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.

A horse-drawn wagon stacked with wooden crates sits in front of storefronts, including a sign reading “H.C. Clabuesch City Drugstore,” with two children standing near the entrance.

Crates on the Curb – Clabuesch City Drugstore, Sebewaing (1909)

Posted on February 1, 2026January 30, 2026 by Michael Hardy

A crate-loaded wagon pulls up to H.C. Clabuesch’s City Drugstore in Sebewaing, in a photo labeled 1909 — a reminder of when pharmacies doubled as community general stores.

Tragedy at Denmark Junction Near Vassar

Posted on January 31, 2026January 28, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Two Michigan Central freight trains met head-on at Denmark Junction in 1916, shattering a quiet night north of Vassar. Vintage photos and reports capture the moment when steel, steam, and fate collided on rural rails.

Beet Harvest Traffic Jam — Sebewaing Style

Posted on January 31, 2026February 23, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Horse-drawn wagons loaded with sugar beets roll through Sebewaing in this vintage scene titled “Hauling Sugar Beets, Sebewaing Michigan.” Long

Detroit’s Barlum Hotel at Cadillac Square – 1949

Posted on January 30, 2026January 28, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Downtown Detroit, circa 1949. The Barlum Hotel looms over Cadillac Square as buses circle the park and workers head toward the courthouse blocks. The bold wall sign faces Barlum Tower—now Cadillac Tower—built in 1927 during the city’s vertical building boom. This view likely sits a block east of Woodward Avenue, long considered Detroit’s spine. The scene is brisk, noisy, and confident, an everyday moment before the hotel’s later conversion to Cadillac Square Apartments.

Jess and Nell: Sebewaing’s Winter Work Team

Posted on January 30, 2026February 23, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Jess and Nell, a team of draft horses, stand hitched to a low winter sled in Sebewaing — dated 1910

First Carriages Made In Romeo Michigan – 1844

Posted on January 28, 2026February 23, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Romeo’s Main Street, likely early 1900s. Two horse-drawn vehicles pause as flags wave. A sign on the coach at right claims it was the first carriage built in Macomb County, circa 1844. The claim is proud, if approximate. Romeo, about 30 miles north of Detroit, later became known for the Michigan Peach Festival, launched in 1931.

When Waterford Harvested Winter – People’s Ice on Huntoon Lake

Posted on January 27, 2026February 23, 2026 by Michael Hardy

A vintage view of People’s Ice Co. on Huntoon Lake shows how big the “ice business” once got in Waterford — harvesting and storing winter ice to keep Michigan cool long before refrigerators took over.

When President Taft Came to Battle Creek (1911)

Posted on January 27, 2026February 23, 2026 by Michael Hardy

President William Howard Taft’s 1911 stop in Battle Creek drew a massive crowd — and this postcard captured the flags, bunting and excitement on the platform.