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Explore the Nearly-Forgotten Tales of Jackson County’s History in New Book


The history of Jackson County brims with colorful characters and noteworthy episodes nearly lost to time. Jackson abolitionists used their barns, houses and hidden compartments to harbor freedom seekers traveling on the Underground Railroad. One even repelled an armed posse from Kentucky. A prominent druggist murdered his mother in 1889 and a jail guard in 1893. Evidence suggests he murdered his father too.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt traveled to Brown’s Lake for relaxation in 1935, but a media mob had other plans. A popular Blackman Township roadhouse has a longstanding tradition of entertaining pioneers, stagecoach drivers and mobsters, but its secret guests are even stranger. Join local historian Linda Hass as she delves into these and other entertaining and often-overlooked stories.

 

About the Author

Linda Hass has a master’s degree in journalism from Michigan State and has authored two books: Michigan’s Crossroads to Freedom and Hidden in Plain Sight. She also researched and applied for three historical distinctions in Jackson: the Michigan State Historical Marker in Bucky Harris Park honoring abolitionist activities that occurred there, the Michigan State Historical Marker in Mount Evergreen Cemetery honoring Underground Railroad activists and a National Park Service certificate listing Mount Evergreen Cemetery in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. When not giving tours or researching, Linda and her husband, Ed, enjoy walks on Jackson’s Falling Waters Trail.

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