When the Sky Went Black — Michigan’s Day of Smoke and Fear, 1894

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we revisit the terrifying days of September 1894, when the deadly Hinckley Fire in Minnesota blanketed Michigan in dense, choking smoke. For five straight days, daylight vanished across Saginaw, the Thumb, and the Upper Peninsula. Ships refused to sail. Trains stopped. Residents feared the apocalypse had arrived. We share and uncover how a fire 400 miles away turned Michigan’s sky black, caused widespread panic, and triggered shutdowns across the Great Lakes—featuring original 1894 newspaper accounts, eyewitness reports, and the harrowing story of a burning train that outran the flames. If you’ve never heard of the 1894 Hinckley fire’s impact on Michigan, this is the episode that brings it out of the shadows.