Genesee News

City of Linden recently issued the following announcement.

Enjoy some fun facts about our state!

Michigan joined the Union on January 26, 1837, as the 26th state.

Nickname: "The Great Lakes State" (official); "The Wolverine State" (unofficial); "Water Winter Wonderland" (unofficial)

State Bird: American robin

State Fish: Brook trout

State Reptile: Painted turtle

State Fossil: Mastodon

State Flower: Apple blossom

State Tree: White pine

State Wildflower: Dwarf lake iris

State Gem: Chlorastrolite

State Stone: Petoskey stone

The area of Michigan was part of the original territory of the United States and was part of lands ceded by four states to the United States and designated in 1787 as the "Territory northwest of the River Ohio." Michigan Territory was organized on June 30, 1805, from the northeastern part of Indiana Territory, and included all of the Lower Peninsula, the eastern part of the Upper Peninsula, a small strip of northern Indiana, and a portion of northwestern Ohio that was later contested.

In 1818, when Illinois was admitted as a state, all of the remainder of Illinois Territory was added to Michigan Territory, including almost all of present-day Wisconsin, part of Minnesota, and the western part of the Upper Peninsula; at the same time, the central portion of the Upper Peninsula and eastern Wisconsin were added from the former Indiana Territory. In 1834, Michigan Territory was enlarged from part of Missouri Territory, including all of present-day Iowa, the remainder of Minnesota, and the eastern part of North Dakota and South Dakota. Michigan was reduced with the organization of Wisconsin Territory and the cession of the Toledo Strip to Ohio in 1836. As a compromise for the cession of territory to Ohio, Michigan Territory retained all of the Upper Peninsula when Wisconsin Territory was organized, resulting in a boundary generally the same as the present state.

Although not yet legally established as a separate territory, census data for Michigan are available beginning with the 1800 Census. The 1800 Census includes the population of a small area that is in present-day Ohio and excludes the population that was enumerated with Indiana in a small area of present-day Michigan. The 1800 population of the legally established Northwest Territory (of which Michigan was a part) was 45,916. The 1810, 1820, and 1830 Census populations are for the entire area of Michigan Territory, including population in extensive areas not in the present state, and, in 1810, excluding again the population of a small area of present-day Michigan enumerated with Indiana.

Data for the legally established state of Michigan are available beginning with the 1840 Census.

Original source can be found here.