Issue No. 48

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

🚀 Apollo 15 and the U-M Club of the Moon

Digest Exclusive: During their 66 hours on the lunar surface, the Apollo 15 crew collected 170 pounds of lunar material, including the 4,000,000,000-year-old "Genesis Rock" near the Apennine Mountains.

Meanwhile, Command Module Pilot Alfred Worden remained in orbit and completed history's 1st deep-space spacewalk during the return trip to Earth.

🚗 Jimmy Hoffa Vanishes in Bloomfield, MI

Digest Exclusive: While the settlement of Detroit Free Press v. Department of Justice forced the release of 17,000 pages, the FBI redacted over 12,000 of them.

The ongoing active status of the case—reconfirmed by FBI Special Agent Cheyvoryea Gibson—allows the agency to bypass FOIA mandates, leaving the absolute historical details of the conspiracy hidden from researchers and the public.

🪿 Abraham Lincoln popularized Michigander

Digest Exclusive: Although print occurrences appeared as early as 1838 in regional newspapers, Abraham Lincoln's 1848 speech popularized the term nationally.

169 years later, Michigan lawmakers voted unanimously in 2017 to adopt "Michigander" as the state's official demonym.

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A warm welcome to our newest Founding Member of The 1837 Club, Louella R. Thank you for becoming a patron in July and helping us preserve Michigan history!

And a heartfelt thank you to our dedicated Founding Members who have supported Michigan history for 6 or more consecutive months:

Danita F., Steven M., Marsha Q., Kory S., Amy W., Amy B., Alan S., Brandon J., Heidi F., Gerald D., Emily A., Jordan B., Adam G., and David S.

Your patronage means more than you’ll ever know and has been greatly appreciated each and every month. Thank you! - Zac 💙

Interested in supporting Michigan history? Consider joining The 1837 Club today

Opening to the public on August 1, 1928, in Royal Oak, the Detroit Zoological Park revolutionized American zoo design as the nation's first facility to feature barless, open-air exhibits bounded by natural moats.

Designed by landscape architect Arthur Shurtleff, the zoo set a progressive national precedent for humane animal habitats and civic recreation.

Today, it remains a foundational pillar of Southeast Michigan's cultural and architectural heritage.

Located at the historic Whitefish Point Light Station—featuring Lake Superior's oldest operating lighthouse tower commissioned under President Lincoln in 1861—this museum dedicates itself to the harrowing perils of Great Lakes maritime history.

Today, visitors can explore the restored lightkeeper's quarters, step inside an authentic 1923 surfboat house, and walk the boardwalk along the wind-swept shoreline. The unforgettable centerpiece of the main gallery is the actual 200-pound bronze bell recovered from the legendary 1975 wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald.

Plan your journey to the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.

I’m starting to wonder how many badges of honor in Michigan history actually started out as political jabs. Last week, we learned that being called a "wolverine" was originally meant as an insult, and this week we found out Honest Abe himself used "Michigander" to mock Lewis Cass.

Uncovering these surprising pieces of Michigan history is always fun, but seeing the reactions and comments is even better. Speaking of digging into Michigan history, I’m heading up to Escanaba in the beautiful U.P. in a couple of weeks and want to hunt down some local history.

If you have any local connections or must-stop historical spots in the area, feel free to reply directly to this email—I’d love your recommendations!

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

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