At 7 A.M. Sunday, July 17, 1988, 27 year old Vicki Keith departed from Harbor Beach on an epic swim across Lake Huron. Vicki swam on through July 17, July 18, and onward into the early hours of Tuesday, July 19th. She arrived on the sand beach . . . — — Map (db m213503) HM
The Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse and Lifesaving Station aided mariners for over a century, beginning in 1847. That year the United States Lighthouse Service built the first lighthouse on this site to mark the turning point of Lake Huron into . . . — — Map (db m41201) HM
The storm of November
9-11, 1913, has proven
to be the worst natural disaster
in the recorded history of the
Great Lakes. The devastation
was unprecedented. More than
two hundred-fifty sailors lost
their lives: 25 ships were sunk
or . . . — — Map (db m226917) HM
Dedicated to the sailors of Lake Huron
This anchor was lost by the schooner E Cook about 1880 while battling a terrific storm in the vicinity of the dock at Port Hope. The anchor was salvaged in the summer of 1931 and erected by the . . . — — Map (db m225985) HM
Brigantine E. Cohen- US #8192
Length- 116.16 ft. Beam- 26 ft. Depth- 9 ft.
Built - Henry D. Root - Lorain, Ohio - 1867
Sank-October 18, 1890 - Port Hope Reef
Crew Rescued by: Pointe aux Barques Life Saving Station
Discovered by: . . . — — Map (db m226686) HM
A standard 600-footer with breadth of 58 feet and drawing 27.4 feet, the Daniel J. Morrell was a turn-of-the-century bulk freighter hauling limestone, coal, iron ore and taconite.
The Morrell was one of the few documented cases of a great . . . — — Map (db m226212) HM
You have to go out, but you do not have to come back
This flag is dedicated to the men of the United States
Life Saving Service, Station 2 10th. District,
Pointe aux Barques Lifesaving Station, Port Hope, MI.
Seven Surfman rowed out in . . . — — Map (db m226678) HM
In 1875 the supply ship Haze delivered materials to Pointe au Barques to construct a lifesaving
station located 300 yards south of the lighthouse. September 15, 1876 the Class A station opened
in the morning, making it the first . . . — — Map (db m226650) HM
Flammable oils burned in the lighthouse lantern were stored in this
building. Some types of oils used were whale oil, lard oil, rape seed
oil and kerosene.
On August 13, 1892 the lighthouse supply ship delivered the materials
to construct . . . — — Map (db m226163) HM
After a ninety mile trip up Lake Huron, in April of 1848, Peter and Catharine Shook, with their eight children, saw their new home. Out of the thick forest there was a three acre opening containing a house with a twenty-eight foot detached tower. . . . — — Map (db m226661) HM
November 8, 9th & 10th are three days remembered as the worst storm in Great Lakes history. The
storm that became known as The White Hurricane was created out of warm air from the Gulf of Mexico
and the first arctic air from the far . . . — — Map (db m226685) HM
The Great Lakes were formed 20,000 years ago when the third ice age, containing ice two miles high, melted and retreated. The ice was so heavy and powerful it gouged out the earth's surface and created the Great Lakes. Approximately 3,500-4,000 . . . — — Map (db m226673) HM
In 1872, Congress appropriated the funds necessary to
construct a US Life-Saving Station (LSS) at Pointe aux Barques,
Michigan. The building in front of you is a "Type 1875" USLSS
boathouse that was constructed in 1876. As . . . — — Map (db m226691) HM
Lansing's First Capitol Building. Early in 1847, three commissioners were appointed to select an appropriate site for the capitol in Lansing. The contract for construction was awarded on June 3, 1847. Building materials were shipped by boat . . . — — Map (db m99950) HM
The North Lansing Brenke Fish Ladder, is the sixth in a series of fish ladders on the Grand River to allow trout and salmon to migrate 184 miles from Lake Michigan to the South Lansing (Moores Park) Dam. It is part of a cooperative fish management . . . — — Map (db m214627) HM
The Grand River and its valley were formed by the melting of the continental glacier that retreated from this area some 12,000 years ago. Known by Chippewa Indians as Washtanong (further country) and by the French as le Riviere Grand, the Grand is . . . — — Map (db m104018) HM
1842: The wooden bridge
Though no records exist of Williamston's first bridge, there must have been bridges to move supplies and traffic between the mills and farms on the north side.
