Issue No. 38

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

🕊️ Bath School Disaster Leaves 45 Dead

Bonus: The tragedy was largely eclipsed in national headlines by Charles Lindbergh’s historic transatlantic flight two days later. Today, a memorial park sits on the site, preserving the original school cupola as a silent witness.

🐻 Roosevelt Goes to Trial in Marquette

Digest Exclusive: TR took extra offense with the accusation of being a drunk because his brother, Elliott Roosevelt had been consumed by alcoholism, undergoing repeated detoxification treatments before committing suicide at the age of thirty-four. Consequently, Theodore Roosevelt maintained a standard of rigorous, albeit not total, abstinence, viewing the loss of self-control through drink as a profound moral failing.

🗽 The Wildly Popular Ford Rotunda

Digest Exclusive: The reopening on May 14, 1936—90 years ago this month—was massive, with over 22,000 people showing up for the first day in Dearborn! Tragically, the building was lost to a fire in November 1962 during roof repairs. The building burnt to the ground within an hour, but 14 million records were safely preserved by its specialized fire-suppression system.

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Monday marks four months of The 1837 Club. Since its launch, 18 Founding Members have joined and become patrons of Michigan history.

I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for helping make Michigan history more accessible. Every issue of the digest and video we post is made possible by your continued support.

Not a Founding Member? Consider joining for as little as $3/month (cancel anytime) and help us reach our goal of welcoming 3 new members by the end of the month.

Will you be our next Founding Member and support Michigan history? Join The 1837 Club Today.

George A. Newett, the editor and publisher of the Iron Ore in Ishpeming, Michigan, wrote the piece, titled "The Roosevelt Way." Published on October 12, 1912, it was primarily a political critique, but one paragraph crossed the threshold from commentary to defamation. Newett wrote: “Roosevelt lies and curses in a most disgusting way; he gets drunk, too, and that not infrequently, and all his intimates know about it.

While that moment is the one most associated with George, there is another defining chapter of his life. He is the only American-born founder of the National Ski Association of America (now known as U.S. Ski & Snowboard) and was elected to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 1970. Ironically, George himself did not ski, but was a passionate fan and avid supporter.

The Dearborn Memorial Day Parade stands as Michigan’s longest-running Memorial Day parade.

This Monday, May 25, 2026, spectators can line Michigan Avenue starting at 9:30 a.m. to experience over 90 marching bands and veteran groups, concluding with a solemn remembrance ceremony at noon at the Veterans Park and War Memorial.

In honor of the 100th Memorial Day Parade, the City of Dearborn has organized additional programming to honor the 347 Dearborn men and women who died in service to the nation.

Plan your holiday weekend route and find event details through the City of Dearborn website.

Monday, May 25th, is Memorial Day—a time to honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice, including so many of our fellow Michiganders.

From the Civil War to the heroes who left the Arsenal of Democracy behind to serve on the front lines, our state has a profound legacy of answering the call.

Without their bravery, our world would look vastly different today. No matter how divided things can feel at times, we owe our everyday freedoms to them.

Until next week, we wish you a meaningful Memorial Day, and thank you for reading Michigan History Digest.
— Zac and the Welcome Home History Team.

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