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.

New Story Map Revisits the Great Thumb Fire of 1881

Posted on October 8, 2026October 8, 2026 by Michael Hardy

EGLE’s interactive history examines the wildfire that killed hundreds, displaced thousands, and launched the American Red Cross’ first major relief

History of Houghton Lake Village – 7 Remarkable Forces That Transformed Michigan’s Cottage Country

Posted on October 6, 2026October 7, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on October 5, 2026October 5, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on October 3, 2026October 3, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 29, 2026September 29, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 28, 2026September 28, 2026 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 26, 2026September 26, 2026 by Paul Austin

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.

Clinton Woolen Mill – The Factory That Powered a Michigan Town For 100 Years

Posted on September 21, 2026September 21, 2026 by Michael Hardy

For generations, a tall smokestack rising above the River Raisin announced that Clinton, Michigan, was more than a farming community

The Clinton Michigan Stagecoach Tavern That Henry Ford Moved – Video

Posted on September 20, 2026September 20, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Before Interstate 94, before automobiles and even before Michigan became a state, travelers heading between Detroit and Chicago faced a