Motorin' Through Michigan

I-94 Across State A Haven For History Buffs

Statue of famous abolitionist and social reformer Sojourner Truth (above), who settled in Battle Creek in the 1850s. Below, the Kimball House Museum, also located in Battle Creek.

The first thing everyone thinks of when you mention vacationing in Michigan is skiing...that is, snow skiing. After all, it's a northern state, adorned with hilly topography and if anything, is famous for its fabulous ski resorts. Being a close neighbor to Illinois, it's a short ride to reach the central and northern stretches of Michigan where most of the ski resorts are located.

And there are the water sports and related activities (like fishing), too. Michigan features more coastline miles than California. How could anyone not think of Michigan for its vast water-related activities? But...let's not forget its fantastic golf courses, too, several of which I've been fortunate enough to golf on...and believe me...they're great!

But there is another side to Michigan that many vacationers don't either think about or know about because it's not as well promoted. Yes, Michigan is vast in resources, but I'm going to tell you about a few most of you likely don't know about, which I experienced on a recent tour. That is the east-to-west corridor that runs along its southern region and along Interstate 94 from Kalamazoo to Ann Arbor stopping just west of Detroit. You will be amazed at what historical riches and entertaining things await you.

The travel tour started on Monday and ended on the following Sunday, though not for everyone. The 20 to 25 travelers who participated were winging in-and-out constantly, some arriving with their own car, some leaving, then returning...and so on. For me, I wasn't able to join the tour until Wednesday evening in Kalamazoo. Though I missed some outstanding functions beforehand, I believe I caught the best stuff on Thursday-to-Saturday. Though it was a grueling, on-the-go three days of travel, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way...such a rewarding experience this trip was.

There was considerable participation by countless volunteers from each of the towns and historical societies involved in the trip, which if not for their involvement would have made the tour much less effective. It started in South Haven, New Buffalo, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor along the shores of Lake Michigan eastward to Ann Arbor, Monroe and Monroe County (the latter located on the shores of Lake Erie). So, the tour was essentially coast-to-coast.

This region of Michigan is distinctively different than its upper two-thirds in being flatter with rolling countryside, covered with farmland, pastures, vineyards, orchards, forested land and small towns. It's not vastly populated, but as you will see, it is rich with history. As the state entered the industrial revolution like the rest of the country after the Civil War, sections of Michigan became more dependent on industry, like Battle Creek, whereas others remained basically agrarian. Tourism in Michigan was said to have taken shape around 1850.

Michigan was explored in the late 1600s, but it wasn't until the Northwest Territory Treaty of 1795, nearly 20 years after America had declared itself a free nation, that the real history, as we know it today, of Michigan began. This expanse of land covered under the Treaty attracted settlers who slowly pushed the American natives out and to the West, though not without formidable resistance. Both the French and British had their anchors planted in this area, which made the struggle for occupancy that much more harrowing. The War of 1812 all but ended organized Native American resistance.

Today, communities like Saugatuck, South Haven, St. Joseph and New Buffalo remain key resort areas for Midwesterners and have attracted an eclectic group of artists. Here and further to the east, from Kalamazoo to Battle Creek to Jackson and Ann Arbor, a variety of attractions await travelers...art galleries, museums, shopping, fine dining, architecture, sports, etc.

My first stop was in Battle Creek, home of the legendary cereal makers, Kellogg and Post...both from the same area! Nicknamed "Cereal City", it remains the cereal capital of the world. Though W.K. Kellogg and C.W. Post fought it out in the 1890s for dominance in dry cereals, including beverages and prepared foods, other important features helped shape a significant amount of Battle Creek's history. Among the most prominent is the Battle Creek Heritage Mile, which stretches from Monument Park along Michigan Avenue westward to Historic Adventist Village. The Heritage Mile began as an Indian path evolving into a rutted dirt trail through the frontier trail that would become Battle Creek. As the village grew to become a city, by the 1830s and 1840s, fugitive slaves having fled from the tyranny of the south used this area as a safe haven via the famous Underground Railroad. The renowned Seventh-Day Adventist Church was founded at this time by Ellen and James White, but perhaps the most well-known story to emerge from the creation of the Heritage Mile and settlement of Battle Creek was the "Freedom Saga of Battle Creek", which chronicled the Quakers who settled into this area. It also signaled the arrival of Sojourner Truth, one of the nation's most famous abolitionists and social reformers, who came to settle in Battle Creek in 1856.

