On this day in 1835, Michigan voters elected their first governor, Stephen T. Mason, along with the first state legislature, while also adopting a groundbreaking constitution that funded public libraries. In 2017, the Detroit Red Wings christened their new home, Little Caesars Arena, with a 4-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild.
TRANSCRIPT
Quite a voting day for Michigan today in 1835, as voters went to the polls to elect our first governor: the 24-year-old Stephens T. Mason, who received nearly 10 times the number of votes as his closest rival. But Michigan also elected our first state legislature, and the state constitution, which was the first in the US, even though Michigan was still a territory at the time, the first to provide funding for public libraries, recognizing the importance of how collected knowledge being available to all was important to our education system. That said, although it was voting day, voters in 1835 were defined as free, adult white male taxpayers.
And today in 2017, the Detroit Red Wings took to the ice for the first time at Little Ceasar’s Arena, where they beat the Minnesota Wild 4 to 2. A nice way to start things off at their then brand-new home stadium.