Aftermath of the Fraser House fire. Bay City Michigan 1907
A rare look at the Fraser House after the fire that emptied the hotel into the winter night — and changed downtown Bay City’s skyline.
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 Landmark Home on Lake Street in Port Austin
A postcard labeled ‘Residence’ shows a Port Austin home that later became Questover — and today welcomes guests as 85ten Boutique Hotel & Events
Inside Port Austin’s Coaster Craft Factory
A labeled postcard gives us a rare look inside the Coaster Craft Corp. factory in Port Austin, Michigan.
Crates on the Curb – Clabuesch City Drugstore, Sebewaing (1909)
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
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.
Sebewaing 1943 – A Quiet Street Scene — and a Very Funny Note on the Back
Sebewaing in 1943, with Pitcher’s Boat Livery in the background — and a postcard-style note that complains about fish flies and lights out at 10:30 p.m
Beet Harvest Traffic Jam — Sebewaing Style
Horse-drawn wagons loaded with sugar beets roll through Sebewaing in this vintage scene titled “Hauling Sugar Beets, Sebewaing Michigan.” Long before semis and beet pilers, harvest time in Michigan’s Thumb meant teams of horses, wooden wagons, and a steady line to …
Detroit’s Barlum Hotel at Cadillac Square – 1949
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.