One entering our Village from the north, . . . — — Map (db m118899) HM
Ottawa Point (now called Tawas Point) presents a hazard to navigation as it juts out into Lake Huron. It also shelters Tawas Bay, protecting ships from strong north or northeast winds.
In 1850, The Federal government set aside $5000 to build a . . . — — Map (db m123998) HM
It is respectfully requested that the Board take under consideration the advisability of erecting a set of quarters at this station for the assistant keeper.
Major Thomas Handbury
Corps of Engineers to Light-House Board
. . . — — Map (db m123996) HM
”Put oil in new Oil House, cleaned same.”
Lightkeeper Samuel Palmer, May 26, 1989
Fuel for the Tawas Point light was originally stored in an oil room in the keeper’s dwelling. During the 1870s the Lighthouse Service changed . . . — — Map (db m123993) HM
The New Light Keepers
The State of Michigan acquired Tawas Point Light from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2002. The light will be managed by the Department of Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation Division, and interpreted by the Department of . . . — — Map (db m123997) HM
The point is a “making point.”
Annual Report, U.S. Lighthouse Board, 1873
Throughout its recorded history, blowing, drifting sand has constantly extended Tawas Point. This lighthouse was built in 1876 because the end of the . . . — — Map (db m123999) HM
In 1850 the U.S. Lighthouse Service commissioned a light station to safely guide ships into Tawas Bay. The first light station was built in 1852 at the end of Tawas Point, then known as Ottawa Point. The prisms of its fifth-order Fresnel lens . . . — — Map (db m124079) HM
The point has steadily made to the southward and westward, and the extremity of it is now more than a mile from the light.
Report of the Light-House Board, 1873
Blowing, shifting sand on the point forced the construction of the . . . — — Map (db m123991) HM
Experience the Tradition
-North America's richest, longest nonstop canoe race.
-Middle Jewel of North America's Triple Crown of Canoe Racing.
-Men and women of all ages paddle 120 miles nonstop through the night to compete for cash and . . . — — Map (db m190040) HM
With an original capacity of 9000 kilowatts, Cooke
Hydro began generating
electricity in December
1911. It was the first of the
six Au Sable River hydros.
Cooke is named for banker
Andrew Cooke, who helped
secure financing for the
project . . . — — Map (db m216845) HM
The Foote Brothers
By 1911, the Jackson-based
Foote brothers had built
several large hydropower
dams in west Michigan and
successfully captured much
of the market there. Now, in
concert with Oscoda-based
lumber baron Edward F.
Loud . . . — — Map (db m216848) HM
Welcome to Consumers Energy's Cooke Hydro facility, designated as
one of Michigan's historic sites. While here, please help us preserve the
natural beauty of this area so others can also enjoy it.
This map shows the location of camping, . . . — — Map (db m216847) HM
Cooke Hydroelectric Plant William Augustine Foote, a Jackson entrepreneur, built a series of hydroelectric plants along the Au Sable River with the help of his brother, electrical engineer James Berry Foote. The Footes enlisted the aid of . . . — — Map (db m184796) HM
“Oscoda and AuSable are Wiped Off The Map!” headlined the July 12, 1911, Detroit Free Press. The day before, forest fires, fanned by thirty-mile-per-hour winds, had destroyed these “twin cities” and killed four people. Refugees fled to this . . . — — Map (db m154600) HM
Michigan's Future: Powered
by Renewable Energy
A century ago, Consumers
Energy pioneered renewable
energy with a string of
hydroelectric plants along
Michigan rivers. Today, many of
those hydro plants continue to
operate, and . . . — — Map (db m216851) HM
Five Channels Dam Workers Camp Consumers Power Company (now Consumers Energy) built Five Channels Dam in 1911 and 1912. It was the second of six hydroelectric plants to be built on the lower Au Sable River by the Foote brothers of Jackson (the . . . — — Map (db m184798) HM
Five Channels Hydro was
completed in 1912. This
hydro is named for the
nearby location on the Au
Sable River where there
were once five distinct river
channels. The workers'