I should also point out that in addition to the historical sites along the Heritage Mile, you should consider visiting the Kimball House Museum at 196 Capital Avenue N.E. I visited this 1886-built mansion, which features the most extensive collection of artifacts and archival material of Sojourner Truth. The other point of interest in Battle Creek is Oak Hill Cemetery at 255 South Avenue. This famous cemetery contains many Battle Creek pioneers, war heroes, bankers, merchants and farmers including the resting places of Sojourner Truth, C.W. Post, members of the Kellogg family and Arthur H. Kimball (of the Kimball House).

Close by and to the west of Battle Creek is the town of Marshall, one of the most idyllic small towns in the midwest. It contains the largest small urban National Historic Landmark District in the nation with 850 contributing structures. As with its neighbor, Battle Creek, Marshall was a stopping point for the Underground Railroad. Marshall has been the home of preservation and restoration long before it was popular and maintains a vast collection of vintage 19th century antique shops, art galleries, arts and crafts, specialty and gift shops and quaint restaurants.

If you are able to visit Marshall and believe me, you will enjoy it, you must make time to visit the Honolulu House and the American Museum of Magic. The Honolulu House, now a museum, was built in 1860 by Abner Pratt, the first consul to the then Sandwich Islands, now the Hawaiian Islands. Most of the ornate furnishing inside the house are from the 1870s and 1880s, which are constantly in a state of professional restoration.

The second "must-see" stop in Marshall is the American Museum of Magic - and it's quite amazing. This two-story storefront shop and museum in downtown Marshall features nearly one million items from the 16th century to present day of authentic specimens of illusion equipment, advertising lithographs, posters, props, scrapbooks, films, recordings, letters, photographs, traveling cases, trunks, costumes, magic sets, figurines, artwork, sculpture and anything else you can think of related to the memorabilia of magic. Most of the materials are authentic, including several from Harry Blackstone and Harry Houdini.

One last bit about Marshall, for those of you interested in bed and breakfast, you owe it to yourself to check out the National House Inn at 102 South Parkview, Michigan's oldest operating Inn. Built in 1835, it features a mix of 19th century architectural styles. It's an amazing place for young and old couples.

Our next visit was the Binder Zoo, located three miles south of Exit 100 off of I-94 outside of Battle Creek. For someone who has visited our two local zoos, Lincoln Park and Brookfield, as well as the fine zoos in Milwaukee and St. Louis, this is one area you wouldn't expect to find a zoo...and it's quite impressive. Though Binder Zoo isn't as well traveled or known as big city zoos are, it stands up to them in terms of size, exhibits, number of animals, programs offered, expertise from the staff and overall presentation.

Having opened in 1977, it is estimated that 300,000 visited the zoo in 2007. There are approximately 603 specimens of animals covering 140 species, including one of the largest giraffe herds in the country. There are 32 rare and exotic animal exhibits with 19 domestic animal exhibits. The zoo is especially set up for children's programs with hands-on participation and instruction from the zoo's many professional staff members.

Pressing further to the east, we visited the City of Monroe where I learned something I was totally unaware of...that Monroe has a comprehensive collection of memorabilia and artifacts regarding General George Armstrong Custer. I'm guessing many of you didn't know that General Custer left his imprint on this idyllic lakeside community and region, which lies just north of Toledo and about 30 miles sough of downtown Detroit. Of all our stops, this was the one that flourished with the most interesting history.

Though slightly off the I-94 corridor, this is a stop you want to make, especially if you are into early American history...and the legacy of Custer. If that's the case, you must visit the Monroe County Historical Museum at 126 South Monroe Street. The museum building was built on the site of General and Mrs. Custer's home in 1910. As Monroe is the home of La-Z Boy chairs and furniture, their Foundation acquired the building in 1972 to assure that the vast riches of the museum remained intact...a history that covers 18th and 19th century relics and artifacts about settlement in this area of the state.

Split into sections, you will learn of the rich heritage of Native American lore with Monroe County containing the most prehistoric archaeological sites than any other county in the state. Exhibits of this pre-settlement era traces the surviving Potawatomi tribe to their later homes in Kansas and Oklahoma. Other impressive displays and exhibits are as follows:

The French Habitants: The French-Canadian inhabitants that settled southward from the Detroit-Windsor region named this area the River Raisin Basin after the grapevines that grew along the banks. This exhibit covers pioneer lifestyle common to hunters, trappers and fishermen. What was known as Frenchtown was almost destroyed during the War of 1812.

Early Michigan: Much of the state's history is contained in Monroe County, located at the southeast corner of the state. A potential civil war was barely averted in the Toledo War of 1835 in which Michigan lost Toledo to Ohio, but gained the Upper Peninsula. This exhibit contains Michigan's earliest railroads shortly after the Erie Canal opened.

Victoriana: This exhibit contains superb examples of Victorian-period furniture, glasswork, decorative arts and clothing.

