Michigan History Sites: 409 Helpful, Essential Listings
Thumbwind Publications’ free Michigan History Site Index lists 409 historical organizations and independent history websites. Search by name, county, region or record type.
Category: History
We examine stories and events that shaped the history of the Upper Thumb and Michigan. While we focus on the Thumb region, other Great Lakes historical events are covered. Major events include the lumbering era and the 1871 and 1881 great fires. We cover major pioneers and personalities that shaped the region. To hear many of our best stories, visit and subscribe to our Podcast, “The End of the Road in Michigan.”
Our best Michigan history posts are found below.
History of Willis Michigan – The Walbash Railroad Town Built on Milk, Farming and Main Street
Subtitle: A railroad station, a busy creamery, and the surrounding farms transformed Willis into an important agricultural center in Washtenaw County during the early 1900s. In 1909, horse-drawn wagons crowded the grounds of the Willis Creamery in Washtenaw County. Farmers had …
New Story Map Revisits the Great Thumb Fire of 1881
EGLE’s interactive history examines the wildfire that killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and launched the American Red Cross’ first major relief effort. LANSING, Mich. — A new interactive story map is bringing fresh attention to the Great Thumb Fire of 1881, the …
History of Houghton Lake Village – 7 Remarkable Forces That Transformed Michigan’s Cottage Country
Houghton Lake began as a northern Michigan community shaped by logging and rough transportation. Historic street scenes show how automobiles, fishing camps, cottage resorts, stores and restaurants gradually changed the village into a vacation destination during the first half of the 20th century.
Munuscong Inn History 10 Remarkable Photos of a Resort Along the St. Mary’s River
Munuscong Inn history brings together a Thumb couple, fishing boats and passing Great Lakes steamers. This Michigan resort also offered gasoline and housed the local post office. Archival views trace its vacation years and its later role as Camp Conely beside the St. Marys River.
Clifford Michigan History – 12 Unseen Photos Tell A Story on Main Street
Clifford Michigan history follows a village shaped by roads, railroads and the farms around it. Historic photographs show its depot, creamery, blacksmith shops and Main Street during the shift from horses to automobiles. Read how transportation created a second business district and changed daily life in northern Lapeer County.
History of Pointe Aux Pins Michigan – 15 Vintage Photos Show How a Simple Lake Huron Dock Became a Summer Colony
Pointe Aux Pins on Bois Blanc Island grew from an 1880s steamer landing into a close-knit summer colony with a hotel, church, cottages, boardwalks, dog-sled mail and ferry service.
Ruth Michigan History – 7 Remarkable Stories From a Thumb Railroad Town
Rare photographs reveal Ruth, Michigan, when trains stopped at the depot, grain wagons crowded town, church bells rang and Main Street served Huron County farm families.
The History of Palms Michigan: The Surprising Railroad Town Nearly Erased by Fire in 1916
The History of Palms Michigan comes alive through rare postcards showing its railroad yards, New Hotel Palms, church and business district before a devastating 1916 fire changed the Sanilac County community.
History of Flat Rock Michigan – 6 Inspiring Shifts That Transformed a Michigan Town
Flat Rock, Michigan, grew beside a river that powered mills long before Henry Ford opened a lamp factory there. A failed canal, a railroad depot, a cement road crew and civic gathering places show how the town changed between settlement and the automobile age.