Enjoy some history during Michigan Week

Michigan week runs from May 19 through the 25th and May 23 has been designated (by State Senator Cameron Brown) as "Michigan Historical Marker Awareness Day." We have over 1,500 historical markers all over the state. I pass by about three or four every day just driving around White Pigeon. Anyway, you are encouraged to find out more about our state's deeply historic places and plan a visit to some of our historical markers. You most likely will not have to travel far to find a historical marker. Just like me, you probably live within a short trip of at least one marker.

Where to find a Michigan Historical Marker I enjoy Jim Brennan's website - The Michigan Historical Marker Web Site. He has photographed an estimated 1,575 of Michigan's historical markers. You can view the markers by county, topic, or via a search box. He includes the text from the marker as well as a photo of the site (if the marker is gone) or the site with the marker present.

You would be amazed at how many of Michigan's historical markers are stolen. A quick search for me turned up 5 historical markers within a five mile radius. He has the search function integrated with Google Maps so you don't even have to worry about asking for directions - just print out the map. It is truly a great site for any Michigan history buff or just someone wanting to learn more about where they live.

Also, you can purchase the book by Laura Rose Ashlee, "Traveling Through Time: A Guide to Michigan's Historical Markers" which is an excellent resource and companion to Jim's website. In fact, Jim credits Laura Rose Ashlee for providing information and photos of markers that were missing before he was able to photograph them.

So do yourself a favor and learn a little bit more about where you live. It will only take a little trip and hey, there might even be an ice cream stand along the way. Not a bad deal in my book :).