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Named for Russell A. Alger, governor of Michigan at the time (1885-1886) and later U.S. senator (1902-1907). The Lake Superior coastline in Alger County can clearly be considered to be one of the top highlights of the Great Lakes . Host to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Alger County features a variety of scenery and recreational options: You can kayak or hike the shoreline, as well as see the cliffs by tour boat. There are also plenty of rivers, streams and trails inland, that offer a great place for fishing, hiking, and winter snowmobiling. The communities of Munising and Grand Marais make a great starting point to see the National Lakeshore. They offer a variety of resorts, restaurants and shopping opportunities. Be sure to load up on film, because you'll need it! Munising is located in the South Bay of Grand Island Harbor along the southern coastline of Lake Superior- just west of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It is the county seat for Alger County , and gateway to such scenic Pictured Rocks attractions as Miner's Castle, several waterfalls, and seasonal boat rides along the coastline. Its many resorts, motels and cottages accommodate thousands of visitors who come to the area each season. The name "Munising" is derived from the Native American word " Minnising ", meaning "island in the lake," referring to Grand Island , which can be seen in the harbor. This island owned by the National Forest Service is part of the national Lakeshore. This area was first settled around 1855 when the Munising Iron Co. bought land and platted the village, first as "Old Munising," and later as " East Munising," with a post office opening in 1868. When the Company failed in 1873, the post office was opened and closed several times. In 1894 businessman Timothy Nester and his associates saw the development potential for the struggling town and it began to grow, with incorporation as a village in 1897. The town survived the iron and lumber booms due to its location to the scenic lake shore. It was organized as a city in 1915. A Brief History of Alger County In the calm bays of Grand Marais, Munising and Grand Island early Ojibway or Chippewa Indians found fine camping grounds well sheltered from gales that rush in from the north. Those early inhabitants existed primarily on hunting and fishing with a little agriculture. Alger County 's history appears to center a great deal on the Pictured Rocks area. However, it was never a major center of Indian activities. The rugged and inhospitable coast prevented easy access by water and a lack of ready food sources inland precluded permanent settlement. Early English-speaking explorers named the cliffs the "Pictured Rocks" for the multitude of colors and patterns on their facades. The Rocks did have some minor religious significance to the Indians and they called the area Ishpabecca , meaning "high rocks." As was common in aboriginal cultures, they attached religious significance to inanimate objects. Thus the rocks and caves of the cliffs were personified as devils, ghosts, etc. Certainly many of the stories grew as the newly arriving Europeans embellished the original Indian legends. Many of these tales are retold in Beatrice Castle's book Grand Island Story. Prior to the first white settlers, fur traders and fishermen explored the area. It isn't certain who the first Europeans to see the land that is today called Alger County , but it could have been the French explorers Etienne Brule and a man known to history only as Grenoble . Some time around 1622 the intrepid pair reached a previously unknown lake above Huron, Lake Superior , but what they saw was ill-recorded. The first Europeans definitely known to have explored the Alger County area were the legendary French voyager Pierre Esprit Radisson with his brother-in-law, Medard Chouart Sieur des Groseilliers , in 1659. The pair were searching for new sources of fur, an effort that reaped them tremendous reward. Other famous men also coasted the area. In 1660, Jesuit priest Rene Menard passed with Jesuit Claude Allouez following in 1664. Jacques Marquette, another old Jesuit, passed in 1669 en route to his La Pointe mission. Curiously, the French rejected the discovery of the seemingly limitless bounty of Superior , leading Radisson to join the British and help to found the famous Hudson 's Bay Company. It's not unlikely that the two travelers camped somewhere along the coast between Grand Marais and Au Train. The great fleets of voyageurs that later followed certainly did. By 1668 the French were well familiar with Superior 's south shore and considered all of it part of New France . With the Peace of Paris in 1763 the area was ceded to the British, and in 1783 the region became part of the fledgling United States . The American Fur Company built a post on Grand Island in the mid 1820's. Most of Alger county land was included in the transfer of lands by the Chippewa to the US Government in 1836. Alger County was settled in the mid-1800s as a booming area for iron and lumber mining however, it now relies on a different natural resource ~ its scenic Lake Superior shoreline in the northern Upper Peninsula . Alger became a county on March 17, 1885 and got its name from Russell Alger, Governor of Michigan from 1885-86. Today forest-related industries are still a major part of Alger county. Although noted mostly for tourism other industries include farming, dairying, sand and gravel. The Hiawatha National Forest comprises most of the County, which include many waterfalls, trout streams and inland lakes. A Short History Munising is an Indian name meaning "Place of the Great Island " in Chippewa. In 1820 the Chippewa village was located at the mouth of the Anna River . They then moved camp to Sand Point. History shows that many travelers and early explorers visited the area. Munising was actually founded by white men in 1850 but the first civilization was built in Au Train. The town consisted of thirty homes, one blacksmith shop, the bay furnace, a sawmill and a government lighthouse. In 1894, Timothy Nestor took a trip with Captain Taylor who ran an excursion boat named City of Munising , to Munising Bay , and while there he explored the area. In 1895, he hired men and work started on the city now known as Munising. In 1896, a post office was established and the population at that time was 500. In May of 1896, the village was incorporated. Thomas G. Sullivan, an early settler, was the first mayor of Munising after its incorporation and the namesake of Sullivan's Landing, Sullivan Creek and Sullivan Lake . The new community grew rapidly and within one year after the first tree was cut, the population jumped to 3,500. Docks, sawmills and a tannery were built and a newspaper was printed. The Courthouse was moved from Au Train to Munising in 1901. A fire hall and a City Dock were completed in 1938. America 's first national lakeshore. Its name comes from the sandstone rock cliffs that are exposed along the lakeshore, known as the Pictured Rocks. The cliffs are most prominent along the shoreline of Lake Superior between Sand Point and Little Beaver Lake, a stretch of 15 miles. In some areas the cliffs rise some 200 feet above the lake. The name "Pictured Rocks" is due to the pictures that seem to appear on the rocks from the multicolored sandstone and mineral stains on the rock surface. The cliffs are composed of Cambrian Sandstone, dating back about 500 million years. The stains on the sandstone are caused by water running down the cliffs filled with oxides of copper, manganese, iron, and organic minerals. To get the best view of the rocks from land you should visit the overlooks at Miners Castle , the east end of Miners Beach , and the Lakeshore Trail that runs the length of the park. If you like to hike you will enjoy the nine mile Chapel Loop trail. This Trail offers views from the highest points of the cliffs. If you do plan to hike atop the cliffs use caution. The Cliffs are soft sandstone some reaching heights of 200' which pose as a danger especially if the cliffs are undercut by erosion, so Stay Back From The Cliff Edge. Whether your visit to the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore lasts only an hour or if you stay for a week or two, you might want to begin your visit at one of the visitor centers located in Munising and Grand Marais. Here you can pick up numerous amounts of brochures and any additional information you need to help make your visit outstanding. The Pictured Rocks shoreline offers each passing second filled with enchanted, sculptured shoreline sights and the vivid sounds of the mighty power of Lake Superior ... thrashing its fresh, clear water over a multitude of colorful sandstone monstrosities. No matter how long your stay, consider trying to visit the following attractions: Munising Falls : The 50 foot falls are nestled in a cool and shady valley at the end of a short hike along a very well maintained trail. The water from the falls once aided in the production of iron at the Schoolcraft blast furnace. (See Waterfalls) Sand Point: This is a popular area for bird watching as well as swimming or walking along the beach. The Point Marsh Trail, a half-mile fully accessible interpretive trail provides access to a unique wetland environment. You can enjoy maritime history exhibits near the old Munising Coast Guard Station where Park Headquarters are located. Miners Castle : A fully accessible trail leads from a beautifully constructed picnic area past breathtaking views of Grand Island and Lake Superior , down to an overlook platform directly above the Castle. Erosion over long periods of time have formed the shape of a castle in the sandstone cliffs. At one time you were able to walk atop the castle but due to the mass erosion you must now stay on the platform. Miners Beach : This beach which extends for one mile is a picnickers fantasy. The beach gives you a beautiful look at Lake Superior and is a great place for children to build sand castles, but watch out for those playful waves waiting to bring them down. These are only a few of the many attractions located along the Lakeshore, in order to visit and enjoy all the wonderful attractions that Pictured Rocks offers, you would need to spend a