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.

4 Historic Views of Bay City, Michigan in 1908

Posted on November 14, 2020November 5, 2021 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on October 26, 2020October 29, 2024 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 23, 2020September 23, 2022 by Michael Hardy

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

Posted on September 12, 2020May 31, 2026 by Nathan Marks

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

USS Michigan – A High Tech Warship Patrolling the Great Lakes In 1844

Posted on September 2, 2020March 10, 2026 by Paul Austin

The USS Michigan was the United States Navy’s first iron-hulled warship. Commissioned in August 1844, USS Michigan was considered a technical experiment using new techniques and materials as a working experiment for the U.S. Navy.

Ubly Michigan’s Foundation Is As Strong in 2022 Has It Was In 1900

Posted on August 24, 2020March 29, 2022 by Nathan Marks

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

Posted on July 26, 2020May 11, 2026 by Michael Hardy

Long before podcasts and streaming media, WKAR helped shape public broadcasting in Michigan. From early radio experiments at Michigan State University to trusted television programming across Mid-Michigan, this story traces the station’s lasting impact on education, news, and culture.