Why So Few People Live In The Northern Part Of Michigan
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Michigan is an incredibly important state in the country due to its history with and current home of the U.S. automobile industry. But while the state today is home to about 10 million Americans, the vast majority of them live almost as close to the border of Ohio and Indianapolis as possible. Here's why so few Michiganders live in the north and why Michigan owns the Upper Peninsula in the first place.
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The 'c' in Mackinac is silent [mak•kah•nah]. Also, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan has so little population that it's one area code, 906, which has led to September 6th being a local holiday. Sorry for sounding nitpicky, but michigander rhymes with gander.
Thank you - also the pronunciation of Potawatomi made me cringe haha
Thanks for saying it the way it should be said 😊
@@audreythompson5948yeah it was not good lmao
Came in here to see who would say this 😄👍
@@audreythompson5948as a non local how is Potawatomi pronounced?
I'm from Rhode Island, but back in May of 2007 I took a driving trip out to Michigan. I crossed Canada, and spent the first night in Frankenmuth. Next I drove north along lake Huron, which was nice, all the way up to Mackinaw City. I then spent a day out on Mackinac Island, and the late afternoon driving along Lake Michigan and the Tunnel of Trees. I thought both Mackinac Island and Tunnel were amazingly beautiful. Next day, I started driving south along the Lake Michigan shoreline, and I was just stunned at how beautiful it was. The blue water, the sand dunes and hills to get long vista's over the lake. And then Silver Lake had the clearest water I've ever seen. Harbor Springs, Charlevoix, Petoskey and Traverse City were all amazing places, and around every corner on the drive was something new to see, some new wonder to be in awe of and new things to explore. Traverse City in particular was just a gem. I had no idea there such big hills in the northern part of the Southern Peninsula. I finally made it down to Saugatuck, which was a cute little town. Next day was spent in Grand Rapids, and walking along the riverwalk, then heading to Ann Arbor. Last day spent touring Ann Arbor, another great town, and then I left the State. It was one of the best trips I've ever taken and I really want to go back. I don't think most of the rest of the country ever hears how ridiculously beautiful Michigan can be.
On your next trip take in the Upper Peninsula, especially Pictured Rocks, Copper Harbor and the Porcupine Mountains.
Man you did it right! Named a ton of places and towns I would 100% recommend to anyone road tripping.
We only want them to visit, not to move here.😉. Also, Hartwick Pines park in the middle of the lower peninsula is a beautiful stand of old growth forest, and we have hiking and riding trails throughout the state, like the Kal-Haven Trail (Kalamazoo to the South Haven area of the Michigan lakeshore along an old railroad easement). This is also true in winter with our snowmobile trails.
You sure did a good job covering our beautiful state! I enjoyed hearing your perspective of it!
did you stop iat either Zhenders or bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth for the famous family style chicken dinners?
Born, Raised and will die in the U.P, Yoopers are a tough breed. Not just anyone can live here and we are happy to have it that way. It is truly somewhere special 💚
I can no longer travel, but on my last vacation I drove to the Upper Peninsula. Just wow.
My college prof had a place right next to big bay light house! Canoe, sailed in superior with him. Camped in copper harbor in 68' in junior high, honeymoon in up, but dang, still will never be a yooper. Love that place the up. going to Gould city, bates motel, again soon. Peace Northern Michigan.
@@Zarga8 its' awesome isn't it, so different from the lower Peninsula
@thegunsngloryshow same
Been here for 8 months you guys are weird 😉😉 I've lived in Houston, Milwaukee, Louisiana and Mississippi and ill take living here 9/10 times...it's peaceful beautiful and even the air smells and feels better in your lungs
Born and raised in Michigan, I doubt I'll ever leave. Love my mitten
Northern Michigan is absolutely beautiful. Definitely an underrated gem for campers and people that love the great outdoors. Crystal clear lakes and vast forestry.
Great fishing too
@@trowwzers5057agreed!
no it isnt. The UP is terrible. Stay away.
@@ryanvandy1615I wonder why YT censored you and shaddow banned your reply for saying agree, YT's censorship is absolutely insane
And enough mosquitoes to suck all the blood out of you.
Mackinac is pronounced ma-kuh-naa. As a Michigander, it was like a stab to the soul when you said it.
I live in the Chicago area now and am appalled at how few people born here can properly pronounce Mackinac or even know that the UP is part of Michigan...
Or Potawatomi
Mac-in-all
I felt it too.
I'm not native to Michigan but I lived there for 12 years and had a fit when he said mackenac!😂
Life long Michigander. Yes, we all mostly live south but we like it that way. We go "up north" to vacation. It's beautiful.
Flatlander
@@averagemcgee8604 so
do you even realize how condescending you sound
If you’re under the bridge the word is troll lol
I definitely don't like it that way, I'm getting out of here and moving to the Flint area soon. Mid Michigan is the best
I'm a Yooper. It gets cold here and we average well over 200" of snow, but I love it here.
Marinette Wi here. Hello my yooper brother
Ann Arbor here. I hate the elitists in my city. Thanks for this video!
Yes. He’s talking about economic opportunity and whatnot. We know Yoopers face dangerous cold and snow pretty much every year. Not to mention bears. That makes them tough. It also makes them friendly and generous. You have to count on your neighbors up there. I’m about 50 miles north of Detroit. When we were younger, my family spent many happy times camping in the UP. Our kids loved it. Copper Harbor was a favorite. It does something good to your soul spending time so away from everything in such a vast beauty - standing on an overlook, green as far as the eye can see, diamonds bouncing off the water under a sunny blue sky. Then, when we get storms in Michigan, that’s show time! The lightning I’ve seen! Thunder you can feel deep inside your chest. Reminds you how small you are and how large God’s hand can be.
That will end in the next couple decades. Winters are becoming a thing of the past
@@Kyle.WynsmaAnd "God" gave us mere mortals "Free Will" and doesn't meddle in our lives.
