How One Prankster Added ‘Goblu’ and ‘Beatosu’ to the Ohio Map

Who knew that Ohio had a town called “goblu”? And another one called “beatosu”?

It did back in 1978-79, thanks to one of the most devilishly clever University of Michigan grads who ever lived—a man who figured out how to put those two fictional towns in the Ohio section of the Michigan map.

His name was Peter B. Fletcher, and he lives on in maize-and-blue immortality for pulling off one of the greatest pranks the state has ever seen. Fletcher was an Ypsilanti businessman and Republican power broker who served as chairman of the Michigan State Highway Commission.

There weren’t a lot of perks that came with the job, but as chairman, Fletcher did have one bit of power: He was in charge of the official state map. So in late 1977, as the state was getting set to print the 1978-79 version of the map, Fletcher decided to take advantage of that power.

“I called in Tom Schauer, who was in charge of the map project,” Fletcher said in a 2008 interview. “I said, Tom, here's what we're going to do. In the Ohio section of the map, for which we have no legal liability, we're going to put two new towns. One of them is going to say GOBLU, G -O -B -L -U. The other one is going to say BEATOSU, B -E -A -T -O -S -U. But we're telling nobody.”

When the new Michigan state map came out, there were indeed two new towns just over the border in Ohio. Just outside Toledo, in Lucas County, there was a place called “goblu.” To the west, in Fulton County, there was a town called “beatosu.”

Fletcher held a press conference to unveil the new maps but didn’t tell anyone what was special about them.

“At the conclusion of the press conference, I said, ‘By the way, ladies and gentlemen, there's something on the new map which is not on the old map.’ That's all I said. Well, some smarty went home that night, put the two maps up to a bright light, and found my errant towns,” Fletcher said.

Once the media figured out what had happened, the story hit every newspaper in both Michigan and Ohio. Not surprisingly, most of the folks north of the border loved the prank, and most of the people down south did not. But Fletcher gleefully took full credit for pulling it off.

“There’s nothing inaccurate in putting a message of great national import on the map,” Fletcher told a reporter at the time. “Now we have three million messages cheering on the world’s greatest football team.”

Fletcher even had one of the maps sent to Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes. It was the ultimate troll job, long before “trolling” was a thing.

The full story of how the “Map Caper” came to be is delightful, but first, a word about Peter B. Fletcher, one our state’s most colorful characters.

I’m from Ypsilanti as well, and like most people from Ypsi, I knew Pete (who passed away in 2012). He spoke at my Eagle Scout Court of Honor, and we had lunch a few times through the years. I’m also honored to own one of the 1978-79 maps that was part of his personal collection, a gift from a mutual friend.

Fletcher owned the Credit Bureau of Ypsilanti, but he was best-known around the state as a moderate Republican power broker. He chaired Gerald R. Ford’s presidential campaign in Michigan and was great friends with Gov. William Milliken and Gov. John Engler. It was Milliken who appointed Fletcher as chairman of the State Highway Commission, a job he really didn’t want.

What really set Pete apart, though, was his command and use of the English language (and you can see it in some of his quotes about the map). He always spoke as though Oscar Wilde or the Coen Brothers had written out a script for him. Nobody had a bigger vocabulary or a better command of the Queen’s English. Listening to him speak was a treat, and he also had a world-class sense of humor, as you can imagine.

The Map Caper (as Fletcher always called it) began when a friend of his, State Commerce Director Keith Molin, a fellow U-M fan, started ribbing Pete about the Mackinac Bridge, which was in the process of being painted green and white.

“He said, ‘Fletcher, you're not being faithful to the University of Michigan because you're allowing them to repaint the Mackinac Bridge under your purview green and white, the colors of the archenemy in East Lansing,” Fletcher said.

“Well, I had no control over that because the Federal Highway Administration determined that green and white were the safety colors. They used them all over the country. I said, ‘Well, I'll do something that proves I'm as faithful to the maize and blue as anyone else.’ ”

A few weeks later, the towns of “goblu” and “beatosu” popped up in Ohio.

Fletcher left his job on the State Highway Commission soon after that, but then Gov. Milliken appointed him to another position, and you’ll never guess what it was.

“He called me and said, ‘Peter, I’m going to appoint you as a Trustee of Michigan State University,’ ” Fletcher said. “I said, ‘Governor, I don’t want to be a Trustee of Michigan State University.’ He said, ‘Peter, I’ve done things for you I didn’t wish to do, now it’s you turn to do this for me.’ So there I was, stuck.”

Fletcher was a rabid U-M fan who had never even set foot on the MSU campus, but he accepted the appointment nonetheless. As you’d expect, the MSU community was none too pleased.

“When he announced it, for three days, absolute hell broke loose,” Fletcher said.

They eventually got over it, and he served on the board with distinction, but it’s safe to say that Peter B. Fletcher is not a beloved figure in MSU circles.

In the U-M world, though, the man will always be a rock-solid, maize-and-blue legend. He figured out a way to put “goblu” and “beatosu” on the Ohio map and then had 3 million of them printed up and sent around. That’s epic.

There are still a few of those maps in circulation, and they’ve become collector’s items. You’ll see one pop up on eBay from time to time, and they’re a must-have piece of memorabilia for any Michigan fan’s collection.

Oh, and if you’re wondering if those maps brought the Michigan football team any good karma in the 1978 season, the answer is yes. The Wolverines “beatosu” that season, 14-3, to win the Big Ten.

A few weeks after that, Ohio State’s Woody Hayes went berserk and punched a Clemson player during a bowl game. He got fired the next day.

So yes, it would seem the karma from Pete Fletcher’s map was pretty darn strong indeed. Well done, my friend. Well done.