Northeast Lower Peninsula

Otsego County is located in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It has a rich history that dates back to the 19th century. Before European settlers arrived, the area that is now Otsego County was inhabited by various Native American tribes, including the Ottawa and Chippewa. These Indigenous people relied on the region’s abundant natural resources for their livelihood. Okkuddo County The original name of Otsego County was Okkuddo County, which meant sickly. However, the name was changed to Otsego on March 8, 1843, which means “clear water” or “meeting place”. The county was organized on March 12, 1875,… Read More »

On October 15, 1908, a series of fires swept through the pine forests of Presque Isle County, Michigan. The fires were fueled by strong winds and dry conditions, and quickly spread to the village of Metz. The fire continued to spread, threatening the county seat at Rogers City, and burning to the outskirts of the City of Alpena. The fire even jumped across Grand Lake before finally burning itself out at the Lake Huron shore. The extent of the losses at Metz led to the fire being referred to as “The Metz Fire,” but it devastated an area well beyond the… Read More »

Embark on a captivating journey with Northern Michigan History as we embark on our 5-part series, delving into the mysterious world of the most haunted locations in Northern Michigan. Our second installment takes us to the Northeast Lower Peninsula, where you’ll encounter a haunted lighthouse, a ghost town frozen in time, and an entire island that harbors its own spectral inhabitants. Presque Isle Old Presque Isle Lighthouse on Lake Huron: The lighthouse was originally torn down and replaced with a home in 1939 by new owner Francis B Stebbins. In the 50s, he decided to refurbish the tower and operate… Read More »

  I have a picture hanging in my dining room of the Mackinac Bridge being built. This picture has always fascinated me. Every time I look at it, I discover something new. A friend was visiting on their way to Mackinac Island and we got talking about the bridge and the ferries before the bridge. I wanted to learn more about the ferries that would transport people and their cars across the Straits of Mackinac. I knew they existed but beyond that I did not know anything about the ferries. After all, the bridge opened a couple of years before… Read More »

Ogemaw Springs is one of the oldest settlements in Ogemaw County. Lumbering operations in Ogemaw county began in 1871 in Ogemaw Spring. In 1872 the railroad was constructed as far as Ogemaw Springs. Ogemaw Springs had one of the first post offices in Ogemaw County in the early 1870s and was in operation until 1893. In 1871 a mill was built on the Rifle River. By 1873 Ogemaw Springs had a grocery, story, a few sawmills and a fresh water supply for residents use. The town was thriving as a lumber town and was supplying wood to the state and… Read More »

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression to provide work relief for unemployed young men. Over 8000 men were employed by the 103 camps in Michigan. They were responsible for constructing roads, maintaining forest lands, and constructing state park facilities in Michigan. The program operated from 1933 to 1942. Camp Lunden in Lewiston in Montmorency County was one of the camps from 1933 to 1936. It was names after Herman Lunden (1859-1929) who Had been active in conservation in his native Sweden where the terrain was very similar to… Read More »

Rose Township District No. 5 School is a former one-room schoolhouse located in Rose Township, Michigan. It was built in 1875 and served as a school for students in grades one through eight until it was closed in 1955 due to consolidation with other local schools. The Lupton Schoolhouse was constructed from 1903–1904 and served Lupton as the Rose Township District No. 5 School. The two-room schoolhouse remained in operation until 1963. The site was dedicated as a Michigan State Historic Site on April 20, 1995. Rose Township District No. 5 School Industry and Invention (1875 – 1915) – Registered… Read More »

  Rose City is a small city located in Ogemaw County, Michigan with a total area of 1.09 square miles. Rose City was originally named Churchill and was a lumbering town. The area had much sought after giant pines and old timber. Land was cleared, a general store and housing was built. The post office opened on September 8, 1875, under the name Churchill. Rose Family William Rose moved his family came from New York in 1875. William later returned to New York but one of his Allan stayed. He formed a partnership with M.H. French called French and Rose… Read More »

Chief David Shoppenagon was born into the Chippewa Tribe on July 1, 1809. He was born along the Tittabawassee River in the Green Point area near Saginaw. He believed that it was not natural for a Native American to live under a roof and was grown man before he ever had a roof over his head. Shoppenagon said this was why he had such good health. He was married with five children, Tom, Cora, Nancy, Hattie, and Mary. He became affectionately known as Shop to his friends. Middle Age He became a Methodist in middle age.  The Chief experienced the… 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 »

Join Northern Michigan History in our 5 part series as we explore the most haunted places in northern Michigan. The second part in our series looks at the Northeast Lower Peninsula. This area includes lighthouse, a ghost town and even a whole island that is home to a couple of ghosts.  Presque Isle Old Presque Isle Lighthouse on Lake Huron – The lighthouse was originally torn down and replaced with a home in 1939 by new owner Francis B Stebbins. In the 50s he decided to refurbish the tower and operate it as museum. He had a replica lantern room… Read More »

The Inland Waterway stretches across Cheboygan and Emmet Counties has been a popular recreation area for years. Fishing, paddling watercrafts and motorboats all travel the waterways. The route is a series of 3 rivers and 3 lakes. You can start at north end, the mouth of the Cheboygan River at Lake Huron and follow that to Mullet Lake. During your trip on the Cheboygan River you will encounter the Cheboygan River lock which will raise or lower your boat 15 feet. Mullet Lake will lead you through the Indian River and into Burt Lake. From there you will head down… Read More »