On June 16, 1903, Henry Ford and 11 investors signed articles of incorporation for the Ford Motor Company in Michigan. After two earlier attempts at car making ventures, the Detroit Auto Company (which failed) and the Henry Ford Company (which Ford withdrew from and later became Cadillac), this third company became the number one auto manufacturer in the U.S. within three years.

Source : Detroit Historical Society Facebook page

After the murder of Mormon leader Joseph Smith in 1844 in Illinois, most Mormons followed Brigham Young west to Utah. A few Mormons accepted the leadership of James Strang, a native New Yorker, and settled in Wisconsin. Looking for a more isolated environment, Strang and his followers were attracted to Beaver Island in northern Lake Michigan. Strang’s community grew rapidly and he crowned himself king in 1850. Strang ran his kingdom with a strong hand and a few disgruntled followers murdered him over the issue of women’s clothes. Left leaderless, the Mormons on Beaver Island were forced to flee when non-Mormons arrived on the island.

Source : Michigan Every Day.

For more information, see Jenny Nolan, "The King of Beaver Island", Detroit News, January 29, 1996.

Governor Cass approved a resolution that formed the first Michigan territorial library committee.

In 1828 the territorial council realized the need to collect, compile and store Michigan territorial laws and other important documents. Consequentially, Henry Schoolcraft introduced a resolution to appoint a librarian for the council library, which consisted of 131 law books and documents used by the governor and legislators. On June 16, 1828, the resolution was approved by Governor Cass. Schoolcraft and fellow council member Wolcott Lawrence of Monroe County formed the first library committee for the territory of Michigan.

Source : Michigan Historical Calendar, Clarke Historical Library at Central Michigan University.

Schoolchildren, drivers, hunters and others will face changes when the new state budget takes effect in 3 ½ months.

The Republican-crafted spending plan, signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder Thursday, affects many corners of Michigan life — from how much it will cost to hunt and fish to fixing deteriorating roads to lengthening the school year.

For the full article, see David Eggert, "Michigan budget: From roads to schools, budget hits home", Detroit Free Press, June 15, 2013.

State lawmakers are a step closer to preventing municipal tax increment authorities from skimming funds from the Detroit Zoo and Detroit Institute of Arts millages, even as a Wayne County judge ruled it is legal for the agencies to do so.

On Friday, a package of seven bills sponsored by state Rep. Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake, was on its way to Gov. Rick Snyder to be signed. Once the package becomes law, the prohibitions would apply to tax money gathered by Metro Detroit communities after the law takes effect, not the revenue collected before then.

For the full article, see Lauren Abdel-Razzaq, "Bills to stop siphoning of zoo, DIA tax advance", etroit News, June 15, 2013.