Charlie Maxwell: Ol' Paw Paw

Three cheers for Charlie Maxwell on his 86th birthday today.  Ol Paw Paw, the former Detroit Tiger, still lives in our state. This dedication plaque is located in --where else? Paw Paw.

Van Buren County Courthouse in Paw Paw

The village of Paw Paw is the county seat of Van Buren. Their courthouse, dating back to 1901, has been listed on the National Register for Historic Places. The architect from Jackson, Claire Allen, also did Chelsea's famous clock tower. Named for the paw paw trees that were plentiful here, Paw Paw is also the hometown of former Detroit Tiger, Charlie Maxwell, who still resides here. His nickname was Old Paw Paw.

Air Dogs in Paw Paw

The Air Dog competition at Paw Paw's Wine and Harvest Festival was a new one for us yesterday. They had a large pool measured out in feet and inches and these super leaping hounds would jump out into it as far as they could. It's sort of like a Long Jump for pooches. We watched one reach over 17 feet! The 3-day festival also included grape stomping, champagne races, a gospel choir, a hole-on-one contest, a carnival and band concerts with wine tastings and festival booths lining the streets. Happy faces were beaming everywhere.