Review by Deborah Frontiera
Mikel Classen is well known for thorough and boots-on-the-ground research for his nonfiction books and Grand Island: Island of History and Mystery is no different. In this short volume, he combines historical facts and travel information. In each short segment, he also provides his reactions to what he sees on site. Short. Sweet. And simple. It is a first-person narrative of his visit there.
Here is an example from page 2 discussing the Munising area:
Home of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, an unusual number of waterfalls, an underwater preserve, and the majestic Grand Island, Munising Bay is a rare place indeed. Grand Island sits at the heart of the bay and is administered by the U.S. Forest Service and is designated by congress as a National Recreation Area.
Classen states that Grand Island is often overlooked in favor of the other attractions, but that it is ideal for quiet sports like hiking, kayaking, fishing, and paddling.
Subjects in the short book include the Ojibway people who lived there first, a shipwreck from the late 1880s, Abraham Williams, the first “white man” to settle there, Williams Landing and the fur trade, William Mather’s dream of a game preserve, the two lighthouses on the island, and other topics. Each is told with good details and quotations from original sources. However, while quoting such sources, like the journal of Chandler Gilman who explored Pictured Rocks and the island in 1835, Classen does not report where he gained access to this material. I searched through the back and front matter for a list of resources but found none. This was disappointing because other researchers who might want to learn more will have a difficult time locating this and other seemingly rich primary sources. The quotation from this journal on pages 7 through 10 provide wonderful details of the Ojibway culture, a subject which many writers of that day did not treat with respect. Chandler shows the respect due this culture and Classen quotes that writer well.
Canoe building on Grand Island (courtesy of Jack Deo and Superior View Studios)
Historic art images and photos give readers a deep perspective of what was seen in the past, as well as contemporary color photographs of these locations. These photos give the reader added depth, both as a souvenir of the island and also as a real-life picture for those who have not visited there. Historic images are credited to Jack Deo of Superior Views. Another historical narrative about the Williams family, who established Williams Landing, a trading post, is quoted from Abraham’s daughter, Maria. Again, rich in detail, including the location of this family’s graves in the island cemetery.
In the early 1900s, there was an attempt to make the island a playground for the wealthy—perhaps rivaling Mackinac Island? William Mather spent today’s equivalent of millions of dollars to import elk, moose, caribou, antelope, mountain goats, and other exotic animals for his wealthy pals to hunt. He even imported the trees and shrubs needed for these animals to survive. The severe winters and wolves foiled his plans. Grand Island never became a “playground for the rich.”
Grand Island does, most certainly, provide visitors with a wealth of lovely scenery, plenty of recreation, and interesting history, including a mystery of murder and intrigue at one of the lighthouses that remains unsolved to this day. Readers of Mikel B. Classen’s Grand Island: Island of History and Mystery will learn much from this short volume about Grand Island. It is a grand addition to the expanding Yooper History Hunter Series, which highlights the unique geography and history of our beloved peninsula.
Grand Island By Mikel Classen
ISBN 979-8-89656-126-2 Modern History Press, 2026, Ret. $16.95 (PB)
