Fireworks over the Capitol, photo by City Saunter.
January 26, 2011 is Michigan’s 174th Birthday. You can learn about Michigan’s rough & rocky road to Statehood on Absolute Michigan.
Check this out bigger in Ariniko’s Lansing slideshow and here’s hoping you find something about Michigan to celebrate today!!
PS: Also check out her City Saunter project to walk every street in Lansing!
Greater Buffalo, photo by joeldinda.
Joel’s Borucki’s Lakers set features photos some great old photos along with history of the vessels. He uploaded one the other day of the steamer Greater Buffalo heading toward Lake Erie on the Detroit River that was taken in August 4, 1939. On another photo of the Greater Buffalo he writes that this photo is easily the most interesting ship in the Borucki picture collection and says:
Greater Buffalo, shown here passing under the Ambassador Bridge, was launched at Lorain on October 27, 1923, for the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company, and made her first trip on May 13, 1925. She could carry 300 crew members and 1,200 passengers between Buffalo and Detroit on an overnight basis. Her sister ship Greater Detroit alternated on the run with her. These two Frank Kirby-designed ships were the last, largest, and (perhaps) fastest sidewheel passenger ships built on the lakes; when they were launched their construction costs were reported as $3.5 million apiece.
Greater Buffalo was requisitioned by the Navy in 1942, converted to an aircraft carrier and renamed USS Sable; she and USS Wolverine (the former Seeandbee–another Kirby design, and the other “fastest” claimant) worked as training ships out of Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago. She was retired after the war and broken up in 1948.
There’s a couple more photos of the Greater Buffalo/U.S.S. Sable in the UD Mercy Marine Historical Collection.
Check it out big as a battleship and in Joel’s Borucki’s Lakers slideshow.
The Best I Ever Had, photo by Thomas Hawk.
sl33stak aka Jamie MacDonald is one of the photographers of the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr. About his Motor City Explorers. An Urbex Love Story at Kickstarter he writes:
I am trying to get a project off the ground at Kickstarter and need YOUR help. How? I need a few Detroit urbex’rs willing to be the subject of the documentary, and I need exposure! In order to do this I need to get enough funding to cover my expenses in creating this short film.
If you are interested and can pledge a few dollars that would be great. If not, can you spread the word? Let as many people know as possible? If you are interested in participating as either a subject, or a guide, or just want to come along for the ride then Flickr mail me!! I am shooting for June to film this.
Speaking of projects, one of Flickr’s most prolific photographers is Thomas Hawk. One of his projects is to document the 100 Largest American Cities. This photo appears in his massive #11, Detroit, MI set (slideshow) and you could (and should) check it out background bigalicious.
Im not Fat, Im Fluffy!, photo by Spring Noel.
All About Birds says that the Tufted Titmouse is common in eastern deciduous forests and a frequent visitor to feeders. They eat mostly insects in the summer but aren’t above seeds, nuts, and berries and (in the case of this fellow) cheesecake and jelly donuts. Fun facts:
Check out Birding in Michigan’s Ode to the Tufted Titmouse and see more birds on Michigan in Pictures.
See this bigger in Spring’s Birds slideshow.
Good Morning Detroit / Explored, photo by . : : v i S H a l : : ..
In Michigan Governor Rick Snyder delivered his first State of the State address, he expressed support for the proposed Detroit River International Crossing bridge saying (in part):
Last year, Canada was the top market for our products. In 2009, Michigan did roughly $4 billion in trade with Canada . We also know that one out of every eight jobs in Detroit is in the export industry. In Grand Rapids, it’s one out of seven…
To satisfy growing demand, we must move forward towards building a bridge, a new bridge from Detroit to Windsor, The Detroit River International River Crossing.
This project isn’t just a Detroit issue. Every farmer and manufacturer in our state can tell you why it’s important to have world trade. This new bridge will create jobs, strengthen our economy, help establish Michigan as a hub for global commerce. So let’s work together so this opportunity does not slip away.
Sounds like a sensible idea to me. The owners of Ambassador Bridge don’t seem to agree…
Check this out big as a bridge and see more in Vishal’s Detroit slideshow.
Also see the Ambassador Bridge slideshow!
ice ice baby, photo courtesy NOAA CoastWatch – Great Lakes Region
Michigan is under the big chill right now, ranging from -4.2 in Escanaba to a balmy 22.8 in Holland.
Check this out big as Michigan and click for some more great satellite photos from this series.
More ice & snow on Michigan in Pictures, including some nifty Michigan winter wallpaper.
Road building by CCC men of Camp Cusino, photo courtesy Archives of Michigan
Read the story behind this photo and see a video of 94 year old Ernest Hubacker’s story of his time with the Civilian Conservation Corps at Seeking Michigan: Cold Conservation Corps. Check out a lot more features and Michigan history at seekingmichigan.org!
ISS over Charlevoix Harbor…….., photo by smiles7.
Julie caught the International Space Station with her fisheye a couple of months ago.
Check it out bigger in her ISS slideshow.
I have a dream this afternoon that my four little children, that my four little children will not come up in the same young days that I came up within, but they will be judged on the basis of the content of their character, not the color of their skin.
I have a dream this afternoon that one day right here in Detroit, Negroes will be able to buy a house or rent a house anywhere that their money will carry them and they will be able to get a job.
~Martin Luther King, June 23, 1963 Detroit, Michigan
The quotation above comes not from Dr. Martin Luther King’s famous speech, but rather from the massive March to Freedom that happened 2 months earlier in Detroit. You can read the full text at mlkonline.com or it that’s overloaded still, view the cached version. A few years ago on Absolute Michigan, we featured an article on the Walk to Freedom:
On June 23, 1963, an estimated 125,000 people marched down Detroit’s Woodward Avenue carrying placards and singing “We Shall Overcome.” National and state leaders who marched along with Reverend King included United Auto Workers president Walter Reuther, former Michigan governor John B. Swainson, and Detroit mayor Jerome Cavanagh.
The march ended at Cobo Hall where the Reverend King was cheered by thousands of marchers when he emphasized that segregation needed to end. A veteran of the struggle to end racial segregation, King believed that it was the duty of African Americans to take part in demonstrations like the Walk to Freedom, which he called, “one of the most wonderful things that has happened in America.”
There’s a few pictures of the march at the Detroit News including this shot of the crowd on Woodward Ave from above (sorry – no direct link scroll down and look for it).
I Dream Of Clouds, photo by MightyBoyBrian.
Every week in my Leelanau.com email newsletter I feature something from Michigan in Pictures. This week, I found the choice impossible, so sent all 7. Mouse over, check a few out – it will probably be clear why Michigan in Pictures is my favorite thing to work on…
About this photo Brian writes:
Polarized filters used when photographing the sky make me think of the outer atmosphere. It’s the deep darkness. I love it and I want to get lost in photographing scenes like this. The sky just needs to clear up a little bit for that to happen. Come on Sun!
Check this out background bigalicious and in Brian’s slideshow.
Lots more Michigan wallpaper for your background bemusement.
Michigan in Pictures 