camp built to support
construction of the hydro
was an early . . . — — Map (db m216849) HM
With an original capacity of 9,000 kilowatts,
Foote Hydro began generating electricity in
1918. It is the most downstream dam on the
Au Sable River and was named after William
A. Foote.
W.A. Foote founded what later became
Consumers . . . — — Map (db m216854) HM
Michigan's Future: Powered
by Renewable Energy
A century ago, Consumers
Energy pioneered renewable
energy with a string of
hydroelectric plants along
Michigan rivers. Today, many of
those hydro plants continue to
operate, and . . . — — Map (db m216856) HM
Capable of producing
4,000 kilowatts, the
Loud Hydro was completed in 1913. It is
named for lumber baron
Edward Loud, who had
bought up most of the
cut over Au Sable lands
between 1900-06. Loud
later teamed up with
Consumers Energy
founder . . . — — Map (db m216850) HM
With an original capacity of 4,900
kilowatts, Mio Hydro began generating
electricity in 1916. It is the most
upstream dam on the Au Sable River
owned by Consumers Energy and is
named for a nearby town.
William W. Telft, a company . . . — — Map (db m216852) HM
Michigan's Future: Powered
by Renewable Energy
A century ago, Consumers
Energy pioneered renewable
energy with a string of
hydroelectric plants along
Michigan rivers. Today, many of
those hydro plants continue to
operate, and . . . — — Map (db m216853) HM
River Rats worked the log drives, herding timber to the
mills. A river rat's primary tool was his peavey. A peavey
is a long wooden pole with a metal point and hook. It was
the river rat's main device for pushing and moving the
timber while . . . — — Map (db m216843) HM
Kalamazoo River Environmental Importance
Native Americans harvested vast fields of wild rice near the mouth of the Kalamazoo and drank its crystal waters. But by the mid 1800s the river served as a drain for industrial pollutants and urban . . . — — Map (db m216864) HM
In 1904, Ambrose E. Palmer
founded the Kalkaska Light
and Power Company and built
a dam and power plant at
Rugg Pond where the two
branches of the Rapid River
meet. Palmer reportedly
commissioned farmers to bring wagonloads of stone to . . . — — Map (db m190646) HM
One of the most devastating events in Grand Rapids’ history occurred on the morning of July 26, 1883. Two weeks of record-setting rains had raised the Grand River to flood stage. When lumbermen tried to take advantage of the high water to float . . . — — Map (db m153293) HM
Grand Rapids is a city divided by the Grand River. In its earliest days, settlers crossed the river in small boats or canoes, or on frozen ice during the winter and temporary foot bridges in the summer. The need to tie the city together led to . . . — — Map (db m153292) HM
The Grand, Michigan’s longest river, rises from a spring-fed pond near Jackson and flows 270 miles westward before emptying into Lake Michigan. Formed more than 13,000 years ago by melting glaciers of the last Ice Age, the ancient Grand changed its . . . — — Map (db m153294) HM
The Grand River’s greatest rampage came on March 24, 1904, when waters rose to 20.4 feet, more than seven feet above flood stage. Warm days and heavy rains had melted winter snow, and ice breaking up in the river created a dam at the Grand Trunk . . . — — Map (db m153295) HM
There was a thriving business in Lowell based on
freshwater clams harvested from the Flat and Grand
Rivers. (1907 to 1948)
Clammers plied the rivers in flat bottomed boats with
a pole mounted on top. As the pole was dragged along
the . . . — — Map (db m216765) HM
North Side
At one time buildings nearly filled the north side of
the Bridge except for a small opening east of Mainstreet
Inn. The most prominent building is the old Post Office
building, built in 1884 after a fire destroyed the . . . — — Map (db m216763) HM
The Flat River has provided water power for
numerous industries. Little evidence remains today of
the large factories that once lined the east and west
banks below the Main Street dams.
