Stories

The Return of the Mayflies! And Why That’s Great for Lake Erie

If you’ve ever spent the summer near a freshwater lake or river, chances are you’ve noticed them. Clinging to windshields, storefront windows and streetlights,...

In Ohio, Sand Sculpture Masterpieces Grace the Shores of Lake Erie

Ohioans don’t have to travel far to see jaw-dropping sand sculptures built by a world champion.  In fact, they don’t even have to leave...

Faygo, Vernors and the History of Detroit’s “Pop” Culture

When lifelong Michigander and journalist Joe Grimm was looking for a company to profile for his newest book, he wanted to focus on a...
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Marvel’s Forgotten Heroes: The (Embarrassing) History of the Great Lakes Avengers

The opinions in this article do not necessarily reflect any organizational stance. Over the past fifteen years, the Avengers have become household names. Iron Man,...

The Mall That Made Tally Hall

In 1981, deep in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan, the Tally Hall mini-mall and food court opened its doors.  While this historic establishment has long...

Before Modern Therapy, the Midwest Built “Asylum Farms”

In Independence, Iowa, on hundreds of acres of green grass stands a large Victorian mansion constructed of limestone and brick. The building is not...

Ohio High Schoolers Are Trading Classrooms for Career-Technical Education

Northwest Ohio resident Tracy Dopp didn’t enjoy school as a child. Listening to lectures just wasn’t for her, she said.  So, when her older sister...

One of the Biggest Music Festivals in the World Is Located in This Midwestern City

What if we told you that one of the largest music festivals in the U.S. — and arguably the world — is held annually...

A New Dawn for Detroit’s Chinatown

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg started working at the Forbidden City, her father’s restaurant in what was once Detroit’s Chinatown, when she was just five years old.  She...

In Ohio, a Catalog of Homes Is Tackling a Housing Crisis

During Sears, Roebuck and Company's heyday, the iconic retailer dispatched more than 50 million catalogs every year. Each was a behemoth stretching hundreds of...

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