Welcome to the Lighthouse Keepers House and Museum, the home of the Grand Marais Historical Society. We're proud to bring the rich history of Grand Marais to our visitors. The Lighthouse Keepers House is located at the end of Coast Guard Point overlooking the channel. We invite you to visit us and tour this restored landmark!
History of the Lightkeepers House
Grand Marais - A Short History
Historic Photo Reprints for Sale!
Pickle Barrel House Restoration Project
The Lightkeepers House Museum is open seasonally. During July and August, the museum is open daily from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm; during the months of June and September, it is open on weekends from 1:00pm to 4:00 pm. Private tours can be arranged. For tour information, contact one of the following Historical Society members:
Pat Munger (906)-494-2404
Sherie Bates (906)-494-2210
History of the Lightkeepers House
The museum house was built in 1908 by the Life Saving Service as the Lightkeeper's home. During World War II, the Coast Guard took over these duties. Their families lived in the house until the station closed in 1982. The Grand Marais Historical Society received the house in 1984 and began its restoration. Through the generosity of many donors, the museum now contains items that were in use at the turn of the century. Walking in the door is like stepping back in time.
Grand Marais - A Short History
The name "Grand Marais" literally translates to "Great Marsh", but research has failed to locate a marsh here.On an occasional early French map it is shown as "le Grand Maré", meaning a safe harbor. In French, "Maré" and "Marais" are pronounced the same, and had been suggested that "Marais" is a mapmaker error that came into common usage through repetition.
Chippewa Indians lived or camped at the Grand Marais harbor for many years before the coming of the Europeans. It was the setting of many legends. This location was one of several places along Lake Superior that seem to have had special significance to the Chippewa people. The first French explorers are thought to have visited Grand Marais in 1619. However, there is no written record of their visit. In 1658, Pierre Esprit Radisson and Sieur de Grossiliers were brought to Grand Marais harbor by Indians. Radisson wrote in his journal, "...most delightful and wondrous for its nature that made it so pleasant to the eye [and] spirit".
In 1899, Grand Marais was in its peak population years. The lumber camps and mills were thriving, and there was an active commercial fishing industry. The population was well over 2000, with probably another thousand people working in the lumbering camps surrounding the town. The harbor teemed with ships bringing in goods and people and taking out finished lumber products from the mills. A daily train ran from Seney and connected with other lines leading all across the nation. An active business community provided all kinds of services to the workers and their families. Grand Marais had doctors, lawyers, bankers, photographers, a hospital, an opera house, social clubs, good schools for the many children, hotels, boarding houses, restaurants, department stores, livery stables, churches, and a cigar maker, to mention just a few.
In 1911 the lumber companies decided it was time to move on, and in May announced that the railroad would close in November. Residents packed their bags, locked their houses,and caught the train out. By 1915 there only about 200 people were left in the almost-abandoned town. In that year most of the business buildings along Lake Street were destroyed by fire.
In the mid-1920s a highway was opened between Grand Marais and Seney and the motoring tourists discovered the isolated village. The dirt and gravel road served to link Grand Marais to the outside world, as the railroad had in earlier years. During the Great Depression of the 1930s, tourist cabins began to appear. Blueberry picking and fern gathering as well as commercial fishing helped families through the hard times. A new high school was buil in 1926, but little other new construction appeared until after the late 1940s. The Corps of Engineers worked on the pier in the 1950s and 1960s. Highway 77 was finally paved in 1958.
Commercial fishing continued through the years into the 1940s, when it gradually changed into sport fishing. In 1964 the Michigan Waterways Commission constructed the marina on the site of the old Marais Lumber Company mill, and then gave it to Burt Township. In 1947, Trans-Canada Airways built and emergency airport with two mile-long runways southeast of town. When the airport was no longer needed, it was given to Burt Township. In 1966, legislation was passed forming Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, creating a 67,000 acre park stretching 30 miles along Lake Superior to the west of Grand Marais.
There is still selective logging in the area. Tourism is now the primary industry. It is becoming more year-round as visitors discover that the beauty of Grand Marais is a year-round pleasure.
Historic Photo Reprints for Sale
The Historical Society is please to offer a selection of photos from our archives for sale. These are 8 x 10 digitally retouched images printed on high-quality photo stock, suitable for framing. We will be adding to the gallery of images for sale. All proceeds from the sale of photos will go to support the Historical Society.
Thumbnail Gallery of Historic Photos
Pickle Barrel House Restoration Project
The Historical Society is spearheading efforts to restore the Pickle Barrel House. You can read about the project and its current status at our Save the Pickle Barrel page. Please click here to visit it.
Interested in history? Love Grand Marais? Join the Grand Marais Historical Society and help us preserve our local history. Dues are only $5.00 per year for individuals, $10.00 per year for a family membership. We have a convenient membership form that you can print out and send in.
