A Local’s Guide to the Geography and Culture of Michigan’s Thumb
Have you ever looked at the map of our state and wondered where the familiar “Up North” vibe ends and the distinct heritage of Michigan’s Thumb…
Sidnaw, Michigan History – Railroads, Logging and Roycroft Farms
Sidnaw, Michigan, began as a booming lumber town in the late 1800s. By the early 1900s, it had sawmills, factories, hotels, and a union depot where the Milwaukee Road and South Shore railroads crossed. Families arrived, stores opened, and farms replaced the forests.
Sikorsky S-38 Isle Royale Flight at Rock Harbor
A historic image shows a Sikorsky S-38 amphibious flying boat at Rock Harbor during Isle Royale’s early aviation era. The short video traces D. W. Wescoat’s 1932 Royale Line and the aircraft that connected the Lake Superior island with Houghton.
Michigamme Falls Ghost Town: One Photo of a Vanished U.P. Camp
One historic photograph may show a short-lived settlement near Michigamme Falls in Iron County. Log buildings, a dirt road and an early automobile survive in the image, but the camp’s identity and fate remain uncertain.
Iron Mountain Prohibition: 14 Wine Barrels Meet the Gutter
A crowd gathered on East Ludington Street in April 1928 as Iron Mountain and state police emptied 14 barrels containing more than 850 gallons of confiscated wine.
Pine Mountain Ski Jump – Iron Mountain’s 1943 Spectacle
A 1943 photograph records packed hillsides, bumper-to-bumper cars and fearless athletes at Pine Mountain Ski Jump in Iron Mountain, Michigan.
History of Ironwood, Michigan — Built by Iron Ore Mining and Community.
Historic images show how iron mines, railroads, immigrant families, winter weather and busy downtown streets shaped Ironwood in Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula.
Ironwood Homesteads: Michigan’s New Deal Town of 1936
A federal New Deal program built 132 homes north of Ironwood for mining families facing poor housing and unstable work during the Great Depression.