The rich history of the Wolverine State has a serious dark side. In the Detroit area, the Black Legion outdid the Ku Klux Klan in hate but remained secret until one of its leaders was implicated in a murder. John Harvey Kellogg of Battle Creek was equal parts physician and quack. Then there were the state's two self-proclaimed kings--James Jesse Strang, the leader of a Mormon group on Beaver Island, and Albert Molitor, the reputed illegitimate son of German royalty who established his own ...

Grand Rapids restaurants have served up meals and memories since the city's earliest days. At Bentham's, one of the first downtown restaurants, customers without money to eat could trade an animal pelt for supper. John Sebaitis trained his German shepherd, Spooky, to serve beer to the patrons at his tavern. And a seventeen-year-old Gerald R. Ford worked part time as a server and dish washer at Bill's Place. Join Norma Lewis as she explores the history of Grand Rapids' most beloved eateries...

Wild Women of Michigan commemorates the women of this state who boldly left their marks.Countless Michiganian women performed extraordinary acts that challenged and improved the world. Madame Marie-Therese Cadillac served as the medicine woman in the frontier that became Detroit. Annie Taylor survived rolling over Niagara Falls in a barrel. After suffragist Anna Howard Shaw fought to vote, the state saw an influx of women running for office. In the 1970s, East Lans...

It's Christmas Eve, and Kate wants to bring her beloved baby blanket to church-despite the protests of her sister, neighbors and friends. Kate finds a way to make the blanket a truly special Christmas gift.In this touching holiday story, Kate adores her baby blanket and insists on bringing it to the Christmas Eve service, although her sister, friends, and neighbors remind her that "blankets are for babies." Join Kate on her heartwarming journey as she discovers a creative and ten...

Stretching 265 miles, the majestic Grand River is Michigan's longest waterway, and it was once considered one of the Midwest's most important. The river starts as a trickle just south of Jackson and gains power as it surges toward Lake Michigan in Grand Haven. Trappers first used the river to trade with the Native American villages along its banks. Later, the lumber industry transported logs via the Grand. The river shaped the towns and cities that grew up along its banks, providing them w...

Thirteen-year-old Kathleen Camille (Kasey) Mackenzie faces challenges in Alaska that will require all the strength and courage she can muster. She is forced to struggle with everything from a dress-stealing bear to a killer storm. The unthinkable happens: the death of her beloved father in a mining accident. Her mother had died two years earlier. Now she's alone in Alaska, but only until her grandmother comes to rescue her--whether she wants rescuing or not. Though mature beyond her years,...

The indigenous peoples of Alaska have a rich and colorful history. Come to the World Eskimo-Indian Olympics (WEIO) to learn more about it. The games, all rooted in Native history, are made up of such diverse events as blanket tossing, high kicking, knuckle hopping, fish cutting, seal skinning, muktuk eating, and beautiful babies in Native regalia. WEIO is one way those histories are kept alive. Through his work at the Alaska Native Heritage Center and in the Native Studies Program at the U...

Imagine sitting in a basket dangling thousands of feet above the ground drilling a hole into the side of mountain. Then you have to stuff that hole with dynamite and get out of the way before it explodes. This dangerous work was just part of the job for the men who built the Transcontinental Railroad. Lively language, historical photos and illustrations, and primary accounts help readers understand the dangers the workers faced every day while building the Transcontinental Railroad. Meets ...

Even in law-abiding southwestern Michigan, the Eighteenth Amendment turned ordinary citizens into scofflaws and sparked unprecedented unrest. Betta Holloway reached her breaking point when her husband, a Portland cop, was shot pursuing a rumrunner. She relieved his pain with a neighbor's homebrew. As farmers across the region fermented their fruit to make a living, gangsters like Al Capone amassed extraordinary wealth. Baby Face Nelson came to Grand Haven and proved that he had no aptitude...

Grand Rapids, a booming city on the banks of the Grand River, has become a thriving center for education, medicine, culture, and the arts. As Michigan’s second largest city, it offers a treasure trove of attractions. With 100 Things to Do in Grand Rapids Before You Die, you’ll see firsthand why this city is always topping the lists of the best places to visit. Residents and visitors alike will enjoy the picturesque Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park. Where else will you fi...

Wyoming, Michigan, became a city in 1959, the same year Alaska and Hawaii became states, but its history began more than a century earlier. The first permanent settlers came in 1832, and in 1848, the region split, with the northern portion becoming Wyoming and the southern, Byron Center. Wyoming flourished. The farmers came first with the businesses that supported them. Industry followed. The various gypsum mines were among the earliest arrivals. General Motors built a stamping plant on Th...

With the push toward accountability and test performance in schools there has been a decline in emphasis on creativity, imagination, and feelings in schools. Psychodynamic Perspectives on Working with Children, Families, and Schools is designed for students and professionals who are interested in restoring such values to their work with children.There is an absence of psychoanalytic ways of thinking in conventional professional discourses of schooling. With a few notable exceptions...