(energetic electric guitar) (fast rock music) - On this awesome episode of UTR, we're back in Jackson for an underground railroad.

Some hot food and cold brew you'll wanna do, and a collection of captivating concrete campuses.

We'll even meet a super cool couple who will quell your ice cream cravings, not to mention their bonafide burger.

Get ready to explore the cool people, places, and things that make Jackson just right.

(fast rock music ends) (music intro) - A visit to the Stahls auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

info@stahlsauto.com.

- Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit wwww.gogreat.com for more info.

(upbeat rock music.)

- I've been around the world, but there's one place I keep coming back to.

And the more I explore, the more I realize it's the place to be.

I'm Tom Daldin, and this is Under the Radar Michigan.

(upbeat electric guitars) (swooshing sound) You know, Jackson is one of those cool Michigan cities that people have reconnected with, reenergized and totally reimagined.

But you won't have to reimagine anything 'cause we're gonna show you.

It's kinda what we do.

That's right.

You're about to see, hear, and even taste how Jackson is back and better than ever.

Not that it went anywhere, but so many young, inspired, creative, and motivated people, are putting their heart and soul into this great city, that you won't believe it when you see it.

There's also so much history, heritage, and captivating stories here in Jackson, that you could spend a lifetime just trying to catch up.

Not to mention the fact that Jackson is home to Cascade Falls, a one of a kind experience and destination that's been bringing people here from around the world for almost 100 years now.

This incredible man made waterfall, lights up the night, is a remarkable site, and makes a great place for families, special events, and even just a good old fashioned look see.

If you've never seen Cascade Falls, fall into your car, and come check out this choreographed water wonder out.

It's super cool.

Yep.

From its plethora of palate pleasing places to its substantial stores to stroll through, Jackson is a great destination for any and all urban adventure seekers.

So, come along as we jump headfirst into a place that's near and dear to my heart, Jackson, Michigan.

But before we start, you need to know where to go.

Jackson is located in mid-lower Michigan, right off I 94, smack dab between Ann Arbor and Battle Creek.

(swooshing sound) (acoustic guitar) Now, if you know your American history, you know that the Underground Railroad saved countless African-American lives by transporting them to safety.

Ah.

But did you also know that Jackson was a big part of that action?

That's right.

Jackson was both a hub and a haven for thousands fleeing slavery through a human network of hidden helpers, known as the Underground Railroad.

From the early 1830s until 1865, The secret system of believers in human dignity and equality, helped so many find their way to freedom.

To help me truly appreciate this incredible piece of history, I checked in with historian, author, and expert Linda Haas.

It's funny how when you're young you're not interested in history.

It's just dates and people you're memorizing then you, you finally get a little more mature like us (giggles) [Tom] and all of a sudden it becomes fascinating.

[Linda] Yeah.

- And you can't get enough of it.

So, explain the mechanics and the mission of the Underground Railroad.

[Linda] That is such a great question.

But it was a system of transportation that moved freedom seekers from slave states in the South, to free states and other areas where slavery was not, including Canada, Mexico, and even The Bahamas.

But for Michigan's role in this drama, it would be those that were coming north and ultimately going into Canada from in, in its most organized form, 1830 to the 1860s, and involved foot travel, wagons, carriages, boats, and sometimes trains.

- And a lot of these people who helped, they took a huge risk.

- They took a huge risk.

It was against the law fugitive slave law of 1850, They could be fined to the point of bankruptcy, and some were.

They could be sent to jail, or they could be killed if they were caught by a southern vigilante group.

A lot of risks.

[Tom] So Jackson was a huge part - Yes.

- Of the Underground Railroad and you have, you have so many sites here that are significant.

- Yeah.

- One being the church were in front of, right?

- Yeah.

Right, this church was actually founded by abolitionists and it was one of the first churches in Jackson that passed an anti-slavery resolution.

The deacons, the elders, were all what we would call Underground Railroad agents or activists.

And there is some unofficial documentation that it could've been a site on the Underground Railroad in and of itself in terms of hiding people.

But I haven't found any evidence to back that up.

But I do know that the founders, the deacons, the trustees, we're all underground railroad activists.

So I'm thinking if it quacks like a duck, if it swims like a duck, it flies like a duck.

