Northwest Lower Peninsula

Going to the Fair, Going to the Fair, Going to the Northwest Michigan Fair Every year, thousands flock to the Northwestern Michigan Fair to enjoy the sights, sounds, and tastes of Northern Michigan’s agricultural heritage. But how did this beloved event begin? On this day in history, September 29, 1908, the very first official Northwestern Michigan Fair opened its gates. This marked the start of a tradition that has lasted more than a century. The inaugural fair ran from September 29 through October 2, 1908. Admission was priced at just twenty-five cents per day. The first annual premium book featured… Read More »

Nuclear Power Plant Begins Operation When you think of Michigan history, you might not immediately picture a pioneering nuclear power plant or a dramatic military aviation tragedy. But on this day back in 1962, Consumers Power—now Consumers Energy—started up Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant. The plant was Michigan’s first and the nation’s fifth nuclear plant. Nestled near Charlevoix, this plant marked a big step in the state’s energy future. It left a lasting legacy in both power generation and medical technology. Big Rock Point was no small feat. With a boiling water reactor built by General Electric, it could… Read More »

NMC’s First Day of Classes in 1951 On September 17, 1951, a bold dream took flight—quite literally—at Cherry Capital Airport. That morning, 65 students and six staff members gathered in a borrowed, vacant airport terminal for the very first classes at Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). It wasn’t a grand opening in a gleaming new building. It was a grassroots victory for a community determined to bring higher education home to the Grand Traverse region. “In every way, the Northwestern Michigan College is a people’s college,” declared the Traverse City Record-Eagle on opening day. And it truly was. Born out of… Read More »

A Presidential Slice If you ever doubted the power of pie, look back at August 18, 1926, that is when a giant Traverse City cherry pie earned a spot at the President of the United States’ dinner table. Yes, a 46-pound, three-foot-wide, 5,000-cherry-filled pie. The pie that took a road trip from Northern Michigan to the Adirondacks, and along the way, it became a sweet slice of American history. It all started with a fruitful cherry harvest on Old Mission Peninsula. Frank Burkhart, owner of a local fruit packing company, saw an opportunity to promote the region’s prized Montmorency cherries…. Read More »

 A Memorial Beneath the Waves Not all memorials may be visited on foot—some require a dive beneath the waves. On August 12, 1962, an 11-foot Italian white marble crucifix was gently lowered 65 feet into the chilly waters of Little Traverse Bay near Petoskey. Created to honor all who have lost their lives in the often unforgiving waters of the Great Lakes. The story of the Petoskey Crucifix is as winding as Michigan’s shoreline. Originally, the marble cross was commissioned by grieving parents from Rapson, in Michigan’s Thumb region. Their 15-year-old son, Gerald Schipinski, was tragically killed in a farm… 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 the straits…. Read More »

Samuel Horton’s Unexpected Journey Some of the best stories in history begin with an unexpected turn. And that’s exactly how Horton Bay, Michigan, came to be. On this day, August 1, 1856, Samuel Horton arrived by sailboat on the shores of now named as Horton Bay. Traveling aboard a small flat-bottomed sailing vessel named the Rover. Horton had set out with nine people, including six of his daughters. They had a goal of reaching Grand Rapids. Supplies were low and they made a stop on a beautiful bay along Pine Lake—today’s Lake Charlevoix. Horton must have seen something special in… Read More »

The Wild West Hits Manistee, 1898 On this day in history—July 18, 1898—the streets of Manistee, Michigan, were anything but ordinary. Buffalo Bill Cody, the legendary frontiersman turned showman, rolled into town with his world-famous Wild West Show, bringing with him a spectacle the likes of which the locals had never seen. Thousands gathered from near and far, crowding steamboats, trains, and streets to get a glimpse of the man, the myth, and his traveling band of sharpshooters, horsemen, and international performers. William F. Cody was born in 1846 in the Iowa Territory and earned his nickname “Buffalo Bill” after… Read More »

Robert Wadlow’s Final Days in Manistee On July 15, 1940 Robert Pershing Wadlow, known as the Alton Giant passed away in Manistee at just 22 years old. Standing at an astonishing 8 feet 11.1 inches tall, he was the tallest man ever recorded. Wadlow was in town as a guest of honor at the Manistee National Forest Festival when tragedy struck. A small blister on his ankle, caused by a faulty leg brace, became infected. Despite treatment—including a blood transfusion and surgery—he died in his sleep just eleven days later. The Gentle Giant Robert Wadlow’s towering height was the result… Read More »

👑 James Strang’s Reign Begins In 1843, James Jesse Strang took the first steps toward becoming one of the most unusual figures in American religious and political history. That year, he settled in Burlington, Wisconsin, and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Ambitious, intelligent, and charismatic, Strang would soon find himself at the center of a power struggle. That struggle would see him crowned as the only King in U.S. history. Just one year after his conversion, Mormon leader Joseph Smith was murdered. While most followers chose Brigham Young to lead them westward, Strang claimed to have… Read More »

🎸 Rock Concerts, Dairy Cows & French Castles In the charming lakeside town of Charlevoix, there’s a stone castle. The castle has been a farm, an art gallery, a raucous concert venue, and today, a fairytale wedding destination. Castle Farms is more than just a picturesque structure — it’s a place that has reinvented itself again and again since its birth in 1918. On this day, we take a look back at the multifaceted history of one of Northern Michigan’s most iconic landmarks. It all began with Albert Loeb, acting president of Sears, Roebuck & Co. He was a man… Read More »

Forging a Future  On this day in 1873, the small village of Elk Rapids, Michigan, thundered to life with the fiery roar of progress. The Elk Rapids Iron Company fired its first blast furnace on June 24, 1873. This marked the beginning of a booming era for this Northern Michigan town. It wasn’t just an ordinary furnace. This furnace was a 47-foot-tall, 12-foot-wide iron giant that would become one of the nation’s premier producers of high-quality charcoal iron. Why Elk Rapids? The answer was in the trees. The logging firm Dexter and Noble saw potential in the vast hardwood forests… Read More »