As someone from Michigan, I can tell you why. The area above only has 2 seasons: winter and bug season. The forests and lakes are pretty but they make everyday life miserable. Also, it’s pronounced (Mack-ih-naw)
also missed Michiganders & Potawatomi lol
I've learned watching enough of his videos that he struggles with pronunciations which is a bit sad. Geoff even mispronounced "Worcester".
really only da UP is bad w/ flies, NM Lower P, has mosquitos but not like AK. There was minimal mosquitos this year and i live in the wetlands, below avg rainfall this year
Yeah...we don't seem to have fall or spring anymore either. Straight from summer to winter back to summer. It wasn't like this 20 years ago.. yes I'm old lol
Here in the southeast Michigan area, we call bug season "road construction season."
As someone who grew up around Northern Michigan, we are quite happy with the sparse population north of GR, Lansing, Saginaw, Detroit, etc.
Good luck finding a doctor
@@jackstraw262 it's not hard at all.
@@jackstraw262 I live about 30 miles south of the Mackinaw bridge and we have one of the top rated hospitals in the US. There is no trouble finding a doctor at all.
@@Tipp_Of_The_Mitt finding doctors is easy for rich boomers living in towns with real estate prices comparable to Ann Arbor Enjoy your privilege, your neighbors in the next county certainly don’t have the same luxury
@@jackstraw262 Your nut's I don't make very much money and have and had great doctors, there is NO privilege at all.
My husband was stationed in the upper peninsula of Michigan in Escanaba for marine recruiter. It’s a completely different world so to speak up there. Everyone has a Norwegian/Canadian accent. They hunt, fish go ice fishing snow mobile. 1st time you hear about people falling through the ice while ice fishing. Happened every year. Also people falling into the ice on the lakes from snowmobiles. Deer hunting up there is almost like a national holiday and kids get a whole week off of school for it. There used to be military bases open up there until Clinton shut them down. The upper peninsula of Michigan was Probably one of my favorite places to live
haha-- i was born and raised in the U.P. escanaba area.. we're called yoopers, when i moved to the lower 1/3 of mich everyone thought i was from canada because of my accent i guess---when my husband went with me on a visit he mentioned the accent again..ps we are of Scandinavian descent and had relatives from Norway come visit us..he loved the area too, and that may be why so many Scandinavians live there..during the blizzard of '78 we had feet of snow, i did quite well thinking this was what a"normal" winter in the U.P. was--.as far as deer hunting ,opening day was a "unoffical" holiday there..
My husband used to do maintenance work at Mead when it was still a thing. I loved going up there with him and enjoying the woods and streams.
Clinton wasn't even President when they made the decision to close it. IDIOT. "Wurtsmith was selected for closure under the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure decision and was officially closed on June 30, 1993."
the kids take the first day of deer season off.
That's horrible and kinda of morbid.
Marquette has 20,000 people, a number that has not varied much over 40 years. It does not have a metro area. When you leave the city limits in most directions, you are in the woods. The 67,000 is likely in the county, that I think is the largest county, in area, east of the Mississippi.
Thank you for your comment Sir.
As a native Michigander, I can confirm this was a good video. Many names were mispronounced, but still good
Like Mack-in-ack Island instead of Mack-in-awe Island?😁
@@pinrestore I was looking for this comment🤣🤣🤣
I thought the same thing LOL@@pinrestore
And Potawatomi
It is called a robot, right? So bad I cannot describe it severely enough. Why do we have a voice, anyway?
I've heard it said that Michigan actually has three peninsulas: The Upper, the Lower, and the Florida.
That really got me laughing!
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
Yeah... snowbirds.
After months of cloudcover, cold, snow, short days, and a black and white landscape devoid of color, Florida is like taking a jump in a cool pool of water after days trudging across a hot desert. It's easy to have real cravings for a warm and sunny beach.
I’ve never heard that one that’s funny
I’ve lived in Michigan all my life, I love how it has all of the indigenous names all over the state, and the deep indigenous history ❤
I am a yupper from Upper Michigan and we love our part of Michigan. I am from a long line of loggers and minners. Proud to be a yupper too!!
One huge factor not mentioned is soil quality. North of Midland/Bay City/Saginaw, the soil is much sandier and cannot support large scale agriculture. The Traverse City area is known for cherries and nearby are several viticultural areas, but that's almost it. There are small pockets of agriculture here and there but nothing widespread. The Upper Peninsula is also part of the Canadian Shield and have a lot of small lakes and bogs. The bedrock of the Canadian Shield does not allow for good drainage.
wrong.... tremendous amounts of fruit trees abound with peaches , pears , sweet cherries and apples( lots of apples in dozens of varieties) in Northern MI
@@csnide6702 Yes, there are some peach orchards, cherry orchards and apple orchards up north, but no large scale agriculture like areas to the south. You’re not going to find a lot of extensive corn and wheat farms up there. Most of the land is still heavily forested, and the scale of agriculture is far less. I stand by my statement.
@@craigrohn9938 It is not just the soil type but also the lay of the land. Once north of Mt Pleasant the land is far from flat, drains poorly, and offers few areas of land flat enough, well drained enough and with a climate that can support row crops. Hay and pasture are the primary agriculture away from the Michigan shoreline and that temperate climate zone that supports orchards.
As a fellow Michigander, you are both right. The area I live in currently, Allegan County, is in the SW of the state, and is notable for it’s sandy soil in which pine and oak grow fairly well, along with blackberry and other brambles, but is not too good for farming. In fact, during the early 1900’s, there was a push to encourage homesteaders to farm the area. Hiwever, once the tree cover was stripped, there was nothing to protect the sandy soil and replenish it, so after a couple of years, it would not grow crops, and the potential residents would be forced to leave, or else turn to another way to support themselves. The dust bowl happened here, too, but it was a sand bowl. The arable land around here is notable for being either sand or clay, though there are pockets where fruit has thrived.
Damn I live in Kingsley, near Traverse. But I never realized how bad the soil is everywhere else, but you're so right we're basically just one big beach lol. Also Idk if this is the same anywhere else but traveling just 30 minutes south or north during the winter, you'll see a massive change in snow fall and temp usually
Michigan is not ranked 9th in coastline length. It’s only behind Alaska. It is considerably larger than Florida’s and California’s, the second and third runners up. It also holds the distinction of being the largest freshwater coastline in the world.
How did this goofball screw this fact up?
Coastline is impossible to measure
While we are making corrections, there are no coastlines in Michigan. There are no freshwater coastlines on earth. Coasts are associated w/oceans, you are talking about lakes with shorelines.
