LANSING — State Rep. Sara Cambensy saw her first resolution, House Resolution 216 declaring Dec. 14 as Frostbitten Convention Day in the state of Michigan, adopted by the House today.
The Frostbitten Convention took place in 1836 in Ann Arbor in an effort to end the Toledo War between Ohio and Michigan. In the summer of 1836, a compromise was offered by President Andrew Jackson to offer the western portion of the Upper Peninsula along with statehood to the territory of Michigan. The region known as the “Toledo Strip” would go to Ohio. On Dec. 14, 1836, delegates at the Frostbitten Convention voted to accept the compromise. On Jan. 26, 1837, Michigan, which now included the western U.P., was granted statehood.
“This year is the 181st anniversary of the Frostbitten Convention, and I think Michigan has done very well thanks to the timber, mining, tourism and recreational opportunities that the U.P. has contributed to the state economy,” said Cambensy. “People from other states and countries come to experience the uniqueness of the U.P., so I would say Michigan definitely got the better deal at the Frostbitten Convention.”