After I wrote about the 1871 Peshtigo Fire and learned about that Michigan was among the Lake States that also experience forest fires in 1871, I was drawn to learn more.. I do appreciate history, but I am not exactly a fire historian. It is hard to explain why I was drawn to learn more about the Michigan Fires of the late 19th and early twentieth centuries. Chalk it up to curiosity and a desire to learn more. I decided to take you along on this journey.
I offer these reflections, however inadequate, to honor and remember all those in Michigan who were affected by these fires, those who survived and those who did not.
I can count on two fingers the number of times I have been to Michigan, both trips were about twenty years to Detroit region on business. I did have time for one short jaunt west of Ann Arbor to some beautiful country.
I feel like my words are wholly inadequate to convey what I experienced when I read Betty Sodder’s book, Michigan on Fire. It seems a bit simple to say that I was profoundly moved. Even after reading the accounts of those who survived the fire or saw others die I do not think that I can ever fully appreciate what all those affected by the fires went through. I can say this about the Michigan fires of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and the same holds true for those affected by today’s wildfires. Having said that, I do care.
I know that many virgin White Pine stands were decimated by these fires. In many cases this resulted in the loss of jobs either when lumber companies either left the area or when there was no more marketable timber left. I find myself wondering what happened to these towns affected by these fires. In many cases, life went on albeit very differently. In other cases, such as Au Sable and Oscada that burned in 1911, the towns never really recovered from the effects of these fires, yet life does go on.
I was struck by the fortitude of the survivors as well as the compassion of those who tried to help their neighbors, as well as the support by railroads and businesses. I felt the heartbreak of those who tried and failed to save family members from the fires.
As I reflect on what happened to Michigan as a result of the fires that burned in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, my mind does go to the present day where many states, such as California and Colorado have communities that are or were devastated by wildfires. It is beyond my capabilities to try to compare and contrast a forest fire from the late nineteenth century that burned in Michigan with major wildfires that burned in the present day western United States and Canada, but such fires have the potential of changing people’s lives. Sadly, the lingering effects of these fires can be emotionally and financially devastating.
For those who were affected by these fires and are likely now deceased, may you rest in peace.
Note: Sodders, Betty (edited and designed by Don Weeks). Michigan on Fire. 1997: Thunder Bay Press.
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