History of St. Helen Michigan – From Logging Boom to Beautiful Lakeside Village (1870-1940) – Video
Learn how St. Helen, Michigan transformed from a bustling lumber town into a peaceful lake community and even the boyhood home of Charlton Heston.
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When Waterford Harvested Winter – People’s Ice on Huntoon Lake
A vintage view of People’s Ice Co. on Huntoon Lake shows how big the “ice business” once got in Waterford — harvesting and storing winter ice to keep Michigan cool long before refrigerators took over.
Amazing History of Walled Lake Michigan – 16 Old Photos Showing a Lakeside Boomtown
Once a quiet farming village, Walled Lake became one of Michigan’s busiest summer destinations. Dance halls, amusement rides, and lakeside crowds reshaped the town between 1890 and 1940.
General George Meade – US Army Engineer, Great Lakes Surveyor and Gettysburg Commander
In the mid 1800’s much of Michigan was wilderness. In 1857, Captain George Meade took over the Lakes Survey mission of the Great Lakes.
Michigan’s Great Sauk Trail – A 400 Mile Native American Legacy
The Great Sauk Trail is a major Native American route that ran between Detroit, Chicago and terminated at Rock Island on the Mississippi river. Originally created by migrating bison, the trail was only about a foot wide but also a foot deep as eons of travelers walked along it single file. It was used over a thousand years.
Michigan Commercial Fishing – 10 Powerful Towns That Built a Freshwater Empire, 1890–1940
Before marinas and beach towns, Michigan’s Great Lakes ports were working fishing hubs. From Bay Port to Leland, these towns fed the Midwest and shaped life along the water from 1890 to 1940.
![[great_lakes_total_ice_coverage] as of May 03, 2026](https://thumbwind.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Great-Lakes-Ice-Jan-2022-890x530.jpg)
[great_lakes_total_ice_coverage] as of May 03, 2026
Ice coverage over the Great Lakes is a huge factor in weather patterns over the region and an indicator of future lake levels. Thumbwind consolidates and summarizes the Great Lakes ice cover from US and Canadian agencies and presents it on …
Great Lakes Style Hush Puppies – A Crispy Take on a Southern Classic
In Michigan, we know a thing or two about frying fish. But what do you serve on the side when you’re not in the mood for French fries? Enter the hush puppy. Originally a staple of Southern cooking, this cornmeal-based side …