Michigan Minute

1881: James A. Garfield, who had only been president for four months, was shot by Charles Guiteau, and would succumb to his wounds on September 19, 1881. Guiteau, a failed lawyer, evangelist and University of Michigan attendee who believed Garfield owed him a government position, was convicted of murder and executed on June 30, 1882. The assassination prompted public outcry and led to the passage of the Pendleton Act in 1883, which aimed to reform the civil service system, reducing political influence in government appointments and instituting merit-based hiring practices

1955: Michigan State College of Agriculture and Applied Science changed its name to Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science after lobbying for university status. The institution argued its diverse programs and ability to grant four-year degrees qualified it as a university, though Michigan law lacked a specific definition of "university." Despite opposition from the University of Michigan, a bill enabling the name change was passed by the state Senate in April 1955 with overwhelming support. The name was further simplified to Michigan State University in 1964.

In 1915, Selina Pramstaller and Tillie Esper of Detroit penned a note, declaring their enjoyment at Tashmoo Park on Harsens Island. Their message, preserved in a bottle, lay submerged in the St. Clair River for 97 years until its discovery in 2013. Tashmoo Park, once bustling with picnics, baseball games, and steamship arrivals from Detroit and Port Huron, now holds a piece of history in the form of their uncorked message, displayed at the marina where the park once thrived.

1863: George Armstrong Custer, from Monroe, Michigan, was promoted to brigadier general and given command of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, later playing a crucial role in halting Confederate advances at Gettysburg. 1928: The Michigan Conservation Department and Department of Health initiated their first joint pollution control program, aiming to safeguard Michigan’s lakes and streams from industrial and human waste.

1965: Governor George Romney signed the bill making the Petoskey Stone Michigan’s official state rock, named after Chief Petosegay of the Ottawa nation. 1958: Governor G. Mennen Williams dedicated the world’s largest suspension bridge, the Mackinac Bridge, marking a significant connection between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas.

1947: the first College World Series of Baseball took place in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where the University of California swept Yale in a best-of-three games. 1975: Also born in Kalamazoo on this day was writer Teju Cole, known for his acclaimed works like "Every Day Is for the Thief" and "Open City," and currently holding a prestigious position at Harvard University.

1911: Michigan adopted its current state flag, featuring a blue field with the state coat-of-arms. The design includes symbols like the sun, lake, and peninsula, along with an elk, moose, and bald eagle, representing Michigan's natural and historical heritage.

1832: Detroit faced a devastating cholera epidemic, prompting city-wide measures including quarantine restrictions and controversial medical treatments. The epidemic persisted intermittently until the mid-19th century, leaving a lasting impact on the city's public health measures.

1960: A potentially disastrous incident occurred the day before the dedication of the new Houghton-Hancock Bridge over Portage Lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The steamer J.F. Schoellkopf narrowly avoided colliding with the bridge after the bridge operator failed to open it upon receiving the whistle signal from Captain Albert Wilhelmy. Reacting swiftly, Captain Wilhelmy ordered the engines reversed and dropped anchor, inadvertently snagging two of six Michigan Bell telephone cables in the process. This led to the steamer running aground and cutting off telephone service to approximately 1,000 customers in and around Hancock.

1963: Approximately 125,000 individuals participated in a historic march down Detroit's Woodward Avenue, carrying placards and singing "We Shall Overcome." Led by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., this march stands as one of the largest demonstrations in the nation's history. The event was organized by the Detroit Council for Human Rights as a way to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of racial violence that ravaged the city in 1943, resulting in 34 deaths and hundreds injured. Known as the "Walk to Freedom," the march aimed to address the persistent underlying causes of racial tension.