Veteran's Exhibit: In addition to chronicling key events during the War of 1812, this exhibit contains a vast display articles related to the Toledo War, Civil War, Spanish-American War, WWI and WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. The Civil War is especially well represented.

It should be noted that Monroe is peppered with the memory of Custer in which traces of his legacy can be found at 21 locations throughout the city and can be accessed on a walking tour.

Again, for history buffs, I encourage you to stop at the Dorsch Memorial Branch Library at 18 East First Street, a structure that was built in 1828 featuring a prodigious collection of material on Custer. There are more than 35,000 items on display at this historical library. Another stop for you history enthusiasts is Monroe's Historic Woodland Cemetery at East Fourth and Jerome Streets. It is one of Michigan's oldest cemeteries where many of Monroe's pioneers, political and public officials and veterans who fought in military conflicts from the Revolutionary War to Vietnam lay to rest. Some Custer family members are buried here, too. I wanted to cover briefly the River Raisin Battlefield Visitors Center at 1403 East Elm Street in Monroe. If you weren't impressed enough with the historical lore at the other sites, here's another one I strongly encourage you to visit. Much of the history of Monroe County owes itself to the battles fought in 1812 and 1813. It is a defining time in the area's history, especially the massacre that occurred in January 1813.

This was an area of convergence between Canadian and Kentucky militiamen, Ohio Volunteers, British troops and Potawatami Indians in a fight to claim rights to the supply lines that ran north of Detroit, a major settlement by this time. Much too complicated to describe here, the series of battles started in August 1812 and continued on-and-off until January 1813. The British had allied themselves with the Indians and with Canadian assistance, on the morning of January 22, 1813, of the 400 American militiamen who tried to defend their encampment, only 33 escaped.

The details of this massacre are presented in an audio-visual program sponsored by volunteers at the Battlefield Visitors Center. It provides a fascinating reenactment of the events that took place on that day...as well as the battles that ensued that ultimately led to the liberation of River Basin in September, 1813.

Another stop on the tour was in Ann Arbor, most notably known as the home of the University of Michigan Wolverines, a Big 10 school. We happened to arrive on a day the Wolverines were playing a football game against the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers, which meant on that Saturday, just about all activities near the stadium and the city itself came to a standstill. This venerable institution has over 38,000 students enrolled adding to the 115,000 residents in Ann Arbor while the stadium (nicknamed "Big House") itself holds an amazing 110,000. The game on that day drew a near capacity crowd of 109,432.

A tradition for many Ann Arbor-ites before attending the game is to line up and get a sandwich from the well-renowned delicatessen, Zingerman's at 422 Detroit Street. The few of us who were attending the game as well as most of the tour group huddled together to sample sandwiches of their choice along with pickle, chips and a soft drink. The locals claim New York and Chicago have nothing to compare, and though I beg to differ, it was nonetheless outstanding...and a great time had by all.

Speaking of dining, though I have been remiss for not mentioning the incredible restaurants we ate at in Battle Creek, Marshall and Monroe, the one I must absolutely tell you about it is Evans Street Station at 110 South Evans Street in downtown, Ann Arbor. I had a full day of kayaking and the football game, but I cleaned up and joined the group to savor a multi-course meal that was exquisite. The dinner was prepared for the group.

Auto racing fans take note - just south of Jackson, southwest of Ann Arbor, and not far off of I-94 is the Michigan International Speedway, a two-mile banked tri-oval track that opened in 1968. It seats 132,000 and is currently being equipped with better grandstands. Until recently, the speedway hosted the IRL and Champ Series (formerly CART) racing circuits and since 1992 has been on the NASCAR schedule.

The last stop before heading back to Chicago was a specially arranged presentation at the Purple Rose Theatre in Chelsea, which is a stone's throw away from Ann Arbor. This theatre company has been in existence since the early 1990s and is the brain child of its artistic director and famous film star, Jeff Daniels. Jeff remains a member of the community and was inspired to build this theatre playhouse from his leading role in Woody Allen's film "The Purple Rose of Cairo". Unfortunately, Jeff was away shooting a film during our visit.

This three-sided theatre features a season-full of plays ranging from comedy to drama and even Shakespeare and has become a staple in the area's entertainment offerings. I heartily recommend you take in a play at this quaint and professionally operated theatre.

A last word about Ann Arbor. Sperling's Best Places named Ann Arbor as the "3rd Smartest City in America" in 2007 and rated Ann Arbor as the "5th Best City to Live in the U.S." in 2007. Expansion Management magazine rated Ann Arbor as one of the "Top 10 Metro Areas for College-Educated Workers" in 2007. And American Style magazine ranked the Ann Arbor Art Fairs as "One of the Top 10 Art Fairs and Festivals in the U.S." in 2006.