Michigan Minute

Today in 2000, after 27 years of litigation, an agreement was made between Michigan, the US Government, and various indigenous tribes regarding fishing restrictions, particularly nets that were killing fish en masse. In 1920, the Detroit Tigers shut out the New York Yankees 1-0 in the shortest game in American League history, lasting just one hour and thirteen minutes. Today also marks the birthday of Jim Blanchard, born in Detroit in 1942, who served as a two-term Michigan governor and later ambassador to Canada.

Today in 1926, Grand River Avenue, or Historic US-16, opened in Michigan, becoming the first paved road to stretch completely across the state. Connecting Detroit to Muskegon, it served as a primary highway for nearly four decades. Today is also National Lighthouse Day. Michigan boasts around 115 lighthouses, the most of any U.S. state. Built between 1818 and 1822, these lighthouses guided ships safely through the Great Lakes.

Today in 1942, Detroit restaurant owner Max Stephan was convicted of treason and sentenced to death for being a Nazi spy. A member of the local German immigrant community, Stephan was turned in by his peers, making the case a national sensation. It was only the second time in U.S. history someone was sentenced to death for treason, the first being during the Whiskey Rebellion. Hours before his execution, President Franklin D. Roosevelt commuted Stephan's sentence to life in prison, where he died of cancer in 1952.

Today in 1975, Stevie Wonder signed a groundbreaking contract with Motown worth $37 million for seven albums over seven years. Initially, Wonder considered retiring and moving to Ghana to focus on humanitarian work. However, a change of heart, soul, and contract terms led him back to the music industry. After announcing his plans for a final tour in March 1975, the public and record labels clamored to retain his talents, ultimately giving him unprecedented artistic control.

Today in 1877, the first telephone in Michigan rang, owned by the Grand Rapids Plaster Company, a friend of Alexander Graham Bell. Bell sent him a pair of the new devices for a public demonstration. The Bell Telephone Company had incorporated just a month earlier. Despite early design problems, the public quickly embraced the new technology. Within a month, the first commercial telephone line in Michigan connected a Detroit drug store to its lab. By October, Detroit police stations were linked by phone, and by decade's end, cities across Michigan were buzzing with telephone conversations.

Today in 1795, Chippewa Chief Matchekewis ceded Bois Blanc Island to the U.S. as part of the Treaty of Greenville, calling it "an extra and voluntary gift of the Chippewa nation." Following the Battle of Fallen Timbers, indigenous people ceded most of Ohio, part of Indiana, sixteen strategic sites on Michigan waterways, and Mackinac Island. In return, they were promised goods worth around $20,000. Over time, the island's pronunciation shifted to Bois Blanc, but locals still call it "Bob-lo." The island is twelve miles long, six miles wide, and has six lakes.

Today in 1923, the first car ferry service began across the Straits of Mackinac, with the wooden ferry Ariel carrying three cars on its inaugural voyage. The service operated until the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957. Also today in 1932, Eddie Tolan, a Black American sprinter from Detroit, became the first non-European to be named “The World’s Fastest Human” by winning gold in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes at the Los Angeles Olympic Games.

In 1913, John Bauer and Irv Giese opened The Garden Bowl, a 10-lane bowling alley on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. It has become America's oldest continuously operating bowling alley and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2008. Also today, Michigan-born Harriet Quimby, who became the first American woman to receive a pilot’s license and the first woman to fly across the English Channel, is celebrated for her pioneering achievements in aviation.

On this day in 1911, GM became the first auto stock on the NYSE. And in 1855, a treaty with the Ottawa and Chippewa set land reserves and pensions, led by Andrew Blackbird.

On this day in 1975, Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, sparking decades of mystery. And in 1997, Michigan's Supreme Court cleared the way for charter schools statewide.