Lansing Fun Facts with Joy Gleason
Lansing is full of stories hiding in familiar places. For this installment of Lansing Fun Facts, local tour guide and historian Joy Gleason shares two snapshots of the capital city’s history in her own words.
Potter Park Zoo
Potter Park Zoo was the first public zoo in the state of Michigan. In 1915 James W. and Sarah Potter donated 58 acres of land along the Red Cedar River to the city after arrangements were made to extend the local streetcar line to Pennsylvania Avenue for visitor access .
The zoo started with a small collection of donated native animals, including elk, deer, a bear, raccoons, and an alligator. The space officially opened as a public zoo under the guidance of city forester and acting zookeeper H. Lee "Pete" Bancroft, making it the first public zoo in Michigan. Today the Potter Park Zoo has over 500 animals from more than 150 species.
City In The Forest
In 1950 Brit Darling wrote a book about Lansing named City In The Forest. In it he recalled memorable things like the Labor Holiday and long forgotten things like that time the Michigan Aggies beat the University of Michigan and celebrated all the way to downtown Lansing.
He described Lansing as, “A bridge of one generation between the Stone-Age man and the Atomic-Age man, and that, friends, is Lansing.” His overall description of Lansing as a City in the Forest stuck and is a nickname to this day because of the lush canopy of trees that we live under.
About Joy Gleason
Joy Gleason is the founder and lead tour guide of Greater Lansing Area Destination Tours, better known as GLAD Tours. The company was established to help residents and visitors discover more of Lansing than its role as Michigan’s seat of government, using local history, neighborhoods and landmarks to tell the story of the region.
GLAD Tours offers guided experiences in the Lansing area, including downtown walking tours, step-on guide service for groups traveling by bus and small-group tour options. Gleason has also served as a Certified Tourism Ambassador and has been active in local history and community projects throughout the Lansing area.
Her community vision has extended beyond tours. WLNS has also profiled Gleason’s hopes to create a family entertainment park in Lansing, reflecting her broader interest in tourism, recreation and ways to give families more reasons to experience the city.
Learn more about Joy Gleason and GLAD Tours at www.gladtours.biz/about.
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