Issue No. 29

Welcome Home, {{first_name|default:Michigander}}!

🏀 March Madness is Made in Michigan

Digest Exclusive: The court consists of roughly 400 panels that fit together like a massive, high-tech jigsaw puzzle. It takes the Michigan crew about four hours to 'dry-lay' the entire court for inspection before it's sent out for finishing and eventually delivered to the host city.

After the final buzzer, the winning school is often given the first right to buy the court—turning a piece of Michigan into a permanent piece of sports history.

🍀 Detroit's First St. Patrick’s Day Party

🗳 Hazen Pingree: The Idol of the People

Bonus: The court held that the office of Mayor and Governor were "legally incompatible" under the Michigan Constitution of 1850. Specifically, they ruled that because the Governor has the power to remove a Mayor from office, one person cannot legally hold both roles simultaneously.

👹 Did Detroit's Founder Curse the City?

Tip: Click the underlined title for any moment to watch on YouTube for free!

“The photo I think was at a hobby shop in Detroit. I remember buying it because it looked pretty cool- and then asked Mr. Ted Lindsay about the photo when he was signing it. He mentioned it was at the game at the Marquette Prison. I asked if he was afraid to play against prisoners, and he joked that he led the league in penalty minutes and was probably their hero lol”
— Andy from Facebook

The power of sharing Michigan history! Andy was tagged in our post about the Detroit Red Wings vs. the Prison Pirates and shared this comment, along with the photo he got signed (our MI Photo of the Week).

Born on March 25, 1942, in Memphis, Tennessee, Aretha Franklin moved to Detroit as a child and began her journey to global superstardom at New Bethel Baptist Church.

She became the first female artist inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and earned 18 Grammy Awards for her transformative soul and gospel recordings.

As the voice of a generation, her legacy as a civil rights icon and the "Queen of Soul" remains a point of immense pride for the city of Detroit.

Housed in a massive, four-story former glove factory in Detroit, John K. King Used & Rare Books is one of the largest independent bookstores in the world and a pilgrimage site for bibliophiles.

Since moving to this industrial landmark in 1983, the shop has grown to house over a million used and rare titles, offering a unique "treasure hunt" experience through Michigan’s literary and industrial past.

Explore the stacks or plan your visit at the official John K. King website.

This week has been filled with incredible Michigan history, much of it driven directly by you. From the photos to the comments, I’m so proud of the community we’re building.

I also believe in always being completely transparent with you. On Friday, I shared on Facebook that we sadly aren't going to hit our massive 10,000-subscriber goal this month to unlock a $1,000 donation to a Michigan Book Bank.

With 40,000 followers on social media, 10k felt achievable. But the algorithm won this round. Our announcement video was watched 30,000 times, yet less than 25% of our actual followers even saw it.

But this was never '10,000 or bust.' As of today, we’ve officially hit 582 subscribers! That means our next milestone—1,000 subscribers for a $100 donation—is well within reach. We only need 418 more people to join our free Sunday newsletter by March 31st to lock in that $100 for Michigan literacy.

I don't take it lightly when I ask for a favor, but I could really use your help this week. If everyone reading this simply gets just one person to sign up, we will hit our goal. Let's make some history together!

Until next week, thank you for reading Michigan History Digest.
— Zac and the Welcome Home History Team.

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