Finding Fun in Michigan & Beyond
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.
The Great Lakes region of North America was home to numerous Native American settlements before European explorers and settlers arrived. These settlements were established by various indigenous tribes and served as centers of trade, culture, and community life.
In the 1900s Michigan was known for its roadside attractions to draw tourists to stop. An early attraction in the Thumb region was Jenny, the Beer Drinking Bear in Quanicassee.
Looking back at some of the tall tales and news of the past, Michigan is rich in its ability to make up some of the greatest urban legends, hoaxes, and scams in the United States.
I have a great collection of pictures my parents took of the Upper Thumb region in the 1980s and 90s. They had started Thumb Impressions …
the Harbor Beach News from July 1902. It highlights a fare war between the railroads and the steamships on excursions between Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan. It signals a sign that it’s the beginning of the end of steamship dominance on the Great Lakes in favor of railroads.
by Public transportation services in Tuscola County Michigan has evolved from oxcart, stagecoach, rail and bus. We look back at its evolution.
In the 1920s, there was a flurry of archaeological activity in Michigan to record and catalog Native American villages, garden beds, and burial mounds. As a result, the entire Saginaw Valley has 100s of identified sites. The identification, and looting, of Indian artifacts from burial mounds, was a common occurrence.
by Those researching Michigan Genealogy have a new resource provided by the Archives of Michigan and the Michigan DNR. Over 10 million records including death and naturalization records, which family researchers use to learn more about their family’s history.
