Northern Michigan History Articles

Northern Michigan History: Recalling the Dazzle of Idlewild

Down in the middle of rural Lake County is a place called Idlewild—once the most famous African-American resort in the country. In the shadows of...

187 Things We Love About the Mitten State in Honor of Michigan’s Birthday

On January 26, 1837, our beautiful mitten was granted statehood. As the Great Lakes state celebrates its 187th birthday, our team shares 187 things...

Q&A: The Man Behind Michigan’s Dogman Legend

What started as a harmless radio prank became one of Michigan’s eeriest paranormal legends.

Ancient Copper Mining in the Upper Peninsula

7000 Years before pasties, the ancients mined copper on the Keweenaw. We go looking for evidence of Early Yooper Man.

Superior Sanctuary: A Band of Monks Makes Jam on the Keweenaw Peninsula

A monastery on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula delivers delightful jam.

Death-Defying Dive to the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1995

Before it was illegal to dive to the infamous ship, two men pulled off the deepest shipwreck scuba dive in Great Lakes history. Here’s the inside...

Antique Day Trips: Visit This Old Barn on Old Mission Peninsula

Looking for an out-and-about fall afternoon packed with delights? Northern Michigan’s antique shops are filled with untold treasures. Our final...

Antique Day Trips: Find Art, Rugs & More in Traverse City

Looking for an out-and-about fall afternoon packed with delights? Northern Michigan’s antique shops are filled with untold treasures. Our next stop:...

Antique Day Trips: Find Vintage Patio Furniture & More in Beulah

Looking for an out-and-about fall afternoon packed with delights? Northern Michigan’s antique shops are filled with untold treasures. Our next stop:...

Antique Day Trips: Find Vintage Treasures in Elk Rapids

Looking for an out-and-about fall afternoon packed with delights? Northern Michigan's antique shops are filled with untold treasures. Our first...

Reinventing The Mill: Inside a Historic Glen Arbor Landmark

When Turner Booth pondered buying the rundown Glen Arbor Mill, little did he know how much its past would shape its future—and his. This article...

The Epic Return of Father Marquette’s Remains to the Straits of Mackinac

PAID CONTENT The bones of the famed French Jesuit experienced not one, but two journeys home to the shores of St. Ignace, centuries apart. At the...

Three Perfect Days in Northern Michigan: Our Editors’ Way

We’ve always known this place was special—now the world is taking note. The latest? United Airlines’ in-flight magazine, Hemispheres, features...

Explore Ludington’s History on this Immersive Getaway

PAID CONTENT From staying in an exquisite mansion to following a beacon to the beach, Ludington is calling. Take a step back in time with this fully...

Solving the Mystery of Mackinac Island’s McGulpin House

Historians have long wondered when the historic McGulpin House on Mackinac Island was built. The answer was in the tree rings. This is a web...

Meet Northern Michigan’s Liaison, Beatriz Moreno

Beatriz Moreno is the bilingual migrant specialist with Suttons Bay Public Schools, a liaison with Northwest Education Services and a true North...

Cara McDonald on the Daily J: Where Does Up North Begin?

Our Executive Editor Cara McDonald sat down with Zach Clark of WWJ Newsradio 950's The Daily J podcast to discuss where Up North begins. Here's the...

The Last Supper: Patrons and Staff Say Farewell to Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern

It's the end of an era as a beloved Northport restaurant is closing its doors. From their famous bar-broasted chicken dinners to staff that has...

Finns Finding Solace in the Upper Peninsula’s Familiar Landscape

Here's how a Finnish family made their way to Michigan through a local mining company and found solace in the familiar, forested lands of the Upper...

Uncovering Benzie History One Gravestone at a Time

Here's how a Benzie County historian is uncovering the region's history one gravestone at a time. Learn all about her cleaning method and mission to...

Discover Northern Michigan’s Haunted & Paranormal Side

With a lineage of spiritually gifted ancestors and a lifetime of ghost sightings of her own, Desirae Dine is the perfect guide to our otherworldly...

