in the Western
Hemisphere.
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