Probably - It's a chicken.

No, I mean, it's a duck, you're right.

- Probably there were people that were, that were hidden here as well.

[Tom] And this is the first, first, - First Congregational Church.

[Tom] Right.

Beautiful church.

- Built in 1860.

[Tom] Wow.

And the train depot here as well, that was a historical site because that's where everybody came in.

[Linda] Right.

Our connection with the Underground Railroad and the train depot was a part of a transportation corridor.

- Did any of the, the descendants of the slaves who escaped, who these people, brave people, helped escape.

Did any of them settle here?

- Yes!

Yes, indeed.

Um, and three, in fact I was able to track three great-granddaughters of Emma and Richard Nichols.

Who came to, actually, they were born enslaved on a plantation in Virginia.

And they were able to escape with help from the Underground Railroad.

For some unknown reason.

They came to Jackson, Michigan, and they settled here.

They married here.

They had a family.

He worked as a barber.

She worked as a seamstress around the early 1850s.

His original enslaver found him, [Tom] Wow.

[Linda] and tried to take him back to Virginia, the people of Jackson, bought him from the enslaver, got his freedom papers, and Richard and Emma stayed here in Jackson where he continued to work in his barbershop.

They are buried here in Mount Evergreen Cemetery.

And they had a family, who had family.

Generations later, their three great-granddaughters live here today.

- And if people want more information, if they wanna do a tour or get more, where can they go?

- I would say they could connect the Jackson County, Michigan Historical Society.

And we have a website online, they can just Google our society and there's a, a contact page and just send an inquiry and we'll go from there.

[Tom] Yeah.

- Linda shared so much interesting information and so many incredible stories of bravery, that I almost forgot what century it was.

If you want genuine experience that will make you think deeper than you probably ever thought before, come experience the Underground Railroad history here in Jackson.

Your quest for knowledge will be just that much more complete.

(acoustic music ends) (swooshing sound) You ever walk into a place and you suddenly realized that you just walked into the right place?

Well, I think that's about to happen to me.

Oh yeah.

Yep.

I just walked into OGMA Brewing Company.

A cool, comfortable, and eclectic place that specializes in original cold brews, ever-changing food, and an atmosphere that says all for one and one for all.

This is a place you can come any time of day to work, relax, reflect, connect, or even just kick back with a cold brew and a friend or two.

Andrew Volk is one of the owners who's gonna own up, to why he helped create this super cool place.

- So, dude, can I call you dude?

- Dude, I like that.

- I mean, I heard somebody describe this, maybe it was you in a video that it's an upscale dive bar.

- Yeah, I I have said that.

[Tom] This place is way too nice to even be called a dive bar.

- I've heard that too once I, once I said that.

But yeah, I agree.

-I mean, I'm a big believer in 30, 30% or more of a business, of any place is atmosphere.

And you walk in this place is super cool.

[Andrew] Yeah.

-How'd you get into this?

- Well, there's three owners and we, we've been friends forever.

Two, the owners are brothers, so they're very familiar with each other.

And Troy and I, we were in a band together way back in the day, so we - Oh, like me.

and Jim.

Yeah.

- Yeah.

So we've always had like this creative outlet together and we kind of joke around and say that this brewery is sort of the reincarnation of the band in a lot of ways.

Troy, he was a brewer at Dark Horse Brewing, in Marshall for about eight years.

So, he got a lot of experience there.

He always wanted to start his own place.

I've always been into branding, marketing, and building communities.

That's my passion.

- Right.

- And Kevin, Troy's brother, you know, he's been a carpenter for over 20 years.

So we, we felt like between the three pieces of us, we had the, the tools to do it on our own.

So we, we started meeting and fast forward five years and a pandemic, and we opened.

So.

- Also, I have to ask you, what is OGMA?

What is the name?

-Yeah.

- Where does the name come from?

- Ogma, he's the Celtic god of language and communication.

He invented his own alphabet, his own language.

So we were really kind of hooked on this idea that communication is a pillar of community and we wanted to build a truly com, community space.

You know, a place where people felt comfortable at, and communication's a big part of that.

- Well, speaking of community, everybody we mention, everybody says, where are you guys going when you're in town?

