A Brief History of Grand Marais, Michigan
What the name means, where it came from, and how the town has survived
three booms (and busts!)
Historic Town Photos
Grand Marais town photo, 1906
This is a photo taken from the west end of town and from on a hill,
showing the town with the bay and Lonesome Point beyond.
Masonic Lodge group photo
A photo taken on Lake Avenue, circa 1900, of the members of the Grand
Marais Club. The Club building is behind the group, and the Masonic
Lodge was housed on the second floor.
Rooming House
A typical rooming house of the late 1800s.
Nettleton Hotel
The Nettleton Hotel still stands and is currently a private residence.
This is a photo from its past.
Grand Marais Public School
This photo from the late 1890s shows the first high school in Grand
Marais.
Grand Marais School Teachers
You won't believe what they're doing! We hope it was only a spoof.
Plow Train
Winters in Grand Marais were fierce, and the railroad soon needed a
plow train just to kep the tracks clear. Here's a shot of it in town.
The Lumber Days
Brazel Sawmill
This sawmill was situated at the western end of Grand Marais Bay.
Cook, Curtis, and Miller Sawmill
This was one of the largest mills in the area. The photo was
taken from atop the ridge south of town, providing a good overview.
Cook, Curtis and Miller Sawmill - close
up
This ground-level view shows the mill buildings.
Lumber Docks
A view of the lumber docks with piles of lumber and ships waiting to
load.
Logging Camp
A logging camp near Grand Marais during the peak lumbering years.
The Fishing Industry
Fish Tugs
Here's a photo of several fishing tugs wintering over in the ice in
Grand Marais Bay.
Fish Dock
This photo shows the docks where the fishing tugs pulled in and wound
their nets.
Grand Marais Lifesaving Station
Lifesaving Station, 1927
This view, taken from the bay, shows the Lifesaving Station on July
4, 1927.
Lifesaving Station Launch Area
Taken from atop the inner range light, this view shows the launch area
for the lifesaving boats as well as a view of the bay.
Coast Guard Headquarters
The Coast Guard built a new headquarters building in 1940, shown here.