Indian River in Cheboygan County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Inland Waterway
Photographed by Paul Fehrenbach
1. Inland Waterway Marker
Marker has been repainted
Inscription.
Inland Waterway. . The glaciers of the last Ice Age retreated to the north some 25,000 years ago, leaving behind the lakes that rank as Michigan's most notable geographical feature. Among the state's largest inland lakes is Burt Lake, named after William A. Burt, who, together with John Mullett, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. By following the Cheboygan River, Mullett Lake, and Indian River to Burt Lake, Indians and fur traders had only a short portage to Little Traverse Bay. Thus they avoided the trip through the Straits. Completion of a lock on the Cheboygan in 1869 opened this inland waterway to the Cheboygan Slack Water Navigation Company, whose vessels carried passengers and freight until railroads put it out of business. Day-long excursions over these waters became popular with tourists.
The glaciers of the last Ice Age retreated to the north some 25,000 years ago, leaving behind the lakes that rank as Michigan's most notable geographical feature. Among the state's largest inland lakes is Burt Lake, named after William A. Burt, who, together with John Mullett, made a federal survey of the area from 1840 to 1843. By following the Cheboygan River, Mullett Lake, and Indian River to Burt Lake, Indians and fur traders had only a short portage to Little Traverse Bay. Thus they avoided the trip through the Straits. Completion of a lock on the Cheboygan in 1869 opened this inland waterway to the Cheboygan Slack Water Navigation Company, whose vessels carried passengers and freight until railroads put it out of business. Day-long excursions over these waters became popular with tourists.
Erected 1957 by Michigan Historical Commission. (Marker Number 127.)
Marker is in Indian River, Michigan, in Cheboygan County. It can be reached from State Road 0.4 miles west of Michigan Highway 68. This marker is in Burt Lake State Park. The marker can be seen from the day-use parking lot in the park and is between the parking lot and Burt Lake. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Indian River MI 49749, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula, on the Straits of Mackinac, and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on May 29, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 19, 2010, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 1,561 times since then and 28 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on May 28, 2025, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. 2, 3, 4. submitted on July 19, 2010, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