- Yeah.

- And every time we said OGMA, Oh man, you just see people's face light up.

Like, oh my God, you're gonna love that place.

Oh, the food there.

Yeah.

Oh, the beer is amazing.

I, and I've heard people say that your, your beer is so good.

It's hard to describe.

[Andrew] Sure.

You know, I, I think that the beer has always been an area where we knew, in Troy, that he was going to make a great product, you know.

And, and we all had that confidence.

So it doesn't surprise me that people are are, you know, looking at the beer that way.

I mean, it's truly well done.

- Yeah.

Troy's desire to brew both traditional beers um and the beers of the week.

[Tom] Right.

[Andrew] So it's a nice balance of both Troy, he's got it down, you know, it's art, it's science, it's it's cleanliness.

[Tom] Right.

[Andrew] So much goes into a beer that tastes good versus one that makes you feel a little, not so good.

[Tom] Yeah.

And I was gonna say, you should charge admission, just to walk into the hallway in the back of this place.

That's [Andrew] Yeah.

A little black light action.

It makes for some fun on Saturday night, for sure.

- I I think places like this are three parts.

They're the quality of the food and the beer or whatever.

[Andrew] Yep.

The atmosphere and the people.

And you've got great people here.

- Yeah I mean, you guys, it's what a great recipe for success.

[Andrew] Yeah.

I, I love uh the community that comes here.

It's truly eclectic.

I mean, there, there's no age groups that hang out here, and there's all different types of people and travelers and all types.

I-- It, truly makes coming in every day interesting 'cause you're, you're gonna meet someone different or new.

So.

- I think I've just made found my new happy place, but you're three hours from my house.

- Hey, I would travel to be happy you know.

- I can't argue with that.

(glasses clink) - Well, with an overabundance of positive vibes, it was time for us to kick back, belly up, and try some unique brews and tasty foods.

And after a tip, a sip and a few savory samples, everything we heard about this place came true.

Let's face it, there's nothing better than a frosty cold adult malted beverage, and some really good food, with great people, in a cool atmosphere.

And you know a place is cool when it's where you take friends who come in from out of town.

And since we were from out of town, we went ahead and took ourselves to OGMA Brewing Company because who wants to wait for an invite when a place is this cool?

(soft rock music) (swooshing sound) - Now, if you know me, you know, I absolutely love murals.

They add so much color and personality to a city.

I mean, when else can you stare at a brick wall and it makes you think, wonder, and maybe even teach you something?

Well, here in Jackson, thanks to Bright Walls, the whole city is alive with colossal, colorful creations that teach, inspire, entertain, and give this whole town a larger than life of its own.

Clay and Leslie McAndrews, are just two of the inspired visionaries who helped hundreds put paint to brush and brush to brick, for these grand living landscapes.

We got to town yesterday about a couple hours early.

So we thought, Hey, since we're here early, why don't we drive around and look for these murals that we're gonna be talking about?

You guys have created a destination here in Jackson, with these murals.

I've been to a lot of mural cities before in my life, but never seen anything on this scale, this beautiful, this colorful, condensed into this kind of area.

Pun intended, whose bright idea was this?

- Well, that's the million dollar question, right?

So, years ago, Leslie and I would travel by ourselves to different cities across the US and while we were there, we would try to find picturesque murals to take photos in front of and post 'em on Instagram like a typical millennial would, and make those fun memories.

And we did that for several years.

And then I knew I wanted to propose to her, and I thought, no better way than to propose to her in front of a mural.

So went to Boston of all places, and the stars had aligned because three days before we landed, there was a mural festival that had taken place, and one of the murals said the word love.

I said, oh, this is perfect.

This is where it's gonna happen, - Meant to be.

- It's where it's gonna happen.

So I set up our, our tripod and got down on one knee, asked the whole, you know, did the whole thing.

And she said, yes.

You know, fast forward another couple months, and Leslie and I were both members of the Jackson Young Professionals, and I said, why don't we do a mural in Jackson, so people could start creating memories like we had done on our trips.

We had pitched it to our, one of our or--, organizations in Jackson, for some support.

And they said, why, why one, why not more than one?

And it was like light bulb went off, like, yeah, why don't we make this thing into a festival?

