Grand Marais, Michigan
Encyclopedia
Grand Marais is an unincorporated community in Burt Township
, Alger County
in the U.S. state
of Michigan
. It is located on Lake Superior
at 46°40′15"N 85°59′07"W and is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
via H-58
.
Grand Marais is the northern terminus of M-77
. Seney
and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
are to the south.
is at its end, and the Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
of which eight are in Michigan. French explorers used the word "marais" to mean "harbor of refuge" as well as "marsh." Many controversies in the little town revolve around costly dredging and breakwall-repair operations.
Grand Marais was one of five U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations
along the coast of Lake Superior between Munising
and Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
. It was part of the U.S. Life-Saving Service District 10 (later part of District 11). The other four Life-saving Stations were Deer Park
, Two Heart
, Crisp Point Light, and Vermilion Point
. In 1915, these stations became part of the U.S. Coast Guard
. In 1939 the U.S. Lighthouse Service
also merged under the control of the U.S. Coast Guard.
. Visitors to the We Hear You America web site had the opportunity to "cheer" for any community in order to win recognition and cash prizes. Grand Marais' harbor has officially been deemed a Harbor of Refuge because it is the only lifeline a sailor has along the dangerous shipwreck coast of Lake Superior. Years of neglect have caused deterioration of its harbor break wall allowing sand to fill in, but the cost seemed prohibitive. Grand Marais attained 1,281,724 "cheers" and won the top municipal first prize of $40,000 in the contest, as well as notoriety for its plight in a Reader's Digest article.
Burt Township, Alger County, Michigan
Burt Township is a civil township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 480.-Communities:There are no incorporated municipalities in the township...
, Alger County
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
. It is located on Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
at 46°40′15"N 85°59′07"W and is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a U.S. National Lakeshore on the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, United States. It extends for 42 miles along the shore and covers...
via H-58
H-58 (Michigan county highway)
County Designated Highway H-58 is a road that runs east–west in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. H-58 is routed through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Along H-58, there are the towns of Melstrand, Van Meer, and Myren. The length is .The western terminus is at M-28 in downtown Munising,...
.
Grand Marais is the northern terminus of M-77
M-77 (Michigan highway)
M-77 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from US Highway 2 near Blaney Park in the south to Grand Marais in the north. The highway borders the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The northern half has been designated as a Scenic Spur of the Lake...
. Seney
Seney, Michigan
Seney is an unincorporated community in Schoolcraft County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in the United States. The town is built on the outskirts of the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. It was featured in the Ernest Hemingway short story "Big...
and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge
Seney National Wildlife Refuge
The Seney National Wildlife Refuge is a managed wetland in Schoolcraft County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It has an area of 95,212 acres . It is bordered by M-28 and M-77. The nearest town of any size is Seney, Michigan...
are to the south.
History
The name Grand Marais (big marsh) is a reference to the large, shallow harbor, which now has a breakwater extending from the bay into the lake. The Grand Marais LightGrand Marais Light
Grand Marais Light is located on the outer end of a breakwater on the shore of Lake Superior in the city of Grand Marais in Cook County, Minnesota. It is located in USCG District 9.The existing historic tower was first lit in 1922 and is still operational....
is at its end, and the Fresnel lens is still operative, being one of only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States, sixteen of which are use on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
of which eight are in Michigan. French explorers used the word "marais" to mean "harbor of refuge" as well as "marsh." Many controversies in the little town revolve around costly dredging and breakwall-repair operations.
Grand Marais was one of five U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations
United States Life-Saving Service
The United States Life-Saving Service was a United States government agency that grew out of private and local humanitarian efforts to save the lives of shipwrecked mariners and passengers...
along the coast of Lake Superior between Munising
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
and Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
. It was part of the U.S. Life-Saving Service District 10 (later part of District 11). The other four Life-saving Stations were Deer Park
Muskallonge Lake State Park
Muskallonge Lake State Park is a state park in Michigan. It is located northwest of Newberry in Luce County. The park is situated between the shores of Lake Superior and Muskallonge Lake; the area is well known for its forests, lakes and streams....
, Two Heart
Two Hearted River
The Two Hearted River is a short river, approximately 25 mi long in northern Michigan in the United States. It drains a forested wilderness area of the eastern Upper Peninsula into Lake Superior. It rises in several short branches in northeastern Luce County approximately 15 mi southeast of Grand...
, Crisp Point Light, and Vermilion Point
Vermilion Point
Vermilion Point is a remote, undeveloped shore with a rich history lying west of Whitefish Point, Michigan, on a stretch of Lake Superior’s southeast coast known as the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" or, in the title of a book by noted Great Lakes maritime historian , ""...
. In 1915, these stations became part of the U.S. Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. In 1939 the U.S. Lighthouse Service
United States Lighthouse Service
The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the US Federal Government that was responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of all lighthouses in the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 until 1939...
also merged under the control of the U.S. Coast Guard.
We Hear You America contest
Grand Marais Michigan, population ~300, gained national attention early in 2011 due to its status as the leader in a national contest sponsored by Reader's DigestReader's Digest
Reader's Digest is a general interest family magazine, published ten times annually. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, its headquarters is now in New York City. It was founded in 1922, by DeWitt Wallace and Lila Bell Wallace...
. Visitors to the We Hear You America web site had the opportunity to "cheer" for any community in order to win recognition and cash prizes. Grand Marais' harbor has officially been deemed a Harbor of Refuge because it is the only lifeline a sailor has along the dangerous shipwreck coast of Lake Superior. Years of neglect have caused deterioration of its harbor break wall allowing sand to fill in, but the cost seemed prohibitive. Grand Marais attained 1,281,724 "cheers" and won the top municipal first prize of $40,000 in the contest, as well as notoriety for its plight in a Reader's Digest article.
Tourism
Grand Marais is a four-season tourist destination, with snowmobiling being popular in the winter, and swimming, boating, kayaking, and fishing among the summer recreations. Points of interest include:- The former United States Coast Guard Life-saving Service Station serves as a ranger station for the spectacular Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This is the station where the Coast Guard radio operator had his last communication with the S.S. Edmund FitzgeraldEdmund FitzgeraldEdmund Fitzgerald may refer to:*SS Edmund Fitzgerald, a freighter that sank on Lake Superior in 1975 with all hands aboard**"The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald", a song about the shipwreck by Gordon Lightfoot...
before she sank with all hands.The Grand Marais Maritime Museum is located in the former keepers quarters of the station. - Pickle Barrel HousePickle Barrel HouseThe Pickle Barrel House is a two-story cabin built of two barrels. The house design is based on cartoon characters that were two inches tall and lived under a rose bush in a pickle barrel. It is currently located in Grand Marais, Michigan on Michigan's Upper Peninsula on the southern shore of Lake...
Museum (1926) - The Lake Superior Brewing Company operates a brewery and pub at Grand Marais.
- In mid June, the neighboring harbor at Grand Marais is the site for an annual sea plane fly in hosted by the Grand Marais Pilots Association on behalf of the National Seaplane Pilots Association.
- In mid July, the harbor is the site of the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium, a multi-day event which attracts multiple sea kayakers from around the country. It is billed as "the largest and oldest sea kayaking symposium on the Great Lakes."