Michigan Historical Review

Half-century of US civil rights gains have stalled or reversed, report finds Assessment 50 years after Kerner Commission points to child poverty and school segregation, along with emboldened white supremacists

1930s Detroit - sled sailing

wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and hope 2018 brings you many good things!

Way to go LeRoy!

LeRoy Barnett was the winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award at HSM's State History Awards Banquet! The banquet was part of the 143rd Annual Meeting and State History Conference.

Migrant berry pickers, 1940s, Berrien County. Today, over 45,000 migrant workers still come yearly to Michigan to harvest fruit crops.

The Ironton ferry crossing Lake Charlevoix at the turn of the last century. (For you out of state followers who may not have heard of it, it is still operating! - It takes 5 minutes and will cost you $3 if you take your car)

On August 1, 1928, the Detroit Zoo officially opened. Pictured here is Zoo Director John Millen with the chimp Jo Mendi, a popular attraction during the Depression, signing a check. He was actually the second Jo Mendi and, like the former, had been a vaudevillian star on Broadway. But his owner fell on hard times and Jo was abused. Along came Director Millen who bought him with his own funds and brought him to the zoo. Jo entertained visitors by counting, dressing up, pouring tea, dancing, and more. He was so popular that even at just 10 cents a ticket, despite the Depression, he brought in over $30,000 during his three years. Sadly, in 1934 he became ill with hoof and mouth disease and died. Other equally talented chimps named Jo Mendi would follow.

Summertime fun. These thrill seekers (ca. 1892) are enjoying Michigan's first roller coaster at Seven Islands Resort in Grand Ledge. This steam-powered marvel offered a white-knuckle trip over the Grand River from Second island to Third.

Summer Road Trip! On June 17, 1915, Edsel B. Ford (and a few other sons of Detroit industry) heading out of Dearborn for a cross-country road trip. Ford drove a Model T, naturally, while his friends came along in a Cadillac and a Stutz. They were headed to San Fransisco for the Panama-Pacific International Exhibition (World's Fair) and arrived, after a few mishaps, on July 25th. The photo below was taken on Day Three when mud got the best of them just outside St. Louis, Missouri.

On this day in 1952, the first operational mechanical heart - the Dodrill-GMR - was used during surgery at Wayne State's Harper Hospital. Dr. Forest Dewey Dodrill developed the external heart machine in conjunction with General Motors research engineers.

22 June 1855 - The steamer "Illinois" passes through the locks at Sault Ste Marie, marking the beginning of unobstructed passage between Lakes Superior and Huron (and no further need to stop at the Soo and portage cargo around the rapids). Construction of the locks had taken over two years and was plagued with cost overruns, a cholera epidemic, and the effects of a harsh climate. The opening gave a huge boost to Michigan’s mining industries, particularly copper and iron ore, with the state also producing large amounts of salt, oil, natural gas, and gypsum.