February 4, 2025 Post # 102

 

Quote for the Day: (Seney, Michigan) "Into its brief fifteen years of existence it compressed a hundred years' sin and hellraising." John Martin describing the town as it was in the 1890s. Call it North Country. 1944.

News

Beginning with the next posting of Michigan in Books the blog will be published on an irregular basis. It is anticipated postings will vary from a couple of weeks to more than a month. The change is due to the singular fact that this reviewer, editor, and publisher is of an age to be done with self-imposed deadlines. It has been recommended that this blog have an email address so publishers and independent authors can inquire about sending unsolicited books for review or to make sure their book meets the requirements for reviewing in Michigan in Books. The email address can be found by going to the top left-hand corner of the blog and clicking on about me/contact me.

REVIEWS

Warriors for Liberty: William Dollarson & Michigan's Civil War African Americans by Jack Dempsey

This third book by the Michigan Civil War Association is a much-needed contribution to the history of Michigan African Americans' service and sacrifice in the Civil War. The book is a veritable treasure-trove of information, stories, and numerous first-person accounts by Michigan African Americans and their experiences from fleeing slavery to fighting to abolish it. 

The book covers a lot of ground from the state of African Americans in Michigan from when it became a state to the post-Civil War era and the slow recognition of their contribution in the war. The chapter on the Michigan Underground Railroad is a great introduction to its story and left this reader wanting to look for more on the subject. Of particular interest is the man named in the book's subtitle. Who was William Dollarson? He was an escaped slave who made it to Michigan, became a well-known Detroit chef, and was a major figure in Michigan's Underground Railroad. With the outbreak of the Civil War the 1st Michigan Regiment was formed and the Regiment's commander asked Dollarson to be the cook for his staff. 

The book also covers the1863 Detroit Riots that targeted Blacks. The chapter is particularly moving because it is filled with victims of the riot telling of being beaten, felled by thrown stones or bricks, and barely surviving being burned alive when rioters set their homes or businesses on fire. Readers will also find a brief history of the 1st Michigan Colored Regiment formed in August 1863. The regiment spent nineteen months in the field and suffered 10 percent fatalities. Not to be overlooked are the 40 pages of appendices filled with an abundance historical notes and highlights of African Americans in the Civil War including "The Most Recent Black Civil War Soldier to be Awarded the Medal of Honor." This fascinating and important book is obviously based on an enormous amount of research which is reflected in a 20-page bibliography.

Warriors for Liberty: William Dollarson & Michigan's Civil War African Americans by Jack Dempsey. Mission Point Press, 2025, 258p., $25.95.

Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates by Mikel B. Classen

This slim volume contains a wealth of information on a subject that seems as reluctant to reveal its history as the historical pirates of the Great Lakes who guarded their anonymity. Classen's research and history of piracy on the Great Lakes begins with the Fur Trade in the 1700s and closes with the death of the last known Great Lakes pirate in 1949. The author defines piracy as "attacking, robbing, and hijacking on the water." 

In the 1700s a large commercial canoe could carry a load of furs worth several thousand dollars. It made them a tempting target for those who preferred taking furs by robbery rather than the hard, wet, and cold work of trapping and skinning the animals for the fur. I'll bet most readers have never heard of Lumber Piracy. But it became so prolific the federal government had gunboats built to stop the pirates.  There is also a chapter on King James Jesse Strange. The Mormon leader probably took no part in actual piracy but encouraged his Beaver Island followers to take anything they needed from Gentiles on the island or mainland and also included attacking shipping. Classen includes a chapter that contains welcome new information on Michigan's legendary pirate Dan Seavey. He is probably the only man ever charged with piracy on the Great Lakes and after his conviction was hired as a U.S. Marshall.

The book is filled with photographs and illustrations that complement the narrative. Classen has written a fine survey of pirating on the Great Lakes and even readers with some knowledge of the subject will be find it worth their time.

Piracy on the Great Lakes: True Tales of Freshwater Pirates by Mikel B. Classen. Modern History Press, 2025, 62p., $15.95.

Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by Amy Piper

My hat's off to Amy Piper. I have spent more than half a life traveling across our state, writing about it, and in the past few years reviewing numerous Michigan travel guides. This guide is by far one of the most entertaining and unusual. Where else would one find a guide to The Moist Towelette Museum that features moist towelettes from around the world. The museum is housed in a MSU employee's office. Or there's Joe's Gizzard City restaurant in Potterville, Michigan that features deep fried chicken gizzards. The whole town embraces gizzards and hosts an annual Gizzard Fest that attracts 100,000+ annually. If you don't fancy gizzard's why not try the Triple D Burger. It's a cheeseburger with pickles, onions, and tomato weighing in at 1/3 of a pound. The bun and all is dipped in a secret batter and deep fried. For anyone out there who is politically minded you can become mayor of Hell, Michigan for one day. The campaign will cost you one hundred dollars which is considerably cheaper than the cost of  countless other political offices.  

The book also tempts travelers with a winery featuring live outdoor jazz concerts, and stunning views of Traverse Bay. Then there's the magic capitol of the world, a death museum, and a state park  devoted to the state's only known 1,500 year-old art work and symbols carved or etched in stone at the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park. The author has also included the more well know and famous tourist destinations. The only two glaring omissions are Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Museum. Two pages are devoted to sites and contain photographs, a well-written compact description, and a boxed section devoted to What, Where, Cost, & Pro Tip. 

This is an unique guide to both the unusual and well-know tourist attractions across our state. I found that reading the book and discovering one-of-a-kind and often strange attractions was almost as much fun as going there. Especially when it comes to gizzards. The author must have had a ball researching and writing this guide.

Secret Michigan: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure by Amy Piper. Reedy Press, 2024, 182p., $27pb.

Michigan Railway Company: The Northern and Southern Divisions by Norman L. Krentel

I doubt there are many citizens of this state who ever heard of the the Michigan Railway Company (also confusingly known or called Michigan United Railway Company or MUR). The company's roots go back the era when horse-drawn passenger cars on rails served as public transportation in Lansing, Flint, Grand Rapids, Detroit and many other larger Michigan cities. The horses gave way to electric powered rail cars in the mid 1880s. By the 1890s the development of the electric rail cars were connecting neighboring cities and further expansion united more towns and spawned companies to run them. 

The Michigan Railway Company was founded in 1906 to run one line and within a few years owned and leased enough lines and equipment to create a virtual web of electrical railway lines connecting the bottom half of the lower peninsula. This definitive history of Michigan Railway Company details the history and growth of electric railways in the state and the fast growth and economic importance to Michigan in spite of its short history. The railway was of  major importance to the early development of the automobile, then contributed to its downfall. The railway, in general, was an important contributor to the state's economic growth in the early 1900s before turning all its assets over to Michigan Electric in 1924 which in turn ceased operations in 1929. 

The author became interested in Michigan electric railways as a child through his father's fascination with them. At thirteen the author began researching Michigan's electric railways with the help of his mother. She drove him down to the State Journal where he combed through the paper's microfilm. It was the beginning of a lifetime of research, including the restoration of a electric railcar that had been turned into a cabin. The book is a testament to that research and will stand as the comprehensive work on the subject.

Michigan Railway Company: The Northern and Southern Divisions by Norman L. Krentel. Michigan State University Press, 2025, 264p., $69.95.