Michigan History Moment

Aliya Ogdie-Hassen, born on April 30, 1910, in South Dakota, is known as the "mother" of the Arab community in Dearborn-Detroit. Her parents were immigrants from Lebanon who settled in the US as homesteaders. At the age of 14, Aliya got married to a man through a prearranged marriage which ended in divorce after sixteen years. In 1925, she moved from South Dakota to Detroit to live with her cousins. If you're interested in learning more about Aliya Hassen's story, you can listen to it on Michigan History Moment.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

The Green Book was a guidebook published annually from 1936 to 1966 by Victor Hugo Green, an African American postal worker. It provided African American roadtrippers with information on safe places to stay, eat, and visit during the Jim Crow era.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Discover the inspiring story of Henrietta Napier and how her knowledge of sailing ships led to triumph over tragedy in 1855.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIt was 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, October 28,1942. The location was Hamtramck, a then-booming industrial town completely surrounded by Detroit and abutting Highland Park. Tragedy struck when a train collided with a bus, killing 16 people and seriously injuring 11 others.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineJames Oliver Curwood was born in Owosso, Michigan. He was an American writer and conservationist. At least one hundred and eighty motion pictures have been based on or directly inspired by his novels and short stories.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineThe Griffin was a sailing vessel built by French explorer and fur trader René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle in the Niagara area of Canada in 1679. After disappearing on its maiden voyage, the fate of The Griffin remains one of the Great Lakes' most enduring mysteries.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineFriedrich Wilhelm Zinn from Battle Creek, Michigan was a volunteer aviator who flew with French Armée de l'Air forces in World War I and an early pioneer of aerial photography for wartime reconnaissance and Military intelligence. At the close of war, Zinn lead a team of investigators with the mission to research, locate, recover and identify American airmen who were listed as missing in action.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineFrom 1908-1927, Ford produced around 15 million Model T's. The classic automobile was fraught with a number of mechanical issues that made it an easy target for jokes.

The siege of Fort Mackinac was one of the first engagements of the War of 1812.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Canadian born, Elijah J. McCoy was an engineer of African-American who invented lubrication systems for steam engines. In 2012 when the United States Patent and Trademark Office named its first regional office, in Detroit, Michigan, the "Elijah J. McCoy Midwest Regional Patent Office".Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Many monuments in Michigan's cemeteries with a light blue-grey metal monuments known as white bronze, an alternate name for pure zinc.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Produced by Michigan History MagazineJane Johnston Schoolcraft (January 31, 1800 – May 22, 1842), also known as Bamewawagezhikaquay is the one of earliest Native American literary writers.

Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Produced by Michigan History MagazineEvery year, thousands of vacationers enjoy staying at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. In addition to being a vacation spot, it has also served as the setting for two motion pictures.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIn August of 1847, a group of thirteen Kentucky slave catchers arrived in Cass County, Michigan. They broke into smaller parties and proceeded to various Quaker farms to retrieve their "property", but were met with peaceful resistance.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineFather Gabriel Richard served the city of Detroit as a missionary, educator, and civic leader during the early 19th century. In 1887, he helped begin a school that would eventually become the University of Michigan.

After World War II, paint by numbers kits became a craze that swept the nation, an idea started by Detroit artist, Max Cline.Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Produced by Michigan History MagazineHilda Mueller Wuepper, a life-long resident of Bay City, Michigan took the hydroplane racing world by storm and set several world records from 1929-1933.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineUniversity of Michigan has the unique distinction of being the only university in the world of having an alumni chapter on the moon.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineDuring World War II, the Woman's Land Army was established to keep farms operational so the country could be fed. Florence Hall from Port Austin, Michigan was chosen to lead the endeavor.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineOn June 6, 1822, an employee of the American Fur Company on Mackinac Island was accidentally shot in the stomach at close range, injuring his stomach and ribs. The unusual outcome of the accident would provide Dr. William Beaumont the platform needed to research one of the greatest contributions to medical science from the 19th century.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIn November of 1926, the Barnes Hecker mine located in Ishpeming, Michigan caved. The mine flooded, leaving only one survivor of the tragedy.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineRosie the Riveter was an icon of World War II and a real person as well.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineEphraim Shay was a merchant, entrepreneur and self-taught railroad engineer who designed the revolutionary and game changing Shay locomotive.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineSS Carl D. Bradley was an American self-unloading Great Lakes freighter that sank in a Lake Michigan storm on November 18, 1958.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineAlvin Wood Chase was a traveling physician, salesman, author and self-made man. After settling in Ann Arbor, he compiled and published Dr. Chase's Recipes, a best selling book that would become a staple in U.S. homes.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineElizabeth Sparks Adams was an American historian who worked tireless as an advocate for Michigan history. She served for 54 years on the Michigan Historical Commission, making her the longest-serving public official in Michigan history, and the first woman president of the Commission.

