Long before the Keweenaw Peninsula became a destination for hikers, bikers, and Lake Superior rock hounds, it was the stage for a national copper rush. Shortly after Michigan became a state in 1837, Geologist Douglas Houghton was sent to Copper Harbor to explore reports from Native Americans about copper in the region. By 1844, Fort Wilkins was built to be the military base helping to keep the peace as fortune-seekers came to the state’s most northern port.

In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Barry James, Upper Peninsula historian with the Michigan History Center, about the fascinating past—and present—of this historic state park. From the 1840s copper rush chaos to Civil War reenactments, as well as lighthouse tours and tales of shipwrecks, Fort Wilkins remains a living classroom with extensive youth programs. Join us as we explore the enduring significance of this frontier fort—and the people working to keep its stories alive.

Key Takeaways:

• Fort Wilkins was built in the mid-19th century in Copper Harbor to maintain law and order during the copper rush.
• The fort served as a frontier military post, supporting mining operations and maritime navigation in one of the most remote regions of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
• The Copper Harbor Lighthouse and range lights were established in response to early shipwrecks, including the 1844 wreck of the John Jacob Astor, which supplied Fort Wilkins.
• Today, Fort Wilkins Historic State Park is part of the Keweenaw National Historical Park’s heritage site network and offers youth camps, Civil War reenactments, and public education programs.
• Barry James and the Michigan History Center are working to expand exhibits, including a new display on how Fort Wilkins became a state park in 1923.

Notable Quotes:

• “What it really represents is an excellent example of a mid-19th century military post as the United States was expanding westward.”
• “The Astor was the first wreck on Lake Superior in 1844. The military realized that their lifeline could be easily snapped.”
• “We also offer a living history program that's been ongoing since 1976, where we have costumed interpreters within the fort that represent the last occupation at Fort Wilkins, the summer of 1870.”
• “We’ve got 19 buildings on site, but 12 are original, dating back to the 1840s. So people can go into these buildings, look at the exhibits. We have period rooms with furniture and interpretation of the period.”
• “To get on the National Register of Historic Places, you really have to have something significant with the historic site, so that says enough right there.”

Resources:

• Fort Wilkins Historic State Park: https://www.michigan.gov/mhc/museums/fwchl
• Michigan History Center: https://www.michigan.gov/mhc
• Keweenaw National Historical Park: https://www.nps.gov/kewe

Connect With Us:

• Website: https://nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation
• LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/national-parks-of-lake-superior-foundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports: Supporting environmental sustainability in coffee-growing regions since 1993. Learn more at https://cafeimports.com
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation: Support vital projects by donating at https://nplsf.org/donate

Winter Study at Isle Royale National Park has a decades long history, but just a few scientists ever get the chance to spend time on this isolated archipelago in Lake Superior. In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with one of those fortunate ones, Johnathan Pauli, Professor in the Department of Forest & Wildlife Ecology at the University of Wisconsin Madison. From tracking foxes and martens to unraveling a centuries-old survival story, Johnathan shares how studying this wilderness in winter reveals secrets a summer visitor would never experience. Join us for a conversation about science, survival, and what makes Isle Royale National Park a critical refuge for wildlife.

Key Takeaways:

• Winter Study at Isle Royale has been going on for over 60 years, originally launched to monitor moose and wolf populations and now expanded to include other animals such as martens, foxes, and snowshoe hares.
  
  
• Winter presents extreme challenges and rich insights, including long days in deep snow, cold exposure, and tracking animals over miles of off-trail terrain.
  
  
• Snowshoe hares follow a 10-year boom-and-bust cycle, which helped explain the survival story of Angelique Mott in 1845, when she struggled to trap hares during a population crash.
  
  
• Isle Royale functions as a modern-day “refugium,” because it is more buffered from human development and invasive species, making it an ideal site for long-term conservation and research.

Notable Quotes:

• “Winter is a period of nutritional and resource deficits. It’s a really important time to study these winter-adapted organisms.”
  
