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64-461: The counties that constitute the Thumb form the peninsula that stretches northward into Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay . There is no formal list of which counties are part of the Thumb, but virtually all definitions include Huron , Tuscola , and Sanilac counties, and most include Lapeer and St. Clair counties. The population of the Thumb region as of the 2020 census was 370,617. The Thumb region

128-477: A 2013 underwater discovery along the ridge. On the eve of European contact, the extent of development among Eastern Woodlands Native American societies is indicated by the archaeological evidence of a town on or near Lake Huron that contained more than one hundred large structures housing a total population of between 4,000 and 6,000. The French, the first European visitors to the region, often referred to Lake Huron as La Mer Douce, "the fresh-water sea". In 1656,

192-682: A dominant influence until after the War of 1812, when the northern border was firmly defined and this area came under US control. The US organized the Northwest Territory, and American settlement of Michigan and the Thumb was well underway by the mid-19th century. Construction of the Erie Canal through Central New York created stronger connections with the port of New York and eastern markets. Settlers migrated west from New York and New England into Ohio and Michigan, seeking new territory. As

256-590: A few large-scale farms located in the county, the numbers are not found to the same extent, and these days, most farming in Lapeer now takes place on smaller, independent farms, which usually supply the local markets only. Lastly, in addition to its economic and agricultural differences, Lapeer County's geography is very different from the other counties of the Thumb. Its topography is generally gently rolling to quite hilly, and unlike its neighbors, which are flatter, and border on Lake Huron or Lake St. Clair , Lapeer County

320-1035: A fierce storm after leaving, Le Griffon ran aground before the storm. The people of Manitoulin Island say that the wreck in Mississagi Strait at the western tip of the island is that of Le Griffon . Meanwhile, others near Tobermory , say that the wreck on Russell Island , 150 miles (240 km) farther east in Georgian Bay, is that of Le Griffon . On November 9, 1913, the Great Lakes Storm of 1913 in Lake Huron sank 10 ships, and more than 20 were driven ashore. The storm, which raged for 16 hours, killed 235 seamen. Matoa—a propeller freighter measuring 2,311 gross register tons —had passed between Port Huron, Michigan, and Sarnia, Ontario, just after midnight. On November 9, just after six in

384-532: A map by French cartographer Nicolas Sanson refers to the lake by the name Karegnondi , a Wyandot word that has been translated variously, as "Freshwater Sea", "Lake of the Hurons", or simply "lake". Generally, the lake was labeled "Lac des Hurons" (Lake of the Huron) on most early European maps. By the 1860s, many European settlements on the shores of Lake Huron were becoming incorporated , including Sarnia,

448-435: A profound food web change that took place in 2003. Lake trout have also been stocked for decades in an attempt to rehabilitate the species and today are largely self sustaining, especially in the northern half of the lake. Lake Huron has suffered recently by the introduction of a variety of new invasive species, including zebra and quagga mussels , the spiny water flea , and round gobies . The demersal fish community of

512-489: A reference to the rounded stones, or flint pebbles, found in the rivers and streams throughout the area. Another theory is that it may be an English variation of Le Pays Plat , meaning "the flat land", which is one of the original names given to the area by the French, and can be found on many early fur trader maps of the area. The idea is that "Le Pays" may have evolved into the current pronunciation, "Lapeer". Lapeer County

576-522: A result of this history, the land was settled primarily by people of ethnic English and Scots-Irish descent; many arrived from Canada . Other settlers of the same ancestry migrated from eastern states such as New York , and Pennsylvania , as well as from New England. Immigration from the British Isles took place through the century, and later 19th and 20th century residents included Polish and German immigrants who migrated from Europe through

640-441: Is 1.00 foot (30 cm) below datum ( 577.5 ft or 176.0 m ). In the winter of 1964, Lakes Michigan and Huron reached their lowest level at 1.38 feet (42 cm) below datum. As with the high-water records, monthly low-water records were set each month from February 1964 through January 1965. During this twelve-month period, water levels ranged from 1.38 to 0.71 feet (42–22 cm) below Chart Datum. The all-time low-water mark

