
The Michigan State Capitol building and Governor Austin Blair statue during the evening. (Shawn Pavone/Shutterstock)
Lansing is the capital of Michigan, but it’s also home to interesting bits of history, including underground tunnels and famous figures.
Not only is Lansing, Mich., the capital of Michigan, but it’s also a fascinating place with a rich history. For instance, did you know that we have Lansing to thank for giving us all the figure “Rosie the Riveter”? Or that Lansing houses a secret labyrinth of underground tunnels that some say hold mysterious secrets? Or that the capital itself has more than nine acres of handpainted surfaces?
Read on to learn more about the capital of Michigan and what fascinating stories it holds.
1. Only 20 people lived in Lansing when it became the capital
In 1847, there were only 20 residents of Lansing, and the town stayed that small—but its small size was apparently not a deterrent for the Michigan House of Representatives, who privately chose the Township of Lansing to be the new state capital after days of deliberation.

A postcard of Lansing, Mich., circa 1910. (Don…The UpNorth Memories Guy… Harrison/CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
2. Lansing basically became the capital as a fluke
Turns out, the lawmakers of 1847 chose Lansing as the capital primarily because they were frustrated that no consensus could be reached and the pick was so outrageous that everyone just went with it. The primary motivator was to choose a capital that was more tucked away than Detroit’s too-close-for-comfort proximity to Canada, which was controlled by the British.
If there were only 20 people in the town, you couldn’t very well argue that it wasn’t a safe pick, right?
3. Two Men and a Truck was founded in Lansing
I know you’ve seen ads for the “Two Men and a Truck” moving company, but did you know that the company was started in Lansing, Mich.? Founder Mary Ellen Sheet worked with her two sons to start moving people in the Lansing area using just a pickup truck before expanding her company into what it is now—a global business serving customers in 400 locations everywhere from the U.S. to Ireland.
4. Lansing is home to the nation’s first female African-American neurosurgeon
Dr. Alexa Canady served as the first (and youngest) African American woman neurosurgeon in the United States and held the position of Chief of Neurosurgery at Children’s Hospital in Detroit. When she was inducted into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 1989, she was one of only about 50 female neurosurgeons in America and only one of about 10 who also specialized in pediatrics.
Dr. Canady recounted facing discrimination as both a woman and a Black doctor. For example, on the first day of her residency, a top hospital administrator commented that she was the “new equal-opportunity package.” Only two years later, she was voted the top resident by her peers, and she went on to have a 20-year career in neurosurgery.
5. Lansing has a “Michigan Walk of Fame”
Hollywood who? Lansing is home to its own Walk of Fame, which honors some of the most famous and noteworthy Michiganders. These Michigan-born icons include Stevie Wonder, Thomas Edison, and the state librarian, Mary Spencer. You can learn more about these famous figures on the plaques that adorn the Walk of Fame located on the sidewalks of Washington Square in downtown Lansing.
6. It’s home to a giant annual film festival
The Capital City Film Festival (CCFF) is an annual global festival showcase that celebrates everything from independent films to live music to other types of interactive media. For instance, some selections include oral poetry, indigenous music, and hip-hop. Check dates ahead of time, but the festival usually takes place in April.
7. The original capital is now Cooley Law School
Although it was a very small town at first, Lansing was still divided into three separate parts: Lower Village, Middle Village, and Upper Village. The original capitol building was constructed in the Middle Village—the building is no longer used to house the capitol, but it is still standing, as the Cooley Law School on Capitol Avenue, between Allegan and Washtenaw Streets.
The capitol is the nation’s only capitol building to also be named as a National Historic Landmark and it recently underwent an extensive $3 million renovation of its over 9 acres of handpainted surfaces.
8. Lansing’s auto industry is older than Detroit’s
Many of us in Michigan and even outside the Mitten associate Detroit with the auto industry, but it turns out that Lansing actually holds the title of the original auto company in the state. The Olds Motor Vehicle Company was founded in August 1897 in Lansing, while Henry Ford’s Detroit Automobile Company was founded in August 1899.

A 1953 Oldsmobile 88 race car in the R. E. Olds Transportation Museum in Lansing, Mich. (Joe Ross/CC BY-SA 2.0)
9. Lansing was witness to an unfortunate runaway elephant
In 1963, Lansing witnessed the unfortunate incident of Rajjee: a 16-year-old, 3,000-pound circus elephant who got spooked during a show and escaped into the streets of Lansing. The elephant had been performing at a traveling circus at the South Logan Shopping Center. Rajee was literally running scared through Lansing, and a crowd of people soon chased her and continued to startle her.
Her trainer was unable to contain her, and she ran through several blocks, causing damage and injuring a 67-year-old man before police made the difficult decision to shoot her down. The incident was tragic on many counts, but it spurred the end of using elephants in circus shows.
10. There are secret tunnels underneath MSU
Some may argue that they are not so secret, but there’s an entire network of underground tunnels that connect and run under Michigan State University’s campus, located in Lansing, Mich. There’s been a lot of speculation and even books and movies written about what secrets the tunnels hold, but the truth about the tunnels is not as mysterious—they were constructed in 1904 as a way to deliver steam heat to the buildings.
The tunnels are no longer supposed to be accessible, but some reports say that it’s possible to enter the tunnels if you know where to go.
11. The original Rosie the Riveter was from Lansing
We all know Rosie the Riveter, but did you know that the original Rosie the Riveter (not the Rosie in Norman Rockwell’s lesser-known painting) was a teenage girl from Lansing?
Lansing native Geraldine Hoff Doyle was only 17 years old and working at a metal-pressing plant when a photographer snapped her photo. Doyle was wearing a bandana on her hair while hard at work. The photo would go on to influence the Rosie the Riveter poster that read “We Can Do It!” and became an icon.

A poster of Rosie the Riveter, who hailed from the capital of Michigan. (Smithsonian National Museum of American History/
12. Someone built a “House of the Future” in Lansing—and you can stay in it
Over 500 tons of concrete were poured in 1964 when an ambitious man began construction on what was dubbed the “house of the future” in Lansing. The house’s plans called for 6,000 square feet of living space, 11-foot windows, and a 15-foot deep lagoon in the front yard. The house was not finished by the original owners but was later completed in the 80s. And based on the similarities between past images, it now appears you can stay in the House of the Future mansion on Airbnb.
13. Many famous figures hail from Lansing
Along with the original Rosie the Riveter, Lansing claims many famous figures as its own, including basketball player Magic Johnson, actor Burt Reynolds, Google co-founder Larry Page, and Stevie Wonder (he attended Lansing’s School of the Blind).

Stevie Wonder performing in 2006. (Antonio Cruz/CC BY 3.0)
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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