Coastline measurement depends on how much detail you want to include. In some measurements Maine might score 1st place
@@carlose.moreyramd7846 the smaller the measurement unit the longer it is. Smaller can more closely follow the actual shore.
Michigan is the unsung gem of the U.S. . Especially the northern half of the state. It's a place I have always been proud to call home. There's some development going on here and there in the U.P. . Makes me worry, a bit. Population can stay just as it is, thank you very much. More nature to people is what this country is sorely lacking. And our fresh waters can stay put, too. No pumping it out west and south, as other states have proposed. You choose to live in a desert, adapt to desert life. Sorry. I went on a rant 😕
I feel the same Patrick Miller! Don’t let my “DixieVixen” avatar fool you, though, since my heart loves Dixie Land however, the U.P. Is my native home! 4th generation Swede🇸🇪 This is our Beautiful, and very Special place we call home and I like it just the way it is too!
@dixievixen3631 4th generation Dutch 🇳🇱, here.
You’re right .. I’m a northern Wisconsin person and love the pristine UP .. we are getting flooded by Chicago people running away from Illinois
@NancyNoo700DS7 DAMN FIBBERS....LOL
Mass migration is going your way 😢
5:20 - to 5:32 is one of the overlooks for the Lake in the Clouds in the Porcupine Mountains. Video and pictures do not do it justice. Simply one of the most beautiful places I have ever been to in person.
When you are in Michigan you are never more than 6 miles away from any lake or 85 miles from one of the Great Lakes. That’s why Michigan has many charter fishing boats and places to fish. Also if you live above the Mackinac bridge in the upper peninsula you are called a yooper, if you live below the bridge you are called a troll. Great place to live.
Not necessarily lakes but within six miles of a natural body of water.
I love Indian lake my wife's family lives there. We visit the lake every year and we even got married on the lake.What a gem of country yoopers rule.....
Ingham county's only lake is Lake Interstate. You can guess how it was built.
In Ann Arbor, Cheater.
Troll. LOL I hadn't heard that one.
5:00 - The total length of the Mackinac Bridge is 26,372 feet. That’s 28 feet short of 5 miles, not “just over 4”. Thanks for educating people about our great state!
And if you measure suspension bridges by the length of the suspended span rather than the distance between the towers, the Mackinac bridge is longer than the Golden Gate.
isn't 4.1 miles the length of the main span of the bridge, which is how the bridge length of a suspension bridge is usually counted...?
The bridge is 4.995 miles long.
@@Tipp_Of_The_Mitt That other guy better NOT start talking metric, either!
@@stanislavkostarnov2157 The bridge consists of the suspension bridge in the center with a truss bridge on both ends. All three are sizable spans by themselves.
Born and raised in the UP of Michigan. Proud Yooper here!
I live by Cadillac and love the lack of congestion and people. We rough camp most of the summer on the Muskegon River, only a few miles from home. Wouldn't change this for anything!
I love when out of state folks try to pronounce Muskegon, it gets interesting lol.
I lived, coached and taught school in muskegon just out of college. It's a booming town with so much acces to lake michigan it's crazy! Dang, peace and quiet of the north or lake michigan, tough choice!
But I agree 100% about trying to pronounce muskegon lol.
Many people complain about winter. There's an old Finnish proverb that says "There is no bad weather, just inadequate clothing". Myself, I love cold winters with lots of snow. My Michigan motto is "Winter driving is my favorite contact sport!"
I am a Minnesota-Finn rather than a Yooper, but I love this proverb!
I've got to share your winter driving philosophy with my family. 😆 🤣 😂
For me it has to be in the 20's before I think its cold enough for a coat
@@LisaLisa815: I live in Maryland but have Upper Midwestern roots on both sides of my family (Twin Cities on my mom's, and North Dakota on my dad's), and I've met people from Florida who have to put coats/jackets on if the temperature gets below 75° (I'm talking about heavy hoodies -- not mere windbreakers)! Not only would they not survive an average Midwestern winter, they'd struggle to endure springs and autumns there as well!
@@shruggzdastr8-facedclown haha I have family in California who literally think they would die in a Michigan winter! lol
The upper peninsula is one of my favorite places in America. Such interesting geology, people and wildlife
i've only made it up there once and i loved it. it's like traveling back in time 40 years.
@@axhed 100 years in most of the UP.
And a great place to enjoy a nice Pasty!
I live in da UP. We LOVE it up here.
@@mickeyj71hp LOVE my little secret kinda place at Craig Lake. Hard to get to for most unfamiliar, post card gorgeous, and the stars... my goodness...
Michigan is definitely one of the best kept secrets. I moved here almost 8 years ago when I could have moved anywhere I chose Michigan. The history of the state is amazing, as is the amount of talent in every field from actors to musicians to inventions, yet the people are so down to earth. No matter where you are in the state you are within 5 miles of public access water, either a river or a lake. In Florida I was told I live in paradise, in Michigan I know I do. I've been in many states but never knew what freedom was until I moved to Michigan.
My nephew moved to Michigan last year. He has driven around the country trying to figure out where is wanted to land and he landed in Alpena. He liked it there but finally had to go back to work. He had not worked for about four years and was using his retirement money from his job in the Bay Area. He is a painter. He had several job offers and finally accepted on from a company is Sault Ste. Marie and after commuting for a few months sold his house is Alpena and moved to Sault Ste. Marie. He came out for Christmas to spend with family and he is really happy there.
Grew up in Michigan and now live in Vermont. Just took a trip through the UP, starting in Wisconsin. Went to Houghten, what a great town. Made sure to get smoked Whitefish and ate Walleye. Crossed the bridge and went to Sleeping Bear Dunes south of Traverse City. Yoopers rule! They are a kind and hard working people.
Yes the Whitefish of Superior is great. Only fish better are the Walleye and Perch.
@@cbrippee totally forgot about the perch. One of my favorites, too.
I am a troll but my brother and his family live in munising. I 100% agree that yoopers rule. I hope to own a house up there at some point in life
The UP is a rather unspoiled place. It means boredom and isolation for many but peace and adventure for others.
