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.

First Female Lighthouse Keeper Michigan: The Untold Story of Catherine Shook

Posted on March 19, 2026March 19, 2026 by Malcom Mott

In 1849, Catherine Shook was appointed the first woman lighthouse keeper in the State of Michigan. She ran the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse until 1851.

Steamship Excursion From Detroit 1910

Posted on March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 by Malcom Mott

While railroads had been in service for much of the major cities in southern Michigan, excursion steamships were still a comfortable and viable option to get to Michigan’s northern resort areas. You could board a ship on a Friday evening, have dinner on board, and arrive in north Michigan the next morning.

Detroit Buffalo Steamship Travel – The Fierce 1902 Rate War on the Great Lakes

Posted on March 15, 2026March 15, 2026 by Michael Hardy

the Harbor Beach News from July 1902. It highlights a fare war between the railroads and the steamships on excursions between Buffalo, New York, and Detroit, Michigan. It signals a sign that it’s the beginning of the end of steamship dominance on the Great Lakes in favor of railroads.

Category: History

First Female Lighthouse Keeper Michigan: The Untold Story of Catherine Shook

Steamship Excursion From Detroit 1910

Detroit Buffalo Steamship Travel – The Fierce 1902 Rate War on the Great Lakes

Michigan Red Cross History – Mobile Nurses in the Thumb During the 1920s

Northern Michigan Braces for Major Winter Storm as Historic Snowstorm Video Revisits Michigan’s Past

History of Reed City Michigan – Railroads, Oil Fields, and a Small Town That Grew Big

Brief History of Interlochen Michigan – Between Two Lakes, Between Two Eras

Brief History of Brown City in the Early 1900s – A Working Town in Michigan’s Thumb