Lifestyle
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The surprising history behind these 7 Michigan college mascots
Whether they’re being goofy on the field or inspiring loyalty to our team, college mascots have, er, big shoes to fill. But how are these powerful symbols created?
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Explore the stories behind Mackinac Island’s cemeteries
If you care to tour the cemeteries on Mackinac Island, keep an eye out for these graves.
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K’zoo Jams: 12 popular songs that reference the city of Kalamazoo
In the music world, the unusual name of Kalamazoo has become a versatile tool for a variety of lyrics—and a popular metonym to refer to more exotic places, even if Kalamazoo isn’t so exotic itself. It’s a Michigan city, but it’s also now a big piece of lyrical Americana.
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Guitars, Corsets, and Kzoo: Kalamazoo’s industrial history is cooler than you think
Kalamazoo is filled with factories—and it’s an industrial legacy that didn’t grow overnight. Back when railroads were a dominant form of transportation in Michigan, Kalamazoo made a name for itself as the “Crossroads of Southwest Michigan.”
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Food History: Michigan’s favorite ice cream was born in a brewery
Blue Moon ice cream may be a Midwest dairy flavor mystery that sort of just tastes like “blue” to some, but Michigan’s Superman ice cream multiplies that mystery by three.
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Food History: Polish Immigrants Bring Passion for Paczki to Michigan
Michigan is big on paczki because we have a thriving population of Polish immigrants who migrated here near the turn of the 20th Century.
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The history of Vernors — and the Boston Cooler
If you’re like many Michiganders, when you get sick, you reach for the Vernors as a home remedy for just about every ailment. Perhaps, then, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that America’s oldest surviving ginger ale was the creation of Michigan’s first licensed pharmacist.
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Coney Dogs: Pure Michigan or European import?
Though often called the Detroit-style hot dog, the coney dog didn’t really come from Detroit.
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Gouda stuff: The history of Pinconning Cheese
Hold your charcuterie boards. Did you know Michigan has a cheese capital?
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The history behind Michigan’s famous double-baked rye bread
Jewish delis in Detroit are the country’s culinary underdogs. What makes them stand out? The bread.
