If Michigan Ever Moved the Capital from Lansing, Where Would it Go?
It would be difficult to imagine Michigan's capital being anywhere else but Lansing. But that doesn't mean it couldn't move. It has before. So if Michigan were to ever replace Lansing, where would a new capital go?
From Detroit to Marshall: A Capital History
Many Michigan history buffs will remember that Detroit was the original capital city of Michigan. Deeper into the iceberg of Michigan history is the fact that tiny Marshall between Albion and Battle Creek was once considered for the state's capital. A lasting legacy of that potential is found in Marshall's Capitol Hill neighborhood where Capitol Hill School and a Governor's Mansion still stand as a daily reminder of the "What Could Have Been."
So, where would a futuristic new Michigan Capital go? The idea is intriguing and inspired by a conversation on Reddit about a daydreaming move of the national capital.
A Geographically Central Capital for Michigan
Conventional wisdom often places a capital at a geographically centrally located point.
In Michigan, that could be St Louis, the Middle of the Mitten, in Gratiot County would be a choice if you wanted to really infuriate those north of the Mackinac Bridge and discount the Upper Peninsula.
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Or if you did take the entirety of the state into consideration, then the true middle of Michigan is a point near Cadillac. That could be an interesting capital city.
If not geographically centrally located, what about the largest population centers? Many state capitals are the state's largest cities - think Atlanta or Indianapolis. So should Michigan's capital return to Detroit? What about Grand Rapids and give the west side of the state some prominence?
A Capital at the Straits?
How about a capital at the Straits of Mackinac? Historically the straits region is a highly valued choke point in the flow of the Great Lakes and strategically valuable. To be fair to both Mackinaw City and St Ignace, the twin cities across the straits, perhaps we have dual capital there or merge the two into a single city.
The Upper Peninsula's Capital Bid
Why should Michigan's Upper Peninsula be left out of a Capital discussion? Marquette, the Queen City of the North, is often thought of as the capital of the UP and would likely be the capital of a breakaway State of Superior. Marquette, perhaps, should get a nod as a potential state capital.
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While Lansing will almost certainly never lose its status as the state's capital, nor has it done anything to warrant losing it, it's a interesting thought exercise to consider from a historical, geographic or regional identity where else could serve to be Michigan's symbolic heart.
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Gallery Credit: Eric Meier