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.

Michigan Plank Roads Craze Covered the State in The 1800s

Posted on October 21, 2021March 10, 2026 by Malcom Mott

In the late 1840s, Michigan experienced a craze of building plank roads. Over 200 companies built over 5000 miles of plank roads.

Michigan Indian Villages and Sites in Huron County

Posted on October 12, 2021January 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

Huron County Michigan had an active and vibrant Indian culture with villages along the shore and workshops and gardens in the interior.

The Great Fires of 1871 – The Burning Great Lakes

Posted on October 6, 2021January 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

In Michigan’s Thumb, the situation could not be worse. The prevailing winds brought embers and dense smoke from the other Michigan fires burning in the west. Within hours over 2,000 lives were lost and millions of acres burned.

1881 Michigan Fire Forever Changed the Thumb

Posted on September 4, 2021January 30, 2025 by Michael Hardy

The fires of September 4th though the 6th 1881, commonly known as the Thumb Fire, took hundreds of lives and burned well over one million acres.

Marlette Train Depot – Beautifully Restored History

Posted on September 2, 2021October 30, 2021 by Michael Hardy

The Marlette Train Depot is a beautiful and well-restored example of a late 1800s rural Michigan railway train station. Today its a historical marker and museum.

Stories from Ora et Labora Colony Near Bay Port 1862 – 1898

Posted on July 30, 2021November 2, 2021 by Michael Hardy

The Letters from Ora Labora 1862 – 1898. Offers a glimpse of the challenges of being a religious pioneer in Michigan’s Wilderness.

This is a collection of stories written through the years.

On Watch During the Cold War – Port Austin Air Force Station

Posted on July 22, 2021November 2, 2021 by Michael Hardy

Port Austin Michigan Air Force Station was a major radar site during the Cold War. It was one of nine radar stations in Michigan that were part of the SAGE line of radar defense.