Fifty years ago the band, KISS, visited Cadillac! It all started with Jim Neff, the assistant football coach, wanting to inspire his football team, The Vikings, with energetic music by KISS. The Cadillac high school team began winning games. The following fall, KISS became part of their homecoming celebration! Join […]
History and Culture
118 posts
Named for 1865 founder, John Parish, this settlement had changed its name from “Parish” to “Paris” following a devastating fire fourteen years later. Join us in Paris, Michigan as we learn about the century-old fish hatchery, the efforts to save the ponds and how this Eiffel Tower came to be. […]
July 24, 1915 had been a chilly summer morning as people gathered at the Chicago River, preparing for a company picnic. A few minutes after boarding, the Eastland rolled onto its side. More passengers had died that day, 20 feet from shore in the Chicago River, than passengers on The […]
Slurping a milkshake, crunching on fresh fries and biting into a stacked burger at Short’s Drive-In builds a sense of satisfaction and togetherness! Short’s has been recognized with various awards. Even their car-hop service was voted “Best in Michigan” by mashed.com. Short’s Root Beer Drive-In is a family-owned gem in […]
The Anishinaabe have utilized maple sap for centuries. The first written record of this antioxidant-packed resource had been in 1557. Last year, Michigan produced an impressive 200,000 gallons. Each gallon of this “liquid gold” is worth at least 15 times more than crude oil. Join us as we investigate the […]
Did you know that there over 100,000 ancient, Middle Eastern artifacts in Michigan? From 1924-1926, Francis Kelsey from the University of Michigan, a real-life Indiana Jones, had spearheaded an expedition of archaeologists to the Middle East and North Africa. Chuck and I happened upon The Kelsey Museum of Archeology on […]
During our recent trip to Chicago we learned about the greatest banquet in American history. This elite gathering had occurred thirteen years after the Civil War in 1879. Join us for a peek into high society at the The Palmer House Hotel which has been hosting events and travelers since […]
Amid The Great Depression, eleven “Homes of the Future” were on display at the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago. I was amazed to learn that today, five of these futuristic model homes are currently at Indiana’s ‘Beverly Shores’ along Lake Michigan. Nearly a century later, these homes have been and […]
Imagine. It’s 1893 and you embark upon “The White City,” Chicago’s World Fair. Taking a gondola taxi across The Great Basin to displays of modern inventions. A Ferris Wheel, a moving walkway and electricity dazzle each of the fair-goers. Lighthouse engineering and spray painting were introduced. Many new foods were […]
When I have heard people mention, “Jackson, Michigan,” immediately my mind has focused on the expansive prison. I had not been prepared for the magical, creative community of 30,000 residents that we would meet. Chuck and I were both drawn to the people of the city and will return again […]