20200910: MAGA Rally, Freeland, Michigan, 7 pm EDT

Are we ready for another twilight event?

Logistical information:

Trump is scheduled to speak at 7 p.m. from Avflight Saginaw, an aviation company located at the MBS International Airport in Freeland. Thursday’s event is the president’s first campaign rally in the state this year, coming while polls show the race tightening in Michigan.

So, just where is Freeland? If Michigan is a mitten, it’s between the thumb and index finger on the fleshy part.

Some history from Wiki:

The place was home to Native Americans long before the arrival of settlers of European ancestry. In the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw, in which the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawatomi ceded a large portion of land including Saginaw County to the United States federal government. In that treaty, within the ceded territory, several tracts were reserved for specific groups of Chippewa. One such tract, Black Bird’s Village, consisted of 6,000 acres (24 km2) on the Tittabawassee (named as the Tetabawasink river in the text of the treaty), very near to the present location of Freeland.[5] [6] [7]

In the 1850s, lumbering outposts developed in the area, one of which was called “Loretta”, which was given a post office named “Jay” in April 1856. The office was named for the first postmaster, Jefferson Jaqruth. This outpost was very nearly at the geographical center of Tittawabasse Township. Another settlement was placed just a little to the north. in 1867, one resident of the second locale, George Truesdale, instigated moving the post office from Loretta to his settlement, which retained the name of Jay for several years afterwards.

The name of Freeland comes from “Mammy Freeland” who operated a popular tavern on the river, frequented by lumbermen and rivermen, who came to refer to the entire settlement as Freeland. The name of the post office was changed to Freeland in January 1879. It was also a station on the Pere Marquette Railroad. By another account (Moore), the Freeland family name was prominent in business and politics of the area.

During World War II, the airport was used to hold German prisoners of war.

That last bit could be useful at some trivia night.

No mention of hockey, though. Shows who is updating the wiki pages. I mean, this description screams “WORKING CLASS SMALL TOWN” in the most basic and stark of terms. This is about the most picturesque photo I can find of the place in the midst of old houses and McMansions for sale. Talk about being unpretentious.

From Freeland earlier:

I’ll add live links to this post during the late afternoon as they become available.

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In the meantime, please post tweets and videos below of what’s going on in Michigan, and any travel stories you may have of the place.