Hell, Michigan: Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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Hell grew up around a sawmill, gristmill, distillery and tavern. All four were operated by George Reeves, who moved to the area in the 1830s from the [[Catskill Mountains]] in [[New York]]. He purchased a sawmill on what is now known as [[Hell Creek (Michigan)|Hell Creek]] in 1841. In addition to the sawmill, Reeves purchased {{convert|1000|acre}} of land surrounding the mill. Reeves then built a gristmill on Hell Creek which was powered by water that was impounded by a small dam across the creek. Farmers in the area were quite successful in growing wheat and had an abundance of grain. Reeves opened a distillery to process the excess grain into whiskey. Reeves also opened a general store/tavern on his property.<ref name="hh">{{cite web | url = http://www.hell2u.com/cotent/long-history-hell-mi | title = The Long History of Hell, MI | accessdate = 2010-07-25 | publisher = Hell2u.com}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |
Hell grew up around a [[sawmill]], [[gristmill]], [[distillery]] and [[tavern]]. All four were operated by George Reeves, who moved to the area in the 1830s from the [[Catskill Mountains]] in [[New York]]. He purchased a sawmill on what is now known as [[Hell Creek (Michigan)|Hell Creek]] in 1841. In addition to the sawmill, Reeves purchased {{convert|1000|acre}} of land surrounding the mill. Reeves then built a gristmill on Hell Creek which was powered by water that was impounded by a small [[dam]] across the creek. Farmers in the area were quite successful in growing [[wheat]] and had an abundance of grain. Reeves opened a distillery to [[distillation|process]] the excess grain into [[whiskey]]. Reeves also opened a [[general store]]/tavern on his property.<ref name="hh">{{cite web | url = http://www.hell2u.com/cotent/long-history-hell-mi | title = The Long History of Hell, MI | accessdate = 2010-07-25 | publisher = Hell2u.com}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> |
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The tavern and distillery soon became a thriving business for Reeves. He built a ballroom on the second floor of the establishment and a sulky racetrack around his millpond. Reeves also sold his alcohol to nearby roadhouses and stores for as little as ten cents a gallon.<ref name="hh"/> His operation came under the scrutiny of the U.S. government in the years after the [[American Civil War]]. When tax collectors came to Hell to assess his operation, Reeves and his customers conspired to hide the whiskey by filling barrels and sinking them to the bottom of the millpond. When the government agents left the area, the barrels were hauled to the surface with ropes.<ref name="hh"/> As Reeves aged he slowed down his business ventures, closing the distillery and witnessing the burning of the gristmill. He died in 1877.<ref name="hh"/> |
The tavern and distillery soon became a thriving business for Reeves. He built a [[ballroom]] on the second floor of the establishment and a sulky [[racetrack]] around his [[millpond]]. Reeves also sold his [[alcohol]] to nearby [[roadhouses]] and stores for as little as ten cents a gallon.<ref name="hh"/> His operation came under the scrutiny of the [[U.S. government]] in the years after the [[American Civil War]]. When tax collectors came to Hell to assess his operation, Reeves and his customers conspired to hide the whiskey by filling barrels and sinking them to the bottom of the millpond. When the government agents left the area, the barrels were hauled to the surface with ropes.<ref name="hh"/> As Reeves aged he slowed down his business ventures, closing the distillery and witnessing the burning of the gristmill. He died in 1877.<ref name="hh"/> |
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Reeves' family sold the land to a group of investors from [[Detroit]] in 1924. The investors increased the size of the millpond by raising the level of the dam, creating what is now Hiland Lake. The area soon became a summer resort area, attracting visitors for swimming and fishing. [[Henry Ford]] considered building some manufacturing facilities in the area but decided against it.<ref name="hh"/> |
Reeves' family sold the land to a group of investors from [[Detroit]] in 1924. The investors increased the size of the millpond by raising the level of the dam, creating what is now Hiland Lake. The area soon became a summer resort area, attracting visitors for swimming and fishing. [[Henry Ford]] considered building some manufacturing facilities in the area but decided against it.<ref name="hh"/> |
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Revision as of 00:15, 10 January 2014
Hell, Michigan
Hiland Lake, Michigan | |
|---|---|
Unincorporated community | |
 U.S. weather station sign in Hell | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Michigan |
| County | Livingston County |
| Township | Putnam Township |
| Elevation | 886 ft (270 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 266 (unofficial) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code | 48169 (Pinckney) |
| Area code | 734 |
| FIPS code | 26-37520Template:GR |
| GNIS feature ID | 628065[1] |
Hell, or Hiland Lake,[1] is an unincorporated community in Putnam Township of Livingston County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The community is near the border with Washtenaw County, about 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Ann Arbor. Hell is 3 miles (4.8 km) southwest of Pinckney via Patterson Lake Road. The community is served by the Pinckney post office with ZIP Code 48169.
