Happy Birthday Michigan - you don't look a day over 175... Well, that's because the state is, indeed, celebrating its 175th birthday today as Governor Snyder has declared it, "Michigan Statehood Day."
Michigan was "admitted to the union in 1837 as the 26th state," the Associated Press notes. The Detroit Free Press' Ron Dzwonkowski has a nice piece this morning on the state's history.
And, if that piques your interest, check out Michigan Radio Political Analyst Jack Lessenberry's story about the early days of the state, including the incredible history of Michigan's "boy governor" Stevens T. Mason who, as Lessenberry describes, "flashed across history like a comet, accomplishing more at a younger age than anyone could have dreamed possible and then burning out even faster. He made Michigan a state, fought the Toledo War, won the Upper Peninsula, established public education, and otherwise put the mitten on the map before his career collapsed. He died at a tragically young 31."
And, if you're a real Michigan history buff - check out the state's Constitution from 1835. Or, check out this "tourism map" from 1839.