Thank you for making me a lot smarter today than I thought I needed to be. I never knew I needed this channel.
I live in Michigan and love it. I have traveled and lived around the world but Michigan is my home. My brother has 80 acres in the Upper Peninsula.
I was born in the UP of Michigan. Marquette County. lol I remember growing up and being a teenager and HATING IT. it really does feel so secluded... had to always drive 3 hours to Green Bay, WI area just to get to decent shopping that other American friends of mine took for granted their entire life haha. had to drive days round trip just to see a good concert in Milwaukee, Chicago, or Detroit. I wasn't very "outdoorsy" so it was just awful. ended up living my life online and dreaming of going somewhere entirely different. it could have very well sparked my intense interest in travel and international affairs. I ended up living in Berlin, Germany and Busan, South Korea for many years. but... now I am in my 30s and back in the UP haha! I ended up getting homesick many times, looking at pictures of the beautiful, almost spiritual Lake Superior and crying HAHA! I even am excited for winter here (which actually have improved with climate change lol. they aren't as bad as when I was younger even... just last year they had to cancel our dog sled races because we didn't have enough snow in January. something I never would have thought haha!) our past summer was absolutely perfect, while the rest of the country seemed miserable with heat waves haha. sure, economic opportunities are limited and rents in Marquette have gotten a bit insane (old retired boomers taking over? who the hell can afford these with the wages here? LOL). but money isn't everything, and you can make it here by other means. now, I've become very proud of where I was born and raised! if the winters keep people away... that's fine with me! haha. cities started sort of driving me crazy after a while, and traffic in big US cities? no thank youuuuu... I'll take a few snow storms haha.
Marquette is actually the "big city" of the UP Marquette County has 25% of the population of the entire UP. The only other "big place" is Houghton because it's college town and Houghton County has a whopping 32K people. So basically those 2 counties have 1/3 of the population of the UP
Marquette is a great place. I’ve been to all 50 states and Marquette is about as nice and safe a town as you will find anywhere.
me too, I'll take the snow. There's nothing like water from a well.
@@harryballsak1123 So???? What's your point? There's also a college in Escanaba, did you know and the Soo.
That was very interesting info..Thank you! We're from lower Michigan 10 miles fron ohio line..been in UP quite a few times love the area of Houghton and Hancock...
Geoff, your videos are amazing! As someone born and raised in Michigan and a lover of history, thank you for teaching me something about the history of my state.
Great video, I live in Benton Harbor, Mi., SW Michigan and actually the southern tip of the Lake Michigan Triangle. this was an awesome video in which I learned a lot. Blessings to you sir.
The Northern "Hand" of Michigan is in a snow belt. In the winter it gets completely buried in snow, and driving there becomes unreliable. I'm from the Northern coast of Lake Superior, in Canada, just north of even that part of Michigan, and the snow is not as bad where I am!
Can confirm
It's basically all of the western half of the hand that gets nuked with lake effect snow, and it fades as you go east. The eastern side doesn't really get all that much, maybe two or so heavier snowstorms a winter, and some 1-3" dustings more frequently.
Aka Lake Effect snow.
Check out the snow levels in the Kewwanaw peninsula.
@@erbewayne6868 it gets brutal up there, worse than anywhere in the state probably. I've camped on the very tip of the ear a few times through the 00's. Once was in September, it went from ~35deg and 50mph winds to 85deg in less than a day. If you go to Copper Harbor and beyond, you bring clothes and gear for all seasons no matter the time of year.
“Cause it’s too cold, for you here…”
Meh, cold is relative.
@@scottraines4254 I live in Michigan and I’m just going to tell you this right now. The weather here is not good.
@@Dioxide52 Compared to what though? MN, WI, ND? Winnipeg? It's not so bad. I also live here.
@@scottraines4254 Michigan weather is a lot more mild than the prairies of Canada. -40C is reality to us here!
@@scottraines4254 oh fellow michigander but I don’t know if it’s just me but where I am it reaches -4 during winter
Most Upper Peninsula folks have a slight accent! But proud of it! It's that rare 👍
My family is from the UP, I grew up in Mid MI, went to college in the UP and now I live in Northern MI. Northern MI is the best bc the woods, lakes and having less ppl. Its so much better than lower MI. Also you gotta learn how to pronounce our names, we can get mighty peaved over not knowing how to say certain words.
The U.S. actually has four coastlines.the Pacific, the Atlantic, the Gulf and the Great Lakes.
Alaska has their own too
@@mickeyj71hp alaskas pacific and arctic
I’ve lived in Michigan my whole life and like to say it is one of the best kept secrets in the country. It is stunning all year long, and you can not find lovelier coast lines anywhere. While it would be wonderful to have more tourism, many Michiganders prefer to keep our state more insular since more tourism would lead to more development and take away from its untouched glorious forests and pristine lakes. One small correction: Mackinac pronounced Macinaw. Thank you for such a great video!❤
I say that all the Time! We are the best kept secret in the country! No hurricanes! Wild fires are extreme weather! Salt and shark free!
I know of many people that moved from Georgia to Michigan. They can go back for all I care though. They're not very good group of people unfortunately.
The tourists have done enough damage. I don't want their money.
There are no coastlines in Michigan.
@@thedreamer9011 Yeah, only 3,288 miles of freshwater coastline
Probably more than i needed, or wanted, to know, but totally enjoyed this video-thx GBG.
With Michigan having so much land that isn't connected to it, that makes it an Empire!
Saginaw, along with Bay City and Midland should really be included in what you are calling Southern Michigan as they are urban cities with lots of manufacturing, large populations, flat land and mild weather. They have little in common with the north.
True! I don't consider it truly "up north" until I-75 goes down to two lanes.
Yeah, I was surprised Saginaw was included with the northern section.
Northern Michigan is north of west branch
@@ericclark6288 My relatives in Alpena say that anyone from south of Standish is from "Down Below".
@bb_lz9790 truth! As a fellow resident of Alpena, and someone who's spent a lot of time traveling the state for work, I mark Standish as the boundary as well.
