I live in southwest Michigan and get up there for work at all times of the year. Your writing that there is that sense of mystery around every corner is correct. I especially remember the old dying copper towns like Calumet. You feel transported into another time. Both sad and interesting. Doubt I could live there full time but clears your mind from those endless strip malls.
Excellent piece. This is the result of an economy based on resource extraction. It describes eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, many rural areas. Enormous wealth is generated. Who benefits?
“Well, I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
I grew up in SE Cheboygan County, went to school in Onaway. While it was always one of the poorest areas of the state, in the 70s there was still a semblance of pride in place among the generation of my parents (depression era, WWII vets). There poverty seemed to be lifting a bit. The homes with outhouses going away. When I drive around there now it is what you say, post-apocalyptic. The homes have become compunds. Welfare trailers line up one after another, replaced again and again. Tower, the village closest to where I lived, looks like what we might think of Appalachia or rural Romania. But I know people keep hanging on. Because even in post-apocalyptic landscapes people still get in with lives.
I spent 12 summers 10 miles outside of Houghton in Atlantic Mine on my Grandparents 400 acre farm. Potatoes. It is as you describe: forgotten, historic,and magical.
I really appreciate the comment. It does have such a fascinating history to it. The woods around the Great Lakes have been regrowing for 100 years. The rewilded themselves!
I need to do this one day. Had a friend from Traverse City who recently passed away. He loved the wilds of the UP. He’s now scattered among the trees, happy and at peace in the forests of his youth.
Something my father born in Michigan over ten decades ago told me: The lumber companies had scouts on foot surveying for white pine. Due to the dense forest and lack of aerial photos the scouts used an interesting method to locate white pine. 🌲 They LISTENED for the rustling of the needles which had a unique sound!
Also, don’t be too hard on us old folks who live up here. We bring a lot of cash which pays for services and keeps those young families afloat. Some of us also contribute our services.
I am so sorry if my tone came across as hating on the older people who live in Northern Michigan. It's a great part of the community. It just feels sad that no one is there to continue on the traditions and culture.
Good work. I’ve been curious about the UP for most of my map-fanatic life. Lived most of it in LoCali but also 12 years (total, in 3 different parts) in rural western Nebraska. Some nice stands of ponderosa pine, but mostly wide-open grassland. Tbh It’s a lot more fun to live in the boonies now with modern communication. You can feel like an observer insulated by 3 dimensional space. When we only had 3 channels and about the same # of radio stations the sense of isolation was stronger. But - as you noted - there had been an even earlier era when railroads connected even outlying places to a giant web that could easily and routinely transport a person from the edge of civilization to downtown Chicago, Detroit or even New York. It would be great to see that come back.
“This is now our most pressing priority, a reinvigoration can only come from a spiritual rebirth.”
Only a realignment of our societies toward the sacred can hope to provide the momentum needed to survive this long winter. The future will be built by will and faith alone. And if we cannot find a new center to orient ourselves around, we will suffer the fate of all societies that lack spiritual will: to be conquered by those who do not.” -- Callum Darragh.
I live in a similar area but is now being colonized by new houses. What the places need is a new focus, a reason, an ethos, and that is an internal, psychological, spiritual thing. That's also a genuine expression and can't be painted on. I fix these buildings and would love to just keep them all up in the manner they were built. I feel like that church, or sawmill, or elevator, could just be what it was, but now house the local store or something inside. Economically -- or more for building codes -- that's not economical just yet and you need some sort of "angel investor" who will fix it despite taking a modest short-term loss out of love and appreciation.
You certainly paint an image with your words. I've been to Fletchers Floodwaters near Hillman MI numerous times and see the same shrinking towns and abanded buildings and businesses as I drove north on Highway M33. I always wondered what drove the economy up there, and now I know. Thanks for sharing.
You’ve absolutely pegged the feel of Northern Michigan. Now, the UP - when we are up there, it’s no mystery to me why the Finns of old believed in trolls and their other mythologies. It’s imbued into the landscape, it just makes sense.
I live in southwest Michigan and get up there for work at all times of the year. Your writing that there is that sense of mystery around every corner is correct. I especially remember the old dying copper towns like Calumet. You feel transported into another time. Both sad and interesting. Doubt I could live there full time but clears your mind from those endless strip malls.
Excellent piece. This is the result of an economy based on resource extraction. It describes eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, many rural areas. Enormous wealth is generated. Who benefits?
“Well, I’m sorry my son, but you’re too late in asking
Mister Peabody’s coal train has hauled it away”
Just listened to the song and loved it!
