On This Day in History

On this day in history—June 25, 1958—Michigan celebrated one of its greatest engineering achievements with four days of dedication ceremonies for the newly completed Mackinac Bridge. At the heart of those festivities? A ceremonial walk led by Governor G. Mennen “Soapy” Williams, marking the very first time pedestrians crossed the mighty five-mile span. Mackinac Bridge Walk The event, now known as the Mackinac Bridge Walk, started with just 68 participants that June. Governor Williams, known for his trademark green bow tie and progressive politics, led the small group across the towering suspension bridge that links Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas…. Read More »

The Steamer, the Bridge, and the Snag Heard ‘Round Hancock Just one day before the grand dedication of the brand-new Houghton-Hancock Bridge in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a near-disaster reminded everyone that no matter how strong a structure is, it’s the little things—like communication—that keep things running smoothly. On the evening of June 24, 1960, the 435-foot steamer J.F. Schoellkopf approached the lift bridge spanning Portage Lake. Captain Albert Wilhelmy dutifully signaled for the vertical lift to rise, allowing his vessel to pass safely underneath. But nothing happened. The bridge didn’t budge. Collision Avoided! Acting quickly, Captain Wilhelmy ordered the engines… 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 »

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 »

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 »

A War With No Casualties (Except One Minor Knife Wound) On June 15, 1836 Congress proposed a compromise to settle what may be America’s weirdest border conflict. The so-called Toledo War between the state of Ohio and the Michigan Territory. At the center of this simmering feud was a 468-square-mile slice of land known as the Toledo Strip. A region both sides believed rightfully belonged to them due to old, flawed maps. Toledo, perched at the mouth of the Maumee River, was a prime piece of real estate for trade and shipping. Especially in the growing Great Lakes economy, making… 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 »

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 »

Queen of the Lakes On this day in history, we celebrate a ship that captured the imagination of Great Lakes boat watchers and maritime enthusiasts from the moment she hit the water: the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, launched on June 7, 1958, in River Rouge, Michigan. Commissioned by Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, the Edmund Fitzgerald was no ordinary ore boat. At 729 feet long and with a deadweight capacity of 26,000 tons, she was the largest ship on the Great Lakes at the time and the first built to the exact maximum dimensions allowed through the Saint Lawrence Seaway. She… 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 »