Just when I think I've heard it all in regards to Newaygo County's history, I came across a story about buried treasure. My first thought was, "A buried treasure of gold! What pirate sailed up the Muskegon River?" Actually, it turns out it is more of a Black Bart, wild-west type of tale. I came across some references to this story and like the pieces of a treasure map; it took me on a historical treasure hunt. The story seems to have originated . . .

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    Some years ago I saw a quick local news report about a bigfoot sighting right on US 131 near Big Rapids. Apparently, a couple of young men hit a hairy, upright animal with their vehicle. The animal glanced off the front end, hit the ground, then got up and ran on off on two legs. They were certain it wasn't a bear and shaken up enough to notify local authorities. Of course, such an incredible story . . .

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    During a family dinner with some of my closest relatives, my eccentric uncle proposed that the extinction of the passenger pigeon was an attempt at Native American genocide. Like allowing the wholesale slaughter of the plains bison, the unregulated market hunting of the passenger pigeon was meant to force native populations onto reservations. Knowing how underhanded the federal government's dealings were (and still are) with the tribal nations . . .

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