A historical marker stands in a small park next to the library in downtown Ypsilanti. It stands in memorial of a African American engineer that created a memorable idiom for something genuine.

Elijah McCoy was trained as a mechanical engineer and the son of former slaves. He made his living as a fireman stoking fires and oiling engines for the Michigan Central Railroad. McCoy sought to end the delays caused by frequent oil stops. In his Ypsilanti workshop he developed a lubricating cup that continuously fed oil to steam engines. His device automated steam engine maintenance that was previously done by hand and he patented an automatic lubricator in 1872. By 1926 he had patented more than forty lubricating devices used internationally on trains and boats and in factories. Other people and companies began “knocking off” his invention with inferior products. McCoy began marketing his oil cups as “The Real McCoy” to separate his products from poor quality imposters. As steam engines faded in use the oil cups did too, but they saying “The Real McCoy” has remained and it all began with an engineer from Ypsilanti.

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If you have ever visited Silver Lake State Park you have probably driven through the small town of Mears. You may have seen the life size bronze statue of a man wearing a bowler hat which is usually adorned with a red necktie. It is a statue of Swift Lathers, a newspaper publisher known for wearing a blue shirt with a red tie who lived and worked in the small town of Mears. When I say “newspaper publisher” I am not referring to someone like William Randolf Hearst, who ran the largest newspaper chain in the nation. Rather, Swift Lathers ran what he himself claimed was the smallest newspaper in the world. He wrote, edited and printed it from his West-Michgian home.

Swift was born in 1889 and grew up near Detroit. His mother, an english teacher, taught young Swift at home for many years. He went on to graduate as a teacher from Michigan State Normal School which eventually became Eastern Michigan University. He also graduated from the University of Michigan Law School, but never took the bar exam or practiced law. He worked for a few years as a journalist in Dearborn before moving to the small town of Mears, located on the west side of the state between Ludington and Muskegon.

In 1914, Swift started his newspaper, printing it on a manual foot operated printing press. It was a small paper in physical size, only about five by seven inches. Originally he called it the Mears News but he changed the name to Mears Newz. When he first began circulating his newspaper he sold it for twenty five cents and was told that it would not last six months. A yearly subscription to the Mears Newz was fifty cents or one dollar for six months. He personally delivered his paper to local residents and mailed them to customers who lived further away. Eventually there were almost three thousand subscribers in several states, some as far away as Colorado.

At one point he was not able to keep up with circulation so he took his alphabetized list of subscribers and cut off everyone above the letter D and below the letter S. Swift was a rather eccentric person but also extremely intelligent and a master of the English language. He wrote many editorials speaking out for individual rights, the support of rural schools, and many other social causes. Charges were filed against him a few times to suppress what he published, but he successfully defended himself and the freedom of the press. One of the cases went all the way to the State Supreme Court in which he successfully argued in his defense. He published his paper for fifty six years until his death in 1970. The whole time he kept his annual subscription price to fifty cents. His home in Mears is now a museum.

Reminder: I will be at Charlin’s Book Nook in Frankenmuth on Sunday April 2nd from 1-4 signing books. I hope you can stop by and say hello. 

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A few blocks northeast of the Flint Truck and Bus assembly plant is a small park with a memorial to the Sit Down Strike. On December 30th, 1936 the workers at General Motor’s Fisher Body Plant stopped production and barricaded themselves inside the plant. They learned the company was going to move the dies that stamp out most of the body parts for GM’s cars. Rather than picketing outside, they occupied the plant so GM could not move the stamping dies or bring in scab workers to break the union strike. Without the body parts, most of General Motor’s production came to a halt.  Governor Murphy sent in the Michigan National Guard, not to help one side or the other, but to keep the peace. After 44 days the United Auto Workers of America and GM came to an agreement and production resumed.

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On the eve of D-Day (June 6th 1944) general Eisenhower was talking to a group of paratroopers from the 101st Airborne, and an unknown army photographer captured this iconic image of the general talking with the Screaming Eagles.  It was not until 1984 that an employee at the war department saw the photo, and realized that the Lieutenant with the #23 was Wally Strobel from his hometown of Saginaw Michigan. ( My hometown too) When Mr. Strobel was asked about the photo, he said that the general asked him where he was from ” Michigan Sir” he replied, and Ike asked how the fishing was, “great sir” then the general said that Michigan was a beautiful state and reminisced about fishing in the state for a few minutes with the paratroopers. I guess now I know why “we like Ike”.

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This stone monument stands next to the old fire station in downtown Ithaca. A historical monument gives some history of the man it memorializes.

Henry R. Pattengill began his career as the superintendent of St. Louis schools, and later of Ithaca schools. His experiences in rural Michigan education led him to advocate for its improvement during his tenure as Michigan Superintendent of public instruction. In 1924 his formal pupils and admirers donated 510 stones from around the world to construct this monument next to the Ithaca fire station as a memorial to their beloved teacher, colleague, and friend.

Henry R. Pattengill (1852 – 1918) was Michigan’s Superintendent of public instruction from 1893 to 1897. As a textbook author, an orator and editor of Moderator-Topics, a journal for educators, he shaped Michigan’s education system. He championed the creation of rural district libraries, free textbooks, and teacher certification. Running as a Progressive, he lost his bid for governor in 1914.

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Living in Saginaw I travel I-75 frequently. Near Birch Run is a sign in honor of John Wayne “Dusty” Marcum. I have seen it for many years but wondered about him.

After graduating from Flushing High School in 1991 John Wayne “Dusty” Marcum joined the Navy.  and became part of the Navy SEAL’s Naval Special Development Warfare Group known, otherwise known as SEAL Team 6 and took part in 12 overseas missions. He reached the rank of senior chief petty officer and earned several medals and ribbons including two Silver Stars, four Bronze Stars with Valor, and a Purple Heart for his service

On September 11, 2008 Marcum was wounded in Afghanistan in a battle with heavily armed militants and died the following day. A section of I-75 near his hometown of Flushing is named in his honor. From now on, whenever I see that sign, I will remember the sacrifice he and so many others, including their families, have made for my freedom.

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You have probably heard the phrase ” What in the Sam Hill ” It is a euphemism for what in the hell or other possible curse words. Interestingly, Sam Hill was a real person who lived in Michigan. The origin of the saying is unknown but a possible theory is for Samuel W. Hill who was a surveyor in the Upper Peninsula.  Hill was a geologist, surveyor, and mining engineer in the Keweenaw Peninsula area. He was well respected in copper country for his skills and kindness in helping the community.  Hill was also know to use foul language and when stories were told about him his name was used in place of curse words and that his how his name supposedly became a euphemism for swear words.

Hill was twice elected to the state legislature, and retired to this house in Marshall in 1875 where he died in 1889. The home is now used as a doctors office. A historical marker for Sam Hill stands next to it and gives a little info about the man, but does not mention his propensity for swearing.

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