Michigan
I've spent the winter exploring the state of New Mexico. It has been a fascinating experience. I will be back in northern Michigan in May and I will be visiting bookstores and art shows signing and selling my new book Points North. For those that like to follow my road trips, I've started a blog and it can be found at www.mikelbclassen.com. It has lots of photos and commentary as I travel. Currently it is about New mexico, but as may rolls around I will be of course back to writing about the U.P. My next book, True Tales of the U.P. will be finished soon.
I am currently scheduling appearances throughout northern Michigan for booksignings and discussions about my books. The schedule is listed below and I'm always adding to it, so check back for updates. My next book "Points North" is now available at bookstores and on Amazon.
We have produced the third issue of the U.P. Reader and it is on sale now. Check it out at upreader.org. or you can order it through any bookstore.
Lady Slipper Patch - Mackinac County - Michigan
To see more picture like this, check out my flickr page:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikel_classen/with/9571964359/
or
To purchase art prints of some of my photographs click on the picture below:
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From My
Historic Pictures Collection
Charlotte Kawbawgam - Marquette County - Michigan
Marji-Gesick, a Chippewa chief, was hired in 1845 by Philo Everett to locate valuable iron ore deposits near Ishpeming. The ore was found exposed under an uprooted tree and the Jackson Mining Company was born. He was paid with a certificate of interest entitling him to stock in the company.
After Marji-Gesick's death, his daughter, Charlotte Kawbawgam, who was married to Charlie Kawbawgam, the new Chippewa Chief, found the certificate. When the Jackson Iron Company refused to recognize her ownership interest, she took the company to court.
The Michigan Supreme Court considered the company's claim that Charlotte Kawbawgam should not be recognized as Marji-Gesick's lawful heir because she had been born to one of the three women to whom her father had been married simultaneously. Polygamy was prohibited under Michigan law, but permitted under tribal laws and customs.
The Court decided that since the marriage was valid under Chippewa law, it must be recognized by Michigan's courts. Charlotte Kawbawgam was declared Marji-Gesick's lawful heir, inheriting his ownership interest in the Jackson Iron Company. This was a landmark Michigan Supreme Court decision acknowledging that tribal laws and customs govern the legal affairs of Native American families.
Charlotte remained married to Charlie for over 50 years and when Charlie died, his grave can be seen at Presque Isle where they lived, Charlotte had become blind.
The story of Marji-Gesick, Charlotte Kawbawgam, and the Jackson Iron Company is immortalized in "Laughing Whitefish," a book authored by former Michigan Supreme Court Justice John Voelker under his pen name, Robert Traver.
If you would like to see more pictures from my historical photograph collection, including past pics from here, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikel_classen/sets/72157630887269582/
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On The Road
Michigan
Mackinac Grille - St. Ignace - Michigan
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Video on YouTube of latest adventure.
Points North
Lake Superior Tales
Au Sable Point Lighthouse
June 6 - UPPAA Spring Writer's Conference - Marquette - 9-4
June 26 - Sault Ste. Marie - Engineer's Day Bookfest - Island Books & Crafts - 10 - 4
June 27 - Cheboygan - Blue Roses Books and More - 1-3
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I've spent many years exploring the wilderness of Michigan's Upper Peninsula (U.P.), and one thing has become apparent: no matter what part in which you find yourself, fascinating sights are around every corner. There are parks, wilderness areas and museums. There are ghost towns and places named after legends. There are trails to be walked and waterways to be paddled. In the U.P., life is meant to be lived to the fullest. In this book, I've listed 40 destinations from every corner of the U.P. that have places of interest. Some reflect rich history, while others highlight the natural wonders that abound. So, join in the adventures. The Upper Peninsula is an open book--the one that's in your hand.
"Without a doubt, Mikel Classen's Points North needs to be in every library, gift shop and quality bookstore throughout the country-particularly those located in Michigan's Lower Peninsula. Not only does Classen bring alive the U.P. through his polished words, his masterful use of color photography also makes this book absolutely beautiful. Points North will long stand as a tremendous tribute to one of the most remarkable parts of our country."
