1909 Bad Axe Postcard Looking Down Sand Road
We take a postcard street view of Bad Axe from the early 1900s and compare it to today.
Its an interesting peek on how much changes over 100 years. But some elements remain.
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.
Port Austin Street Scene Postcard from 1951
A colorful postcard view of Port Austin Michigan in 1951
4 Historic Views of Bay City, Michigan in 1908
1908 was a year of growth and expansion of Bay City Michigan. The lumber boom had ended and the city was growing into an industrial powerhouse.
The Meandering Michigan Shiawassee Trail
This another series of converging Native American trails in Michigan that roughly ran parallel to the famous Saginaw trail. An 1825 map of Michigan clearly details this minor trail. Starting near Detroit west of Fort Shelby and the Côté des Pays, ( County Side) road. The trail stops at stop at Kechewondaugoning and Shigemasking
The Snowshoe Priest – Frederic Baraga’s Powerful Impact on Michigan
Bishop Frederic Baraga was the first bishop of Marquette. For 37 years he was a missionary priest among the Indians and settlers in the Upper Great Lakes.
His presence shaped the region and he is revered for his defending Native American lands during treaty land acquisition by the U.S. Government in the 1800s.
Local Accounts of the Great Michigan Fire of 1881
Shocking firsthand accounts of the Great Michigan Fire of 1881 from residents of Minden and Ubly. They were first published by the Minden Post soon after the fire and reprinted by many newspapers nationally. These accounts have never been published online before. Courtesy of the Minden City Herald
Ubly Michigan’s Foundation Is As Strong in 2022 Has It Was In 1900
We take a look at how Ubly Michigan has changed, or not, over the past 120 years.
Early History of Michigan State University’s WKAR – AM 1917-1939
The history of WKAR and early educational radio is marked by periods of experimentalism and growth. It has been a subject of intense political debate and scrutiny. Yet for all the changes it has endured, the alternative programming that educational radio …