Forgotten History of the Ghost Town of Sigma Michigan (1910 – 1925)
Sigma, Michigan, rose around 1910 as a railroad lumber town in Kalkaska County. Its depot, camps, shops and holiday crowds show a brief boom built on timber and rail service.
Author: Michael Hardy
Michael is the owner of Thumbwind Publications LLC. It started in 2009 covering Michigan and the Upper Thumb. Today, his Michigan Moments series has established a loyal base of 110,000 followers.
9 Rare Postcards of the Pere Marquette Docks Show How Arcadia Served The Great Lakes In the Early 1900s
Arcadia’s Pere Marquette docks once linked steamers, rail lines, lumber yards and furniture shipments. The small Manistee County harbor became a busy transfer point where Great Lakes commerce met village life in the early 1900s, before roads and trucks changed how the town moved goods.
Thumb Brewery To Release ‘Collin’s Mild Ale’ For Huron County Nature Center Benefit
Thumb Brewery will release Collin’s Mild Ale on July 2 in Caseville during a benefit for the Huron County Nature Center. The event includes samples, raffle items, commemorative cups and wildlife education.
Traverse Regional History Center Looks to Reimagine How Northwest Michigan Tells Its Story
The Traverse Regional History Center is taking a different approach to preserving local history. Rather than focusing on artifact collections, the organization is building a regional resource dedicated to storytelling, education, and digital engagement.
The Quiet History of Concord Michigan – 1900s Postcards Show The River Mill, Depot and A Village That Kept Its Shape
Concord, Michigan grew from waterpower, rail service and farm trade. This story follows its old mill, Michigan Central depot, Main Street, schools, baseball team and rural roots to show how one Jackson County village kept its identity through change.
History of Acme Michigan – A Remarkable 170 Year Legacy From Mill Creek to World Class Resort
Acme, Michigan, began as a creek-powered mill town east of Traverse City, then shifted to farms, schoolhouses, roadside diners and resort travel. Its story shows how a Grand Traverse Bay community changed without losing its old outline.
Humble History of Lake Ann Michigan – 14 Vintage Shots From Frontier Village To Cottage Country
The history of Lake Ann Michigan centers on timber, railroads and fire. In 1897, flames destroyed nine blocks, left 75 families homeless and killed an elderly resident trying to save valuables. The disaster changed a promising lumber village into something smaller.
History of Hillman Michigan – 1908 Fire, Railroads and Lake Avalon Shaped a Northern Village
Hillman, Michigan, grew from Brush Creek into a village shaped by timber, railroads, farms, fire and Lake Avalon. Its story includes department stores, hotels, grain elevators, service stations, resort cottages and a late-arriving railroad that changed the town, but did not define it.
History of Camp Jeannette Waterford Michigan – The Boys’ Camp Behind a Detroit Charity Scandal
Camp Jeannette in Waterford, Michigan, gave Detroit boys two weeks on Lester Lake. The Good Samaritans charity promoted free summer stays, but later faced criminal allegations, tax trouble and bankruptcy. The result is a camp story with both warmth and warning.
Main Street Village of Tuscola, c. 1900 – A Surprising Ancient Site on the Cass River
Tuscola’s c. 1900 Main Street looks calm, but the road carries a bigger story. The village rose along the Cass River with mills, stores and early settlers, then slowed when railroad growth favored other towns in Michigan’s Thumb.