704-579: Is a designated scenic road system connecting all of the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River. Many visitors choose to begin the circle tour in Port Huron, from which they can circle Lake Huron. M-25 winds around the Thumb and along Saginaw Bay to Saginaw and Bay City. Lexington and Port Austin feature beaches and boardwalks that are favorites with visitors. In order from east to west: Huron County

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768-519: Is a strategic commercial gateway between the Midwestern United States and Ontario, Canada , with multi-modal transportation infrastructure that offers a wide range of distribution options. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation (NMDC) offers economic incentives to growing businesses, both existing and new, that utilize two or more forms of transportation to move their products and are located within

832-473: Is in many ways different from the other counties of the Thumb. First, it is heavily influenced by its proximity to Flint and Detroit , so as a result, its economy depends more heavily on manufacturing than the other counties of the region. Second, although agriculture is still a key economic factor in Lapeer County, it is not as important to the economy as in the other counties. Although there are still

896-625: Is in the Thumb, both are relatively close by. Area code 989 covers about half of the Thumb: Huron, Tuscola, and far northern Sanilac County (and the Marlette area). The Thumb's other half is covered by area code 810 , which takes in most of Sanilac, Lapeer, Genesee and Saint Clair counties. All of Macomb County is served by area code 586 , as is a small part of south-western Saint Clair County. Lake Huron Lake Huron ( / ˈ h jʊər ɒ n , - ən / HURE -on, -⁠ən )

960-774: Is influenced by Detroit Radio Market , the Tri-Cities Radio Market and the Flint Market , with stations in Port Huron and Sarnia , Ontario , also serving the region. The Lapeer County , St. Clair County and Sanilac County area lies in the Detroit Television Market . The far northern and western areas lie inside the Flint/Tri-Cities Television Market . The only broadcast TV station licensed to

1024-642: Is landlocked. The county still has hundreds of acres of inland lakes such as Barnes Lake , Miller Lake , Lake Neppessing, the Holloway Reservoir, Big Fish Lake, and Lake Metamora, and several state recreation areas, including the Ortonville Recreation Area and the Metamora-Hadley Recreation Area , which still bring in many campers and tourists. Sanilac County has the largest area of land in both

1088-536: Is located at the tip of the Thumb. The county is surrounded on three sides by water – Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron , and has over 90 miles (140 km) of shoreline, from White Rock on Lake Huron to Sebewaing on Saginaw Bay, and more shoreline parks than any other county in the state. The county's economy relies on agriculture and ranks as one of the top agricultural counties in Michigan. Rich farmland inland produces beans, sugar beets and grain, including most of

1152-449: Is located in the southwest corner of the lake. The main inlet is the St. Marys River from Lake Superior , and the main outlet is through the St. Clair River toward Lake Erie . Lake Huron has a fairly large drainage basin covering parts of Michigan and Ontario. Water flows through Lake Huron faster than the other Great Lakes with a retention time of only 22 years. By surface area, Lake Huron

1216-485: Is one of the five Great Lakes of North America . It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan . The name of the lake is derived from early French explorers who named it for the indigenous people they knew as Huron (Wyandot) inhabiting the region. Hydrologically , Lake Huron comprises the eastern portion of Lake Michigan–Huron , having

1280-528: Is the second-largest of the Great Lakes, with a surface area of 23,007 square miles (59,590 km )—of which 9,103 square miles (23,580 km ) lies in Michigan and 13,904 square miles (36,010 km ) lies in Ontario—making it the third-largest fresh water lake on Earth (or the fourth-largest lake, if the Caspian Sea is counted as a lake). By volume however, Lake Huron is only the third largest of

1344-656: Is the world's largest lake island . A smaller bay that protrudes southwest from Lake Huron into Michigan is called Saginaw Bay . Cities with over 10,000 people on Lake Huron include Sarnia , the largest city on Lake Huron, and Saugeen Shores in Canada and Bay City , Port Huron , and Alpena in the United States. Major centres on Georgian Bay include Owen Sound , Wasaga Beach , Collingwood , Midland , Penetanguishene , Port Severn and Parry Sound . Historic high water The lake fluctuates from month to month with

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1408-521: Is very flat with fertile soil , the reason for its historical role as a chiefly agricultural area. Major agricultural products include sugar beets , navy beans , corn , fruits, and fish from Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron . Manufacturing—particularly concerning the automotive industry —is also prevalent in Michigan's Thumb due to the region's proximity to the automotive centers of Detroit and Flint . The Thumb has many notable businesses, many linked to agriculture. The I-69 International Trade Corridor