  
• “I love to say that there’s no anonymity in winter.”
  
  
• “Refugia is something near and dear to my heart. These islands, Isle Royale and the Apostle Islands, really represent these interesting test beds for the concept of refugia.”
  
  
• “It’s really important work. It’s really hard work. But it’s also really exciting. There’s a lot of complexity of emotions you have while you’re skiing these trails.”
  
  
• “Sometimes what you see in the tracks can be almost as exciting as seeing some of these critters in person.”

Resources:

• Jonathan Pauli’s Research Group – Learn more about his work at UW–Madison:
  https://pauli.russell.wisc.edu/
• Isle Royale National Park – Explore the park and its natural history:
  https://www.nps.gov/isro/index.htm
  
  
• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore – Discover another key research site:
  https://www.nps.gov/apis/index.htm
  
  

Connect With Us:

• Website: https://nplsf.org/podcast
  
  
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation
  
  
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-parks-of-lake-superior-foundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports – Supporting environmental sustainability in coffee-growing regions since 1993. Learn more at https://cafeimports.com.
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation – Support vital projects by donating at:
  https://nplsf.org/donate
  
  

Be sure to tune in to this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast to hear Jonathan Pauli’s firsthand stories of survival, science, and what Isle Royale reveals in the silence of winter.

Our National Parks are important places, not just for their preservation of natural beauty and resources, but also for the economic impact they bring to gateway communities. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula sees nearly a million visitors, year round. For the anchor cities of Munising and Grand Marais, hosting those folks has become their chief industry. With a population of less than 2,000, how do they do it? In this episode of the Lake Superior Podcast, Walt Lindala and Frida Waara talk with Kathy Reynolds, the CEO of the Greater Munising Bay Partnership as well as Director of the Alger County Chamber of Commerce to learn more.

Key Takeaways:

• Munising, Michigan, has transformed into a premier tourism destination, with Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore playing a central role in attracting visitors.
• Tourism is now the leading industry in Alger County, supporting local businesses, entrepreneurs, and the community year-round.
• Despite Munising's small population of under 2,000 residents, the area welcomes nearly one million visitors annually, requiring careful planning and infrastructure management.
• The Michigan Ice Fest, the oldest ice climbing festival in North America, draws climbers from around the world and highlights Munising's appeal as a winter recreation destination.
• Even though Munising has a strong tourism sector, it also has a diverse economy that includes manufacturing and public services, making it more resilient to seasonal fluctuations.

Notable Quotes:

• "I also tell people you should live where you want to vacation. Why just say, ‘Oh, I get to spend a week. Every once in a while I go someplace’? I wanted to live in a place that I wanted to vacation."
• "I would say, and maybe I’m a little biased, that it is probably one of, if the most beautiful places in the whole Midwest. It’s easy to market the area and get people to come."
• “Winter season can be extremely beautiful, and this year we are living in a snow globe all over the area of Munising.”
• “Preservation of the park and our natural resources - that’s why people come up to the Upper Peninsula. Protecting those and making sure they stay nice is critical to our economy.”
• "The people that come to Munising and visit our national park, they not only help us in our community, but they help all the communities outside of us in the U.P."

Resources:

• Greater Munising Bay Partnership: munising.org – Learn more about Munising and its economic development initiatives.
• Alger County Chamber of Commerce: algercountychamber.com – Discover local businesses and visitor information.
• Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm – Explore the stunning landscapes and recreational opportunities in the park.
• Michigan Ice Fest: michiganicefest.com – Learn about the premier ice climbing event in Munising.

Connect With Us:

• Website: nplsf.org/podcast
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/NationalParksOfLakeSuperiorFoundation
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/national-parks-of-lake-superior-foundation

Sponsors:

• Cafe Imports: Supporting environmental sustainability in coffee-growing regions since 1993. Learn more at https://cafeimports.com.
• National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation: Support vital projects by donating at https://nplsf.org/donate.