Last updated: January 7, 2025
Place
An Era Vanishes Wayside
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, this area was bustling with several logging operations. Cities around the country were growing fast and needed lumber for building. Intense cutting of old growth forests caused once-dense stands of white pine, white cedar, and hardwoods to be quickly depleted.
After timber supply was exhausted in the 1920s, logging companies moved on to other areas. Most of the land was sold for homesteads, cabins, and farms. The clearing in front of you is all that remains of one such cabin. Few signs of Michigan's lumber boom still exist in the park, and over time this clearing will also be reclaimed by the forest.
Loggers prized white pines because they grew in pure stands and were easy to harvest. Their long, straight trunks were perfect for building structures and ship masts. Though plentiful at one time, these giant white pines of the past were all but completely gone by 1920.
Since then, white pine forests have begn to recover and regrow within the park. Look for their straight trunks, elongated cones, and long, soft needles.
After timber supply was exhausted in the 1920s, logging companies moved on to other areas. Most of the land was sold for homesteads, cabins, and farms. The clearing in front of you is all that remains of one such cabin. Few signs of Michigan's lumber boom still exist in the park, and over time this clearing will also be reclaimed by the forest.
Loggers prized white pines because they grew in pure stands and were easy to harvest. Their long, straight trunks were perfect for building structures and ship masts. Though plentiful at one time, these giant white pines of the past were all but completely gone by 1920.
Since then, white pine forests have begn to recover and regrow within the park. Look for their straight trunks, elongated cones, and long, soft needles.