Eastern Upper Peninsula

Opening the Gates to Greatness  Some days mark quiet beginnings, and others open the floodgates—literally. June 18, 1855, was one of those latter days. On that date, the steamer Illinois became the very first vessel to pass through the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, a feat that would forever alter the course of commerce and transportation on the Great Lakes. Before the locks were built, the St. Mary’s River—connecting Lake Superior and Lake Huron—posed a serious challenge to ships due to its dangerous rapids and steep 21-foot drop. To overcome this, construction began in 1853 on two 350-foot locks… Read More »

On June 16, 1820 Territorial Governor Lewis Cass lowered a British flag flying over Sault Ste. Marie. It was the last foreign flag to assert sovereignty over any part of Michigan. This bold act wasn’t just a symbolic gesture—it was part of a much larger and significant expedition that helped shape Michigan’s future. In 1820, Michigan Territory was still a rugged, sparsely mapped frontier. To assert U.S. control and gather valuable information, the Secretary of War, John C. Calhoun, authorized Governor Lewis Cass to lead an ambitious scientific and political expedition across the region. On May 24 of that year,… Read More »

France Claims the Great Lakes On this day in history, June 14, 1671 the French staged one of the most dramatic land grabs in North American history. In a symbolic and theatrical display at Sault Ste. Marie. A gathering at a remote outpost at the crossroads of the Great Lakes, France formally laid claim to an enormous swath of territory. The event, known as The Pageant of the Sault, was a vivid spectacle of colonial ambition, religion, diplomacy, and empire-building. Simon François Daumont, Sieur de St. Lusson, a French officer whose name survives primarily due to this singular event orchestrated… Read More »

When you think of Michigan history, ship traffic might not be the first thing that comes to mind—but it should be. On June 9, 1881, the State of Michigan officially transferred ownership of the Soo Locks and the St. Marys Falls Canal to the United States government, specifically the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). This pivotal moment marked the end of state control and the beginning of federally operated, toll-free passage through one of the most important shipping corridors in North America. The Soo Locks, located in Sault Ste. Marie, were first completed in 1855 to help vessels bypass… Read More »

A Musket Shot That Changed Medicine Forever On June 6, 1822, what began as a horrific accident inside the American Fur Company store on Mackinac Island became one of the most extraordinary contributions to medical digestive science. Alexis St. Martin, a young French Canadian voyageur, was accidentally shot in the stomach at close range by a musket. The blast tore a hole in his abdomen, exposing both lung and stomach. Most people wouldn’t have survived such trauma—but Alexis wasn’t most people. Dr. William Beaumont Luckily for him—and for the future of medicine—Dr. William Beaumont, the only physician on the island… 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 »

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 »

A Legacy of Conservation and Hard Work In the depths of the Great Depression, with unemployment at staggering levels, President Franklin D. Roosevelt launched the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of his New Deal efforts to put young men to work while preserving the country’s natural resources. On May 2, 1933, two hundred young men from Detroit and Hamtramck arrived in Chippewa County. They came to establish Camp Raco, Michigan’s very first CCC facility. This marked the beginning of a program that would leave a lasting impact on Michigan’s forests, parks, and conservation efforts. Building More Than Just Camps… Read More »