HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — Michigan earned statehood on Jan. 26, 1837, but the effort resulted in, and resolved, a fight with Ohio over Toledo, a valued port city in that era.
French explorers, the first official Europeans, arrived in Michigan in 1622. Four decades alter, Father Jacques Marquette established missions in Sault Ste. Marie and St. Ignace, before heading south for a trip down the Mississippi in 1673.
Various explorers continued trekking into Michigan, establishing various forts and missions, winning (and losing) control of Detroit, then the seat of government.
Michigan achieved US territory status in 1805. The Michigan Territory included the Lower Peninsula and the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula. The rest of the UP didn’t become part of the future Mitten State until a fight between Michigan and Ohio over their shared border got resolved.
The dispute led to both states using militias and guns in an attempt to determine who would rightfully get possession of the City of Toledo and its busy port. As part of a compromise, Michigan gave up its claim and got the rest of the UP in return.
The Michigan History Center offers a kid-friendly video talking about the drive for statehood: https://vimeo.com/151552505