As a lifelong Michigander growing up and look living literally on the shore of Lake Michigan, it's so slept on... gorgeous piece of paradise
Love learning about this, thank you
As someone from Wisconsin I may have been mispronouncing it all my life but we say pot-a-wa-ta-me for the Potawatomi. There is a casino in Milwaukee that my grandparents went to fairly frequently so that’s why I know
You are saying it correctly. I grew up in Wabeno which the Potawatomi have a large population near there and a casino in the town of Carter. Which I have family who work there. The way you think the pronunciation is correct.
At least he said anishinaabe right.
Us in MI pronounce it the same
My cousins are 1/4 Potawatomi, and your prononciation is how we've always said it.
Yay thanks for doing a video on this! Some more fun facts is that Southeast Michigan is actually North of Canada and the Ambassador bridge that connects Detroit to Windsor, Ontario is one of the busiest if not the busiest border crossings in terms of goods between the US and Canada.
Busy enough for a new bridge (Gordie Howe Bridge under construction), a train tunnel and another train tunnel being looked at for large rail cars. Like the lyrics in a JOURNEY song, "Just a city boy, born and raised in south Detroit" (Windsor CAN) lol
I believe that the Detroit/Windsor crossing is the only place in the world where one can drive into Canada in a southern direction (east-by-southeast)
@@jeremykraenzlein5975 Not from Alaska?
@@dandiehm8414 Most of the Alaska/Canada border is straight north/south, so you enter Canada to the due east. If you go farther south, where Alaska is a thin stretch between Canada and the Pacific Ocean, it is always sloped so that from Alaska you enter Canada to the north-east. At the southern tip of that strip, there is a small section, going past the end of it would be entering Canada to the southeast, but I zoomed into that section with Google Maps and confirmed that there is no road there. So that is why I worded my comment based on being able to drive a car southward into Canada.
Also, thank you for the history lesson on Michigan. I have great love and respect for the people of that wonderful state. Especially getting to know a lot of them now that I live in Southwest Florida.
I lived in metro Detroit. And I grew up with all kinds of outdoor activities. Hunting, fishing, snowmobiling, winter skiing, and camping, year round. The upper Peninsula is an outdoor recreation area that few people live in and maintain for the rest of us. Also Ford had a lumber company located in the U P. He used it to build wooden car bodies, and also sent his factory workers to his land for recreation and relaxation
Wisconsin did not lose Michigan’s upper peninsula. It never had it. Wisconsin didn’t become a state until after Michigan, and that boundary, just based mostly on rivers instead of a big lake, was already in place.
I think he described it as "The Wisconsin Territory".
@@bb_lz9790the Wisconsin territory also never once had the UP
@@jaredmchugh3443 Wisconsin briefly had most of the U.P. Michigan Territory had the U.P. east of a north-south line through the U.P. approximately where Brimley is, the rest was assigned to Wisconsin Territory when it was split off from Michigan Territory in preparation for Michigan statehood. It was added to Michigan when the Toledo War dispute was resolved and Congress granted statehood.
@@craigrohn9938 Wrong. The Upper Peninsula was never part of Wisconsin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisconsin_Territory
@@chadb7252 Exactly. Wisconsin WAS however, at one point fully part of the Michigan territory!(had the Michigan territory been fully accepted as a state, I believe it would have been slightly larger than Texas!)
I love my state! It is so beautiful and diverse. We get all the seasons, have less bugs (in most places), and don't have a lot of natural disaster issues. It's so nice to go 'up north' to get away from the craziness of the city.
Note Not totally explained correctly . One of the ultimate reasons upper Michigan is not populated is because most of it is government land which doesn't allow any developments to take place. That's one reason former governor Gramholm was going to sell over some of the state land so more homes could be built while using the revenue to address the deficit at that time. Also Canada used to own Michigan until the British had a war with the French and won it to make it part of the USA. Detroit was also equivalent to the silicon valley of the world back in its hey day. An important fact to have mentioned is that michigan contains the largest freshwater in the world. You should have mentioned that Grand Rapids city is now the fastest growing in Michigan. You are correct Michigan Winters are more mild due to the great lakes. And yes, Michigan once had the largest bridge in the world and still has the largest bridge in the USA. Sadly people think it's the golden gate but the Mighty MAC Mackinaw bridge is far bigger and a whopping 5 miles longer. Besides the auto industry, Michigan was also a leader in stoves and furniture as well as leaders in the medical pharmaceutical industry ( this also played a role in Michigan's growth) . Michigan remains the Most vacation states in the summer too, even more so than Florida and Hawaii. Thanks for mentioning the Native Americans!! Very important to recognize their contributions and existence too.
@@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia yes so many beautiful things about this state. Thank you for sharing your knowledge! There is so much to explore in Michigan!
Thank you for the story. I hope no developers ever set foot on the U P . Also for mentioning the First Nation. My people founded Detroit in 1701. They tell me, and I hope it's true, the French who mixed things, married the various "Indians" in the Church. @@MichiganUSASingaporeSEAsia
You obviously haven't been to the UP during July - black fly season. They are so brutal that when you sit in your car with the windows up, the flies will relentlessly bash into the car windows to get at you. And being so wet, mosquito season is May thru October, and winter is from October thru May.
How bad is the snow during winters? Does it sometimes snow so much that you can’t commute? I’m from the south and very seldom get snow, so forgive if this is a dumb question.
Awesome video. I live in the Upper Peninsula, Marquette actually. And you said it right!
Thank you! Very educational.😊😊😊
My mother and father are from the western UP (Bessemer/Wakefield). Moved to NC in '67 where I and my brother were born. Made many trips back to that area growing up to visit relatives, mainly my paternal grandmother. Last time I was up there was August 2019; probably gonna go again next summer.
As a resident of northern Michigan I for one am glad we're sparsely populated. I lived in metro Detroit for a long time now is entirely way too many people for me... Give me my little cabin in the woods over that any day.
I agree. But lately, it seems that more people are moving here. I don’t like that. A big part of the reason why I like it here is because of the space and privacy
I hear that.
Yes, indeed. I was born and raised in downtown Detroit. I love it more than I express. My best friend in elementary school (A Finn and a U per) talked about it incessantly describing it, and said she would go back one day. I believed her, and yes, she did. Stay as sparse as you can. Keep her as pristine as possible.
❤❤❤
Until Bigfoot gets u
Bravo brother. What a wonderfully informational video.
