Grand Marais

Since 1658, the community on the Lake Superior shore has seen many changes and transitions, but Raddison's impression of the Grand Marais harbor and its surrounding area still holds true. "Nature in abundance" the sign proclaims as one enters the quiet village.

The first settlers in the Grand Marais area were Native Americans, mostly Chippewa.  Near Grand Marais remains of an Indian campsite have been found, as well as tools made from copper, bone and stone there. The unique environment of the region makes it a source of a variety of food. Cold streams provide trout. Fields of blueberries and pockets of wild leeks are plentiful. Hardwood and conifer forests provided large stands of birch and cedar. All the essential ingredients for the lifestyle of the Native American. It is the setting of Native legends and is considered a sacred area.

When the French explorers first came through, it is believed they stopped there, possibly as early as 1619. There are no actual written accounts before Radisson's in 1658. This makes it one of the oldest place names in the U.S.

French fur traders gave the place its name, Grand Marais, which translates as "great marsh" but was also a term used by the voyageurs to describe a sheltered harbor, a Harbor of Refuge.  On an occasional early French map it is shown as "le Grand Mare" meaning a safe harbor. Even today, Grand Marais is the only Harbor of Refuge between Marquette and Sault St. Marie.  In French "Mare" and "Marais" are pronounced the same. When this region came under British rule in 1763, the name remained and is one of the oldest place-names in Michigan. 

The abundance of beaver around the Lake Superior area led to the establishment of the Hudson Bay Company in 1670, and fur trading posts flourished in the Lake Superior area for years. When the Michigan Territory was established in 1805, exploration soon followed, and in 1820 an expedition consisting of 44 men traveled along the southern shore of Lake Superior.  Note was made of the beautiful harbor of refuge at Grand Marais, and the absence of a "big marsh".   John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company was founded in 1814 and headquartered on Mackinac Island, but maintained an outpost at Grand Marais. 

A permanent settlement began in 1830. A trading post was established near the mouth of the Sucker River in what has become known as East Bay. Over the years a settlement grew around it. Its growth prompted the west bay to be platted in 1852.

Established in the 1860's by the fishing and lumber industries, Grand Marais became a boom town.  With the abundance of natural riches to be found here, it was inevitable that Grand Marais should grow.  It wasn't long before, like most places in the U.P., its rich resources made it a prime place for exploitation. The first permanent trading post was started on East Bay in 1861 by Peter Barbeau.  Railroad transportation was still  years away in this remote wilderness so the importance of a safe harbor for ships plying the lake was of tremendous importance to Grand Marais' development. 

The fur trade gradually declined and gave way to booming fish and lumber industries, complete with railroad lines for shipment, and by the late 1800s Grand Marais was a thriving community.  A breakwall was constructed in 1872. A lifesaving station was established in 1899 including lighthouse and lightkeeper's home.  In 1906, sawmills, shipping and commercial fishing dominated as the local industries.  This was Grand Marais' boom years.

In Grand Marais' peak years, more than 2,000 countable residents lived there. There were probably another thousand living in the lumber camps and surrounding woods. The town thrived and unlike many lumber towns, it was a family town. Many U.P. lumber towns were mostly men; but Grand Marais was different. There was a large number of boarding houses, saloons and bordellos. Many relationships were developed here and new families were common place. Work abounded and there was no shortage of employment.

Grand Marais was a full fledged town with doctors, lawyers, banker, photographers, a hospital, social clubs, hotels, restaurants, department stores, livery stables, and churches. A train had a daily run to Seney. The Protestants held their first church services on a boat in the harbor.

City water was introduced in 1896 at no charge to the residents. Original pipes were made of hollow wood. There was even a mill that generated electricity. It operated only during certain hours in the day. A man had to jump on the flywheel to get it started. Eventually it was turned over to the township and was in use until 1956.

Those boom years were short. Lumber companies had sprung up around the community with four situated on the shoreline. One was a veneer plant. Most of the lumber was being shipped out by rail or boat. Residents recall that there were sometimes as many as 40 ships in the harbor at one time. Lots of money was being made on Grand Marais' resources, unfortunately all of it was going back to Detroit. By 1910, all the lumber companies were on their way out and the railroad service was soon discontinued. 

Grand Marais gradually diminished in size.  Residents loaded up their belongings and rode the final trains for more prosperous places. Grand Marais almost became a ghost town.  In 1911 the railway tracks were taken up. Grand Marais became isolated. Since there was no road, the only way to reach it now was by boat. By 1915, only 200 residents remained. Later that year there was a fire which destroyed most of the buildings along Lake Street.

The mid 1920's brought to Grand Marais a much needed road leading to Seney. It was after this that tourist cabins began to appear. Commercial fishing kept many families alive. A new high school was built in 1926. Blueberry picking and fern gathering were other meager incomes to be had.

The single modern event which has changed Grand Marais, is the creation of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in 1966. The U.S. Park Service bought property all around Grand Marais stretching to Munising. All residences around Grand Sable Lake were bought or condemned and destroyed. Camping facilities, scenic overlooks, and public accesses were developed which invited tourists to the area.

One of the more interesting events which leaves a lasting impression on Grand Marais is the the acquisition of the towns most unusual building, the Pickle Barrel (currently used during the summer as a visitor's information center). It was built in 1926 as a gift for William Donahey creator the famous Teeny Weenie children's characters. The characters were originally drawn for the Chicago Tribune and were featured for many years in the children's Highlights magazine. Donahey had allowed his characters to be used to promote a line of pickles for the Monarch food line. As a gift for his wife, author Mary Dickerson Donahey, he had a life-size replica of the pickle barrel constructed on the north shore of Grand Sable Lake. It was their summer home for 10 years and then it was moved into town. It has remained as Grand Marais' most unusual landmark and one of the first things a traveler to Grand Marais sees when they first drive into town.

Grand Marais never returned to the days of the boom years.  Today it is a self-sufficient little town that has become a mecca for vacationers.  The harbor now sees recreational sailboats instead of cargo ships carrying their loads of lumber. The beaches are for sunbathers and agate hunters. Its focus is now a summer getaway for tourists and a retreat for artists of all kinds. The area's beauty infects most that journey here. It is a place of quiet and serenity, where nature's dramas are played out to their unpredictable ends.