1472-625: The Detroit area. Many of the customs, much of the regional lifestyle, and even the local accent, strongly reflect these origins. Some local radio stations have featured polka shows, and various ethnic festivals, such as the Polkafest, in Kinde , are representative of Eastern European cultures. In the early years, Europeans encountered and traded with people of the Fox and Sauk tribes, already living in

1536-529: The Detroit River and Detroit , Michigan; into Lake Erie and thence – via Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River – to the Atlantic Ocean. Like the other Great Lakes, it was formed by melting ice as the continental glaciers retreated toward the end of the last ice age . Before this, Lake Huron was a low-lying depression through which flowed the now-buried Laurentian and Huronian Rivers;

1600-592: The Grand Trunk Western Railroad , CSX Transportation , Canadian National Railway , and the Huron and Eastern Railway . Pere Marquette Railway was a railroad that had lines throughout the Thumb; its lines are now either abandoned or in use by CSX, or Huron and Eastern. Major railroad centers are Vassar , Bad Axe and Port Huron . Blue Water Area Transit serves the city of Port Huron and surrounding areas. The only international airport in

1664-882: The Ottawa . The displacement of native peoples took place in many areas during the settling of North America. More comprehensive lists are available at individual cities, villages, etc. See local towns of interest at the bottom of the page for links. Local politicians in Washington and Lansing are listed below. District 9 – Northern Macomb, and all of St Clair, Lapeer, Sanilac, Huron, and Tuscola counties. District 8 – Saginaw/Bay City Area, and all of Genesee County. 32nd District – Northern Macomb and six townships in St Clair County. 81st District – Most of St Clair County, except Port Huron. 82nd District – All of Lapeer County. 83rd District – City of Port Huron,

1728-523: The Saginaw , Bay City , and Flint areas. The boundaries of what is included in the Thumb are often debated, but nearly all definitions include Huron, Sanilac, and Tuscola counties, known as the tri-county region. Disputed areas include: The Blue Water Area is another term describing the Thumb of Michigan. The term usually applies to St. Clair County and surrounding areas. The title is also extended to include all of Michigan's Thumb. The name refers to

1792-530: The St. Clair River . Tourism and farming drive the local economy. The Tip of The Thumb Heritage Water Trail is a nonprofit citizens organization working with the Huron County Parks to establish and maintain a water trail along Michigan's Lake Huron's shoreline. Many of the residents commute for work to Metro Detroit , Flint or the Tri-Cities . Incorporated cities with 2,000+ population in

1856-488: The Alpena-Amberley Ridge was exposed. That land bridge was used as a migration route for large herds of caribou . Since 2008, archaeologists have discovered at least 60 stone constructions along the submerged ridge that are thought to have been used as hunting blinds by Paleo-Indians . That a trade network brought obsidian from Oregon almost ten thousand years ago to be used for toolmaking was confirmed by

1920-667: The Blue Water Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau. It is designed to attract visitors to the shoreline of eastern Michigan. Communities participating in Discover the Blue include Algonac in St. Clair County (at the southern end of the Thumb) and others to the north, such as Port Austin (at the tip of the Thumb). See also List of Michigan state parks and geography of Michigan . The Thumb has many waterways. Since

1984-578: The British won the French and Indian War, they took over this former French territory. Many of these new settlers were sent into the area by the British from Canada in an effort to establish their dominance over the Great Lakes. In 1783, control of the Thumb was officially transferred to the newly formed United States, after the American Revolution and by the Treaty of Paris . The British were

The Thumb - Misplaced Pages Continue

2048-405: The Great Lakes, being surpassed by Lake Michigan and Lake Superior . When measured at the low water datum, the lake contains a volume of 850 cubic miles (3,500 km ) and a shoreline length (including islands) of 3,827 mi (6,159 km). The surface of Lake Huron is 577 feet (176 m) above sea level . The lake's average depth is 32 fathoms 3 feet (195 ft; 59 m), while

