Michigan's state borders are well known and recognized today. Young Michiganders can see a map and spot the southern border with Ohio and Indiana - even with that jagged line in Hillsdale County. So to is the southern border with Wisconsin well defined. The Great Lakes that surround the state also give the state a distinct shape and natural boundaries.

But go back in history nearly 200 years and you'd see a Michigan you'd hardly recognize. The state, which it was a territory once included all of Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa and even portions of the Dakotas. Michigan territory was huge in 1836.

In the map below, Michigan territory that you recognize is in yellow while the 1836 extent of the territory was all in green. Yes, that was all once Michigan.

michigan territory
Wikimedia Commons
loading...

What's most interesting is that the territory called Michigan grew and shrunk over time based on other territories gaining statehood.

READ MORE: Oddity - The Fastest Route Between Southwest Michigan and the Western Upper Peninsula is Through Three other States

Briefly, Michigan territory was established in 1805 and included all of the Lower Peninsula and about half of the Upper Peninsula.

When Indiana and Illinois gained statehood in 1818, part of those states former territory - namely Wisconsin and a chunk of northeastern Minnesota were attached to Michigan Territory.

Michigan had those boundaries until 1833 when the remainder of the Louisiana Purchase that wasn't part of another state - Iowa and the eastern Dakotas - were also given to Michigan territory.

This greatest extent of the Michigan Territory lasted just 3 years until 1836. By this point, Michigan was ready for statehood. This was the era of the well known Toledo War which resulted in Congress stepping in and setting the border between Ohio and Michigan. In compensation for losing the land around Toledo, Michigan was granted the entirety of the current Upper Peninsula while all of the westernmost extent of Michigan Territory - today's Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and the eastern Dakotas became Wisconsin Territory.

The story of Michigan Territory's former borders popped up on Reddit recently (some NSFW language in the link).

Seven Michigan Counties That Are Larger than All of Rhode Island

Each of these Michigan counties has more land area than all of the state of Rhode Island.

Michigan License Plate Prototypes That Were Never Created

These Michigan license plate prototypes never made it to the back of any vehicles as an official design. However they were recently discovered as part of a Secretary of State worker's estate and drawn immediate interest from collectors.

Gallery Credit: Michigan Secretary of State via Michigan License Plates/Facebook

More From 98.7 The Grand