Burt Township in Grand Marais in Alger County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Grand Marais
Photographed by J. J. Prats, August 3, 2024
1. Grand Marais Marker
Inscription.
Grand Marais, which is among Michigan’s oldest place names, received its name from French explorers, missionaries, and traders who passed here in the 1600’s. “Marais” in this case was a term used by the voyageurs to designate a harbor of refuge. In the 1800’s, Lewis Cass, Henry Schoolcraft, and Douglass Houghton also found the sheltered harbor a welcome stopping place. Grand Marais’ permanent settlement dates from the 1860’s with the establishment of fishing and lumbering. At the turn of the century Grand Marais was a boom town served by a railroad from the south. Its mills turned out many millions of board feet annually. Lumbering declined around 1910, and Grand Marais became almost a ghost town but the fishing industry continued. Many shipping disasters have occurred at or near this harbor of refuge which has been served by the Coast Guard since 1899. In 1942 the first radar station in Michigan was built in Grand Marais. Fishing, lumbering, and tourism now give Grand Marais its livelihood.
Grand Marais, which is among Michigan’s oldest
place names, received its name from French
explorers, missionaries, and traders who passed
here in the 1600’s. “Marais” in this case was a
term used by the voyageurs to designate a
harbor of refuge. In the 1800’s, Lewis Cass,
Henry Schoolcraft, and Douglass Houghton also
found the sheltered harbor a welcome stopping
place. Grand Marais’ permanent settlement dates
from the 1860’s with the establishment of fishing
and lumbering. At the turn of the century
Grand Marais was a boom town served by a
railroad from the south. Its mills turned out
many millions of board feet annually. Lumbering
declined around 1910, and Grand Marais became
almost a ghost town but the fishing industry
continued. Many shipping disasters have occurred
at or near this harbor of refuge which has
been served by the Coast Guard since 1899. In
1942 the first radar station in Michigan was
built in Grand Marais. Fishing, lumbering, and
tourism now give Grand Marais its livelihood.
Erected 1968 by Michigan Historical Commission Registered State Site. (Marker Number 240.)
Location. 46° 40.257′ N, 85° 58.99′ W. Marker is in Grand Marais, Michigan, in Alger County. It is in Burt Township. It is at the intersection of Grand Marais Avenue (County Road H-58) and Randolph Street and Crawford Street, on the right when traveling north on Grand Marais Avenue. It is in Bay Shore Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Grand Marais MI 49839, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It is also in the American Midwest and on Lake Superior’s South Shore Region. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 7 other markers are within 9 miles of this marker, measured
The name Grand Marais (French: great marsh) is a reference to the large, shallow harbor. French explorers and fur traders from the time of New France used the word “marais” to mean “harbor of refuge” as well as “marsh.”
A breakwater was later built that extends from the bay into Lake Superior. The Grand Marais Outer Range Light is at its end, and the Fresnel lens is still operative. It is one of only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States; 16 of these are in use on the Great Lakes, eight of which are in Michigan.
(Submitted on August 11, 2024.)
Credits. This page was last revised on August 11, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 11, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio. This page has been viewed 551 times since then and 53 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on August 11, 2024, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.
