GC7345V SwtM - Colon (Multi-cache) in Michigan, United States created by The Mitten Crew

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The Mitten Crew: Another year of the "Smitten with the Mitten" series has come to a close. Thanks for visiting this cache and learning about Michigan Small Towns.

GC7345V ▼

A cache by The Mitten Crew Message this owner

Hidden : 5/5/2017

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

At the posted coordinate you will find a sign (ignore the township emblem). Use that sign to calculate the final below coordinates.

A=Number of Letters in the 4th Word
B=How many times do you see the word helmet?
C=Number of words in the top sign multiplied times 2?
D=How many times is the word "Caution" used?
E=The number of words in the top sign + 5
F=The number of times the word frog is used?

N 42 56.ABC
W 085 32.DEF

Quick Field Checksum = 28

Colon is a village in St. Joseph County with a population of 1,173 at the 2010 census.

The former home and burial site of famous magicians including, Harry Blackstone, Sr. (The Great Blackstone) The United States Congress recognizes Colon as "The Magic Capital of the World." It is the home of the Abbott Magic Company, founded by magicians Percy Abbott, an Australian and friend of Blackstone's, and Recil Bordner, originally from Eaton, Ohio, in 1934. The company has a local store, showroom and a factory where magicians' supplies and new tricks are manufactured. Abbott Magic is well-known among professional stage acts, with customers around the world.

FAB Magic Company and the Sterlini Magic Manufacturing Company are also based in Colon. Weekly magic shows are performed during the summer at Abbott Magic Company and FAB Magic. Each August more than 1,000 magicians and lovers of magic gather there for "Abbott's Magic Get-Together", a 4-day magic convention, doubling the population, sharing magic tricks, and recollecting their knowledge of the famous occupation. The convention concludes each day with an evening show at Colon High School.

The American Museum of Magic in nearby Marshall, houses a large collection of magical paraphernalia and illusions, including an extensive collection of devices that once belonged to famed magician Harry Blackstone (1885–1965)

The Museum is the largest magic museum in the United States open to the public. The collection is extensive, and includes both famous and obscure magicians. The museum celebrates the art of magic and the devotion of magicians to their craft. Founded on April 1, 1978, the museum celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2008.

As the Michigan Historical marker on the site notes: this "unique collection . . . celebrates the magician's arts of wonder and delight. Michigan's link to magic is no illusion for nearby Colon, Michigan, a center of magic manufacturing," and Harry Blackstone's home.

Specifically, the museum includes 2,009 heralds, handbills, and window cards, 587 showbills, and over 5,000 programs, 10,000 books, 24,000 magazines, 46,000 photos and many letters. Magic sets, performer’s scrapbooks, and magic show apparatus are there. This includes the “Milk Can” and "Overboard Box" used by Harry Houdini. The half million (or more) objects occupy three floors. Memorabilia includes artifacts from thousands of conjurers, famous and obscure. In any event, it even has escape apparatus actually used by Harry Houdini. The archive includes thousands of little-known illusionists. Magician David Copperfield calls it "one of my favorite places on earth.

The Colon High School teams are known as the "Magi", and the high school mascot is a white rabbit wearing a black top hat. Also, a few of the local shops exploit the "magic" theme in their titles.

Colon also has a small Amish community.