Issue No. 44

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👑 "King" of Beaver Island, James Strang

Digest Exclusive: To win his election to the Michigan House of Representatives, Strang utilized the consolidated, block-voting power of his growing community on Beaver Island.

☠️ Assassination of "King" James Strang

Digest Exclusive: The assassins' actions were effectively dismissed after a mock trial and a nominal fine of just $1.25. Because they were never prosecuted under state or federal law, this incident exposes a deep, systemic complicity that extended from local Mackinac courts all the way to the officers of the federal navy.

⚔️ General Custer: The Wolverine Brigade

Digest Exclusive: While Custer was fighting on horseback, Michigan infantry was facing heavy casualties on the ground. The 24th Michigan suffered a staggering 73% casualty rate on Day 1 , and on Day 2, Michigan Colonel Harrison Jeffords became the highest-ranking officer on either side killed by a bayonet while saving his fallen flag.

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A warm welcome to our newest Founding Member of The 1837 Club, Michael T. Thank you for becoming a patron in June (on my birthday no less) and helping us preserve Michigan history!

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On July 5, 1912, the legendary English-born merchant J.L. Hudson passed away from pneumonia. During his lifetime he built a massive retail empire in downtown Detroit that stood for decades as a premier cultural and architectural hub of Michigan commerce.

Beyond his iconic flagship department store, Hudson provided the critical seed capital required to launch the Hudson Motor Car Company, seamlessly weaving his retail legacy into the foundational fabric of the global automotive capital.

Established in 1867 as a booming iron-manufacturing community, this well-preserved Upper Peninsula living museum now invites visitors to explore 20 historic structures and massive limestone blast furnaces along Snail Shell Harbor.

The most striking encounter awaits at Slag Beach, where the shoreline remains completely strewn with glassy, multi-colored remnants of furnace waste from the site's 19th-century heyday.

Plan your summer road trip and explore the grounds at the Fayette Historic Townsite.

The story of James Jesse Strang is about as wild as Michigan history gets. While we dedicated two videos to Beaver Island's self-proclaimed king this week, there is still so much more to his saga that is worth a deep dive. Fun fact: his birth name was actually Jesse James Strang, but he flipped it to go by James.

Speaking of massive Michigan egos, our other feature this week dove into a very different kind of commander. Most people only remember General Custer for his infamous defeat at the Little Bighorn, but his earlier chapters are fascinating. Learning about his heroics leading the Michigan Cavalry Brigade at Gettysburg makes it easy to see how that legendary confidence started to build long before his final stand.

I hope everyone had a safe and joyous 4th of July weekend celebrating America’s historic 250th birthday!

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

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