Issue No. 47

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

🏳️ The Bloodless Battle of Fort Mackinac

Digest Exclusive: The U.S. Secretary of War had transmitted the official June 18, 1812, declaration via ordinary post, which failed to outpace the British canoe messengers.

American commander Porter Hanks was accused of cowardice but was killed by a British cannonball at Fort Detroit before his trial.

🤔 Why is Michigan the Wolverine State?

Digest Exclusive: Another prevailing theory suggests the nickname stems from the 18th-century fur trade at Sault Ste. Marie, where Native Americans and trappers exported large quantities of wolverine pelts to eastern markets.

Alternatively, early French settlers were occasionally described as possessing "wolverine-like" gluttonous appetites, contributing to the region's long-term association with the animal.

💧 Kitch-iti-kipi: The Big Spring, MI

Digest Exclusive: To generate tourist interest in Palms Book State Park during the 1920s, John Ira Bellaire fabricated several romanticized Native American legends about the spring, including the tragic tale of a young Ojibwe chieftain named Kitch-iti-kipi who drowned there.

The park's iconic, cable-guided observation raft was later constructed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps as part of a Great Depression-era public works program.

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“So, it's Ohio States fault we're nicknamed Wolverines? Haha, now that's funny right there!”
— Jon from Facebook

On July 31, 1923, the state-operated vessel Ariel made its maiden crossing between Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, officially initiating state auto ferry service across the Straits of Mackinac.

This vital maritime transit line physically connected Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas for motorist travel, carrying millions of vehicles over three decades until the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957.

Today, visitors can board a self-operated, cable-guided observation raft to glide across the mirror-like surface of the crystal-clear, emerald pool.

Through the raft's open central viewing well, you can look forty feet down to see 10,000 gallons of water per minute erupting from limestone fissures, creating a mesmerizing dance of bubbling sand amidst ancient fallen trees and large, suspended trout.

Plan your visit to this breathtaking natural wonder at Palms Book State Park.

Our recent video, Why is Michigan the Wolverine State?, kicked off quite the debate in the comment section—and a few myth-busting facts are definitely in order!

Here is the truth as we know it: paleontologists and state archaeologists have scoured Michigan and found zero verified wolverine fossils or skeletal remains from any era. The Michigan DNR has confirmed that our state has no history of native wolverines or breeding groups.

In fact, the first and only verified wild wolverine in modern state history was a single female spotted in Huron County back in February 2004. She died of natural causes in March 2010, but DNA testing confirmed her Canadian genetic lineage.

So if you think you spot a wolverine lurking in the woods, it is almost certainly a case of mistaken identity—usually a badger, fisher, or an oversized porcupine. But if you're sure of what you saw, definitely report it to the Michigan DNR Wildlife Division, because you just witnessed a true state miracle.

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

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