Conducted by Tim Pulice
Whether you consider yourself an expert on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, know almost nothing about its vast, magnificent spaces, or simply would like to learn more about the Great Lake State's northernmost section, a new guidebook from two award-winning broadcasters is certain to impress you, both in terms of volume and detail. Michigan's Upper Peninsula Almanac (University of Michigan Press/Petoskey Publishing Company, 2009) deftly captures in words and images the essence of the region and spirit of its residents, spotlighting over nearly 600 fact-filled pages "U.P." history and culture, its dynamic weather, abundance of tourism attractions, and more. Ron Jolly, a longtime radio host in northern Michigan, and Karl Bohnak, a veteran TV meteorologist in the Upper Peninsula, graciously participated in an e-mail interview about their splendid collaboration.
What inspired you to write Michigan's Upper Peninsula Almanac?
Ron Jolly: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula Almanac (MUPA) is modeled after the Northern Michigan Almanac, which was inspired by The Detroit Almanac, published by the Detroit Free Press in 2000. The publisher saw the Detroit Almanac at a bookstore in Traverse City, where I host a morning radio show that includes a daily trivia contest about northern lower Michigan. He asked if I would be interested in doing a Detroit-style almanac for the region, and the project was hatched.
Initially I did not want to get into another book, but he eventually convinced me, in 2006, to work on MUPA. A few months into the project he suggested we invite Karl as a co-author, an idea I jumped on! Karl has a vast knowledge of U.P. history and weather, not to mention he actually lives and works there.
Karl Bohnak: I've always been interested in history. I wrote So Cold a Sky, Upper Michigan Weather Stories, which was published in 2006. It looks at the history of the Upper Peninsula from a weatherman's perspective. One of the developers of the Almanac concept got a hold of me just after Ron started the project, and asked me if I'd like to join in. The rest is history.
Describe the process of researching and compiling the book.
RJ: I created an outline based on the Northern Michigan Almanac. Topic headings included subjects like Government, Transportation, Geography, Water, Culture, Employment, etc. Then it was a matter of making a list of what information I needed. Many of the statistics are available from government Web sites. I also have a collection of Michigan books, which saved me many trips to the library. Karl and I split up the research based on our areas of interest. He wrote a lot about weather, wildlife, and history, everything from shipwrecks and pioneers to agriculture and museums.
I dug up a lot of statistics. largest lakes, presidential election results, miles of roads, largest trees, crop reports, etc. I also did a lot of profiles of notable politicians, authors, and entertainers.
KB: Ron is great at digging up facts and statistics. It's this aspect that makes the book a great resource. We worked together, in that he would be working on something, say business, and he would ask me to write about Louis Kaufman or Henry Ford. When the Culture chapter was being put together, I felt we needed something on Upper Michigan media, and I worked on that. With the help of the J.M. Longyear Research Library in Marquette, I chronicled U.P. newspapers from the first at Copper Harbor in 1846 to the present day.
You spotlight a range of intriguing people — especially the early U.P. settlers — and notable places. Talk about some of your favorites.
RJ: Chase Osborn was the only “Yooper” to serve as a governor of Michigan. He was interesting because of his wide range of interests. He was a world traveler and explorer, he was an entrepreneur, a journalist and publisher, author of several books, outdoorsman, and he earned a fortune as an iron prospector. A bizarre twist in his personal life: Osborn and his wife Lillian raised seven children, but separated when he was 63 years old. Osborn began spending time with Stella Brunt, a student at the University of Michigan who was 34 years his junior. When Osborn was 71 years old, he and his wife legally adopted 41-year-old Stella, and had her name changed to Osborn. He and his adopted daughter spent much time together traveling, researching pet subjects, and co-authoring several books. When Osborn was 89, his wife died. He had the adoption annulled, and married Stella the next day. The former governor died two days later.
KB: Some of my favorite people are James Kirk Paul, the first white settler at the mouth of the Ontonagon River. There's an historical controversy over the famous Ontonagon Boulder that he is intimately connected with. We have two versions of the story in the Almanac. Another is Roger Andrews, the editor of the Menominee Herald Leader at the turn of the century. He promoted the concept of the Upper Peninsula as an agricultural paradise. His promotion was outstanding; he didn't let facts get in the way of his gushing enthusiasm. Facts like much of the U.P. had poor soils and everywhere a short growing season. But he tried. I think he represents the hardiness and tenacity of U.P. residents.
Describe the typical "Yooper." Do you like that term?
RJ: Karl is probably best-suited to describe a typical Yooper, if that can be done. He also has some thoughts on the term Yooper. I use the term, but I believe most of us here in the Lower Peninsula use it as a term of endearment. Many of us have a great deal of pride knowing this land and its people are part of what makes Michigan unique and great. I believe many in the Lower Peninsula view Yoopers as rugged, unassuming, unpretentious, and fortunate to live amongst the natural beauty and great small towns of the U.P.
KB: A typical Yooper is a person with a pride in his or her heritage and history. This person has a love of this land. Maybe this person had to leave because of a job, but his or her heart is always in the U.P. I'm not particularly fond of the term. As a rule, we do not use the word on television. If you were to take a poll of residents, I would bet the numbers for against the term would be split about 50-50. It is the best word to use, though, in that when you say it, everybody knows who you're talking about.
Name one item that all U.P. residents should own.
RJ: In this order: a snowmobile, a shotgun, and a sauna.
KB: Definitely a Yooper Scooper. Come to think of it, we didn't feature this device in the book! If there's a second edition, we must add it.
Are there any popular misconceptions about the U.P. or its citizens that you'd like to debunk?
RJ: There may exist a stereotype that people of the U.P. are not as sophisticated as city folk in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, Lansing, and elsewhere. But U.P. residents continue to make great contributions to arts and culture, and the U.P. is home to outstanding universities, including Northern Michigan University, Michigan Tech, and Lake Superior State.
KB: We are not, as a rule, backwoods people. Technology has come here in full force. For instance, the TV station I work for is part of a 15-station group. Even though we're one of the smallest, our Web site consistently has the most hits in the group and the most participation in terms of user comments.