--Michael Carrier, author, Murder on Sugar Island
"Mikel Classen's love for Michigan's Upper Peninsula shines from every page in Points North, a fascinating insider's guidebook to the exceptional beauty and history of Michigan's far north. Whether you're still in the planning stages of your trip, or you're looking back fondly on the memories you created--even if you wish merely to enjoy a virtual tour of the Upper Peninsula's natural wonders from the comfort of your armchair, you need this book."
--Karen Dionne, author of the international bestseller, The Marsh King's Daughter
"Many of the places in Points North may sound familiar, but Classen has spent time exploring them all, finding out the wonders others drive by and miss. And some of them may baffle you as much as they did me: the UP has a WWII glider museum? Classen has scoured every inch of the UP, visiting every campground, ghost town, lighthouse, waterfall, and beach that you may have never heard of. This book is full of surprises for even the most knowledgeable visitors to the UP. And if you're like me, you'll find yourself marking up the pages, making notes of places you have to visit next time you're up north."
--Steve Lehto, author of Death's Door: The Truth Behind the Strike of 1913 and the Italian Hall Disaster and Michigan's Columbus: The Life of Douglass Houghton
"Until I read this book, I had not realized the large number of hidden treasures that the U.P. has. More than just an interesting history, this book is a descriptive roadmap to these treasures. Points North can be used as a guide to an adventure you would never have known about on your own. The pictures and place descriptions here are fantastic! These hidden locations have suddenly become easy to find with this book. I recommend it highly."
--Bob Hruska, author of Humorous Hunting, Fishing, and Camping in the U.P. and Canada
Learn more at www.PointsNorthBooks.com
From Modern History Press
Purchase on Amazon
www.ModernHistoryPress.com
"LAKE SUPERIOR TALES"
Order Your Copy Here
Also available at Amazon, or can be ordered through any bookseller.
E-versions too.
Pirates, thieves, shipwrecks, sexy women, lost gold, and adventures on the Lake Superior frontier await you! In this book, you’ll sail on a ship full of gold, outwit deadly shapeshifters, battle frontier outlaws and even meet the mysterious agent that Andrew Jackson called “the meanest man” he ever knew. Packed with action, adventure, humor, and suspense, this book has something for every reader. Journey to the wilds of the Lake Superior shoreline through ten stories that span the 19th century through present day including “The Wreck of the Marie Jenny,” “The Bigg Man,” “Wolf Killer,” and “Bullets Shine Silver in the Moonlight.”
“It’s clear that Mikel B. Classen knows and loves the Lake Superior area of Michigan and brings it to life in a delightful way. If you want frequent laughs, unusual characters who jump off the page, and the fruit of a highly creative mind, you’ve got to read this little book.”
— Bob Rich, author, Looking Through Water
On the same day Theodore Roosevelt narrowly survived an assassination attempt, his press secretary handed him a newspaper editorial from the Iron Ore, a small town daily located in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Its publisher, George Newett, had printed "...Roosevelt lies and curses in a most disgusting way; he gets drunk, too, and that not infrequently, and all his intimates know about it." Tired of having his boisterous personality equated with intoxication, Roosevelt angrily shouted, “Let’s go at him!” and the paper was formally charged with a suit of libel. As the case convened, a cadre of admirals, statesmen and fellow explorers descended on Marquette to testify to T.R.’s unimpeachable personal character in the biggest libel trial of the early Twentieth Century.
ORDER YOUR COPY HERE:
History Press
Also on Amazon
Skeleton ship frames surround Au Sable Point, marking a mile-long sandstone reef that reached out into Lake Superior waiting to grab any and all ships that passed by. In an effort to end this tragic loss of lives, the Au Sable Point Lighthouse was constructed to warn mariners of its hidden reef. At the heart of the famed “Shipwreck Coast,” Au Sable Point was a beacon of hope and safety. Mikel B. Classen charts the history of the lighthouse and the dangerous reef that waits six feet under the lake’s surface and serves as the final resting place for so many sailors.
ORDER YOUR COPY HERE:
History Press
Also on Amazon