So, that all snowballed into what is now Bright Walls.

We, we've a total of 75 murals across Jackson, and it's a great place for people to come and make those picturesque memories.

They serve as great backdrops for all sorts of different things.

- You've.

got artists coming in, or who came in from all over the world.

- Yeah.

So we were very strategic when we sat down and planned out Bright Walls, that we wanted it to be very walkable and it to have a critical mass so that when you came, you would be wowed.

And we were also very intentional about diversity of art, diversity of artists, so that when people were coming to see the murals, that they could find something they liked or be inspired by something they saw.

We had people as artists as far as Australia, come in and paint a lot of European artists.

We highlighted a lot of Michigan artists as well.

We wanted to make sure that people were leaving inspired and in awe of what could be possible and what's right here in Jackson, Michigan.

- So, the community embraced this, or did you sort of have to twist a couple of arms?

- No, I think that we were very thoughtful in our first year of Bright Walls to ensure that the community, would love what they saw.

And that was kind of the proving ground.

And they loved it.

So they wanted more and more every single year.

And it has become a pride point for Jackson, which I think was another real reason we wanted to do it.

We're both from Jackson, our families are here, we plan to stay here.

And so really having a pride point that people could just say, have you heard of Bright Walls in Jackson?

Is one of the best outcomes of, of the whole thing?

- Well, I always know a place is cool, when the first thing I think is I, I say to myself, I gotta bring my wife back here because it's so cool.

So I'm gonna come back and if, if you do need one more mural, I do a heck of a stick, man.

(giggles) - Perfect.

Perfect, perfect.

- Everywhere you look now in Jackson, is inspiration and energy.

Thanks to young, creative people who reconnected with this city and brought it into a bright and colorful future.

The city now is an enormous eye candy store that you can shop for free.

Bonus.

So get ready 'cause I'm gonna say it again.

Art is the icing on the cake of life.

Without it, we just exist.

So if you want to feel alive, get in your car and drive to Jackson, because these walls do talk and you'll absolutely love the stories they tell.

(upbeat music) (swooshing sound) And time right now for a UTR extra.

Next time you're anywhere near Jackson and you're looking for a cool classic retro diner to dig into.

Check out Roxy Cafe.

It's super friendly, family owned for forever and serves up creative breakfasts and sensational sandwiches.

Heck, the amusing menu alone is worth a read.

And if you wanna look like a local, don't use the front door.

That's where out-of-towners come in, the locals use the back door.

And when you're there, don't forget to look up.

You just might find something you need.

So check out Roxy Cafe.

This place is the real deal.

And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

(swooshing sound) You know, there's all kinds of toppings you can get on your ice cream, and they're all pretty tasty.

But my favorite topping is love.

And that's what you get with every cup, cone, candy, cupcake, cookie, shake, and float, here at RJs Metropolitan Ice Cream Company.

Yep.

From their smallest sweet treat to their colossal birthday crazy shake.

Everything you taste is made with love for you, your family, and this great community.

Yvette and Robert Wilke own and operate this opulent happy place.

And if you're looking for good in the world, you just walked into the epicenter.

Just entering this place makes you feel like you're a walking, talking, tasty topping on some tall treat.

How did this all start?

Did you always, did you, when you were a little kid, did you say, when I grow up, I'm gonna have an ice cream parlor?

- No, actually we started off as, I guess I would say a bakery.

Our son passed away and my daughter birthday was approaching and she asked me to make her a Barbie birthday cake.

So I YouTubed it, and actually that was the first thing that had brought me any spark of life besides just sitting on the couch, you know, laying, or crying and just, you know, trying to deal with the death of our son so, and it started like that and we grew and we opened our first location on what would've been our son's third birthday.

And we opened this location that we now have, would've been our son's 10th birthday.

[Tom] Besides the ice cream and the sweet treats, which are amazing that you have the most amazing hamburger apparently ever.

And Robert, that was your inspiration.

- Wow.

Wow.

[Tom] Oh, you wouldn't believe what people are saying about your hamburgers.

- Wow.

- Well, we're hearing a lot, but you're pretty good.

Yeah.

[Tom] Yeah.

Well, what, what made you decide to have, add hamburgers.