Produced by Michigan History Magazine"Mr. Selfridge," a British period drama television series about Harry Gordon Selfridge and his department store, a man who grew up in Jackson, Michigan.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineThe of how a kind gesture by two young girls from Kalamazoo, Ella and Josephine May, would lead to the nationally recognized Memorial Day.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineDuring a period in history when segregation, discrimination and racism was the norm, Dukes’ Happy Holiday Resort was a favorite vacation spot for many African-American families.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineFordite, also known as Detroit agate or motor agate, was formed from the buildup of layers of enamel paint slag on tracks and skids on which cars were hand spray-painted, which have been baked numerous times.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineThe Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad became one of Michigan's longest and most successful railways with a quick expansion to 529 miles.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineThe Toledo War (1835–36), also known as the Michigan–Ohio War or the Ohio–Michigan War, was an almost bloodless boundary dispute between the U.S. state of Ohio and the adjoining territory of Michigan over a 10 mile stretch of land known as the Toledo Strip.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineMount Clemens, Michigan was known as Bath City USA, but it was also called the Rose Capital of the United States. Mount Clemens was the largest producer of roses in Michigan. Paul Weiss started the Mount Clemens Rose Gardens with the help of Japanese-American workers who would become lifelong family friends.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineBorn in Jackson County, Michigan, Holling Clancy Holling graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1923. The author was best known for his book Paddle-to-the-Sea which was inspired by some of his own personal journeys.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineThe United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineSojourner Truth was a life long American abolitionist and Women's rights activist who moved to Michigan in 1857.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineDeveloped in Saginaw, Michigan during the 1890's, Hinkley's Bone Liniment was a nostrum intended to cure everything from headaches to diphtheria.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineAbolitionist Frederick Douglass famously wrote, “Once let the black man get upon his person the brass letter, U.S., let him get an eagle on his button, and a musket on his shoulder and bullets in his pocket, there is no power on earth that can deny he has earned the right to citizenship.”

Produced by Michigan History MagazineLacrosse has become a worldwide sport, but its origins can be traced back to the early games of Native Americans.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIn this episode of Michigan History Moment, find out about how the citizens of Michigan joined together to help the Allied soldiers of WWI by collecting peach pits.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIn 1934, an infamous incident of racism leading prior to a match up between the University of Michigan and Georgia Tech nearly led to future president, Gerald R. Ford leaving the Wolverines football team in support of his teammate, roommate and friend, Willis Ward.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineMichigan Senator, William Alden Smith from Grand Rapids was instrumental in the hearings following the 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Some ridiculed Smith for his apparent ignorance of the shipping world, however, his report led to major reforms in maritime safety.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineHailing from Arcadia, Michigan, Harriet Quimby was a pioneer of women's empowerment. Her occupational list of achievements included aviator, journalist, and film screenwriter.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineJohn Askin came to North America with the British Army in 1758. After the British took over New France, he entered the fur trade and operated a trading post at Fort Michilimackinac with a series of financial ups and downs.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineDuring World War II, families throughout Michigan contributed to the war effort by participating in scrap drives. Metal, rubber, paper, and cooking fat were all turned into goods to help win the war.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineGerhard Mennen “Soapy” Williams, a liberal reformer, served for 12 years as Michigan’s 41st governor, from 1949 to 1960. Born into an affluent family on February 23, 1911 in Detroit, Michigan, Williams earned the nickname “Soapy” because his maternal grandfather was the founder of Mennen, a brand of men’s personal care products.

Produced by Michigan History MagazineIn July of 1911, the neighboring Michigan cities of Oscoda and AuSable burned to the ground in what has been called the "most devastating fire in the history of Michigan". Due to the heavy influence of the lumber trade in those years, both cities were constructed entirely of wood which made the communities extremely vulnerable for disaster.

Produced by Michigan HistoryLa Framboise was one of the most successful fur traders in Michigan, while it was still considered the Northwest Territory. At that time, fur trading was a difficult, dangerous and male-dominated occupation. Madame La Framboise was one of the most prominent early businesswomen in the territory.