How A Small Michigan Town Became the State Capital For ONE Day

The small Michigan town only remained the state capital for ONE day.

And oh, what a day it was!

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I'll be the first to admit I'm a little rusty on my Michigan history; if it's not our state bird or state motto, then I don't know it. However, I'd like to think I at least know a little something about our state capital of Lansing! But what about the first two?

Yes, two!

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Not Detroit or Lansing

Prior to statehood Detroit was known to be the capital of the Michigan Territory, but by 1835 when Michigan was finally ready to be recognized as an official state the U.S. Congress declared we must designate an official state capital, in order to be an official state.

The original 1935 Michigan constitution read,

The seat of government for this state shall be at Detroit, or at such other place or places as may be prescribed by law until the year eighteen hundred and forty-seven when it shall be permanently located by the legislature

So that gave us a little wiggle-room to find a place that really felt like home to the Michigan legislature.

What Happened in 1947?

When it was time for Michigan to really settle down and declare a permanent capital city places like Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor were of course main contenders, so how did we end up with Shiawasseetown, Michigan?

According to the archives at Michigan State,

On March 15, 1847, lawmakers voted to briefly make Shiawasseetown the state capital. A day later, Lansing became the state capital. A monument commemorating the novelty of Shiawasseetown having been the state capital for just a day is all that remains of the move. The land that had been platted for a capital building became a park in what is now called Shiatown

The very next day Michigan legislators voted to make the small wetland community of 100 people, Lansing, the official state capital as it's centrally located between the major cities of the Lower Peninsula: Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Jackson, Ann Arbor, and Detroit.

Shiawasseetown/Shiatown Michigan via Google Maps

Lansing A-Z: The Ultimate Guide to Michigan's Capital City

Whether you're new to the Lansing area or have lived here your whole life, it's cool to go through the alphabet and point out the things that make our city unique. Take a look at our A-Z list of Lansing!