The End of the Road in Michigan

Explore the fascinating life and enduring legacy of Douglass Houghton, Michigan’s pioneering geologist, whose groundbreaking discoveries initiated the Michigan Copper Rush and transformed the Upper Peninsula forever.

This detailed narrative reveals Houghton’s adventurous explorations, impactful civic contributions as Detroit’s mayor, and his tragic demise on Lake Superior. Join us to celebrate this remarkable historical figure whose relentless curiosity and dedication shaped Michigan’s history.

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

In 1679, a wooden ship named The Griffon sailed into Lake Michigan—and vanished without a trace. Built by French explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the Griffon was the first European-style ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. She was loaded with furs and promise... but she never came back. In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we explore one of the oldest mysteries in North America. We trace the Griffon’s journey, the legends surrounding her disappearance, and the many failed attempts to find her remains.

 Was it mutiny? A storm? Or something deeper that pulled her under?

This is the story of a ship that opened the Great Lakes—and then disappeared into them.

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

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we follow fur trader Louis Campau as he builds the first permanent white settlement in the Saginaw Valley in 1815. From his log trading post on the Saginaw River, Campau traded with the Anishinaabe and helped shape the future of Michigan.

His post became the site of the 1819 Treaty of Saginaw, a deal that ceded over 6 million acres of Native land to the United States. Learn how one man, one building, and one treaty helped launch the city of Saginaw—and marked a turning point in Michigan’s early history.

Read more about this story at The Campau Trading Post – How One Fur Post Sparked the Founding of Saginaw.

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

For more than 50 years, a mysterious glowing light has appeared in the remote woods near Paulding, Michigan—captivating curious visitors, spawning ghost stories, and defying simple explanation.

Known as the Paulding Light, it’s been called everything from a spectral railroad lantern to an optical illusion caused by distant headlights.

In this episode, we travel deep into the Upper Peninsula to uncover the truth behind one of Michigan’s most persistent legends. We explore the folklore, the science, and the enduring fascination with a phenomenon that refuses to fade. Is it a ghost? A trick of the light? Or something else entirely?

Find out in this eerie and atmospheric episode of End of the Road in Michigan.

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 quiet collapse of Port Crescent, a once-promising Thumb Coast lumber town left behind when Washington said no.

In 1886, the people of Port Crescent pleaded for help dredging the silt-choked Pinepog River—a final hope to revive their struggling economy after decades of logging and devastating wildfires.

Lieutenant Colonel Orlando M. Poe, a respected U.S. Army engineer and Civil War veteran, was sent to investigate. His report didn’t just close the door on federal support—it sealed the town’s fate. This episode explores how one decision marked the beginning of the end for Port Crescent and how a river’s silence can echo for generations.

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

In 1962, a group of college students met at a union retreat in Port Huron, Michigan—and wrote a document that changed political activism in America. Known as the Port Huron Statement, it became the foundation of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and launched the New Left movement of the 1960s.

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we tell the story of how one summer retreat on Lake Huron gave rise to a nationwide call for participatory democracy, student protest, and generational change.

To read more about this story, check out, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) – How A Retreat in Port Huron Sparked the Student Protest Era of the 1960’s

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

In 1966, Michigan came dangerously close to a nuclear catastrophe—just 30 miles from downtown Detroit. A failed cooling system at the Fermi 1 fast breeder reactor caused a partial meltdown, releasing radiation and sparking a cover-up that lasted years.

Engineers blamed a loose piece of metal—described as “the size of a beer can”—for the failure.

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we uncover the chilling truth behind America’s first commercial nuclear accident, how close we came to disaster, and why the public didn’t learn the full story until nearly a decade later. If you’ve never heard about the Fermi 1 reactor or why one book called it We Almost Lost Detroit, this episode explains it all—fact by radioactive fact.

Find out more about this incident at We Almost Lost Detroit: Michigan’s Forgotten Nuclear Disaster at Fermi 1

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

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we revisit the terrifying days of September 1894, when the deadly Hinckley Fire in Minnesota blanketed Michigan in dense, choking smoke. For five straight days, daylight vanished across Saginaw, the Thumb, and the Upper Peninsula. Ships refused to sail. Trains stopped. Residents feared the apocalypse had arrived.

We share and uncover how a fire 400 miles away turned Michigan’s sky black, caused widespread panic, and triggered shutdowns across the Great Lakes—featuring original 1894 newspaper accounts, eyewitness reports, and the harrowing story of a burning train that outran the flames. If you’ve never heard of the 1894 Hinckley fire’s impact on Michigan, this is the episode that brings it out of the shadows.

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

In June 1909, disaster struck at the Canadian Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie when a massive lock gate failure sent four ships into chaos—two sank, and the Great Lakes shipping system ground to a halt.

In this episode, we recount the worst lock accident in Great Lakes history, detailing how it happened, its cascading impact on shipping and industry, and how it forever changed maritime infrastructure. If you've never heard of the "day the locks broke," you're not alone. But this forgotten event still echoes in today’s supply chain concerns.

If you want to read the rest of this story check out. Day of the Soo Locks Disaster — 1909’s Maritime Meltdown at Sault Ste. Marie

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

From winter wheat to Ferris wheels, this episode of End of the Road in Michigan uncovers how Huron County helped shape Michigan—and the nation.

Based on a 1959 article from the Harbor Beach Times, we trace the surprising national “firsts” that began in the Upper Thumb, from industrial breakthroughs and sports innovation to logging feats and food production.

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