I grew up in SE Cheboygan County, went to school in Onaway. While it was always one of the poorest areas of the state, in the 70s there was still a semblance of pride in place among the generation of my parents (depression era, WWII vets). There poverty seemed to be lifting a bit. The homes with outhouses going away. When I drive around there now it is what you say, post-apocalyptic. The homes have become compunds. Welfare trailers line up one after another, replaced again and again. Tower, the village closest to where I lived, looks like what we might think of Appalachia or rural Romania. But I know people keep hanging on. Because even in post-apocalyptic landscapes people still get in with lives.
There are little pockets of hope if you can find them.
I spent 12 summers 10 miles outside of Houghton in Atlantic Mine on my Grandparents 400 acre farm. Potatoes. It is as you describe: forgotten, historic,and magical.
Beautifully written. The wilderness around the Great Lakes has always fascinated me. You’ve helped me understand why.
I really appreciate the comment. It does have such a fascinating history to it. The woods around the Great Lakes have been regrowing for 100 years. The rewilded themselves!
I need to do this one day. Had a friend from Traverse City who recently passed away. He loved the wilds of the UP. He’s now scattered among the trees, happy and at peace in the forests of his youth.
A similar thing occurred in my home state of WV. I think you described it perfectly.
It's both sad and beautiful.
Something my father born in Michigan over ten decades ago told me: The lumber companies had scouts on foot surveying for white pine. Due to the dense forest and lack of aerial photos the scouts used an interesting method to locate white pine. 🌲 They LISTENED for the rustling of the needles which had a unique sound!
Also, don’t be too hard on us old folks who live up here. We bring a lot of cash which pays for services and keeps those young families afloat. Some of us also contribute our services.
I am so sorry if my tone came across as hating on the older people who live in Northern Michigan. It's a great part of the community. It just feels sad that no one is there to continue on the traditions and culture.
Good work. I’ve been curious about the UP for most of my map-fanatic life. Lived most of it in LoCali but also 12 years (total, in 3 different parts) in rural western Nebraska. Some nice stands of ponderosa pine, but mostly wide-open grassland. Tbh It’s a lot more fun to live in the boonies now with modern communication. You can feel like an observer insulated by 3 dimensional space. When we only had 3 channels and about the same # of radio stations the sense of isolation was stronger. But - as you noted - there had been an even earlier era when railroads connected even outlying places to a giant web that could easily and routinely transport a person from the edge of civilization to downtown Chicago, Detroit or even New York. It would be great to see that come back.
I would fully support more railroad infrastructure in the U.S.. I want to ride the train to Chicago from Traverse City.
Shhhhh, let's keep it a secret. No need to go glamorizing on social media now, is there?
Northern Michigan is terrible and smelly and poor and filled with hillbillies. Please go to Minnesota or Wisconsin instead.
Funny.
Nice. I live in Saginaw. I go get lost up north as much as I can.
“This is now our most pressing priority, a reinvigoration can only come from a spiritual rebirth.”
Only a realignment of our societies toward the sacred can hope to provide the momentum needed to survive this long winter. The future will be built by will and faith alone. And if we cannot find a new center to orient ourselves around, we will suffer the fate of all societies that lack spiritual will: to be conquered by those who do not.” -- Callum Darragh.
I live in a similar area but is now being colonized by new houses. What the places need is a new focus, a reason, an ethos, and that is an internal, psychological, spiritual thing. That's also a genuine expression and can't be painted on. I fix these buildings and would love to just keep them all up in the manner they were built. I feel like that church, or sawmill, or elevator, could just be what it was, but now house the local store or something inside. Economically -- or more for building codes -- that's not economical just yet and you need some sort of "angel investor" who will fix it despite taking a modest short-term loss out of love and appreciation.
You are so right. Without a reason for these towns to exist, they will just die.
You certainly paint an image with your words. I've been to Fletchers Floodwaters near Hillman MI numerous times and see the same shrinking towns and abanded buildings and businesses as I drove north on Highway M33. I always wondered what drove the economy up there, and now I know. Thanks for sharing.
It's pretty funny to here people say that because I don't think my writing is that great. Your comment means a lot to me!
You’ve absolutely pegged the feel of Northern Michigan. Now, the UP - when we are up there, it’s no mystery to me why the Finns of old believed in trolls and their other mythologies. It’s imbued into the landscape, it just makes sense.
Thanks for your kind comment. The UP definitely has trolls living there. Why wouldn't it?
What you wrote about Michigan can be said to much of the United States including California. It has all been hollowed out with the jobs sent overseas.