Lanstories

In this episode, host David Siwik uses the 1986 fundraising visit by George H.W. Bush to local business magnet John McGoff as the premise for a deep dive into the Panax Corporation, and accusations leveled against it of illegal activity involving the South African government. Topics Siwik covers include McGoff’s biography, the growth and eventual liquidation of Panax, and the Vice Presidential visit to Lansing in 1986.

Keywords/tags: John McGoff, Panax Corporation, Lansing History, Mid-Michigan History, Business History, Michigan History, George Herbert Walker Bush, South Africa, Nelson Mandella, Soweto, Apartheid, Radio, Television, Media, Campaign, Republican Party, Fundraising, Protest, Peace Education Center of East Lansing

This episode of Lanstories delves into the historical significance of the Michigan Vietnam Veterans Memorial, dedicated on November 11, 2001, just two months after the harrowing events of September 11. We explore the context surrounding the memorial's creation, emphasizing its role as a poignant commemoration of the sacrifices made by Michigan veterans during the Vietnam War and examine the broader implications of war memorials within Lansing and their connections to the collective memory of our community.

In this episode, host David Siwik discusses the Kerns Hotel Fire of December 11, 1934. Topics discussed include the hotel, fire, and aftermath, as well as the history of the Lansing Box 23 club.

Keywords: Lansing, Lansing History, Michigan, Michigan History, Kerns Hotel, Building Construction, Early-20th Century History, Lansing Fire Department, Mount Hope Cemetery, Fire Alarm Box 23, Box 23 Club

Subject matter expert Daniel Siwik, a professional sign maker currently practicing his trade in Lansing, joined host David Siwik for a wide-ranging discussion of unique signs around Michigan’s capital city. This is a follow-up to an earlier episode, with host and guest expanding the connections between historic signs in Lansing and broader social, economic, and political trends.

Keywords, Tags:

1. Signs
2. Construction
3. Design
4. Automobile History
5. Architecture
6. Lansing, Michigan
7. Lansing History
8. Michigan History
9. United States History 20th century
10. 1920s
11. Teapot Dome Scandal
12. United States Navy
13. Sinclair Oil
14. Public Lands
15. Wyoming
16. President of the United States
17. Secretary of the Interior
18. Warren Gamaliel Harding
19. Albert Bacon Fall
20. Daniel Siwik

In this episode, Siwik interviews lifelong Lansing resident Timothy Bowman. Bowman is active in the Historical Society of Greater Lansing and shared with host David Siwik some of the research he has done on local history. Siwik and Bowman discussed sources and the plethora of local history resources to be found in the Lansing area.

Keywords: Lansing, Michigan, Regional History, Local History, Historical Society of Greater Lansing, Timothy Bowman, David Siwik, Capital Area District Library

Daniel Siwik joins host David Siwik to examine the art, science, and cultural considerations of signs in Michigan's capital city.

Keywords: Lansing, Michigan, Lansing Michigan, History, Signs, Communication, Daniel Siwik

Historical Society of Greater Lansing President Bill Castanier joined host David Siwik to discuss By the Yard: MIchigan in Panoramic Photography, an exhibit of historic panoramic photos. Consisting largely of photos from the Dan Barber Collection, Michigan State University Museum, Library of Congress, and other archival sources, the exhibit is on display through the Winter 2023. Bill and David discussed the acquisition, production, and display of the photos, as well as general themes of photography, identity and the place of photography in culture.

Explore More:

Website: Historical Society of Greater Lansing

Website: Library of Congress

Website: MSU Museums & Collections

Keywords: Photography, photographs, historic photography, panoramic photography, Michigan, Michigan history, Michigan State University, Lake Lansing/Pine Lake, Bill Castanier, David Siwik, Historical Society of Greater Lansing, Buffalo Bill.

This episode explores the Ransom Eli Olds and automobile production in Lansing through the filmmaker's lens with Michael Rodriguez, PhD, a Michigan State University professor who wrote and produced R.E. Olds and the First Auto City, released in 2019 as part of the Biddle City Project. Topics covered include Lansing automobile production, manufacturing processes and innovation, and telling the story of Ransom Eli Olds in the documentary film format.

Keywords: Lansing, Michael Rodriguez, Ransom Eli Olds, Olds Motor Vehicle Works, Oldsmobile, REO Motors, Michigan history, Automotive Production, Automotive History, Industrial Production, Mid-Michigan, East Lansing, Ingham County, Michigan, United States Industrial History, Rico Bruce Wade, Biddle City Project, Infobase

A continuation of a look at the Paving the Way project, exploring the social impact of the destruction of the neighborhood for the construction of Interstate 496. Siwik interviews Bill Castanier, President of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, and Patrick Sambaer, historian who worked on the project. The host and interviewees discuss aspects of the history project, including its inception, funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and changes necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Lansing, Michigan, Michigan history, Lansing history, Interstate Highway Act, oral history, local history, urban renewal, redlining, racism, discrimination, eminent domain, Bill Castanier, Patrick Sambaer, Historical Society of Greater Lansing

In this story, Lanstories explores the history of Interstate-496 through the Paving the Way: I-496 Project, an endeavor of the Historical Society of Greater Lansing, funded in part through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Patrick Sambaer appears as a guest to discuss the project and his work transcribing some of the interviews conducted as part of the project. Paving the Way focused on the people and business displaced with the construction of I-496.

Keywords: Paving the Way: I-496 Project, Historical Society of Greater Lansing, Interstate-496, Lansing, Interstate Highway Act, Lansing History, Michigan History, Patrick Sambaer, Oral History, Interviews, Redlining, Urban Renewal, African-American communities, Suburbanization