OT: Is Michigan the Wolverine State or the Great Lakes State?

Yeah, I only like the old stuff.

What is your 16 year old cousin's phone number, I will give her the whole backstory. FYI, She is legal at that age in our great state!

I had thought the expression came from Custer in the Civil War. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Brigade).  Also, I remember an very old timer at a Michigan game telling me that it once was tradition for all of the students to wear black hats to games in honor of the Michigan brigade (which should totally be brought back).

This is another one that is of contention.  I grew up with it being Michiganders and never heard the term Michiganian until the History Channel started their history of states type shows.  How long has this name been around?  I am from southwest Michigan so is it regional to the state?

 Looks like we have a true controversy. I had always thought officially we were the Wolverine state and Great Lake State was just a marketing tag like Water Winter Wonderland, etc.

 Actually MSU textbooks list us as Wolverine State. Had helped a niece with some course work she has at MSU. (I know, poor kid, we all feel sorry for her. But she got a full ride, and she is still “blue” on the inside.) It was an upper level geography class with the textbook online:

GEO 333 - Geography of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region (link )

Other facts
Statehood: Jan. 26, 1837, the 26th state.
State abbreviations: Mich. (traditional); MI (postal).
State capital: Lansing, Michigan's capital since 1847. Detroit served as capital from 1837 to 1847.
State motto: Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice (If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you).
Popular name: The Wolverine State.
State song (unofficial): "Michigan, My Michigan." Words by Douglas M. Malloch.

However, State of Michigan (in the Michigan State Facts section) officially lists itself as “Great Lake State” first:

Michigan.gov – Official web site for the sate of Michigan – States the opposite.

Michigan's State Facts ( link )

·  The name Michigan is derived from the Indian words "Michi-gama" meaning large lake.

·  The State Nickname is the "Great Lake State." Others include "Wolverine State" or "Water Winter Wonderland."

 In summation, we have a lot of facts but no real conclusion. I guess we really don’t know what we are.  /s

(Also the GEO333 text has some interesting and humorous items though understandably most look at wolverines fairly derogatorily in “Why are we supposed to be wolverines?”. link )

We have literally twice as many peninsulas as Florida.

Four out of Five Great Lakes want nothing to do with Ohio

[Edit.- Oops; see license plate tour below...]

I remember 66-68 plates saying "Winter Wonderland"!

It was Wolverine State at the time we were called Michiganders!

Ever since we've been called Michiganians it has been called the Great Lake State!

What's on the Michigan License Plates now a days?

The best plates were the Bicentennial Plates '75-80! In '78, my first junk car had these Bicentennial plates.

Are there any neat alum plates for U of M?

We don't necessarily have no wolverines, just very few.

The nickname of "Wolverine" for Michigan residents predates the Civil War by a quarter century or so, and probably even predates Michigan's statehood by a few years.  By the time the Civil War started, every existing state had a pretty well-established nickname, including the familiar Buckeyes, Hoosiers, Badgers and Tar Heels, but also including the currently unknown "Suckers" for residents of Illinois and "Pukes" for residents of Missouri.

YOOPER! Just outed yourself, man.

Before that, it was "Yes, Michigan!"