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Did you know that there was a gold rush in Northern Michigan in the late 19th century? Gold was left throughout the state waterways when the glaciers moved across the entire state during the last ice age. Small amounts of gold can be found in just about any creek or river in Michigan. According to the US Forest Service, gold has been found in over 100 places in Michigan. Gold has been found in the Manistee, Au Sable, Flat, Little Sable, Rapid, Yellow Dog and other rivers and on countless Great Lakes beaches. Rivers and lakes are not the only… Read More »

Rugg Pond is a reservoir in Rapid River Township in Kalkaska County. It has a long and interesting history including reports that Ernest Hemingway once spent a night fishing from the Rugg Pond dam powerhouse. He supposedly wrote The Battle while fishing. It was formed by a dam that was originally intended to generate power for surrounding communities. The dam and power plant were built where the two branches of the Rapid River meet northwest of Kalkaska. Kalkaska Light and Power Company Ambrose E. Palmer founded the Kalkaska Light and Power Company 1904. The company was turned over to Kalkaska… Read More »

Greenbush Greenbush School is located in Harrisville in Northeast Lower Michigan in Alcona County on the shores of Lake Huron. The community was settled in 1848 by Crosier Davison who came from Detroit to build a fishery and cooperage. In 1862 tracts of government land was bought by Morris & McDougal Company from New York for their lumber operations.  In 1867, lumber magnate, William Conklin suggested naming the community after Greenbush, New York instead of its current name McDougal’s Landing. The Greenbush post office opened in 1870 and remains open with the 48738 zip code. In 1917 the post office… Read More »

In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is the small mining town of Ishpeming in Marquette County. With vast deposits of iron ore throughout the area, the town thrived and grew in the 19th century. Walking through the town you see evidence of that history everywhere. Ishpeming is also known as the birthplace of organized skiing. Besides being a thriving mining town Ishpeming was also becoming a hot spot for snow skiing. In the 1870s and 80s the first ski-jumping tournaments in the U.S. were being held in there. Skiers seeking thrills started doing ski flying. This is different from ski jumping where… Read More »