Hooker Grist Mill (Forest Mills) was built on . . . — — Map (db m216764) HM
”We embarked on the… schooner Swallow… [and] at the end of the seven days from the Sault sighted Copper Harbor, the most important and best known point on Lake Superior.” A Pioneer, 1846 By the mid-1840s Copper . . . — — Map (db m153811) HM
It is my painful duty to inform you of the loss of the Brig Astor… Her keel is badly broken [and] her rudder broke in two. Captain Benjamin Stannard September 27, 1844 On Friday, September 20, 1844, the John Jacob . . . — — Map (db m153600) HM
"The finest vessel afloat" In 1835, two years before the Territory of Michigan becomes a state, the American Fur Company builds a small schooner at Sault Ste. Marie and launches it on Lake Superior. The boat is called “the finest vessel . . . — — Map (db m153599) HM
Lake Superior is famous for its wild beauty and extreme weather, but it's also a busy maritime corridor. There are many types of boats that frequent the waters around the Keweenaw Peninsula. Chances are you can see a ship right now. What's on . . . — — Map (db m153998) HM
Market demand drives the cost of Lake passage. In 1844, cabin passengers aboard the Astor pay $10 to travel from Sault Ste. Marie to Copper Harbor (about $210 today). Conditions are cramped, dirty and made worse by rough seas. ”Too . . . — — Map (db m153778) HM
Near this site in September 1844, the John Jacob Astor was driven upon the rocks by gale-swept seas. Every assistance was rendered by the officers and men of Fort Wilkins. They kept up fires as nigh the Shore as they could… and watched . . . — — Map (db m153810) HM
The discovery of copper and dangers of navigation created a demand for lighthouses on Lake Superior. Built in 1848 and replaced by the present structure in the 1860s, the Copper Harbor lighthouse was among the first beacons on Lake Superior. Now . . . — — Map (db m153808) HM
Eagle Harbor was an important port of refuge on this North Shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula during the last half of the nineteenth century. Settlers, speculators and miners arrived at the two docks, and large boats were loaded with unprocessed . . . — — Map (db m153140) HM
In the mid-19th century, when roads to this area were almost non-existent, the infant community of Eagle Harbor saw a dramatic increase in waterborne commerce, including incoming settlers and supplies and outgoing shipments of copper and logs. . . . — — Map (db m152900) HM
A fog signal was installed in this building on November 30, 1895. Its purpose was to warn mariners of rock and reef along this treacherous Lake Superior coast. The invaluable signal was activated during periods of fog when the light in the tower was . . . — — Map (db m153149) HM
"Folding Stock Anchor of the Great Lakes"
This 3,000 pound anchor was snagged in Bete Gris by the "John G. Munson* of the U.S. Steel Company in October 1983. It was entangled in the "Munson's" anchor along with about 250 feet of . . . — — Map (db m226591) HM
Lake Superior was discovered in 1629 by the French explorer Brule. Largest expanse of fresh water in the world. The water of Lake Superior is chemically pure. Area 31,800 sq. miles; 1500 miles of coast; greatest length, 350 miles; greatest breadth, . . . — — Map (db m152798) HM
A U.S. Life Saving Service Station was established directly across the harbor entrance from this Light Station in 1912. The well trained, locally recruited crew accomplished many heroic rescues on stormy Lake Superior complementing the light and fog . . . — — Map (db m153056) HM
This old-style bell buoy, minus the original bell, is eight feet wide and thirteen feet tall. It weighs approximately 5,000 pounds. It was donated by the U.S. Coast Guard and was transported on the cutter,
"Sundew" , in August 1983. Heavy equipment . . . — — Map (db m226590) HM
This was the "common anchor" of the Great Lakes. It was used from the beginning of lake navigation until around 1890. The wooden stock is split to receive the shank, and then bolted closed and secured.
