News & Fun in Michigan
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.
Located near present day Bay Port, Ora Labora known as “Christian German Agricultural and Benevolent Society of Ora et Labora” (Pray and Work), where it’s parishioners could combine work with prayer, and live according to the Methodist Church Discipline. Founded in 1862 on Michigan’s Wild Fowl Bay, the colony disappeared in 1867.
Once a vital railroad and farm hub in Michigan’s Thumb, Bach’s history reflects the hopes of its founder and the harsh turns of the Great Depression. Explore its German-American roots, boom years, and quiet fade into rural obscurity.
In 1913, Grand Rapids police arrested a woman for smoking a cigarette in a public park. The case sheds light on outdated norms and how public behavior was policed.
In May 1913, a Pere Marquette train derailed near Marlette, Michigan, after a backup engine caused the tracks to buckle. No one was killed—but the wreck drew a crowd.
We found an interesting photo from the 1950s that shows Aubrey M. Clarke seated in front of a panel of radio equipment, a microphone in one hand, and a confident smile on his face. Clarke’s call sign—W8OKV—is prominently displayed, along with …
Clements Library at the University of Michigan adds to their collection with this rare map of Fort Detroit. It offers a glimpse of what Detroit looked like in 1761.
In the early 1900s, news broke of a lead and zinc strike just six miles east of Caseville, tucked along the shoreline of Saginaw Bay. The story, first reported in the Detroit Free Press on December 8, 1907, sparked excitement across …
Small towns in Michigan evolve. Back in the 1900s, a small town provided all the services one needed, which was merely a horseback or buggy ride away. General stores, liveries, blacksmiths, hardware stores, hotels, and restaurants were all part of the …
