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Northern Michigan has a rich and fascinating history, and May has seen its fair share of momentous events. From groundbreaking legal changes to major explorations and historic shipwrecks, these stories offer a glimpse into the past of the Great Lakes State. Here are some key events that happened in Michigan on this day in May. May in Northern Michigan History May 1, 1918 – Michigan Voters Approve Prohibition On this day in history, May 1, 1918, Michigan officially went dry—two years before national prohibition took effect. But banning alcohol didn’t mean people stopped drinking. Instead, speakeasies flourished and bootlegging became… Read More »

Honoring Ezekiel Solomon with a Historical Marker History isn’t always made in grand palaces or famous battlefields—sometimes it begins in a fur trader’s cabin on the edge of the wilderness. On this day in 1964, a historical marker was unveiled in Mackinaw City, honoring Ezekiel Solomon, the first known Jewish resident in Michigan and a remarkable figure of the colonial frontier. Ezekiel Solomon’s story stretches back to 1761, when he made a daring 1,000-mile journey from Montreal to Fort Michilimackinac. His destination was a vital fur trading post nestled at the tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. A Berlin-born Jew, Solomon… Read More »

The Soo Canal Opens the Door to the Great Lakes Before massive freighters glided effortlessly between Lakes Huron and Superior, there were the turbulent St. Marys Rapids. These rapids were a major obstacle for ships. That changed forever on May 31, 1855, when the Soo Canal was completed. The canal made it possible for vessels to bypass the 22-foot elevation difference between the two Great Lakes. Everyone’s heard of the Soo Locks, but they wouldn’t exist without the Soo Canal. The canal paved the way—literally—for Great Lakes commerce as we know it. The project was officially sanctioned by Michigan’s first… Read More »

If you’re a fan of hockey or sports history—or just rooting for the underdog—then Clarence “Taffy” Abel is a name you should know. Born on May 28, 1900, in Sault Ste. Marie, Taffy Abel wasn’t just a big man on the ice—he was a giant in American sports history. Standing 6’1” and weighing up to 250 pounds, Abel was a force of nature in the early days of American hockey. He got his start playing for the Michigan Soo Nationals in 1918, then joined the St. Paul Athletic Club in 1922. First Olympic Winter Games But his big break came… Read More »

Foundations of Faith Northern Michigan’s spiritual roots trace back over 350 years to the shores of the St. Marys River. On May 26, 1668, Jesuit missionaries constructed St. Mary’s Church. The church was the first permanent wooden structure in what would become the state of Michigan. This marked the humble beginnings of what is now known as the Holy Name of Mary Proto-Cathedra. St. Mary’s is one of the oldest Catholic parishes in the United States. Sault Ste. Marie, already a meeting place for Indigenous peoples, became a mission outpost for European clergy aiming to spread the faith throughout the… Read More »

Exploring the Unknown – Michigan’s Upper Peninsula In the early 1800s, Michigan had a bit of an image problem. The eastern folks weren’t eager to settle there—rumors of swampy land, poor soil, and an unpleasant climate didn’t exactly scream “dream homestead.” So Michigan Territorial Governor Lewis Cass decided to do something about it. On May 24, 1820, Cass teamed up with geologist Henry Schoolcraft and launched the first major American expedition to explore Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, aiming to rewrite the narrative—and maybe pick up a few useful minerals along the way. The Cass/Schoolcraft Expedition was more than just a sightseeing… Read More »

Celebrating a Michigan Treasure There are few names as beloved in Michigan’s artistic and literary circles as Gwen Frostic. And on May 23, 1978, that admiration was made official when Governor William Milliken declared it Gwen Frostic Day across the state. The designation celebrated not only her incredible linocut block prints and poetic musings but also her deep love for Michigan’s natural beauty. Born April 26, 1906, in Sandusky, Michigan, Sara Gwendolen Frostic lived a remarkable life that fused creativity, resilience, and nature. Despite facing physical challenges due to a childhood illness, Gwen’s spirit and determination shaped her into one… Read More »

Michigan’s Baby County Let’s rewind to May 21, 1891—a day that marked the end of county-making in Michigan’s history books. On this day, the state officially established its 83rd and final county: Dickinson County, carved from parts of Marquette, Menominee, and Iron counties in the Upper Peninsula. Youngest in the lineup but rich in industry and heritage, Dickinson County tells a story of iron, lumber, politics, and perseverance. Named after Donald M. Dickinson, who served as U.S. Postmaster General under President Grover Cleveland, the county was created by Public Act 89 of 1891, which was signed into law on May… Read More »

Grand Island’s Journey to Recreation Area Status Tucked just off the shores of Munising in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Grand Island is a place of rugged cliffs, lush forests, and serene lake views. On May 17, 1990, this stunning Lake Superior island officially earned its place as a National Recreation Area. Its status as a haven for outdoor lovers and history buffs alike firmly established. The island, covering about 13,500 acres within the Hiawatha National Forest, was purchased by the U.S. Forest Service from Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company. This move turned a once-private industrial holding into a publicly accessible natural retreat…. Read More »

The 1881 Discovery That Sparked Michigan’s Mining Dreams If you think Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is only famous for copper and iron, think again. On this day in history—May 17, 1881—Julius Ropes, a local chemist from Marquette, unearthed something that would ignite dreams of fortune and glory: gold. Ropes had been studying rock samples in the area and noticed traces of gold and silver. When he discovered a gold-bearing quartz vein just outside Ishpeming, it wasn’t long before the Ropes Gold and Silver Company was formed and the U.P. got its very own gold rush. The Ropes Mine was the only… Read More »

The Journey Begins On May 17, 1673, two unlikely adventurers—Jesuit missionary Father Jacques Marquette and French-Canadian fur trader Louis Joliet—pushed off from St. Ignace in canoes, beginning one of the most significant exploration journeys in North American history. Accompanied by five voyageurs and guided by Indigenous knowledge, their mission was to find and map the mighty river that Native peoples called the Messipi—“the Great River.” Their journey wasn’t just about maps and discovery. It was about connecting a continent. With little more than determination, their canoes, and guidance from Native tribes, they ventured across what would become Wisconsin and followed… Read More »

Defending His Honor History has its share of courtroom drama, but few moments are quite as delightfully petty—and noble—as when former President Theodore Roosevelt rolled into Marquette, Michigan, on May 13, 1913, to defend his honor. The charge? He was a drunk and a liar—at least, that’s what George Newett, editor of the Iron Ore newspaper in Ishpeming, claimed. Roosevelt, never one to take things lying down (unless he was posing for a hunt), took legal action. The scene was set in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, where Roosevelt traveled specifically to testify in a libel suit he’d filed against Newett. The… Read More »