Warm Hospitality & Honest Food at Dam Site Inn in Pellston

Head to Pellston for warm hospitality and honest food at Dam Site Inn. From the traditional chicken dinner to side dishes made entirely from...

Explore a Historic Small Town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula This Fall

If you've ever wondered about the rich history of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, then get ready for the Erickson Center for the Arts' Heritage Cottage...

Breathing New Life into Doud’s Market on Mackinac Island

Battling booming summers, big-box competitors, melting ice bridges and his own vow to leave the family biz, Andrew Doud finds his purpose by...

Bachmann’s Store Celebrates 80 Years in Business!

Bachmann's Store is celebrating its 80th anniversary with a street party this July. Learn more about the festivities and Bachmann's impressive...

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sleeping Bear Inn in Glen Haven

We couldn’t be more excited that Glen Haven’s historic Sleeping Bear Inn is being renovated, with plans to reopen to the public. The property, owned...

Head to St. Ignace—Where History and Water Mix

PAID CONTENT At 351 years old (and counting!), St. Ignace welcomes you into its colorful and dramatic past while serving up plenty of current...

9 Sault Ste. Marie Adventures for a Long Weekend in Canada

PAID CONTENT For a few days away or a major vacay, our neighbor to the north welcomes adventurers of all stripes. Here are 9 can't-miss adventures...

A 1920s Christmas with the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Keeper

Travel back in time to celebrate Christmas with James McCormick, his wife and eight children at the Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Northport. Explore...

The History of Agriculture at Sleeping Bear Dunes

| PAID CONTENT Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitors Bureau shares an intriguing look back at the history of...

Dust & Heat : A Summer at Penn-Dixie in Petoskey

Fine cement dust, sweltering heat from the kilns and backbreaking work define a young college student’s summer at a Petoskey cement plant before its...

3 New Lake Superior Shipwrecks Found in Upper Peninsula

The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society (GLSHS) recently discovered three 1800’s-era shipwrecks in the vicinity of Grand Marais in Michigan's...

The Mystery & Tragedy of Upper Peninsula Prehistoric Drawings

The only prehistoric rock drawings in Michigan, located in the Upper Peninsula between Manistique and Escanaba, are fading into oblivion from...

Visit Northern Michigan Spots that Inspired Icon Ernest Hemingway

The 21 or so summers that Ernest Hemingway spent in Northern Michigan shaped his literary trajectory. Visit the places in Petoskey, Boyne City and...

Go Back in Time at This 100-Year-Old Elk Lake Cottage

If walls could talk, these cottage walls would have quite a story to tell. Just a few miles from Elk Rapids on Elk Lake, this Northern Michigan...

On The Table: Mexican-Style Street Corn (Elote)

For August's On The Table recipe, Stacey Brugeman chats with Miguel Osorio of Osorio Tacos y Salsas about taking Mexican street corn back to its...

Native Americans, Settlers, Car Shows … St. Ignace, MI Turns 350!

PAID CONTENT As St. Ignace celebrates its 350th anniversary, we take a look back at its intriguing history—and where the city is heading in the...

A Fourth-Generation Boyne Country Cottage Evokes Family Memories

Clarity, memories and peace come to Mary Meany every time she is at her family property. Dive in to explore the history surrounding this...

How to Spend 24 Hours in Manistee, a City with a Storied Past

You may know Manistee by its Victorian facade and Old Christmas Weekend, and while you'll still find lumber-era charm today, the city’s focus has...

Get to Know Earl Young, the Man Behind Charlevoix’s Quirky-Cool Mushroom Houses

Almost 50 years after his death, Charlevoix's Earl Young and his stone masterpieces are getting fresh, new recognition. Learn more about Young's...

You’re Invited to the Centennial Hemingway Wedding Reception

The Village of Walloon Lake has announced the Hemingway Centennial Wedding Reception this September. Featuring an auction with unique Hemingway and...

The History of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

| PAID CONTENT We all know the legend of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, how a mother and her cubs fleeing a...

