The Wolverine Citizen was a weekly newspaper published in Flint, Michigan, from 1850 to 1915. It was founded by Francis H. Rankin, Sr., who initially established the Genesee Whig in 1850. Six years later, the publication was renamed The Wolverine Citizen and Genesee Whig, and eventually the "Genesee Whig" portion was dropped from the title.
The newspaper was politically aligned with the Republican Party and played a role in supporting the formation of the Republican Party from the remnants of the Whig Party and the anti-slavery faction of the Democratic Party. During the American Civil War, the paper switched to daily publication for 18 months and was strongly supportive of the Union (Federal) side.
The paper was owned by F.H. Rankin & Son and edited by Francis H. Rankin, Sr. and later his son, Francis H. Rankin, Jr. The younger Rankin began working at the press at age thirteen, acquired an interest in the Citizen in 1881, and continued the paper after his father's death in 1900 until its cessation in 1915.
The Wolverine Citizen also operated as a general printer. Several notable Michigan journalists began their careers at the paper, including W. R. Bates (Lumberman's Gazette), C. B. Turner (Pontiac Gazette), Charles Fellows (Flint Journal), and others.
