Northwest Lower Peninsula

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 »

History is full of fascinating characters, but few are as boldly unusual as James Jesse Strang. James was a lawyer, prophet, politician, and self-crowned king. If that sounds like something out of a Netflix mini-series, you’re not wrong. On this day, June 16, 1856, Strang was shot in the back on the docks of Beaver Island. His shooting ended one of the strangest religious-political experiments in American history. It all began after the assassination of Mormon founder Joseph Smith in 1844. The majority of Latter Day Saints followed Brigham Young westward to Utah. There was a smaller group that declared… Read More »

The Man Behind the Name Some of his descendants knew him as Neyas Bedosegay. Others called him Petosegay, Biidassige, or Peto-osega—names that translate to “Rising Sun” or “Light That is Coming.” The Jesuit missionaries knew him as Ignatius Petosega, and the Smithsonian Institution recognizes him as Chief Pe-to-de-gah. However you say his name, today we remember him as the man behind one of Michigan’s most beloved towns—Petoskey. Chief Ignatius Petoskey was born in 1787 during a family hunting trip near the Manistee River. His father, Antoine Carre (Neaatooshing), a French fur trader, is said to have lifted the newborn to… Read More »

Game, Set, Surprise History is full of battles fought with muskets, swords, and strategy. But, every now and then, a lacrosse stick plays a role too. Read more about the Ojibwe capture of Fort Michilimackinac. On June 2, 1763, a sunny spring day at Fort Michilimackinac turned into a pivotal moment in Pontiac’s Rebellion. The fort is perched on the northern edge of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. British soldiers stationed at the fort were relaxed and unsuspecting. They were enjoying watching a friendly game of baggatiway (an early form of lacrosse) played by local Ojibwe warriors outside the gates. But this… Read More »

From Black Lake to Grand Traverse Bay Chief Peter Waukazoo led his band of Ottawa Indians on a remarkable journey northward. From the shores of Black Lake (now Lake Macatawa) near Holland, Michigan, to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula. There they would found a new village called Waukazooville. This community would eventually be annexed into what we now know as Northport. The story of the Waukazoo band spans decades of adaptation, cultural preservation, and spiritual exploration. In the early 1830s, their village of about 300 people sat along the Black River. They balanced traditional ways with the pressures and… Read More »

Celebrating a Michigan Treasure There are few names as beloved in Michigan’s artistic and literary circles as Gwen Frostic. And on May 23, 1978, that admiration was made official when Governor William Milliken declared it Gwen Frostic Day across the state. The designation celebrated not only her incredible linocut block prints and poetic musings but also her deep love for Michigan’s natural beauty. Born April 26, 1906, in Sandusky, Michigan, Sara Gwendolen Frostic lived a remarkable life that fused creativity, resilience, and nature. Despite facing physical challenges due to a childhood illness, Gwen’s spirit and determination shaped her into one… Read More »

A Mysterious Disaster That Shook Northern Michigan On April 19, 1973, the quiet, rural community of Williamsburg, located just a few miles from Traverse City in Northern Michigan, was suddenly thrust into a nightmare. Hundreds of craters and geysers erupted without warning, turning the peaceful village into a dangerous disaster zone. The eruption, caused by a natural gas leak from a nearby drilling operation, forced the evacuation of most of the town’s 450 residents, leaving them displaced for months. The aftermath of the event not only changed the lives of the people who lived there but also set the stage… Read More »