This photo was provided by the Boyne City Morel Mushroom Festival. You can get a ton more information about the National Mushroom Festival and Michigan morel mushrooms today on Absolute Michigan.
Timber Cruising and Hulbert Lake
Hulbert Lake, photo by Joslynan.
Josie took this photo in August of 2006 and you can also check out this satellite view of Hulbert Lake and the UP.
Exploring the North’s page on Hulbert Lake says that the lake was also named Lake Glimmerglass by William Hulbert. The page tells an interesting story of William’s grandfather, Francis, who was a “timber cruiser” and raced a fellow cruiser to file for title to the lake in Marquette. He won the race.
When Pine Was King (excerpted from Larry B. Massie’s “Voyages into Michigan’s Past) tells a little more of timber cruising:
The logging cycle began with the timber cruiser. Armed with a map and compass he would tramp the wilderness for weeks seeking prime stands of white pine located near a stream, then race to the nearest U.S. land office to register the find.
Kayak on the Pine River Channel
Kayaking through the Channel, photo by smiles7.
The lighthouse is the Charlevoix South Pier Light, and it marks the mouth of the Pine River channel that extends from Lake Charlevoix to Lake Michigan. Terry Pepper’s Seeing the Light explains:
The Pine River Channel is believed to be unique in the entire world inasmuch as it has a two-way current. After severe westerly windstorms, waters pushed high into Lake Charlevoix will swiftly flow back out to meet other inbound currents. Small whirlpools and eddies at the harbor mouth are not uncommon, and whitecaps can frequently be observed within the channel on the calmest days.
You can get a lot more information about the history of Charlevoix’s Pier Lights from Terry Pepper and see historical photos including a cool postcard of the Charlevoix North Pier Light in 1909. If you want to visit Charlevoix, the Charlevoix Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is a good place to start.
American Memory: Pointe aux Barques in Lake Huron
Lake Huron from the caves, Pointe aux Barques
The United States Library of Congress is a shining example of why we need government: to perform the vital work of preserving our heritage. One of the ways you can experience this preserved heritage is through American Memory from the Library of Congress. According to the mission, American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity.
Today’s selection is from a gallery of photos from the collection of the Detroit Publishing Co. taken on and around Lake Huron near Pointe aux Barques and Port Austin in Huron County. It’s a gallery of 20 photos of natural wonders like Turnip Rock and structures such as the Port Austin Reef Light (if that link doesn’t work for you, try the Pointe Aux Barques link on this page).
You can get some great present-day photos of the shoreline at Port Austin Kayak Rental … either in their gallery or by renting a kayak and taking your own! If you have taken any photos of the area, please feel welcome to post links to them in the comments! Port Austin Kayaks also helpfully provided a map link that lets us give you this cool satellite view of the Port Austin shoreline! (I believe that point at the western edge is where Turnip Rock is)
Library of Congress LC-D4-12361
Updated Oct 2, 2008: Check out modern day photos in Kayaking Point Aux Barques!
Time again for Holland’s Tulip Time Festival
As someone who lives near a city (Traverse City) that is inextricably tied to an event (Cherry Festival), I imagine that the approach of Tulip Time can be a bittersweet thing.
According to the Tulip Time Festival web site…
The idea of Tulip Time was introduced in 1927 at a Woman’s Literary Club meeting. Miss Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, suggested that Holland adopt the tulip as its flower because of its close ties to the Netherlands, and set aside a day for a festival. She titled her talk that day “Civic Beauty” and spoke at length about the area’s unique sand dunes, its fine trees, safe water supply, pure milk, and ample playgrounds. She advocated planting more trees, and because the Chamber of Commerce was seeking something appropriate, suggested planting tulips in every yard. She concluded with reading a poem, “Come Down to Holland in Tulip Time.”
In 1928, City Council, under Mayor Ernest C. Brooks, appropriated funds to purchase 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands. These bulbs were to be planted in city parks and other areas. Initial plans called for a “Tulip Day.” Bulbs were available to Holland residents at one cent a piece…
Tulip Time Festival will be held May 3-10, 2008 and features many musical acts, parades, trolley tours of Holland, an art & craft fair, fireworks and of course, klompen dancing.
For more Holland Tulip goodness…
…Tulip Time, Holland Michigan from last year on Michigan in Pictures
…The Tulip Time group and the Holland Michigan group, both on Flickr
…Tulip Time Festival photo gallery from the Holland Sentinel
of Heads, Hands and Frandor
self reflection, photo by Bridget Johnson
Bridget relates that this photo was taken at the Frandor Mall in East Lansing … or Lansing … or right between the two. I am a bit depressed that there is no entry for Frandor at Wikipedia (yet at least). The Lansing entry says that in 1954, Frandor Mall was the first in the area and the second in the state.
On second thought, Joey Harrison’s photo of the old FRANDOR sign on Flickr is lots better than any Wikipedia entry probably would be because it has a bunch of people’s reflections on the history of the mall, including his mom, who says:
What I’m about to say can’t be certified, but this is what I seem to remember: Frandor was developed by Francis and Doreen Corr in 1954 from a former golf course. It was the second outdoor mall, the first being Northland in Southfield.
Bridget Johnson is a Traverse City based photographer who will be among the over 150 women artists of all media whose work will be on display at the 5th annual From Women’s Hands art show, sale and benefit for The Women’s Cancer Fund from April 27-29 at the Hagerty Center in Traverse City.
Renaissance
Renaissance, photo by irinuchka.
…in the Renaissance Center, Detroit.
Kind of amazing what can be accomplished when you try to accomplish something amazing. More at Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center from SkyscraperPage.com, Renaissance Center from Wikipedia and Flickr’s RenCen slideshow.
Double Rainbow over the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church
roygbiv + icucc, photo by maproomsystems.
I don’t know if there really was a double rainbow over the Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church in Hamtramck, Michigan. While the photo wasn’t posted until yesterday, it was taken on April 1st (another photo from Brett posted below says probably so). Who knows! In any case, it makes a perfect photo for today.
Detroit1701.org – a tremendously informative web site I just found – has an entry on Hamtramck’s Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church:
Ukrainians began coming to metropolitan Detroit shortly after 1900. A large number settled in southern Hamtramck, especially on Grayling between Lumpkin and Joseph Campau. The first Immaculate Conception Ukrainian Catholic Church was a wooden structure on Grayling opened in 1913. By 1936, this parish operated a complete elementary school. As the congregants prospered, they were able to build the massive church that you see above. The cornerstone for this church was laid in 1942 but it was some years before the building was completed.
Seriously, this is an amazing web site with nearly 100 entries for religious buildings alone as well as hundreds of pages on everything from Detroit statues and public art to noted Detroit-area residences.
Sleeping Bear Dune Rides, 1940
Sleeping Bear Dune Rides, 1940, photo by Fred Dickinson
In defiance of the weather we’re featuring a super-cool Michigan travelogue from 1949 on Absolute Michigan that begins in the Sleeping Bear Dunes. In addition to a selected of classic travel destinations, you can see the dunesmobiles in action.
Visit the Dickinson Gallery for many more classic photos and information on ordering and also check out Riding the Dunes from the Northern Michigan Journal for more about the Sleeping Bear Dunesmobiles.
lightning rods
lightning rods, photo by dbthayer.
This photo of a Monroe County barn is part of a set of barn photos.
Some of them are in Ohio, but if necessary, we could always take them back in a second Ohio-Michigan War.
Michigan in Pictures 