2112-535: The St. Clair River. Sugar beets were cultivated and annual festivals were held at harvest time. In addition, many farms had mixed agriculture. There are steep hills and small canyons near the Black River. Since the mid-20th century, manufacturing had dominated in and around Port Huron. Like Huron County, Tuscola is mostly dependent on agriculture. Industries such as sugar refining and ethanol processing, as well as growing various grains and beans, make up most of

2176-596: The Straits of Mackinac, La Salle made landfall on Washington Island , off the tip of the Door Peninsula on the Wisconsin side of Lake Michigan. La Salle filled Le Griffon with pelts and in late November 1679 sent Le Griffon back to the site of modern-day Buffalo, never to be seen again. Two wrecks have been identified as Le Griffon , although neither has gained final verification as the actual wreck. Blown by

2240-531: The Thumb and the entire Lower Peninsula. Like other counties, Sanilac has fertile and flat land, great for growing crops. Towns like Lexington and Port Sanilac bring in many tourists from the Detroit Area . Sandusky is the county seat and largest city. St. Clair County has the largest population in the Thumb, and is considered part of the Metro Detroit MSA. Many residents farther north in

2304-520: The Thumb area are Port Huron , Marysville , Lapeer , St. Clair , Marine City , Algonac , Caro , Imlay City , Bad Axe , Vassar , Sandusky and Croswell . The majority of these cities are in the southern portion of the Thumb. Unique features in the area include the following: A favorite of tourists who visit this area is traveling the Lake Huron and Saginaw Bay shoreline via M-25 (formerly US Highway 25 until 1973). M-25 starts at

2368-483: The Thumb is St. Clair County International Airport about 6 miles (9.7 km) outside Port Huron. City airports include: Caro Municipal, Dupont-Lapeer Airport, Huron County Memorial Airport, Marine City Airport, Marlette Municipal, Sandusky City, and Yale Airport. Scheduled airline service is available from MBS International Airport in Freeland and Flint Bishop International Airport . While neither of these airports

2432-562: The Thumb region is WDCQ-TV , the PBS station licensed to Bad Axe . The border between Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia , Ontario , is one of the busiest connections between Canada and the US. Crossings include the two Blue Water Bridges and the two St. Clair River Railway Tunnels . Ferries also connect to Canada at Marine City and Algonac . (organized by numbers) Area Amtrak stations are in Lapeer, Port Huron, and Flint. Local railroads are

2496-413: The Thumb, especially Sanilac County , travel to Port Huron for shopping and work. It is the farthest county to the east in Michigan, and most of the eastern border is the St. Clair River , which separates Michigan from Ontario . For the most part, St. Clair County is flat with an agricultural economy dominating in the north and west; in the 19th century, agriculture and lumbering were important east to

2560-598: The Townships of Fort Gratiot and Burtchville, and all of Sanilac County. 84th District – All of Huron and Tuscola counties. 25th District – All of Huron, St Clair and Sanilac counties, and the Cities of Memphis, New Baltimore, and Richmond and the Townships of Armada and Richmond in Macomb County. 31st District – All of Bay, Lapeer and Tuscola counties. The Thumb Area Radio Region is an unranked market that

2624-588: The area for centuries. There may have also been other tribes in the area such as the Potawatomi , Ojibwe , and Kickapoo , but they would have been transient tribes, or found in very small numbers. All native Thumb area tribes are members of the Algonquian peoples , a large language family. Other tribes who migrated later into the area included the Wyandot ( Huron ), an Iroquoian language-speaking people; and

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2688-467: The county being bordered by water: on the east is the St. Clair River, connecting Lake Huron to the north to Lake St. Clair . Below that is the Detroit River. The namesake Blue Water Bridge spans the St. Clair River, connecting Port Huron to Sarnia, Ontario . A similar name, "Blue Water Country," is used to describe the same region on the Canadian side. Discover the Blue is a promotion by

2752-401: The economy. Caro , one of the largest cities in the Thumb (the largest if you exclude St. Clair and Lapeer counties), is named after Cairo, Egypt and is the county seat. Tuscola County only has 18 miles (29 km) of shoreline along Saginaw Bay , so it is not as dependent on tourism as the other counties in the area. Tuscola County is economically tied to the surrounding region as well as to