- Well.

Well actually, when we bought this business here, it had a kitchen in it, and they were doing burgers.

I think they opened during COVID.

And so when we bought it, we just took it over and evolved to burgers.

We're doing chicken strips, we doing hoagies.

We, we, we just fired up our deep fried salmon.

So, we just like tinkering around with food and ideas in the kitchen.

[Tom] Well it's funny, like I said, when I say RJs, people get this look on their face.

Oh, that's so wonderful.

You're going there.

They're such sweet people.

They're so nice.

And when I mention the food, they say, oh, I have the burger and burger.

Then their face changes completely to like this, this carnivorous, you know, it's like, oh, you've gotta have the burger.

[Clay] Well you can build your burger.

So that, that's what people like.

You can add whatever you want.

We got variety of toppings.

You can put two patties on it, four patties, three patties, eight patties, 10 patties.

- 10 Patties.

- How many you want?

We'll put it on there.

(chuckling) [Leslie] Yeah.

- Yeah no, that's, that's not me.

I'm a one patty man.

(laughing) Now, RJ inspired what happened here.

Do you guys ever feel like you feel like he's here in some ways?

- Oh yeah, definitely.

I definitely feel like the energy, um, the goodbyes.

Some people come to the register and they be like, I was really having a sad day before I came here.

But soon as I came I feel, you know, like, I'm in a good mood now and happy.

So I definitely think he brings a lot of good energy.

I think he's here add a sprinkle of joy and putting good energy into the atmosphere for Yes, I definitely think so.

- We.

We, we get a lot of stories on that particular subject of losing RJ.

We had a family reach out to us and she said uh, they lost a child and she said every year on that birthday, they come here for inspiration.

And I think that was very touching to us.

And, and we try to, you know, we just, the community has embraced us so much and we just try to pour right back into the community.

And, and that, that right there, that just made my day when I read that one, uh that that was touching.

So.

- Well, what you've done I think is really, really helped you guys and it's really helping so many other people.

[Robert] Yeah, - Because I want moms to hear the story and follow and just 'cause that's the only thing that gave me hope when our son passed away was hearing another mom tell me that she made it through that it's, you know, better days ahead.

I feel like now we're making him proud.

He's looking at us on the other side and we're carrying his name on in a happy way where other people can draw strength and inspiration from it and, you know, turn their pain into purpose, whether they lost a child or a spouse or a job or a lot of different things, but to inspire them to turn that pain into something purposeful.

So I think the way we look at it's just exciting and we now we wanna pour back into other people.

You know I'm very passionate about, you know, helping moms that have been through similar things to get back up.

So that's why I said I'm just gonna start my podcast and tell my story and try and encourage other moms.

- Encourage.

Encourage.

Encourage - Yeah.

You guys are really selling hope and happiness with sprinkles on top.

- Yeah.

[Tom] Bonus.

- Yeah.

That's the way.

I never thought of it like that.

Hope and happiness with sprinkles on top.

(laughing) [Tom] Well, after a very sweet conversation, it was time for me to show my love for RJ by trying some of their taste tempting treats.

And I'll be completely honest, every one of my sweet and savory teeth were impressed.

If you're looking for three scoops of happy, topped with a delightful dollop of love, you're gonna absolutely love everything about RJs Metropolitan Ice Cream Company.

Robert and Yvette have come up with the sweetest way to remember someone they love, by sharing their love and incredible creations with this entire community.

And this way we can all help little RJ's legacy live on, and at the same time, spread love and goodwill across the world.

And speaking of the world, if you wanna visit a world-class city that's got cool colorful streets, great eats, hunks of history, and people who will welcome you with open arms, plan a junket to Jackson.

I promise, you'll wish you'd been here before, but that's okay.

You can always come back again.

Bonus.

(acoustic music ends) (UTR theme song) - A visit to the Stahls auto collection will take you back to a time when cars were more than just a way to get around.

A fantastic assortment of gas pumps, neon signs, and automated music machines dating back 150 years that must be seen and heard.

info@stallsauto.com.

- Brought to you by Frankenmuth, a Great Lakes Bay region community.

Visit www.gogreat.com for more info.

(upbeat electric guitar music)