There was a mystery around the walking stick hidden away in the front hall closet. It was rarely even mentioned. It was revealing to pull it down from the top shelf and slide it out of the sleeve that protected it and into the light of day. The walking stick made of California redwood and topped with a nugget of quartz veined with gold is beautiful and impressive, stopping its observer in his tracks and making him wonder where it came from and who owned such an ornament. Who was the man who had the hubris to stroll down the street swinging such a glorious walking stick? The man, Edwin Winans, is as impressive as his stick. His story is revealed here in stages of his growth, starting as a young man in his quest for gold. He suffered much before he was successful; there's a love story to recount, adventures, and political intrigues. This story of his life presents an insight into the unusual man who left Michigan a better place because he lived, worked, served, and left a legacy.

The republication of the fourth volume in the Messages of the Governors of Michigan series originally published between 1925 and 1927 by the Michigan Historical Commission and edited by George Fuller.