2816-645: The end of I-69 / I-94 in Port Huron at the foot of the Blue Water Bridge and ends in Bay City . The whole highway is about 150 miles (240 km), and passes through quaint cities and villages. Located along Lake Huron through which M-25 passes are five lighthouses: Fort Gratiot Lighthouse , Port Sanilac lighthouse , Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse , Harbor Beach Light , and the Port Austin Lighthouse . The Lake Huron Circle Tour

2880-483: The highest lake levels in October and November. The normal high-water mark is 2.00 feet (0.61 m) above datum ( 577.5 ft or 176.0 m ). In the summer of 1986, Lakes Michigan and Huron reached their highest level at 5.92 feet (1.80 m) above datum. The high-water records were broken for several months in a row in 2020. Historic low water Lake levels tend to be the lowest in winter. The normal low-water mark

2944-400: The hull. To keep from being pushed aground, they kept their bow into the wind with the engines running half to full in turns, yet the ship still drifted 800 feet (240 m) before its movement was arrested. Waves breaking over the ship damaged several windows, and the crew reported seeing portions of the concrete break wall peeling off as the waves struck it. Meanwhile, fifty miles farther up

3008-434: The lake bed was criss-crossed by a large network of tributaries to these ancient waterways, with many of the old channels still evident on bathymetric maps. The Alpena-Amberley Ridge is an ancient ridge beneath the surface of Lake Huron, running from Alpena, Michigan , southwest to Point Clark , Ontario. About 9,000 years ago, when water levels in Lake Huron were approximately 100 m (330 ft) below today's levels,

3072-437: The lake by the 1930s. The major native top predator, lake trout, was virtually extirpated from the lake by 1950 through a combination of overfishing and the effects of sea lamprey. Several species of ciscos were also extirpated from the lake by the 1960s; the only remaining native ciscoes are bloater and Cisco (lake herring). Non-native Pacific salmon have been stocked in the lake since the 1960s, but are less abundant since

3136-432: The lake was in a state of collapse by 2006, and a number of drastic changes have been observed in the zooplankton community of the lake. Chinook salmon catches have also been greatly reduced in recent years, and lake whitefish have become less abundant and are in poor condition. These recent changes may be attributable to the new exotic species. Some native species, however were beneficiaries of these chances (principally

3200-662: The lake, Matoa and Captain Hugh McLeod had to ride out the storm without a safe harbor. Matoa was found stranded on the Port Austin reef when the winds subsided. It was noon on Monday before the winds let up and not until 11:00 p.m. that night before Captain Light determined it to be safe to continue his journey. Although Manola survived the storm, she was renamed Mapledawn in 1920, and on November 24, 1924, she became stranded on Christian Island in Georgian Bay. It

3264-540: The largest city on Lake Huron. On October 26, 2010, the Karegnondi Water Authority was formed to build and manage a pipeline from the lake to Flint, Michigan . More than a thousand wrecks have been recorded in Lake Huron. Of these, 185 are located in Saginaw Bay, and 116 are found in the 448-square-mile (1,160 km ) Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and Underwater Preserve , which

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3328-492: The late 18th century, ethnic European Americans have displaced the Native American tribes that historically occupied this territory. Since the early 20th century, they have dominated the population and culture of the Thumb. The French were the first Europeans to arrive, and thus influenced much of the early culture. They were mostly engaged in the fur trading and lumber industries, and had relatively few settlers. After

3392-536: The maximum recorded (by sonar) depth is 125 fathoms (750 ft; 229 m). It has a length of 206 statute miles (332  km ; 179  nmi ) and a greatest breadth of 183 statute miles (295 km; 159 nmi). A large bay that protrudes northeast from Lake Huron into Ontario, Canada, is called Georgian Bay . A notable feature of the lake is Manitoulin Island , which separates the North Channel and Georgian Bay from Lake Huron's main body of water. It

3456-591: The morning, Senator pushed upstream. Less than an hour later, Manola —a propeller freighter of 2,325 gross register tons also built in Cleveland in 1890—passed through. Captain Frederick W. Light of Manola reported that both the Canadian and the American weather stations had storm flag signals flying from their weather towers. Following behind at 7:00 a.m. that Sunday, Regina steamed out of Sarnia into

