Near Au Train in Alger County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Lake Superior

Photographed by Mike Wintermantel, August 11, 2005

1. Lake Superior Marker

Inscription. Le lac supérieur the French called it, meaning only that geographically it lay above Lake Huron. In size, however, Lake Superior stands above all other freshwater lakes in the world. The intrepid Frenchman Brulé discovered it around 1622. During the 1650's and 1660's French fur traders, such as Radisson and Groseilliers, and Jesuits, such as Fathers Allouez and Ménard, explored this great inland sea. Within 250 years fur-laden canoes had given way to huge boats carrying ore and grain to the world.

Erected 1957 by Michigan Historical Commission. (Marker Number 121.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1622.

Location. 46° 26.213′ N, 86° 49.059′ W. Marker is near Au Train, Michigan, in Alger County. It can be reached from State Highway 28 one mile east of Arbutus Street (Autrain Forest Lake Road), on the left when traveling east. Marker is located on the north (beach) side of the parking area at Scott Falls Roadside Park. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Au Train MI 49806, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and on Lake Superior’s South Shore Region.

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.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are

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within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Grand Island Nishnaabe (within shouting distance of this marker); Face in the Rock (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Au Train (approx. one mile away); Paulson House (approx. 2.6 miles away); Bay Furnace Ruins (approx. 5.3 miles away); What’s Old? What’s New? (approx. 5.3 miles away); Location is Everything! (approx. 5.4 miles away); In Memory of the Men and Women of Alger County (approx. 7.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Au Train.

Also see . . . Lake Superior. Excerpt:

Lake Superior is a lake in central North America. The northernmost, westernmost, and highest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior straddles the Canada–United States border with the Canadian province of Ontario to the north and east and the U.S. states of Minnesota to the west and Michigan and Wisconsin to the south. It is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area[a] and the third-largest freshwater lake by volume. It drains into Lake Huron via St. Marys River, then through the lower Great Lakes to the St. Lawrence River and ultimately the Atlantic Ocean.

(Submitted on January 8, 2026, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)

Lake Superior Marker with Lake Superior in background image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Kenneth Dahl, July 30, 2015

2. Lake Superior Marker with Lake Superior in background

Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 25, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This page has been viewed 2,177 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on April 25, 2011, by Mike Wintermantel of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 2. submitted on September 9, 2016, by Kenneth Dahl of Wilmington, Delaware. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.