Sault Sainte Marie is really growing for 10+ years in east side of upper peninsula. Great video!
Huron county resident here. Also known as 'The Thumb' A peninsula of a peninsula. Rural neighbors are different than urban neighbors in my experience. Someone who lives five or six miles from me are still considered neighbors and help one another out.
In the UP, it’s 24/7 blizzards in the winter with 6ft snow depth at all times during the winter. The brutal winters are why most people live south. In Metro Detroit, it’s grass or a dusting of snow most of the winter. In Grand Rapids, there are times where there was 5-6ft of snow on the ground, but the winters are generally much warmer and less snowy than the UP. While it’s still very snowy at times, there are long stretches where there isn’t any snow though and often in the 40’s
Yep. Haven’t seen too much snow in SE Michigan in recent years.
@@ryanvandy1615it’s been much warmer than average the last several years. I remembered when it was 30 the whole winter with 3-6 inches of snow depth throughout. Now, it’s 40 with more sunny days and grass
@@trowwzers5057 Before the relative warming trend got started in the mid 1990s, the average high in Detroit for January was 32 and the average low was 19. For February the high and lower average was 34 and 20. For March it was 43 and 28 (temperatures from an old copy of THE AMERICAN WEATHER BOOK I still have). That is a LONG winter for people not used to it. The cold cloudy days with snow flurries start about now (early October) in some years, though in recent years I have been in Detroit in early December wearing shorts and a T-shirt. If you're from the Sunbelt, you'll think it a harsh winter (even with the recent warmup) that begins about now and doesn't let up until middle of May. The Polar Vortex still intrudes in some years, dropping the temperature far below zero in January and February. 2014 was the coldest winter in modern times in Michigan, so a lot of variability among the "average" winter.
As a Wisconsinite we love how snowy the UP gets for snow mobiling lmao
Up here in Marquette we are just starting our six months of misery.
It’s very obvious you have never been to northern Michigan. I encourage you to visit, it’s amazing.
Michigan is probably the prettiest state in the continental 48. Beaver island is such a beautiful place I bought 6 acres up there. Can’t wait to build a cabin.
Love the content! It's always funny hearing non locals try and pronounce indiginous names and words. Don't blame ya it's hard, and I am still learning.
Bois blanc island...also known to us locals as ba-blow island.
Mack I nack lol
Potawatomi was "interesting" also. LOL
Every fall there is a new crop of kids the put on the Marquette NPR station. They all struggle with Grand Marais, Sault Saint Marie, Lanse, Baraga, Ishpeming, Negaunee, et al.
Don't forget the French influence
I’m born and raised in West Michigan and I have visited Marquette, and it really is a nice place to visit, especially if you enjoy going onto Lake Superior
Shhhh...dey'all tink it's just bugs and snow😂 ❤
Love the facts! As a long-term Ford Motor employee, currently living in Louisville, KY, I always enjoy traveling to Michigan for work and union conferences.
My grandfather was born in Manistee MI in 1905. Doing genealogy I found his family in the 1910 Census reports. Never been there myself. Till now watching.
take a trip there. il's a small town on lake michigan.
Your grandfather probably knew my dad. He was born in 1910, and it's a small town.
Add Saginaw and Muskegon (barely outside of your north-south divide) and the contrast gets even starker. Oh, by the way... Battle Creek, a/k/a "Cereal City" is on the borderline between the corn belt and the wheat belt. Michigan is the northern edge of the Corn Belt (corn requires long, hot summers), followed by its band of the wheat belt (wheat requires long, but not especially hot summers -- or short, hot summers). Futher north, potatoes appear, and those are the most cold-tolerant of food crops. North of that is forest.
there is lots of corn north of battle creek.
the red pine stops growing around south of the muskegon saginaw line
You focus on Detroit and automotive companies for industry. But West Michigan, around Grand Rapids and Holland, have been huge in furniture. Office furniture is the biggest, with Steelcase and Hayworth being the two largest of those companies. There is a lot of other industry in West Michigan that has nothing to do with the automotive industry. Also, Michigan is huge in farming. We are first in blueberries, I think second in apples, first or second in cherries, and also have many other crops. We are also a major wine and beer producer. Grand Rapids has been dubbed Beer City USA. There is Founders Brewery, which is now sold all over the US. There are a number of other big breweries in Grand Rapids, Holland, and Kalamazoo.
I believe Herman Miller is #2 in office furniture ahead of Hayworth. I worked there for 14yrs. in the 80s and 90s.
I forgot about Herman Miller @@rivjoy and I think American Seating in Grand Rapids is still doing really good for commercial seating across the country.
I lived there for a year. We called it Bland Rapids. It was ok though. I golfed a lot.
Partially grew up in northern michigan, i loved it so much. Been in texas for decades now, love texas but my heart yearns for michigan. Ive always wanted to go back. The nature up there is truly divine, the beautiful streams, the beautiful plentiful pines, the animals. Theres nothing like waking up early, looking outside and seeing all of the pines covered in thick fluffy snow.
Born and raised near enough to Grand Rapids. Recently started attending Michigan Tech(Houghton, lower portion of the Keweenaw peninsula) and holy moly, the difference is night and day. I’ve never spent more time outside in the woods than I have being up at mTech
I was born in the Upper Peninsula of the beautiful state of Michigan.🌲 I had an absolutely wonderful and glorious time as a child growing up up there! I live in the beautiful city of Grand Rapids in the lower Peninsula now. Wouldn't trade Michigan for any other state in the union ... except maybe Hawaii.🌴 😉
My family is in Benzie County, SW of Traverse City. It’s truly beautiful in Northern MI. It’s just really cold with a lot of snow! Other than recreational activities like camping, hunting, skiing, fishing & snow mobiling, there wasn’t a lot of work in the North. Traverse City has medical jobs, wineries, fishing & farming. The jobs are in the South. We’re in the greater Ann Arbor area and it’s truly beautiful here!
Yup i agree. The majority of the jobs that actually pay anything are in the southern part of the state
If you look at a map of Michigan and think that the upper peninsula is isolated from the rest of the state, you are assuming that the transport links are on land. At the time when Michigan was being settled, the lakes and rivers were the transportation arteries. If you wanted to move something from Detroit to Chicago, it was probably faster to go by water around the lower peninsula than to go by land.
