News History & Fun in Michigan
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.
Hillman, Michigan, grew from Brush Creek into a village shaped by timber, railroads, farms, fire and Lake Avalon. Its story includes department stores, hotels, grain elevators, service stations, resort cottages and a late-arriving railroad that changed the town, but did not define it.
Camp Jeannette in Waterford, Michigan, gave Detroit boys two weeks on Lester Lake. The Good Samaritans charity promoted free summer stays, but later faced criminal allegations, tax trouble and bankruptcy. The result is a camp story with both warmth and warning.
Tuscola’s c. 1900 Main Street looks calm, but the road carries a bigger story. The village rose along the Cass River with mills, stores and early settlers, then slowed when railroad growth favored other towns in Michigan’s Thumb.
This Michigan Moments video looks at Fairgrove, Michigan, through historic postcards showing village streets, the railroad depot, grain elevator and local businesses.
Watch this Michigan Moments short about Henry Ford’s Gas-Electric Train. The 30-second video looks at Gas-Electric Car No. 35 of the Detroit, Toledo & Ironton Railroad during a 1926 run through Tecumseh, Michigan. About This Video In the autumn of 1926, …
Watch this Michigan Moments short about the Passenger Steamer Topinabee on Burt Lake. The video looks back at a time when steam-powered passenger boats carried travelers through northern Michigan’s inland waters. About This Video The Passenger Steamer Topinabee on Burt Lake …
Historic photos tell the story of Harrisville, Michigan, during the early 1900s. From the D&M Railroad depot and MacDonald Hotel to Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, Harrisville State Park and Main Street stores, the images show a Lake Huron town shaped by work and travel.
These six Michigan Moments videos follow small towns shaped by Lake Huron, Saginaw Bay, railroads, lumber, cheese, fishing and inland roads. From Tawas to Linwood, each town adds another piece to the story of northeast Michigan and the Great Lakes Bay region.
