An island with several chapters
Beaver Island’s history includes a religious kingdom, Irish fishing families, logging railroads and the crews who protected Lake Michigan mariners. This video uses historical photographs to follow the island from the 1840s through the middle of the 20th century. James Jesse Strang’s settlement and short-lived monarchy form one chapter in a much longer account of island life.
Fishing, timber and maritime service
The episode turns to commercial fishing, the Beaver Island Lumber Company, lighthouses and the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard. Views of St. James, waterfront buildings and working vessels show a community tied to the lake. The story also includes Feodor Protar and the changes that followed as timber work and commercial fisheries declined.