3520-421: The northwest gale. The warnings had been up for four hours. Manola passed Regina off Port Sanilac, 22 statute miles (19 nmi; 35 km) up the lake. Captain Light determined that if it continued to deteriorate, he would seek shelter at Harbor Beach , Michigan, another 30 statute miles (26 nmi; 48 km) up the lake. There, he could seek shelter behind the breakwater. Before he reached Harbor Beach,

3584-423: The same lake'). Aggregated, Lake Huron-Michigan, at 45,300 square miles (117,000 km ), "is technically the world's largest freshwater lake". Lake Superior, at 21 feet higher elevation, drains into the St. Marys River which then flows into Lake Huron. The water then flows south to the St. Clair River, at Port Huron, Michigan and Sarnia, Ontario . The Great Lakes Waterway continues thence to Lake St. Clair ;

3648-432: The same surface elevation as Lake Michigan , to which it is connected by the 5-mile-wide (8.0 km), 20-fathom-deep (120 ft; 37 m) Straits of Mackinac . Combined, Lake Michigan–Huron is the largest freshwater lake by area in the world. The Huronian glaciation was named from evidence collected from Lake Huron region. The northern parts of the lake include the North Channel and Georgian Bay . Saginaw Bay

3712-467: The shoreline, which are Caseville Park, Lighthouse Park, Stafford Park, McGraw Park, Philp Park, Port Austin Bird Creek Park, Wagener Park, Oak Beach Park, and Sebewaing Park. The county seat is Bad Axe , located in the center of the county. The origin of the name of the county is often disputed, but it may have derived from the French words la pierre , meaning "the stone". This name could be

3776-587: The territory of the NMDC. The I-69 International Trade Corridor Next Michigan Development Corporation is the largest in the state of Michigan with 35 municipal partners. Constituent counties of the trade corridor are: Shiawassee , Genesee , Lapeer , and St. Clair counties. Some towns, such as Bay Port , Caseville , Harbor Beach , Lakeport, Lexington , Port Austin , Port Hope , Port Huron , Port Sanilac , Sebewaing , and St. Clair enjoy seasonal tourism, due to their locations on Lake Huron , Saginaw Bay , or

3840-443: The winds turned to the northeast and the lake began to rise. It was noon when he reached Harbor Beach and ran for shelter. The waves were so violent that Manola touched bottom entering the harbor. With help from a tugboat , Manola tied up to the break wall with eight lines. It was about 3:00 p.m. when Manola was secured and the crew prepared to drop anchor. As they worked, the cables began to snap from wind pressure against

3904-482: The world's supply of navy beans. Tourism is also important to Huron County with bay front and lakefront towns such as Sebewaing , Caseville , Port Austin , Port Hope , and Harbor Beach , attracting tourists from all over. Huron County borders Saginaw Bay and Lake Huron . There are two state parks – Sleeper State Park and Port Crescent State Park . Three roadside parks – Jenks Park, Brown Park, and White Rock Park. Also, Huron County maintains nine county parks along

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3968-540: Was declared a total loss. Salvagers were able to recover approximately 75,000 bushels of barley. Lake Huron has a lake retention time of 22 years. Like all of the Great Lakes, the ecology of Lake Huron has undergone drastic changes in the last century. The lake originally supported a native deepwater fish community dominated by lake trout , which fed on several species of ciscos as well as sculpins and other native fishes. Several invasive species , including sea lamprey , alewife and rainbow smelt , became abundant in

4032-479: Was eclipsed in January 2013. Lake Huron has the largest shore line length of any of the Great Lakes, counting its 30,000 islands. It is separated from Lake Michigan, which lies at the same level, by the 5-mile-wide (8.0 km), 20-fathom-deep (120 ft; 37 m) Straits of Mackinac, making them hydrologically the same body of water (sometimes called Lake Michigan-Huron and sometimes described as two 'lobes of

4096-443: Was established in 2000. Georgian Bay contains 212 sunken vessels. Purportedly the first European vessel to sail the Great Lakes, Le Griffon also became the first ship lost on the Great Lakes. It was built in 1679 on the eastern shore of Lake Erie near Buffalo , New York . Robert Cavalier, Sieur de la Salle navigated across Lake Erie, up the Detroit River , Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River out into Lake Huron. Passing

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