Michigan's Capitals

In my last post I noted that Curran is The Black Bear Capital of Michigan.  I assume Curran and Mitchell Township attract a lot of bear hunters, but the connection seems a bit thin.  Maybe Curran got this designation because no other Michigan town had snapped it up.

Black Bear on break.

A pride of male Wild Turkeys.

If you drive 13 miles west on M-72 you will come to the little village of Fairview, which styles itself The Wild Turkey Capital of Michigan.  This town long ago hitched its star to Meleagris gallopavo, the turkey native to North America.  I have driven through Fairview countless times since 1980, but I've never seen a wild turkey there.  However, we have plenty of them running around Presque Isle.  They are often found foraging along the road sides or crossing the road in slow and stately procession while drivers slam on their brakes.

The eastern subspecies, Meleagris gallopavo silvestris, was the game bird first encountered by European colonists and is still much favored by hunters.  This is most likely the turkey we see at Presque Isle, because its range extends from Maine to Florida, as far west as Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois, and well into Canada.

This is also the bird Benjamin Franklin favored as our national symbol.  Ben considered the bald eagle a lazy fellow intent on stealing his lunch rather than earning it.  He thought the turkey a fine, dignified, and industrious bird.  I've sometimes wondered what the Great Seal of the United States would look like surmounted by Meleagris gallopavo proudly strutting his fan (which the amorous male uses to attract a female) and clutching an olive branch in one talon and a lightning bolt in the other.  Maybe the Great Seal would also show a couple cars stuck in a ditch because our national bird decided to cross the road.

Onaway, in western Presque Isle County, styles itself The Sturgeon Capital of Michigan due to good fishing in the Black River.  Our state has many more capitals.  Here are a few:

Saugatuck-Douglas — The Bed and Breakfast Capital of Michigan
South Haven — The Blueberry Capital of the World
Traverse City — The Cherry Capital of the World
St. Clair Shores — The Boating Capital of Michigan
Oxford — The Grave Capital of Michigan  (Don't ask)
Sebewaing — The Sugar Capital of Michigan
Vassar — The Cork Pine Capital of Michigan
Colon — The Magic Capital of the World
Midland — The Baseball Capital of Michigan
Belding — The Apple Capital of Michigan
Kalamazoo — The Bedding Plant Capital of the World
Mesick — The Mushroom Capital of Michigan
Newberry — The Moose Capital of Michigan

But my favorites are:

Muskegon — The Beer Tent Capital of the World
Eau Claire — The Cherry Pit Spitting Capital of the World
Berrien Springs — The Christmas Pickle Capital of the World

Oh, yes.  There's Lansing.  What a proudly capitalized state we are! •••