Eastern Upper Peninsula

End of an Era: On this day in history, August 21, 1984, a storied chapter in Michigan’s maritime legacy came to a close. The Chief Wawatam, the last hand-fired, coal-burning vessel on the Great Lakes, sailed across the Straits of Mackinac one final time. This marked the end of railroad car ferry service between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. For over seven decades, the Chief defied the elements and carved paths through frozen water. She delivered passengers, cars, and railcars across one of the most critical and treacherous waterways in the Midwest. Launched August 26, 1911, the 338-foot Chief Wawatam… Read More »

The Vagabonds Land in the U.P. On this day in history, August 17, 1923 three of America’s most iconic innovators set foot in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. They arrived for a camping trip that was anything but rustic. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone, along with their wives, friends, and an entourage of staff, arrived in Escanaba aboard Ford’s massive luxury yacht, Sialia. The group, known as “The Vagabonds,” wasn’t just on a vacation, they were making history. The Sialia, a 300-foot sea-going vessel equipped with every modern safety and comfort feature, cruised through dense fog across Lake Michigan after… Read More »

A Deadly 1770 Encounter In the summer of 1770, Mackinac Island was more than a scenic outpost on the Great Lakes, it was a thriving hub of commerce, diplomacy, and survival. Known then as Michilimackinac, the island sat at a cultural crossroads between British soldiers, French traders, Indigenous nations, and a booming fur trade. Justice on the frontier? It wasn’t always about courtrooms and gavels, it was often about who had the most canoes, muskets, and men. One particularly brutal example of “frontier justice” made its way into The Pennsylvania Gazette on August 16, 1770. The article painted a vivid… Read More »

Evolution of Michigan’s Legal Boundaries August 9, 1842, marked a turning point in Michigan’s map and the map of the entire U.S. when the Webster-Ashburton Treaty was signed, settling several long-standing border disputes between the United States and Great Britain. Among the many results of this treaty was the decision that Sugar Island (then known to Canadians as St. George’s Island) in the St. Mary’s River would become part of Michigan and the United States. At the heart of the treaty were the efforts of U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British diplomat Lord Ashburton to put an end… Read More »

🚗🚢 Michigan’s First State Ferry Service Ariel made her maiden voyage Before the Mackinac Bridge connected Michigan’s peninsulas, crossing the Straits of Mackinac was a challenge. This was true especially for the growing number of automobile owners in the early 20th century. On July 31, 1923, the State of Michigan stepped in to solve this problem by launching a state-operated ferry service. The ferry service would soon become an essential lifeline for travelers and commerce alike. A week after the service was officially established, on August 6, 1923, the first car ferry, the wooden-hulled Ariel made her maiden voyage across… Read More »

America’s Failed 1814 Invasion On this day in history, August 4, 1814 the quiet shores of Mackinac Island erupted with the sounds of war. Determined to reclaim the island from British control during the War of 1812, American forces launched an ambitious invasion that would ultimately end in defeat. The British had seized Mackinac Island two years earlier, in 1812. The Americans, smarting from the loss, devised a plan to take it back. The strategy: land troops on the island’s northwest shore and establish a foothold to “annoy and starve out” the British forces stationed at Fort Mackinac. Fleet from… Read More »

Honoring Tradition On this day in history: August 1929 marked the beginning of a cherished Michigan tradition. Eight Eagle Scouts boarded a Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company steamship bound for Mackinac Island. Among them was a young Gerald Ford, who would one day become the 38th President of the United States. These Scouts were the very first to serve as honor guards and guides at the historic Fort Mackinac. This tradition continues to this day. That summer, Jerry Ford had just wrapped up his role on the staff at Camp Shawondossee when the opportunity of a lifetime arose. The Michigan… Read More »

Sault Ste. Marie: Where the Waters Gathered and a City Was Born On July 20, 1668 Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary and explorer, formally established a mission at a powerful bend in the river that connected Lake Superior and Lake Huron. That settlement became Sault Ste. Marie. The Soo is recognized as Michigan’s oldest city, and one of the oldest cities in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains. But long before Marquette arrived, the area was already known as a vital place. For over 2,000 years, Indigenous peoples gathered here, drawn to the bounty of fish and… Read More »

Frontier Schooner That Sailed Into War On this day in history, June 19, 1812, a seemingly routine voyage out of Detroit would become an unforgettable moment in Great Lakes history. It will serve as a cautionary tale of how international politics can turn entrepreneurial dreams into wartime disasters. The vessel at the center of it all was Friends Good Will, a topsail sloop built by Massachusetts-born merchant Oliver Williams. Williams was no stranger to risk. Born in 1774 in the Revolutionary-era village of Roxbury, Massachusetts, he came of age alongside the fledgling American republic. By 1808, he was deep in… Read More »

Surprise at Sunrise When war was declared between the United States and Great Britain in June of 1812, few on the American frontier had any idea what was coming. The small garrison stationed at Fort Mackinac on a quiet island in the Straits between Lakes Michigan and Huron had not received word. But on the morning of July 17, 1812, those sleepy soldiers awoke to find the British already perched high above them, cannon aimed and ready. The capture of Fort Mackinac was the first military engagement on U.S. soil during the War of 1812. It was a bloodless but… Read More »

🎩 Grand Visions & Ghost Stories The Grand Hotel, a Victorian marvel officially opened its doors to a curious and growing number of tourists on Mackinac Island. Built in a record-breaking 93 days, this now-iconic structure quickly became the crown jewel of Michigan tourism. From its opening on July 10, 1887 to today, it still holds court over the Straits of Mackinac today. But its story isn’t just about style and leisure. The hotel was built on a foundation literally steeped in mystery. According to local legend, during construction, workers unearthed hundreds of human skeletons. There were so many that… Read More »

🚫 No Cars Allowed Imagine a place where the hum of engines is replaced by the rhythmic clip-clop of hooves, where streets smell of lilacs and fudge instead of exhaust, and where your morning traffic jam might be a few wayward tourists learning to steer a bike. Welcome to Mackinac Island, Michigan. The island is a unique, car-free haven where time feels like it took a detour around the motor age. And it all began on July 6, 1898, when the Mackinac Island Village Council officially banned “horseless carriages” from its peaceful streets. The ban wasn’t just whimsical nostalgia, it… Read More »