On the eastern edge of Michigan’s Thumb lies a lonely and very rocky cove on the shore of Lake Huron. It’s hard to imagine that this beautiful remote setting was the site for criminal activity during the time of Michigan Prohibition for over 12 years.

During Michigan’s Prohibition era, a quiet cove along Lake Huron became a covert gateway for illegal liquor. This episode of End of the Road in Michigan uncovers the dark past of Whiskey Harbor—a rugged shoreline near Huron County that once served as a smuggling point for the infamous Purple Gang.

We take you back to the 1920s and 30s, when organized crime turned Michigan’s Thumb into a key corridor for booze shipments from Canada. It’s a gritty, little-known chapter of local history featuring rum-runners, limestone shores, and federal agents in pursuit.

Read the full story at Michigan Prohibition – 16 Years Of Bootlegging At Huron’s Whiskey Harbor.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

Before highways and airliners, the most stylish way to travel across the Great Lakes was aboard a cruise ship. This episode of End of the Road in Michigan explores the golden era of freshwater cruising, from the mid-1800s to the 1950s, when ships transported passengers in luxury from port to port.

Today, cruise travel on the lakes is making a comeback, and we trace its roots to the heyday of elegant vessels like the SS South American and the SS Noronic. Hear how these floating hotels connected cities, built tourism, and left a lasting legacy on Michigan’s maritime culture.

Now that cruising the Great Lakes is making a comeback, this is a story you might want to hear before you venture out.

Read more at Great Lakes Cruising History - 100 Luxurious Years of Travel.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we camp out—literally—on the remains of a lost lumber town. Port Crescent State Park sits quietly on the shoreline of Lake Huron, but beneath the trails and campsites lie the foundations of one of Michigan’s once-bustling 19th-century communities.

Discover how a thriving sawmill town with hotels, stores, and a post office faded into history, and why its ruins are still worth visiting today. This story blends nature and history, offering a reminder that the land remembers—even when we forget.

Port Crescent State Park is one of the largest state parks in southern Michigan. Located at the tip of Michigan’s “Thumb”, along three miles of sandy shoreline of Lake Huron, the park offers excellent camping, fishing, canoeing, hiking, cross-country skiing, birding, and hunting opportunities. However, a lesser-known aspect of this park is that it sits on the site of a former ghost town.

Read the full story at Michigan Ghost Town in the Thumb - Port Crescent State Park.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

This episode of End of the Road in Michigan takes you on a paddle-powered journey to Turnip Rock, one of the most photographed spots in the state. Learn the seven essential tips for kayaking to this iconic limestone formation off the coast of Pointe Aux Barques. Whether you’re a seasoned paddler or just curious about Michigan’s coastal wonders, this episode breaks down what to bring, what to avoid, and how to get the most from your trip to this unique destination—accessible only by water.

Read more about this adventure at Turnip Rock – 7 Basic Things You Really Should Know When You Kayak In The Upper Thumb.

From gear guidance to shoreline access points, we’ll help you plan the perfect outing. Pack your paddle and let’s hit the water.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

This episode of End of the Road in Michigan brings you two quick dives into forgotten corners of Michigan’s Thumb region.

First, we explore the Port Austin Air Force Station — a Cold War-era radar outpost built in response to the Korean War. For decades, it kept watch over the Great Lakes as part of the U.S. early warning defense system.

Then we head to Grindstone City, home to Michigan’s first major industry in the Thumb. This lakeside town once fueled the nation's appetite for sharpening stones and mill wheels — all carved from the rich stone beds of Lake Huron. Two stories. One region. A lot of history packed into ten minutes.

#PortAustin #GrindstoneCity #MichiganHistory #ColdWarRadar #ThumbRegion #EndOfTheRoadPodcast

A production of Thumbwind Publications

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we revisit the catastrophic 1881 fire that swept through the Thumb region. Known as the Thumb Fire, it scorched more than one million acres, left towns like Bad Axe and Cass City in ruins, and marked the decline of the lumber era in Southeast Michigan. With debris left behind by aggressive logging and months of drought, the area became a powder keg. Hear how the inferno changed the landscape forever and how it shaped the future of forest management and rural life in Michigan.

This story is one of the most viewed on our website. 144 years ago, over a series of several days, a devastating fire overtook the Thumb. This story offers a synopsis of the days of that horrific event and its aftermath. Read the original story at 1881 Michigan Fire Forever Changed the Thumb.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

Michigan small towns have a special place in the hearts of their inhabitants. However, some towns slowly fade from their once-busy streets to a scene resembling a stopped clock. No longer functional, but certainly recognizable.

One such town is Huron City, Michigan. This is a spot where you can find original furniture, decorating a home as it looked over 150 years ago, and browse in a store as it looked and was stocked in the early to mid-1900s. It's a charming example of the late nineteenth-century architecture and provides fine samples of functional buildings of the period that are slowly being torn down.

#MichiganHistory #GreatLakesStories #CharityIsland #LighthouseLegends #PureMichigan

A production of Thumbwind Publications

This short story is about how Port Austin, a sleepy little town at the tip of Michigan’s Thumb, is transforming itself into a unique destination for Kayakers, Tourist, and Artists.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

The 20th President of the United States, James Garfield, did not build or own this 1850s landmark Inn in Port Austin, Michigan. 

Nestled in the village of Port Austin, the Garfield Inn has stood since the 1850s and played host to one of America’s presidents. Despite its name, James A. Garfield didn’t build or own the historic home—but he visited it often. The fascinating history of the Inn really resides with the family that built the house, Charles and Maria Learned.

This episode from End of the Road in Michigan digs into the real story behind the inn’s name, its early construction, and its role in the region’s past. Originally a private residence, the Garfield Inn has become a symbol of local heritage in Michigan’s Thumb. Hear how this iconic structure reflects the area’s early history and its ongoing preservation.

A production of Thumbwind Publications

In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we venture to the windswept waters of Saginaw Bay to uncover the strange and storied past of Charity Island. Once a remote refuge for lighthouse keepers, Native Americans, bootleggers, and birders, the island holds secrets that stretch back centuries.

There it sits — a lush tree-lined island on the horizon of Saginaw Bay. Big and Little Charity Islands are ten miles from the western shore of Michigan’s Thumb. Except for a couple of seasonal residents who live and host tours at the lighthouse keeper's house, the island is uninhabited.

These islands are considered by the US Fish and Wildlife Services to be one of the most remote and least visited islands in the Michigan Island National Wildlife Sanctuary. Visitors are few due to the boulder-filled and treacherous shallow waters that surround the island. Yet, Charity Island has a fascinating history with its isolation and remoteness in a busy Saginaw Bay.

What role did it play in navigation, survival, and even smuggling? And what makes it one of Michigan's most intriguing locations today?

Tune in for a 10-minute narrative that blends historical fact with Great Lakes folklore, brought to you from the tip of Michigan's Thumb.

Read the full story at Charity Island History Is Mysterious and Remote

A production of Thumbwind Publications