Go Back in Time at These Mackinac State Historic Parks

Mackinac Island is home to two historic forts: Fort Mackinac and Fort Holmes. A visit to these extraordinarily well-preserved sites is about as...

Mission Point Resort on Mackinac Island Has Unexpected History

PAID CONTENT The land upon which Mackinac Island's Mission Point Resort sits has an ancient and intriguing history: From the Native American tribes...

Archangel Ancient Tree Archive Restoring Old Growth Forests Internationally

Founder David Milarch calls Archangel Ancient Tree Archive the "most hopeful project on the planet." Learn how the work Archangel does helps restore...

Walloon Lake Plans Year-Long “Hemingway Homecoming”

The Village of Walloon Lake has planned a year’s worth of activities and special events celebrating Northern Michigan and one-time summer resident...

8 Sweet Things to Know About St. Ignace, Michigan

In 1671, Father Marquette established a mission in St. Ignace, making 2021 the 350th anniversary of the city being continually inhabited. Here are a...

Fire Historic Guns Across the Straits at Colonial Michilimackinac

Imagine it: Colonial Michilimackinac, in Mackinaw City, is emptying out at the end of another big day and you have the place to yourself. You make...

Peace Reigns as Sleeping Bear Dunes Celebrates 50 Beautiful Years

A half-century after Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore was established in Northern Michigan's Leelanau and Benzie counties, peace reigns in the...

This Traverse City Auto Repair Shop is Truly Unique

A beautiful Traverse City auto repair shop is stationed in time.  It was October 1987 when Traverse, Northern Michigan's Magazine featured Traverse...

Michigan Diver Chris Roxburgh Shares Epic Shipwreck Photos

Traverse City resident Chris Roxburgh is an electrical contractor who owns First Class Wiring. He’s also a scuba diver and underwater photographer,...

MI DNR: Protecting Michigan’s Historical Treasures from Fire

Michigan has a a treasure trove of preserved natural areas, but the state also boasts hundreds of preserved historic buildings. It's the job of The...

The Incredibly Cool Excavation of Colonial Michilimackinac

The summer of 2019 marked the 60th anniversary of the archeological excavation of Fort Michilimackinac, now called Colonial Michilimackinac. Six...

The Many Names of Grand Traverse Bay’s Power Island

In August 1981, Traverse Magazine writer Cindee Egan shed light on the many former names of Power Island, tucked in West Grand Traverse Bay. In...

When Baseball Was the Only Game in Town

In the early 1900s, Sundays meant game time in Leelanau County as hundreds of spectators came to watch the Empire Greys take on one of several...

Meet the Tin Can Tourists

The Tin Can Tourists and their vintage metal campers converge at Interlochen State Park for a weekend of camaraderie. Featured in the July 2020...

A First Time for Everything in Grand Traverse Region

When was the first house built in Traverse City? And when did it became a popular honeymoon destination? Here are four firsts in the Grand Traverse...

Al Capone’s Northern Michigan Connections

Al Capone's mysterious legacy lives on in Northern Michigan. In celebration of our 40th anniversary in 2020, we're digging into our archives and...

New Book Tells the Story of Beaver Island’s King Strang

Miles Harvey will join the National Writers Series on July 14 at 7 p.m., talking about his new book, The King of Confidence. Register for the free,...

Summers are Magic at Arcadia’s Watervale Inn

There was a time and place during my childhood when I was sure my dad loved me. It was on our two trips each summer to the Watervale Inn in Arcadia,...

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Featured History Articles

The Death Defying Dive to the Edmund Fitzgerald

Diary of Life on Isle Royale in 1930s

The Strange Death of Danny Dodge

Building the Mackinac Bridge...What Did It Take?

The Troubled Era of Indian Schools

The Odawa History in Harbor Springs

The Gruesome Breakthrough of Dr. William Beaumont

Beaver Island's Mormon King, James Strang

Isadore's Secret of the Missing Sister

An Early 1900s Christmas Pilgrimage

Northern Michigan History Articles

Getting to Northern Michigan