Water transportation is still cheaper per unit of distance than air or land travel. It costs less to get freight from Japan to California than fom California ports to even Salt Lake City.The Great Lakes- St. Lawrence Seaway goes two fifths of the way across the North American continent, so Michigan has effectiely plenty of 'ocean' ports. Unfortunately, the Great Lakes are some of the most dangerous sea lanes outside of the polar regions and reef-laden waters.
@@paulbrower I always found it amazing that an ocean going freighter could sail as far inland as Minnesota.
To expand on this point, coal produced in West Virginia if bound for north of Chicago may very well be loaded on lake boats on Lake Erie ports for the last part of the journey. There is/was a huge industry in Toledo that loaded coal on to boats destined through out the Great Lakes. That is how the economies of transportation work in this area.
I believe there was an attempt to build a canal like the Erie Canal across lower Michigan.
I live in the Huron Federal Forest, Michigan and absolutely love it. During this time of the year I can go weeks without seeing another person When I'm solo hiking in the middle of the winter there isn't any noises at all insanely quiet. Love it
Michigan is beautiful. We have great forests. We are also trying to keep our land and Woodlands. If we keep developing land, all that beauty will be destroyed.
Love from Houghton! The snow scares a lot of people away.
Houghton/Hancock is one of my favorite places. Sadly I feel it has lost a lot of its identity over the last 20 years. The college/town growth and the 'revitalization' that removed a lot of the charm. The deck was a unique structure as weird as it was, and now that canal land will be probably be converted to apartments or town homes. No one ever used to want that land because it was "so toxic".
I'm glad to live in Michigan. It's a good thing you did a video on the topic of Michigan.
Interesting video! People in the UP are hearty! They get crazy weather. I also came here to correct your pronunciation of Mackinac but I see that was covered in other comments 😅
I lived in Alpena Michigan for 5 years, and the snow was always much heavier in the middle of the state, than by us. It was also very heavy snow, the kind that you need to remove right away or break your back in a few hours of it melting.
I was born and raised on that large island in northern Lake Michigan, Beaver Island. This was a great presentation. I had the great fortune of attending Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie. My wife is from Detroit, so we got the best of both worlds early on. We now live in Tennessee, but our kids live on Beaver Island. Northern Michigan has remained a wilderness paradise and I hope it stays that way. I also love Southern Michigan; it's nice to have a choice.
I love beaver island
My best bud's Uncle had a cabin on Beaver that they used for hunting, etc. I think it may still be in the family. They're the Bellamy clan, just on the outside chance you've heard of them. The Uncle was a pilot, and would fly his Cesna to/from the island rather than take the ferry. Unfortunately, he and his wife died when his plane went down in L. Michigan decades ago during poor conditions.
@@wallyman292 I didn't know them, but my parents did. I had moved away by then, but I recall my Dad telling me about it. As remote as it is, aircraft fatalities are pretty rare and definitely remembered. Hunting, fishing, and anything wilderness related is the big draw. A couple years ago I attended an ice fishing tournament up there. It was 15 degrees above and blowing like crazy on Lake Genesareth (where it was held). You couldn't tell by the way everyone was enjoying themselves!
Thank you for doing a video on Michigan! To help you out for next time, it is pronounced Michi-Gander. For Mackinac bridge and Island, it is pronounced Ma-ki-naw or Google's written pronunciation Ma-kuh-naa. Tourism is a big part of the U.P. and northern Michigan. It is where many of the Southern Michiganders go for camping, weekend getaways or vacation.
Chrysler is also now owned by Stellantis which is a Dutch company.
Also, I don't what Geoff said but it wasn't "Pot a wat' ami". And yes, Mackinaw City is actually spelled the way the Bridge and Island are pronounced.
And "Up North" could mean anywhere.
I live in the metro Detroit region, but often drive to Saginaw for weekends to visit family. I've learned to plan my drives between the two in order to avoid the large rush of people going north on Friday evenings, and south on Sunday evenings. Those are by far the busiest time for the I-75 freeway in each direction. I draw the line between regions of the lower peninsula farther north than this video did, north of Midland instead of north of Flint. But my distinction between the two halves is based on activity rather than population. South of my line is the state's work area, and north of the line (including the upper peninsula) is the state's playground.
The Google pronunciation is terrible. It looks like the song from the Lion King.
Northern Michigan is beautiful, and if I can ever afford property, I'm gonna move back to northern michigan
My father was a yooper. Born in L'Anse on the Keweenaw Bay. Loved visiting family up there as a child.
Northern Michigan is unmatched in the summer time. Kid Rock had to write a song about it.
As a note: Michigan didn't have a border dispute with Ohio over Toledo for purely what the area offered as a location. The Northwest Ordinance defined Michigan's southern border as from the southernmost tip of Lake Michigan across to Ohio and this included the Toledo strip due to an error in surveying. This fight and keeping Michigan out of the union is thought to be part of the reason for the deep seeded rivalry between the states.
That's an interesting note that I don't think gets brought up enough. Given that Michigan's southern border was defined as "from the southern tip of Lake Michigan", that would mean that certain now-significant portions of Northern Indiana would belong to Michigan. This area includes the Indiana Dunes, most of Indiana's Lake Michigan shoreline, and the cities of Michigan City, South Bend, and Elkhart.
There was much ado about the southern section as far north as Monroe. There is still (was still, I dunno what the crazies might have done) statue of Custer there, oddly born in "Monroe, Ohio."
GO BLUE!!😉
1. The tribe was Ogibwha no Ogibwee. 2. Americans were pushing west, not quite north. 3. True. "The Toledo War" was due to a geographical measurement error. 4. It's a friendly rivaly. Our respective govenors often have bets on the football game.
@@GreenCanoeb The local Ohio newspapers actually tried to insult the Michigan settlers and called them 'rabid Wolverines'. The settlers wore it as a badge of honor and now one of the nicknames of Michigan is 'the Wolverine State' and that's where the University of Michigan got its mascot.
Best of both worlds - live and work in the Southern mitten but play in the UP. Our deer camp was on the Escanaba River.
