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

but then they got popular.

/hipstered

Probably from a Michigan Wolverines fan

There is an old story going back to the Toledo War that, in the 10-minute conflict, Ohioans described Michiganians to be "as bloodthirsty as wolverines", hence "The Wolverine State". In more recent times, however, it has been "The Great Lakes State". That's my understanding. 

We were the Wolverine State first.  "Great Lakes State" is what the MSU lobby has been pushing in recent years.

Shamelessly copy/pasted from the DNR's website.

Michigan has long had an unofficial nickname: "The Wolverine State." However, evidence seems to show that wolverines in Michigan would have been rare. We don't know exactly how the state got the nickname, but two stories attempt to explain it.

Some people believe that Ohioans gave Michigan the nickname around 1835 during a dispute over the Toledo strip, a piece of land along the border between Ohio and Michigan. Rumors in Ohio at the time described Michiganians as being as vicious and bloodthirsty as wolverines. This dispute became known as the Toledo War.

Another reason given for the nickname is a story that has Native Americans, during the 1830s, comparing Michigan settlers to wolverines. Some native people, according to this story, disliked the way settlers were taking the land because it made them think of how the gluttonous wolverine went after its food.

Another nickname for Michigan is the "Great Lake State." Michigan's shores touch four of the five Great Lakes, and Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes. In Michigan, you are never more than six miles from an inland lake or more than 85 miles from a Great Lake. From 1969 to 1975 and from 1977 to 1983, Michigan's automobile license plates featured the legend, GREAT LAKE STATE.

Some references to Michigan during the early 20th century also called the state "The Peninsula State."

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-54463_54466_20829-54118--,00.ht...

I'd say both and you can choose given the context of the situation. It's definitely not the Spartan State. =)

Great Lakes State since we really don't have Wolverines.

I always thought the Great Lake State, especially since it was plastered on every license plate.  When I was a little kid the plates said "Winter Wonderland."

Yes.

All I know is that when George Armstrong Custer led the Michigan Cavalry against a Confederate cavalry force on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, he yelled "Come on, you Wolverines!"

I was taught in elementary school that we're the Wolverine state. The only time I've heard us called anything else is by Kirk Heirbstreet in NCAA 13... so... yeah.

either one, as long as its not the spartan state.

Since when do nick names have to make perfect sense?  Just because Michigan doesn't have Wolverines doesn't mean it can't be the Wolverine state.

it would be obligatory to make a "how close are you?" comment.



Good thing I didn't.

I always thought it was a civil war Michigan cavalry thing

I always liked Water Winter Wonderland.

Michigan is "The Great Beer State"

The Superior State

I prefer Michigan being called "The Best State"

The brand, the brand, the brand.  None of this "the...state" crap.  We are "Pure Michigan".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_pP_K6yiXM&list=PL499140826F007759&feature=plpp_play_all

there was Great Lakes and Great Times up north.

No one believe a word of this thread. This is simply Roll Damn Tide. Up to the old antics.

The proper state nickname IS of course "The Wolverine State". 

It's not the Spartan state. That would instead describe the required fiscal policy of the state.

No, my theory is that "great lake state" stuff was pounded into people's skulls decades ago by the use of auto licenses plate mottos.

Up until 1954 Michigan automobile license plate had just "MICHIGAN" or "MICH" on it.

In 1954 they pulled this off: A yellow and blue plate with "MICHIGAN" and  "WATER WONDERLAND" on it:

1965 Michigan changed the license plate to "WATER-WINTER WONDERLAND". Like the colors dude, but aaarggh make up your mind, Mr. State Secretary of State!

Then in 1968, more blue and yellow "aggression that will not stand, man" for MSU fans:

Then bell-bottoms and groovy "Spirit of '76" took over the state. Like far out:

Then 1979 hit and we stopped going perpetually to the Rose Bowl (where we always lost). Next thing we know, we're 8-4 and losing to North Carolina in the Gator Bowl.

I always admired Nebraska for keeping things simple:

Patriotic...

And...what's for dinner?

Just like Iowa is the Hawkeye State, not the Great Plains State. Iowa State fans constantly try to remove the state nickname. When I was raised in MI, it was the same way. MSU fans hated with green, putrid, envy the fact that MI was called the Wolverine State.

site on the internet called Google. its really pretty cool. You type in your question and lots of different sources come up with your answer. you should try it some time. Oh, by the way, there is another cool site called Facebook...

back when dinosaurs roamed the planet, thomas jefferson told joseph smith that university of michigan is the place where wolverines were genetically engineered from bear and wolf dna. When his good friend plato was killed by an escaped wolverine he decreed that no man should ever be subject to that kind of fate, so to warn others, he called it the wolverine state. This part of history was lost during the ice age, but the name persists.

In my world it is k1400's Wolverine Kingdom of Badassery.

To hell with Wikipedia, history, Google, and Notre Dame.

The Bobcat State? Longhorn State? Golden Bear State? The Gator State? The Duck State?

...how about The Gamecock State?

Who gets "The Huskie State"...Washington or Connecticut? I'm so confused!!!

Nothing personal but I've gotta go with Great Lakes state. 

It is the Enchanted Mitten, whether you're in the U.P. or a troll, as in those living under the bridge.

as the overall population of the wolverines in our state. The nickname "wolverine state" came from the Indians when speaking about the early settlers and the way the ate their food, not unlike the ravenous wolverines that actually did reside in the state until many of the great forests had been leveled. The wolverines were restricted in large part to the upper penninsula and even today, there are more wolverines in neighboring Canada and in other parts of the US  than in Michigan, but there was, at some point, a viable wolverine population.

They are rarely seen in the lower section of the state, and they are an incredible animal. Although a 40 lb wolverine would be considered large, they are considered, pound for pound, one of the most feroucious fighting animals on the planet. A photographer lucky enough to capture a picture of one near Whitehall, about 15 miles inland from Lake MI caught a photo of a "large" wolverine, about the size mentioned above, sprinting over a snow covered field. One of the most incredible attributes of the wolverine is that they are so light on their feet, this particular animal was photographed in a dead sprint but left no prints to follow in a snow covered field.

I always look for the license plate and in MI the plate says The Great Lake State. However, OK's plate says Oklahoma is OK, using a play on the abbrev of the state,but most know it as the Boomer State. Another nickname for Mi is the water wonderland, for the obvious reasons.

This is Michigan FERGODSAKES.

Someone might have to verify but I believe the territory now known as the Upper Peninsula was "given" to Michigan as a consolation for the US handing Toledo over to the silly little state to our south. I'd say we won that deal.