This particular anchor was discovered . . . — — Map (db m226589) HM
In Memory of Douglass Houghton Michigan’s first State Geologist Born Sept. 21, 1809 Drowned in Lake Superior off Eagle River, Oct. 13, 1845 Erected by the Keweenaw Historical Society the Home Fortnightly Club the Women’s Clubs and the . . . — — Map (db m181727) HM
…scarcely had we gotten out into Lake Michigan than we were beset by a horrible tempest and in an instant out rudder was broken to pieces…Not being able to control our course, we were during the night the toy of gigantic waves which . . . — — Map (db m208025) HM
More than fifty ships have wrecked along this stretch of Lake Michigan. These buildings housed the men of the United States Life Saving Service who guarded this hazardous shore. Equipped with line throwing cannons and rowing life boats, they . . . — — Map (db m100648) HM
This commercial fishing district has provided a livelihood for residents of the town for over a century. Fishermen reached the fishing grounds of Lake Michigan by way of the Leland River (Carp River) using small sailboats until the introduction of . . . — — Map (db m76057) HM
1858: Erected by U.S. Lighthouse Service
1899: Fog Signal Building constructed
1900: Converted to a two family dwelling
1916: Kitchen added
1952: Modernized and electrified porch wings added
1972: Building closed. Automatic Light Tower . . . — — Map (db m162126) HM
Great Lakes sport trolling was pioneered off Northport in the early 1920s. Traverse City native George Raff was the first to discover that lake trout could be caught by trolling in Grand Traverse Bay’s protected waters. Prior to this, trout . . . — — Map (db m204941) HM
Pierce Stocking, a native of northern Lower Michigan, worked as a lumberman and spent much of his leisure time in the woods. He wanted to share his love of nature with others and conceived the idea of constructing a scenic drive onto the Sleeping . . . — — Map (db m98312) HM
In the early 1830s, many New England homesteaders moved west towards the Territory of Michigan in search of fertile land close to a river or stream. Many traveled by boat along the Erie Canal and then inland on existing Anishinaabe trails.
. . . — — Map (db m202037) HM
Huron River: Why dam it?
Dams serve a variety of purposes. The Kent Lake Dam was built in 1947, but why? The answer comes from the "when". On the Huron River, from 1910 to 1940, power generation was the goal. From 1944 to 1970, most dams . . . — — Map (db m156415) HM
The Potawatomi and Wyandot lived along the river Giwitatigweisibi, known today as the Huron River. They traveled the waterway in birchbark canoes as they caught fish, harvested wild rice or bartered with other tribes. Lightweight canoes were easy . . . — — Map (db m202076) HM
The Players
James McMillan (left) and John S. Newberry (right) founded the Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette Railroad (DM&M). After completing the railroad, the company sought ways to develop the properties that they owned along the route. On . . . — — Map (db m4453) HM
The Round Island Lighthouse, seen south of this site, was completed in 1895. Operating under the auspices of the United States Government, this facility was in continuous use for fifty-two years. It was manned by a crew of three until its beacon was . . . — — Map (db m35151) HM
Every winter ice provides a vital link to the mainland. Two hundred years ago British soldiers used teams of oxen to haul men and materials across the ice when they moved Fort Michilimackinac from the mainland to the island. In the later 1800s the . . . — — Map (db m131769) HM
Strewn across the bottomlands of East Moran Bay, particularly off this beach, are fascinating artifacts discarded from canoes, schooners, and steamboats for more than 300 years.
Commerial vessels—from Indian and French canoes to modern . . . — — Map (db m139693) HM
In Commemoration of the Thousands of Great Lakes Shipwrecks and Michigan’s Underwater Preserves. Great Lakes shipping played a significant role in the settlement and growth of Michigan and surrounding territories as early as the 1700s. Brutally . . . — — Map (db m154880) HM
The Great Lakes are known for delicious freshwater fish.
Before the white man came, Native Indian tribes supplied their needs with fresh and dried fish from these lakes.
