TRAVELTRIVIA
Question of the Month
(© 2009 Randy Karr)

Deborah Black, Fred Black and Elly Willis correctly answered Douglass Houghton as being the "Father of copper mining in the United States,” as well as a medical doctor, University of Michigan professor, President of Detroit’s first Board of Education, and Mayor of Detroit. Now, let’s see how you do with this Michigan Travel Trivia Question of The Month. Answer is due January 15, 2010.

Knowing that Alaska and Hawaii would soon become the 49th and 50th states, a 17-year-old high school student decided he would design a 50-star flag for his history class project. Using an old 48-star flag, he arranged 50 stars into five rows of 6 stars (30) that alternated with four rows of 5 stars (20) and submitted it to his history teacher for a grade. The teacher gave him a B-minus, but said the grade would be raised if he submitted his design to their Congressman. He did and the rest is history. President Dwight D. Eisenhower selected his 50-star design to become the new flag of the United States. On July 4, 1960, he and the President stood together as his original, hand sewn, 50-star US Flag was first flown at the US Capitol dome. Exactly 47 years later, on July 4, 2007, the 50-star flag became America's longest serving flag and the only one in American history to have flown over the White House for more than five administrations.

Name this Michigan resident who said, "I never set out to design the flag of the nation. I just wanted to keep from getting a bad grade in history,” and name the Michigan city where he was born, a city that boasts the largest bean elevator in Michigan and where the first street corner in the world to have electric lights is located.

Email Answers & Facts to:
randy@lakeshoreguardian.com

Mail Answers & Facts to:
TravelTrivia
c/o The Lakeshore Guardian
P.O. Box 6, Harbor Beach, MI 48441

Know an interesting or unique fact about Michigan that you think would make a good Travel Trivia question? Then, please e-mail your suggestion to randy@lakeshoreguardian.com.