The End of the Road in Michigan

Beneath the waters of Lake Huron lies one of the oldest known hunting grounds in North America. In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we explore the discovery of the Alpena-Amberley Ridge—a submerged prehistoric land bridge once used by Ice Age hunters to track caribou.

Archaeologists uncovered stone structures over 9,000 years old, reshaping our understanding of ancient life in the Great Lakes. We also examine the Indigenous stories that may align with this site’s hidden history.

Read the story at The Lost City Beneath Lake Huron – Michigan’s Oldest Known Hunting Ground

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

The Sinking of the Lady Elgin – Milwaukee’s Night of Mourning

In this emotional 10-minute episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we recount the 1860 wreck of the Lady Elgin—a luxury steamer torn apart in a midnight collision that killed nearly 300 people. Through survivor accounts, newspaper reports, and haunting details, this story explores how an entire city mourned, how bravery shone in the darkness, and why the disaster still resonates today.

Read more about this tragedy at The 1860 Lady Elgin Disaster -  Lake Michigan's Deadliest Shipwreck

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

What do you do when your town dies? If you're William Carter and William McCoy in 1880s Michigan, you move your hotel — building and all — to where the action is. In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we trace the 140-year life of a single building that started in Port Crescent, found new life in Kinde, and reinvented itself as the Grand Central Hotel, Clancy’s, and finally the Wagon Wheel Inn. It’s a story of sawdust, railroads, Friday fish fries, and the long arc of small-town history.

Tune in for a surprising tale of resilience, reinvention, and what happens when a hotel becomes part of a community’s identity. Read the full story at The Amazing Story of the Grand Central Hotel (Kinde, Michigan) – 1880s to 1970s – The Forgotten Inn That Traveled Across Time

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we uncover the remarkable 1838 journey of 15-year-old Edward Petit, the first European child born in Port Huron. 

As a teenage fur trader fluent in Ojibwe, Petit set out to locate a lost winter camp led by the elusive Chief O-ta-was. Braving freezing rain, hunger, and vast wilderness along the shores of Saginaw Bay, he completed one of the most successful trades in Michigan's early frontier history.

This story sheds light on the human side of early settler-Indigenous relations and the forgotten routes that shaped Michigan’s Thumb.

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

Step aboard the grand steamers that once ruled the Great Lakes. In this episode, we trace the story of the Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company — from its 19th-century founding to its peak as a fleet of luxurious passenger ships and, finally, to its quiet demise in the postwar era.

You’ll hear about moonlit voyages, the majestic City of Detroit III, legendary designer Frank E. Kirby, wartime conversions, and the final season marked by tragedy. A compelling look at the transportation network that connected Michigan and the Midwest — and what it meant to the generations who sailed those inland seas.

Read the full story at Detroit & Cleveland Navigation Company: Remarkable Tales from Michigan’s Golden Age of Steam.

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

Explore the rise, golden era, and trials of Bay Port, Michigan’s Gillingham Fish Company – once the world’s largest freshwater fishery – in this documentary-style narrative.

Discover how this Saginaw Bay fishing empire expanded to Charity Island, endured a devastating fire and economic decline, and lives on today through the Bay Port Fish Company.

We also examine modern threats to this 140-year fishing legacy, from climate change to proposed conservation laws. Read the full story at R. L. Gillingham Fish Company - Surprising Insights of Commerical Fishing at Bay Port 1896-1978

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

Explore Michigan’s shipbuilding legacy from 19th-century schooners to Great Lakes freighters. Learn how towns like St. Clair and Port Huron became shipbuilding hubs in “Schooners and Steam” on The End of the Road in Michigan podcast.

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

Explore the rise and fall of New River, Michigan, on "End of the Road in Michigan."

Discover how this once-thriving lumber and salt production village emerged in the mid-19th century, only to vanish as industries declined. Uncover the stories of early settlers, industrial endeavors, and the economic shifts that led to the disappearance of this remarkable hamlet.

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

In this episode of The End of the Road in Michigan, we investigate the tragic 1907 sinking of the fishing tug Searchlight, which vanished during a Lake Huron storm just outside Harbor Beach.

With six men aboard and no survivors, this story includes first-hand reports, a haunting message in a bottle, and new historical context from local archives. Discover how a sudden gale changed the fate of one small tug—and the community it left behind.

Topics include Great Lakes fishing history, the Harbor Beach Life-Saving Service, and maritime tragedies in Michigan.

Learn more at The Sinking of the Fishing Tug Searchlight - Harbor Beach’s Worst Fishing Tragedy.

Please follow our podcast for more Michigan stories lost to time.

Music: Fluidscape by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100393
Artist: http://incompetech.com/

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications

Join us on "End of the Road in Michigan" as we explore the inspiring story of Captain Aaron Peer and Grindstone City.

Discover how a remote shoreline community in Michigan’s Thumb region became a global leader in grindstone production, shaping industries worldwide. Learn about the resilience, innovation, and communal spirit that transformed a harsh wilderness into a thriving hub of industry and culture.

Read the whole story at Captain Aaron Peer Founded Grindstone City In 1834 And Began a New Industry.

The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications