Benjamin Franklin King Jr. was a talented musician and poet from St. Joseph, Michigan, known for his eccentric personality and lively performances. He published humorous and sentimental poems about his hometown and entertained audiences across the country with his poetry readings. In 1894, King died peacefully in his sleep at just 37 years old after performing in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Today, he is remembered in St. Joseph through his grave and a bronze bust in Lakefront Park.

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Produced by Michigan History Magazine

The episode recounts the Norrie Mine disaster of May 13, 1912, when a cave-in two thousand feet underground trapped thirteen miners and initially led officials to fear that none had survived. After rescuers detected tapping from behind the collapsed rock, they worked with drills and dynamite to construct an escape tunnel. Six miners ultimately emerged through the fractured rock, although several suffered severe injuries. The account places the tragedy within the broader history of mining disasters in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and reflects on the memorials that continue to honor the workers who lost their lives.

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Produced by Michigan History Magazine

Michigan’s traveling library program began in 1895 to bring books to rural and isolated communities that lacked easy access to libraries. Boxes of books traveled to towns, schools, lighthouses, and other institutions, helping build a strong reading culture across the state and laying the foundation for the local public libraries that followed.

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Produced by Michigan History Magazine