October 3, 1980

The movie Somewhere in Time Premieres. The movie was filmed in 1979 on Mackinac Island at the Grand Hotel. The film starred Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour as the main characters. Blending romance, science fiction, and drama, Somewhere In Time captured the timelessness, sweeping landscapes, and intrinsic beauty of Mackinac Island. The Island created an unforgettable backdrop for the story. 

October 5, 1835

Stevens T. Mason was elected as Michigan’s first governor at the young age of 23. He also served as a territorial governor. Stevens T. Mason, known as the ‘Boy Governor,’ was appointed as acting territorial secretary at age 19 by Andrew Jackson. By age 22, he became the acting territorial governor, leaving a lasting legacy in Michigan’s early history.

October 6, 1969

Walter Hagen (1892-1969), Golf’s First Millionaire, dies at his Traverse City Estate, he was 76 years old. He was known as the “father of professional golf” and is rated one of the greatest golfers ever.

Walter Hagen won the U.S. Open twice and made history in 1922 as the first native-born American to win The Open Championship, securing the Claret Jug three more times. He also won the PGA Championship a record-tying five times (all in match play) and claimed the Western Open five times when it held near-major status. Hagen totaled 45 PGA wins in his career and was a six-time Ryder Cup captain. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Charter Class (1974).

October 6, 1972

Almost 6 years to the day after being established as a National Lakeshore, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was officially dedicated and established as a unit of the National Park System.

On October 15, 1966, the 89th Congress authorized Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County to preserve and protect its stunning cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, and forests along Lake Superior’s shoreline. After President Lyndon Johnson signed it into law, Alger County became home to America’s first National Lakeshore. 

October 7, 2000

Thunder Bay Becomes 13th National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve and the first on the Great Lakes. The sanctuary protects an estimated 116 historically significant shipwrecks, from nineteenth-century wooden side-wheelers to twentieth-century steel-hulled steamers. Renowned for its exceptional shipwreck diving experiences, it’s suitable for both novice and experienced divers. 

October 9, 1975

Michigan made Rock ‘n’ Roll history when KISS came to Cadillac High School and played at their homecoming. While on tour, the band KISS received a request from football coaches at Cadillac High School, who used the band’s music to get their team pumped up for games. It worked, and KISS made their way to Michigan, creating what would become the legendary Cadillac KISS Army. 

October 14, 1845

Dr. Douglass Houghton a geologist known for his exploration of the Keweenaw Peninsula drowns near Eagle River. In 1840, as Michigan’s State Geologist, Douglass Houghton conducted a survey of the Upper Peninsula. His 1841 report included 27 pages on copper and copper ore, famously stating, ‘the copper ores are not only of superior quality, but also that their associations are such as to render them easily reduced.’ He also noted that the ore he tested was richer than the copper being mined in Cornwall.

October 15, 1900

The Burt Lake Burn-Out was a forced relocation of the Burt Lake Band of Chippewa and Ottawa Indians in northern Michigan’s “Tip of the Mitt” region. On that tragic day, a sheriff and his deputies burned down the Burt Lake Band’s village at the request of a local land developer who claimed to have purchased the land for back taxes. This injustice was allowed to happen due to the state and federal governments’ inclination to misinterpret, forget, or deny the treaty language from agreements made in the 1830s and 1850s between Washington, D.C., and the Michigan-based Burt Lake Band of Ottawa Indians. 

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. In the aftermath of the Metz Fire, 84 families were left homeless, nearly all penniless and in need. The community united, receiving support from near and far. Today, Metz is much smaller than in 1908, with many residents being descendants of those who survived and rebuilt after the fire.

October 21, 1977

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore including massive coastal sand dunes on the Lake Michigan shore and North and South Manitou Islands was established. Discover the beauty of the National Lakeshore, administered by the National Park Service. This stunning park safeguards 71,999 acres of Lake Michigan’s shoreline. North and South Manitou Islands are accessible via ferry from Leland. In 2011, Good Morning America named it “The Most Beautiful Place in America. 

October 25, 1889

Underwater Telephone Cable Connects Upper and Lower Peninsulas. This project was a significant feat of engineering for its time, given the challenges of laying cables across such a large and turbulent body of water. The successful installation of the cable marked a major step in connecting the communities of Michigan’s two peninsulas. In a historic milestone, the underwater telephone cable established the first permanent connection between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas. This groundbreaking development in telecommunications revolutionized communication across the state, bridging the gap between these two regions and fostering greater connectivity and unity. 

October 25, 1902

Sault Ste. Marie Celebrates Opening of Hydro-Power Plant after 4 years of construction by Francis Clerque. He spent over $50,000 for fireworks, bands and food to celebrate. The low-head hydro plant once held the title of the longest in the world and, with a design capacity of 40,000 horsepower, was second only to Niagara in the U.S. Its canal featured the largest water-carrying section in the country, delivering an impressive 30,000 cubic feet per second. 

October 26, 1818

Michilamackinac County area was set aside in 1818. It was one of the first counties in the Michigan Territory and was organized as Mackinac County in 1849. Michilimackinac County was established by territorial governor Lewis Cass and originally covered the entire Upper Peninsula and the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan, north of Macomb County. As new counties were formed, they were carved out from this vast territory.

October 27, 1878

The first independent telephone company in Michigan was not in Detroit or Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor, but in Rockland, a town of a few hundred residents in Ontonagon County in the Upper Peninsula. Linus Stannard, inspired by Alexander Bell’s demonstration at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, rallied friends to establish a private telephone line from Greenland through Rockland to Ontonagon, which later became the Ontonagon County Telephone Company. 

October 27, 1992

Keweenaw National Historic Park Established. The park is a unit of the U.S., National Park Service and celebrates the life and history of the Keweenaw Peninsula. The Keweenaw Peninsula is the site of the most extensive known deposits of native copper in the world.

Occurring here in relatively pure form, the red metal could be broken out of the rock and worked to make a wide variety of products. Keweenaw copper was mined for approximately 7,000 years, from 5000 BCE until 1968.

Explore the unique federal-local cooperative park that includes the Calumet Unit and the Quincy Unit, along with nearly two dozen cooperating “Heritage Sites” across the Keweenaw Peninsula. The National Park Service manages around 1,700 acres in these units, which are situated in Baraga, Houghton, Keweenaw, and Ontonagon counties.

October 31, 1962

Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Opens To Traffic. The bridge spans the St. Marys River between the United States and Canada. The bridge connects the twin cities of Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan and Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. The Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge ranks as the tenth-busiest passenger crossing on the Canada–United States border and is the sole land crossing for nearly 700 miles (1,125 km). It serves as the northern terminus of Interstate 75 (I-75).