Lumber from Michigan rebuilt most of Chicago after the fire of 1871. Old growth White Pines can be seen in Grayling’s state park. Summers can be hot and humid. Winters cold and tough. Detroit was the wealthiest city in the world in 1950. It was the state that saved the world during WWII with its manufacturing.
As others have noted the mispronunciation if the work “Mackinac” is a dead giveaway that you are not from Michigan. This place name is well known in Michigan as the point where the upper and lower peninsulas our nearest. Its importance is logistic, historical scenic and pretty much everybody in the state is familiar with it. However, it is not known at all outside of the state and so it’s name is almost always miss, pronounced by out of staters. It’s perhaps the best litmus test for determining if someone is from Michigan.
I was born and raised in Michigan, there are some parts of this state that are really beautiful. Thanks for sharing this video.
Northern Michigan actually begins about 2 county lines north of where you have it placed
Northern lower starts at West Branch, where the hills begin...
northern michigan resident here. living ih the woods, hunting and fishing and on a permanent camping trip. LOVE IT!!!!!
I grew up in Port Huron Michigan right on Lake Huron and the St Clair river. I served in the military and I've been to 13 countries and 26 States and there's really no place like Michigan. I live in NC now but my home is filled with Michigan-centric stuff. Thank goodness Koegals comes to town a few times a years to resupply us transplants.
i have been to 47 states and about 12 countries and i still am in michigan after 70 years. and mr koegel died about a year ago. i believe he was 96 years old and still lived around flint. they are the only kind i will eat.
I lived in Michigan from 2000-2005 and 2020-2022. In my opinion, what you should really be talking about is how half the state lives in the Detroit metro/Ann Arbor. Yes, it is the car industry capital, but the Detroit area is just in a really convenient location imo. You are within a 10 hour drive of a ton of big cities and it is awesome. Let’s list them out: Cleveland - 2.5 hours Columbus - 3 hours Cincinnati - 4 hours Toronto - 4 hours Chicago - 4.5 hours Pittsburgh - 4.5 hours Indianapolis - 4.5 hours Louisville - 5.5 hours Milwaukee - 6 hours Nashville - 8 hours Ottawa - 8 hours St. Louis - 8 hours Washington DC - 9 hours Philadelphia - 9 hours Montréal - 9 hours NYC - 10 hours Minneapolis - 10 hours
Buffalo, left out again...
@@marshja56 Not a big city... 😆
Good one 🎉🎉🎉🎉
Note tho these facts too. Not totally explained correctly . One of the ultimate reasons upper Michigan is not populated is because most of it is government land which doesn't allow any developments to take place. That's one reason former governor Gramholm was going to sell over some of the state land so more homes could be built while using the revenue to address the deficit at that time. Also Canada used to own Michigan until the British had a war with the French and won it to make it part of the USA. Detroit was also equivalent to the silicon valley of the world back in its hey day. An important fact to have mentioned is that michigan contains the largest freshwater in the world. You should have mentioned that Grand Rapids city is now the fastest growing in Michigan. You are correct Michigan Winters are more mild due to the great lakes. And yes, Michigan once had the largest bridge in the world and still has the largest bridge in the USA. Sadly people think it's the golden gate but the Mighty MAC Mackinaw bridge is far bigger and a whopping 5 miles longer. Besides the auto industry, Michigan was also a leader in stoves and furniture as well as leaders in the medical pharmaceutical industry ( this also played a role in Michigan's growth) . Michigan remains the Most vacation states in the summer too, even more so than Florida and Hawaii. Thanks for mentioning the Native Americans!! Very important to recognize their contributions and existence too.
Your dividing line between Northern and Southern Michigan is very interesting, I'd love to know how you came up with the boundary. Where exactly "Northern Michigan" begins is a hot topic amongst many Michiganders.
I personally put the line at Mount Pleasant, so it’s weird to see him put it quite a bit further south
I have always considered Clare to be the Gateway to the North.
I use US 10 as a practical divide. North of Clare, Midland, and Bay City it is trees, trees, and more trees .
On the Lake Michigan shore, I think Northern Michigan starts at the the northern half of Oceana County. I used to live near Pentwater (about 45 min north of Muskegon, and 20 min south of Ludington.
As someone from the north, his line is way too low I generally point people at a tree cover map, or where the major highways drop down to one lane each way for a more accurate map
Good stuff MrGeoff☺️
A pretty interesting, educational, video. Thanks. 👍
Long story short, up north and in the UP we like visiting, it’s mostly for those who like to live off the land. Everything in Lower Michigan is super close yet spread out. I’ve lived in Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo. It depends on if you want a larger city or a medium sized city. I prefer Kalamazoo. Grand Rapids traffic was terrible!
i live in kalamazoo. not to big and not to small. nice country side around it. 45 minutes from lake michigan.
Im from Flint, Michigan but now live in Tawas, right on lake Huron. It's beautiful here but our winters can get ugly. Our summers are gorgeous and I feel like a lot of people that live here take the Great lakes themselves for granted a little bit. I know I have in the past.
I live just south of you. Au Gres❤️
True. I am in Flint too, south east side by the airport. Not by choice 😂
@@AmericanPendetta😜 Right by where I lived, I stayed at Bristol and Saginaw, Whittemore Ave (rd next to riteaid across from Rockys) What a small world it is 🖤 Stay blessed hun
@@viselleckYou're not far at all, bout half hour from me. Small world‼️😜 🖤Stay Blessed hun
october has always been my favorite month.
Pot-ah-whan-ah-mee Indians. The Straits of Mackinac (pronounced with the "c") is the narrow "river" that connects Lake Michigan to Lake Huron. Mackinaw Island (pronounced with the "w") is home to the historic Grand Hotel. The Mackinaw Bridge (also pronounced with the "w") is called the "Mighty Mack". People who live in the upper peninsula are called "Yoopers" for "U-P". They call lower peninsula inhabitants "trolls" because they live "below the bridge".
there is no river that connects lake michigan to lake huron. the lakes meet at the mackinaw bridge.
My good Brother in Arms is from UP Michigan. He lives in a small community of Pelkie. He settled there after we served in Vietnam. He has a wonderful family known for their love and generous contribution to the well being of their neighbors. His homestead was all built by hand from the resources of the land he owns.