Grand Marais ( ) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

and

census-designated place A census-designated place (CDP) is a concentration of population defined by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes only. CDPs have been used in each decennial census since 1980 as the counterparts of incorporated places, su ...

(CDP) in

Alger County Alger County ( ) is a county in the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 8,842. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county. History Alger ...

in the U.S. state of

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

. It is located within Burt Township on the shores of

Lake Superior Lake Superior in central North America is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface areaThe Caspian Sea is the largest lake, but is saline, not freshwater. and the third-largest by volume, holding 10% of the world's surface fresh w ...

, and the community is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore via H-58.

History

The name ''Grand Marais'' (French: great marsh) is a reference to the large, shallow harbor. French explorers and fur traders from the time of

New France New France (french: Nouvelle-France) was the area colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to King ...

used the word "marais" to mean "harbor of refuge" as well as "marsh." A breakwater was later built that extends from the bay into

. The Grand Marais Outer Range Light is at its end, and the Fresnel lens is still operative. It is one of only 70 such lenses that remain operational in the United States; 16 of these are in use on the

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five la ...

, eight of which are in Michigan. Many controversies in the little town relate to the costs of dredging and breakwall-repair operations to keep the harbor functioning. See Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge Inner and Outer Lights. Grand Marais was one of five U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations established along the coast of Lake Superior between

Munising Munising ( ') is a city in Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,355 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Alger County. The city is partially surrounded by Munising Township, but the two are administered aut ...

and Whitefish Point in the

Upper Peninsula of Michigan The Upper Peninsula of Michigan – also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. – is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula by ...

. It was part of the U.S. Life-Saving Service District 10 (later part of District 11). The other four Life-saving Stations were Deer Park, Two Heart,

Crisp Point Light Crisp Point was one of five U.S. Life-Saving Service Stations along the coast of Lake Superior between Munising and Whitefish Point in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The lighthouse is within McMillan Township in Luce County. Located abou ...

, and

Vermilion Point Vermilion Point is a remote, undeveloped shore in Chippewa County, Michigan, United States. Located west of Whitefish Point, Michigan, this historic spot lies on a stretch of Lake Superior’s southeast coast known as the "Graveyard of the ...

. In 1915, these stations became part of the U.S. Coast Guard. In 1939 the

U.S. Lighthouse Service The United States Lighthouse Service, also known as the Bureau of Lighthouses, was the agency of the United States Government and the general lighthouse authority for the United States from the time of its creation in 1910 as the successor of the ...

also merged under the control of the U.S. Coast Guard. The community was home to the Grand Marais Air Force Station from 1954 to 1957. The station was part of the

Air Defense Command Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Force, responsible for continental air defense. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980. Its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly ina ...

, and provided general surveillance radar along the northern frontier of the United States.

Geography

Grand Marais is the northern terminus of M-77. Seney and the Seney National Wildlife Refuge are to the south.

Demographics

Arts and culture

Grand Marais is a four-season tourist destination. Snowmobiling is popular in the winter, and swimming, hiking, boating, kayaking, agate collecting on the beach and fishing are among the summer activities. Points of interest and events include: * The former United States Coast Guard Life-Saving Station, which now serves as a ranger station. The Coast Guard radio operator here had the last communication with the '' SS Edmund Fitzgerald'' before she sank during a storm in 1975, with all hands lost. The former keeper's quarters of the station were adapted to house the Grand Marais Maritime Museum. * The

Pickle Barrel House The Pickle Barrel House is a two-story cabin built to in the shape of two barrels. The house design is based on the artwork of William Donahey, an author-illustrator who created the Teenie Weenies cartoon characters that were tall and lived u ...

Museum (1926). * The

Au Sable Light Au Sable Light is an active lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west of Grand Marais, Michigan off H-58. Until 1910, this aid to navigation was called "Big Sable Light" (not to be confused with Big Sable Point Light near Ludi ...

, which is listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...

. * Muskallonge Lake State Park. *

Sable Falls Sable Falls is a waterfall located on Sable Creek in the easternmost portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The main access road to the falls is H-58 west of Grand Marais, Michigan. The falls tumbles 75 fee ...

, west of Grand Marais. * The Gitche Gumee Agate and History Museum. * The Lake Superior Brewing Company operates a brewery and pub at Grand Marais. * In mid June, the harbor at Grand Marais is the site of the annual sea plane fly-in, hosted by the Grand Marais Pilots Association on behalf of the National Seaplane Pilots Association. * In mid July, the Great Lakes Sea Kayak Symposium is held at the harbor. This multi-day event attracts sea kayakers from around the country. It is billed as "the largest and oldest sea kayaking symposium on the Great Lakes." * During the second weekend of August the town of Grand Marais hosts a music and arts festival, showcasing folk and rock music as well as local art. The Michigan-born writer Jim Harrison (1937-2016) had a cabin in Grand Marais where he would come to relax and write.

Education

Burt Township Schools Burt Township School District is a school district headquartered in the community of Grand Marais in the U.S. state of Michigan. The district serves the entirety of Burt Township. The district covers a very large area of in northeastern Alge ...

is the local school district.

We Hear You America contest

Grand Marais, with a population of about 300, gained national attention early in 2011 when it became the leader in a national contest sponsored by

Reader's Digest ''Reader's Digest'' is an American general-interest family magazine, published ten times a year. Formerly based in Chappaqua, New York, it is now headquartered in midtown Manhattan. The magazine was founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace and his w ...

. Visitors to the We Hear You America web site had the opportunity to "cheer" for any community in order to win recognition and cash prizes. Grand Marais' harbor was officially deemed a Harbor of Refuge because it was the only lifeline a sailor had along the dangerous shipwreck coast of Lake Superior. Years of neglect had caused deterioration of its harbor breakwall, allowing sand to fill in, but the cost to repair it seemed prohibitive. Grand Marais attained 1,281,724 "cheers" and won the top municipal first prize of $40,000 in the contest, as well as notoriety for its plight in a Reader's Digest article.

Transportation

Highways

* has its northern terminus in the community just north of the intersection with H-58. * is a county-designated highway that runs east–west through the community.

Airport

Grand Marais Airport Grand Marais Airport is a public use airport located three nautical miles (6 km) southeast of the central business district of Grand Marais, a community in Burt Township, Alger County, Michigan, United States. The airport is owned by Burt ...

is a general aviation airport.

References

External links

Grand Marais Chamber of Commerce website

Grand Marais Historical Society

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Alger County, Michigan Unincorporated communities in Michigan Census-designated places in Michigan Census-designated places in Alger County, Michigan Populated places established in 1882 1882 establishments in Michigan Michigan populated places on Lake Superior Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Michigan State Historic Sites