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.

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.

Pigeon Michigan Amusement Parlor c1900

Posted on July 1, 2020March 10, 2026 by Paul Austin

This picture of a street scene in Pigeon, Michigan is thought to be taken right around 1900. The amusement parlor

Then and Now – Platts Drugstore Port Sanilac

Posted on June 27, 2020March 30, 2023 by Michael Hardy

This historical Drugstore is deemed as being Michigan’s longest family owned continuously operating pharmacy in Michigan. It stands today as a boutique shop in Port Sanilac.

Two Views of Cass City in 1930 & 2020 – A Amazing Transition of Time

Posted on June 2, 2020March 10, 2026 by Malcom Mott

f Cass City Road in Cass City has stayed somewhat unchanged for the past 90 years. Some of the buildings remain, many have been remodeled. However, the ornate trim and front facades and balconies are long gone.

Kinde Michigan Grain Elevators and Depot

Posted on May 28, 2020March 10, 2026 by Malcom Mott

Kinde was once renowned as the “Bean Capital of the World“. Michigan white navy bean soup has been a staple for over one hundred years in the U.S. Senate dining room in the form of Senate bean soup

The Lake Huron Shipwreck of the Iron Chief

Posted on May 19, 2020June 7, 2023 by Malcom Mott

The picture post on our sister site about the huge dock in Forrestville gives rise to the question. Why did they name the boathouse the Iron Chief? A little exploring showed that there indeed was a ship with this unusual name but she was not made out of iron. Today, she lays in over a hundred feet of water off the shore of the Grindstone City in the Thumb Area Bottomland Preserve

The Pier Based Coast Guard Station Harbor Beach

Posted on May 13, 2020November 29, 2024 by Malcom Mott

The Coast Guard Station at Harbor Beach, originally built in 1910 and relocated in 1935, served as a training facility during WWII before closing in 1987. Despite preservation efforts, the station was demolished in 2004. It played a significant role in the Great Lakes waterway system and local maritime history.

Sebewaing Railway Depot – The Historical Center of the Western Thumb

Posted on May 4, 2020June 15, 2022 by Michael Hardy

While neglected, with broken windows, faded peeling paint and vines almost covering one end, this historic depot helped make the region an economic powerhouse for the eastern shore of the Thumb for decades