Later, others joined in the fishing business, many of them from the . . . — — Map (db m130127) HM
This lake, the sixth largest in the world, was discovered in 1634 by Jean Nicolet, who explored this north shore to Green Bay but found no Orientals as the French in Quebec had hoped he would. The general size and outline of the lake was established . . . — — Map (db m4439) HM
Nicolet passed through the Straits in 1634 seeking a route to the Orient. Soon it became a crossroads where Indian, missionary, trapper, and soldier met. From the 1600's through the War of 1812 first Frenchman and Englishman, then Briton and . . . — — Map (db m101013) HM
The Mackinaw Boat was a unique design of Great Lakes vessel developed by the French and based on the Indian design of the Birch Bark Canoe. It was characterized by identical tapered pointed ends, high sides, narrow beam and gaff-rigged sails. . . . — — Map (db m139662) HM
The loose term "Mackinaw Boat" originally referred to any small sailing craft used in the Straits of Mackinac. The rather flat bottom and shallow draft allowed Mackinaw Boats to be pulled up on the beach, making them an ideal work boat when . . . — — Map (db m139665) HM
Built and operated under the supervision of Grover C. Dillman, State Highway Commissioner, as a link of the State Highway System.
Ferry service first opened -1923- under the supervision of Frank F. Rogers, State Highway Commissioner, 1913-1929.
. . . — — Map (db m130090) HM
The four large cylinder shaped structures that you see in place out in the bay are called "mooring dolphins". A dolphin is "a man-made marine structure that extends above the water level and is not connected to shore". These particular dolphins . . . — — Map (db m130123) HM
The four large cylinder shaped structures that you see in place out in the bay are called "mooring dolphins". A dolphin is "a man-made marine structure that extends above the water level and is not connected to shore". These particular dolphins . . . — — Map (db m139691) HM
Michigan's huge, untouched forests once seemed inexhaustible. Virgin White Pine often were over 5 feet in diameter and 200 feet tall.
The lumber era boomed in Michigan between 1880 and 1900. Giant trees were cut in winter and floated to . . . — — Map (db m139603) HM
The Past
10,000 years ago the last Pleistocene glacier retreated across this region, leaving behind the Great Lakes and their drainage basin. The first human inhabitants arrived soon thereafter, living off abundant game, fertile soil and . . . — — Map (db m139794) HM
July 31, 1923 marked the beginning of a Straits ferry system, when the converted river boat “Ariel,” landed 20 autos at the St. Ignace center. Annual traffic increased to about one million cars, requiring 470 employees, new docks and a . . . — — Map (db m130095) HM
This dock and the auto ferries which landed here were once the Upper Peninsula's "highway" to lower Michigan.
In the early 1900's, the few cars which reached the Straits crossed on railroad ferries, at a cost of $40 each! Better roads . . . — — Map (db m139782) HM
The boardwalk on which you are standing is constructed on what is affectionately referred to by local residents as the "Chief Dock". It is the previous home to the Chief Wawatam (Wa-wa'-tem), a hand-fired, coal burning train-car ferry built by the . . . — — Map (db m130100) HM
Panel 1 — The Life
In the years when passenger trains were part of the train service, the Chief's crew consisted of 54 people including "hotel services staff." The Chief ran 24 hours a day. She could carry 348 passengers and had . . . — — Map (db m140007) HM
The Great Lakes have swallowed up over 10,000 ships since the first trading ship was lost in 1679. Storm waves on the lakes are sharper than the roll and swell of ocean waves; a ship may not recover before being struck by another wave.
Lake . . . — — Map (db m139590) HM
The dark debris along the shoreline of this sandy beach is actually tree bark that has washed ashore. How did the tree bark get in the water in the first place?
From the 1870's to the mid 1900's, when the lumber industry was huge in Northern . . . — — Map (db m139492) HM
The dark debris along the shoreline of this sandy beach is actually tree bark that has washed ashore. How did the tree bark get in the water in the first place?
From the 1870's to the mid 1900's, when the lumber industry was huge in Northern . . . — — Map (db m139511) HM
This rudder came from the shipwreck of the William H. Barnum, a wooden steamer lost April 3, 1894. While carrying a cargo of corn the aging Barnum was blocked and cut open by ice. No loss of life occurred.
William H. Barnum Length: 218' • . . . — — Map (db m130126) HM
This is where the Fords' boathouse stood for
many years, jutting out over the cove. Edsel
enjoyed boating of all types, and he owned
an impressive collection of boats. An avid
sailor his entire life, Edsel raced speedboats
competitively as a . . . — — Map (db m206957) HM
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