North Central State Trail

North Central State Trail. Cheboygan. , Cheboygan marks the entrance to nearly forty miles of an inland waterway of rivers and lakes, ending about eight miles from Lake Michigan at Crooked Lake. Native Americans were the first to use this path to avoid the rough waters of Lake Michigan. In later years, European settlers used it for industry and recreation., [Captions:] , 69-State Street Bridge, Cheboygan, Mich. , In 1940 the 1877 iron swing bridge on US-23 was replaced by a double-leaf bascule bridge. It is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places., Confused by the miles? Don't be! The North Central State Trail mile markers use Michigan Central Railroad's numbering system which began in Bay City (mile 0) and ended in Mackinaw City (mile 182). Cheboygan is mile 156. Steamer Flora, Of Grummond'S Mackinaw Line. , The steamer Flora traveled the Great Lakes from 1875-1912. It was common for steamers to make round-trip journeys from Cheboygan to surrounding islands and St. Ignace., Lumber mills on the river shared the waterway with those going on commercial cruises. The mills processed white pine trees harvested from the region's vast forests. In 1847 Jacob Sammons and Peter McKinley built Cheboygan's first steam mill., The last log drive on the Cheboygan River was captured by a local photographer in 1910.