History
Hell grew up around a sawmill, gristmill, distillery and tavern. All four were operated by George Reeves, who moved to the area in the 1830s from the Catskill Mountains in New York. He purchased a sawmill on what is now known as Hell Creek in 1841. In addition to the sawmill, Reeves purchased 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land surrounding the mill. Reeves then built a gristmill on Hell Creek which was powered by water that was impounded by a small dam across the creek. Farmers in the area were quite successful in growing wheat and had an abundance of grain. Reeves opened a distillery to process the excess grain into whiskey. Reeves also opened a general store/tavern on his property.[2]
The tavern and distillery soon became a thriving business for Reeves. He built a ballroom on the second floor of the establishment and a sulky racetrack around his millpond. Reeves also sold his alcohol to nearby roadhouses and stores for as little as ten cents a gallon.[2] His operation came under the scrutiny of the U.S. government in the years after the American Civil War. When tax collectors came to Hell to assess his operation, Reeves and his customers conspired to hide the whiskey by filling barrels and sinking them to the bottom of the millpond. When the government agents left the area, the barrels were hauled to the surface with ropes.[2] As Reeves aged he slowed down his business ventures, closing the distillery and witnessing the burning of the gristmill. He died in 1877.[2]
Reeves' family sold the land to a group of investors from Detroit in 1924. The investors increased the size of the millpond by raising the level of the dam, creating what is now Hiland Lake. The area soon became a summer resort area, attracting visitors for swimming and fishing. Henry Ford considered building some manufacturing facilities in the area but decided against it.[2]
Name
There are two theories for the origin of Hell's name. The first is that a pair of German travelers stepped out of a stagecoach one sunny afternoon in the 1830s, and one said to the other, "So schön hell!" (translated as, "So beautifully bright!") Their comments were overheard by some locals and the name stuck.[2] Soon after Michigan gained statehood, George Reeves was asked what he thought the town he helped settle should be called and replied, "I don't care, you can name it Hell for all I care." The name became official on October 13, 1841.[2] The second theory is tied to the "hell-like" conditions encountered by early explorers including mosquitos, thick forest cover, and extensive wetlands.[2]
Culture
In the early 1930s, Pinckney, Michigan postmaster W. C. Miller began to receive requests from stamp and postmark collectors for cancellations: Hell had no post office, instead being served by the one for Pinckney, three miles away. On July 15, 1961, a postal substation was established at Hell, operating from May 1 through September 30. It remains at the back of the general store, although the United States Postal Service does not recognize Hell as a town; it instead uses the name of nearby Pinckney as the mailing address.[3]
Hell in popular culture
- If a player beats the video game Twisted Metal III as the demon Minion, he wishes to spend eternity in Hell. In standard Twisted Metal fashion the wish is turned against him and he is sent to Hell, Michigan.[4]
- The movie Santa's Slay takes place in Hell Township.
- From June 30 to July 4, 2008, KFC ran a promotional sweepstakes "Hotter Than Hell", giving away 500 coupons each day for free hot wings to entrants whose hometown's temperature was higher than in Hell, Michigan.
- Hell was featured on The Travel Channel show Extreme Towns.
- Burger Restaurant Red Robin ran a promotion offering free chili if Hell, Michigan's high temperature on any day between February 18/February 24, 2013 was below freezing. The temperature on February 20, was 25 degrees Fahrenheit, leading restaurants to give away a free cup of Red’s Chili Chili™ to the first 100 customers who mentioned the offer to their server.[5]
- During the 2014 North American cold wave, the town recorded temperatures of -17C (1F), prompting jokes about hell freezing over.[6]
See also
References
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hell, Michigan
- ^ a b c d e f g h "The Long History of Hell, MI". Hell2u.com. Retrieved 2010-07-25. [dead link]
- ^ USPS.com ZIP code lookup
- ^ Michael Patrick Brown: Twisted Metal 3: Prima's Official Strategy Guide, Prima Games, December 9, 1998.
- ^ Freed, Ben. "Business Reporter". Ann Arbor.com. Ann Arbor.com. Retrieved February 26, 2013.
- ^ "Big freeze shatters North America temperature records". BBC News. 2014-01-08. Retrieved 2014-01-08.
External links
Municipalities and communities of Livingston County, Michigan, United States | ||
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| Civil townships | ||
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| Other communities |
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |