Northwest Lower Peninsula

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is Established

Discover Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, its massive dunes, Manitou Islands, rich Native American history, and stunning Lake Michigan shoreline.

On this day, October 21, 1970, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, home to massive sand dunes along Lake Michigan and North and South Manitou Islands, was officially established. Administered by the National Park Service, the park preserves nearly 72,000 acres of stunning shoreline, dunes, forests, and islands. In 2011, Good Morning America even named it “The Most Beautiful Place in America.” Cultural Roots The area has deep cultural roots, including a captivating Anishinaabek legend. According to the story, a mother bear and her two cubs fled a Wisconsin forest fire by swimming across Lake Michigan. Exhausted, the cubs drowned, and… Read More »


Remembering the Burt Lake Burn-Out

On October 15, 1900, the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians were forcibly evicted and their village burned in northern Michigan.

 A Tragic Day in Michigan History On October 15, 1900, the quiet shores of Burt Lake in northern Michigan’s “Tip of the Mitt” region became the scene of a tragic and little-known chapter in American history. That morning, sheriff Fred Ming and his deputies, acting at the behest of a local land developer, burned down the Burt Lake Band’s village. The eviction, now referred to as the Burt Lake Burn-Out, forcibly displaced nineteen families of Ottawa and Chippewa heritage. The village, located on a peninsula known as Indian Point, had existed for centuries. Archaeological evidence shows pottery fragments and charcoal… Read More »


KISS Rocks Cadillac High School Homecoming

On this day in 1975, KISS visited Cadillac High School for homecoming, sparking a legendary rock & roll celebration still remembered today.

It’s not every day that a rock band becomes part of high school history, but for Cadillac, Michigan, that day came in October 1975. KISS, the larger-than-life rockers known for their makeup, platform boots, and fiery performances, visited Cadillac High School for an unforgettable homecoming. The story began a year earlier when the CHS Vikings football team turned to the band’s music to turn their season around—and it worked. KISS In 1974, the Vikings, coming off a perfect season, hit a rough patch with two early losses. Assistant coach Jim Neff suggested playing KISS in the locker room, pointing out… Read More »


Walter Hagen: Golf’s First Millionaire and Michigan’s Party-Loving Legend

On this day in 1969, golf legend Walter Hagen passed away. He changed the sport forever with style, swagger, and 11 majors.

On October 6, 1969, the world lost Walter Hagen—a man who didn’t just play golf, he redefined it. Known as the “father of professional golf,” Hagen’s story was one part athletic brilliance, one part champagne-soaked legend. He was the first athlete to earn over a million dollars playing a sport. Whether he was raising a club or a glass, he made sure people remembered it. Born in 1892 in Rochester, New York, Hagen burst onto the golf scene by winning the U.S. Open in 1914. He won it again in 1919. But he truly made history in 1922 when he… Read More »


The Birth of the Northwestern Michigan Fair in 1908

Discover the rich history of the Northwestern Michigan Fair, which officially began on September 29, 1908, celebrating local agriculture and community traditions.

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 »


Consumer’s Big Rock Point Nuclear Power Plant

On this day in 1962, Michigan’s first nuclear power plant, Big Rock Point, began operation near Charlevoix. Also remembered: the 1971 B-52 crash nearby.

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 »


Northwestern Michigan College Holds First Classes

On Sept. 17, 1951, Northwestern Michigan College opened in a borrowed airport building with 65 students—launching a legacy of local learning.

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 »


The 46-Pound Cherry Pie That Put Traverse City on the Map

On August 18, 1926, a 46-pound cherry pie from Traverse City was delivered to President Coolidge, putting Northern Michigan cherries in the spotlight.

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 »


The Underwater Crucifix of Petoskey

On August 12, 1962, Petoskey's unique underwater marble crucifix was placed in Little Traverse Bay, honoring lives lost in the Great Lakes.

 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 »


Bridging the Straits: Michigan’s First State Ferry Service Set Sail in 1923

On July 31, 1923, Michigan launched its state ferry service across the Straits of Mackinac, and on August 6, 1923, the first car ferry—the wooden-hulled Ariel—made her maiden voyage across the straits.

🚗🚢 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 »


The Founding of Horton Bay

On August 1, 1856, Samuel Horton arrived on the shores of what would become Horton Bay, Michigan—an accidental stop that made history.

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 »


Buffalo Bill Cody’s Troop comes to Manistee

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 »