Hell, Michigan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hell, Michigan | |
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| Coordinates: 42°26′05″N 83°59′06″W / 42.43472°N 83.985°W | |
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| States | Michigan |
| County | Livingston County |
| Township | Putnam Township |
| Population | |
| - Total | 266 (unofficial) |
| ZIP code | 48169 |
| Website | Hell Country Store web site official Hell web site |
Hell, Michigan 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 situated five miles (8 km) west of Pinckney via Patterson Lake Road. The community is served by the Pinckney post office with ZIP Code 48169. The unofficial population is 266.
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[edit] History
For several hundred years, the low, swampy area was occupied mostly by the Potawatomi tribe. In the early 19th century, it was part of a trail between Lansing and Dexter, which at the time contained a major farmers market.[citation needed] It was on the route taken by traders portaging between the Huron River (which connects to Lake Erie) and the Grand River (connecting to Lake Michigan).[citation needed]
In the late 1830s, George Reeves, a New York farmer, started several businesses in the area — a general store, a watermill, and a distillery — which became the core of a minor population center. By the 1840s, enough people had immigrated to make a 70-person school viable.[citation needed]
[edit] Name
There are two leading stories cited by residents for the origin of Hell's name:
The first holds 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.[1]
The second holds that 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]
[edit] Culture
Hell's main export is kitsch. It claims a "fully non-accredited" (fictional) college that sells "signed, sealed and singed" diplomas, a motorcycle dealership, an ice cream parlor (called Screams Ice Cream), and a small general store. Hell Creek runs through town, and through a small dam; a bar next to the creek is known as "The Dam Site Inn". There is a small chapel which is available for weddings.
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, but instead uses the name of nearby Pinckney as the actual mailing address.[citation needed]
Several regular events refer jokingly or ironically to the community's name. The Helluva Cruise, begun in 1983, is an all day car show followed by a "Cruise to Hell and Back", during which people drive their cars to Hell,[3] drawing owners of classic cars, muscle cars, and specialty cars. Hell sponsors a running event called "Run Thru Hell", which includes 10-mile and 4.8-mile races;[4] participants receive a T-shirt that says "I Ran Thru Hell". The Ann Arbor Bicycle Touring Society hosts an annual recreational event called "One Helluva Ride".[citation needed] There is a regular "Blessing of the Rides", in which clergy bless attendees' motorcycles.[citation needed] The "Vista Cruise to Hell and Back" is held at Hell Creek Ranch every Father's Day weekend by the GM Skywagon Club.[5]
Kiwanis International chartered the Kiwanis Club of Hell, Michigan, on December 15, 2001, as the Michigan District's first Internet club. The club meets in private AOL chatroom, "Kiwanis Online".[6]
Survivor 16 contestant Erik Reichenbach worked at Screams Ice Cream.[citation needed] Total Nonstop Action Wrestling wrestler Chris Sabin is billed as coming from Hell, Michigan, though he is actually from nearby Pinckney.[citation needed]
[edit] Incidents
The dam burst due to heavy rains in the 1970s, causing Detroit-area newsreaders (including Bill Bonds) to exclaim, "There's a dam break in Hell tonight!"[citation needed]
In 1995, when the nearby Detroit Red Wings played the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals, WXYZ-TV, the Detroit affiliate of ABC (Channel 7) did a report on whether the residents of Hell would root for the Devils. Most interviewees decided to stick with the home-state Red Wings. (The Devils won in four straight games anyway.)[citation needed]
People watch for Hell to "freeze over" every winter, which provides amusement and yearly grist in various media. Residents define such an event by whether the water over the spillway of the dam between Screams Ice Cream and the Dam Site Inn has stopped flowing. This has happened only once in recorded history, on January 24, 2004.[citation needed]
The community hosted a party on June 6, 2006 (6/6/6) with live entertainment and a costume contest. There were souvenirs, most selling for $6.66.[7]
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 home town's temperature was higher than in Hell, Michigan.[8]
[edit] See also
- Paradise, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula, is 294 miles (473 km) north of Hell.
- Hell for Certain, Kentucky
- Hell, Arizona
- Hell, Norway
- Hell, Grand Cayman
- Hell, California
[edit] References
[edit] External links
- Official Hell, Michigan web site
- Hell Country Store & Spirits web site
- Hell, Michigan comic book
- BBC guide to Hell, Michigan
- History of Hell, Michigan
- Hell, Michigan at the Open Directory Project
Coordinates: 42°26′5″N 83°59′6″W / 42.43472°N 83.985°W
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