As Halloween creeps closer, it’s the perfect time to explore the darker side of Michigan’s history. Although they don’t teach you these things at school, our state has more than its fair share of eerie lore.

Luckily, the ’Gander’s
Sophie Boudreau has rounded up seven spine-tingling facts that history books skip over, including Bigfoot sightings, a Detroit connection to Houdini’s death, and more.

Plus: A new study finds that there is a high risk of injury or death in motorcycle-deer collisions. Read on for the details.

ICE seeks expansion in GR (WZZM): ICE is looking to expand in West Michigan, with federal officials seeking long-term office space in Grand Rapids. The move ties into the Trump administration’s push to ramp up deportations. Local immigrant rights groups say the potential expansion highlights the city’s lack of sanctuary policies, which they argue puts undocumented residents at greater risk.

Allegan County confirms first case of bird flu (WMUK): Bird flu has been confirmed in a backyard flock in Allegan County, marking the first local case since the virus showed up in Michigan in 2022. While it’s considered low risk to people, the disease is deadly for birds and spreads quickly through flocks. State officials are urging bird owners and hunters to take precautions, watch for unusual bird deaths, and report any suspected cases.

Croc captured in Bay County (MLive): Police in Hampton Township had quite the surprise when they found a 3-foot Nile crocodile sunbathing in someone’s yard. Officers managed to corral the reptile into a plastic tote before handing it off to a nearby zoo, where it’s now receiving care. No one has claimed the croc, and officials suspect it was likely abandoned by a private owner.

Houdini’s last-ever performance took place in the Motor City. (Stuart Rankin/CC BY-NC 2.0)

By Sophie Boudreau

Disappearing towns, mysterious shipwrecks, mob murders, and even the death of an iconic magician—what do these have in common? They’re all a bit creepy, of course, but they’re also bound by the fact that their roots lead right here to the Great Lakes State.

As we inch into the Halloween season, you might be in the mood to explore Michigan’s darker, more mysterious history. We’ve got you covered with seven unusual, odd, and downright eerie tidbits of Michigan lore that history textbooks leave out.

1. Michigan is a hotspot for Bigfoot sightings

Of course, we can’t make any factual statements about the existence of Bigfoot, but we can report that many Michiganders claim to have spotted the infamous creature.

From the woods of the Upper Peninsula to the shrouded shores of inland lakes, countless hunters and outdoor explorers have reported unexplained noises, footprints, and even eyewitness accounts of unidentified creatures. Have you witnessed anything strange during your adventures in nature?

2. An iron ore ghost town haunts the Upper Peninsula

Fayette might not make the cut for history textbooks, but it was once a booming and bustling iron production community in the reaches of the Upper Peninsula. Situated on a gorgeous inlet of Lake Michigan, Fayette housed some 500 residents from the United States, Canada, and beyond—along with schools, stores, homes, and other outbuildings established in 1867.

When the iron industry declined in the early 1890s, residents slowly moved away, leaving a ghost town in their wake. Today, visitors can walk among the abandoned buildings and imagine what life was like during Fayette’s heyday. It’s a fascinating (but decidedly eerie) experience.

Data drawn from State Police accident reports from January 2012 through December 2021 show that 8.5% of the 30,196 reported motorcycle crashes in the state involved deer. (Donnie Rosie/Unsplash)

By Capital News Service

Motorcycles and deer don’t mix.

And motorcyclists are especially vulnerable to injury or death when they do, according to a recent study of a decade’s worth of crashes in Michigan.

“Deer represent a significant danger to motorcyclists, especially in rural settings during non-daylight hours,” the study said.

Not surprisingly, severe injuries and deaths were more than twice as common for unhelmeted motorcyclists than for those who wore helmets.

In August, for example, a 60-year-old Harrisville motorcyclist died after a deer emerged from a ditch and ran into him. The victim wasn’t wearing a helmet, according to the Alcona County Sheriff’s Office.

Also in August, an 80-year-old Yale man was fatally injured when a deer hit his motorcycle, the Sanilac County Sheriff’s Office reported. That rider was unhelmeted, too.

The study by researchers at the University of Michigan-Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, the Michigan State University Colleges of Human Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine and Wisconsin’s Marshfield Clinical Health System appeared in the journal Wilderness & Environmental Health.

Across the country, the future of local news is uncertain. But here at The ’Gander, we’re staying focused—on you.

We’re a little over halfway to meeting our goal of raising $3,200 by Sept. 30 to keep this kind of coverage strong in Michigan.

Thank you for your support, neighbor.

We’re inching closer to a state government shutdown that could result in pauses to road repairs, closures of state offices, and delays in payments to schools and local governments unless a budget deal is reached by Oct. 1.

That’s why earlier this week, we asked you:

Which of these potential closures are you most concerned about?

Here’s what you said:

“Most concerning for me & my family: public school budget support, the free school lunch program, state and federal employee furloughs.” — Duane B.

“I am most concerned by the delay of payments to schools and local governments. I believe that would cause a ripple effect.” — Marti Wright

“I am very concerned about EGLE cuts…if we don’t have a healthy environment nothing else matters. Of course there are many other areas of concern like education, being a retired teacher I understand the importance of appropriate funding for schools.” — Julia Chambers

“I want all kids to be fed at school regardless of their ability to pay. Kids need food to learn.” — Jill Hunt

“What I am the most concerned about is that the GOP are NOT representing their citizens. There are so many takeaways in this budget, that each in its own will affect our quality of life in Michigan. If this goes through, plus tariff, plus federal medical cuts, plus food costs increasing, energy costs are skyrocketed….and I could go on and on. This WILL affect all of us.” — Randi Wilhelmsen

Do you have a question you’d like me to ask our community? Send it my way. I might feature it in a future newsletter.

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Karel Vega with stories by Sophie Boudreau and Capital News Service. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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