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.

Curwood Castle, Owosso MI, c. 1925 – An Unsurpassed Writer’s Riverfront Studio in Owosso

Posted on December 3, 2025December 7, 2025 by Michael Hardy

In the reel image from about 1925, Curwood’s Castle rises behind bare trees along the Shiawassee River. The small stone-and-stucco

The Underground Forest – Michigan’s Lost Roadside Wildlife Tunnel

Posted on December 2, 2025June 3, 2026 by Michael Hardy

North of Grayling, Michigan, the Underground Forest drew 1950s families into a 240-foot tunnel lined with taxidermy wildlife scenes. Built into a sandy hill along Old US-27, this odd roadside stop thrived on vacation traffic until I-75 opened and the cars — and the cave — slowly disappeared.

History of Wolverine Michigan: From Logging Boom to Tourism Stopover

Posted on December 2, 2025May 11, 2026 by Michael Hardy

The History of Wolverine Michigan tells how a rough Sturgeon River logging camp grew into a busy rail village, collapsed when the pines were gone, and slowly rebuilt around a state fish hatchery, US-27 highway traffic and modest tourist camps in northern Michigan.

Category: History

Curwood Castle, Owosso MI, c. 1925 – An Unsurpassed Writer’s Riverfront Studio in Owosso

The Underground Forest – Michigan’s Lost Roadside Wildlife Tunnel

History of Wolverine Michigan: From Logging Boom to Tourism Stopover

The Pontiac Asylum for the Insane – Michigan’s Grand Psychiatric Experiment

Steamer at Port Hope Dock, Mich., c.1910

Stump Battles of Edmore Michigan

History of Fair Haven Michigan – Rediscovering Anchor Bay’s Lost Summer Playground – (1900-1930) – Video

History of Casco Michigan – 5 Striking Postcards From a Hard-Working Farm Town