week or more in the area. And chances are you'll be back to return to see these and the many other resource-rich natural scenic attractions our are can provide you and your family. The best way to see all of the Pictured Rocks is to take a cruise on the Pictured Rocks Boat Cruises, which began in the 1920's Au Sable Point Lighthouse Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore For many years sailors dreaded the eighty miles of dark shoreline that stretched east from Grand Island Lighthouse to the light on Whitefish Point. Unmarked by any navigational light, these dangerous shores claimed dozens of ships. To fill the gap, a lighthouse was placed on Au Sable Point in 1874. An eighty-seven-foot brick tower was built on a rise, placing the light about 150 feet above Lake Superior 's surface. The Third-Order Fresnel Lens displayed a fixed white light. The attached, two-story brick keeper's dwelling was large, but those who lived in it knew theirs was one of the most remote mainland light stations in America . The nearest town, Grand Marais, was more than 12 miles away, and there was no road. Keepers either hiked in or came by boat Grand Marais - A Short History The name "Grand Marais" literally translates to "Great Marsh", but research has failed to locate a marsh here.On an occasional early French map it is shown as "le Grand Maré ", meaning a safe harbor. In French, " Maré " and "Marais" are pronounced the same, and had been suggested that "Marais" is a mapmaker error that came into common usage through repetition. Chippewa Indians lived or camped at the Grand Marais harbor for many years before the coming of the Europeans. It was the setting of many legends. This location was one of several places along Lake Superior that seem to have had special significance to the Chippewa people. The first French explorers are thought to have visited Grand Marais in 1619. However, there is no written record of their visit. In 1658, Pierre Esprit Radisson and Sieur de Grossiliers were brought to Grand Marais harbor by Indians. Radisson wrote in his journal, "...most delightful and wondrous for its nature that made it so pleasant to the eye [and] spirit". In 1899, Grand Marais was in its peak population years. The lumber camps and mills were thriving, and there was an active commercial fishing industry. The population was well over 2000, with probably another thousand people working in the lumbering camps surrounding the town. The harbor teemed with ships bringing in goods and people and taking out finished lumber products from the mills. A daily train ran from Seney and connected with other lines leading all across the nation. An active business community provided all kinds of services to the workers and their families. Grand Marais had doctors, lawyers, bankers, photographers, a hospital, an opera house, social clubs, good schools for the many children, hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, department stores, livery stables, churches, and a cigar maker, to mention just a few. In 1911 the lumber companies decided it was time to move on, and in May announced that the railroad would close in November. Residents packed their bags, locked their houses,and caught the train out. By 1915 there only about 200 people were left in the almost-abandoned town. In that year most of the business buildings along Lake Street were destroyed by fire. In the mid-1920s a highway was opened between Grand Marais and Seney and the motoring tourists discovered the isolated village. The dirt and gravel road served to link Grand Marais to the outside world, as the railroad had in earlier years. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, tourist cabins began to appear. Blueberry picking and fern gathering as well as commercial fishing helped families through the hard times. A new high school was buil in 1926, but little other new construction appeared until after the late 1940s. The Corps of Engineers worked on the pier in the 1950s and 1960s. Highway 77 was finally paved in 1958. Commercial fishing continued through the years into the 1940s, when it gradually changed into sport fishing. In 1964 the Michigan Waterways Commission constructed the marina on the site of the old Marais Lumber Company mill, and then gave it to Burt Township . In 1947, Trans-Canada Airways built and emergency airport with two mile-long runways southeast of town. When the airport was no longer needed, it was given to Burt Township . In 1966, legislation was passed forming Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, creating a 67,000 acre park stretching 30 miles along Lake Superior to the west of Grand Marais. There is still selective logging in the area. Tourism is now the primary industry. It is becoming more year-round as visitors discover that the beauty of Grand Marais is a year-round pleasure Alger County Websites and Locations of Interest http://www.infomi.com/city/munising/ http://www.rootsweb.com/~mialger/cohist.htm http://munising.com/History/history.html http://www.munising.com/Attractions/pictrocks.html http://www.exploringthenorth.com/ausable/ausable.html
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