Presque Isle History

Presque Isle History. . Presque Isle, which means “almost an island,” was named by French voyageurs in the 1600s. It refers to the peninsula north of the harbor and the surrounding area. Long before the French arrived, Ottawa people from the North Channel Islands of Canada canoed 35 miles across Lake Huron to fish and hunt at Presque Isle each fall. Their canoes were often carried between the harbor and North Bay over the narrow, sandy strip called “the Portage.” , Presque Isle’s natural harbor later provided shelter for sailing vessels and in the 1800s steamships began to stop for cordwood fuel. In 1840, Presque Isle was the only settlement between Bay City and Mackinac. A small local fishing station had grown to include a dock, store, houses, log barns and shanties. The fishermen sold their catch to passing ships. , Logging ruled the region’s economy from the mid-1800s until the devastating Metz Fire of 1908. Burnham’s Landing, on the harbor, was a prosperous lumber dock and mercantile during this era. By the turn of the century, Grand Lake had become a popular summer resort. The Birch Hill Hotel, operated from 1901 to 1951, boasting a 400' porch. The Fireside Inn (1909) and Presque Isle Lodge (1922) continue to greet visitors today. , Other reminders of Presque Isle’s past can also be found. The Presque Isle Cemetery has graves dating back to 1850. The Kaufmann Homestead Cabin (1862) houses a craft shop. The old Rear Range Light (1870) is now a private residence. Just south of the boat harbor, a small stone marks the grave of Adeline Sims, a midwife reputed to chew tobacco and curse like a lumberjack. Explore the history of this scenic corner of Michigan!