The first settlers in the Grand Marais area were Native Americans, mostly Chippewa.  French fur traders gave the place its name, Grand Marais, which translates as "big marsh" but was also a term used by the voyageurs to describe a sheltered harbor.   When this area came under British rule in 1763, the name remained and is one of the oldest place-names in Michigan. 

The abundance of beaver around the Lake Superior area led to the establishment of the Hudson Bay Company in 1670, and fur trading posts flourished in the Lake Superior area for years.  John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company  was founded in 1814 and headquartered on Mackinac Island, but maintained an outpost at Grand Marais.  When the Michigan Teritory was established in 1805, exploration soon followed, and in 1820 an expedition consisting of 44 men traveled along the southern shore of Lake Superior.  Note was made of the beautiful harbor of refuge at Grand Marais, and the absence of a "big marsh". 

With the abundance of natural riches to be found here, it was inevitable that Grand Marais should grow, and the first permanent trading post was started on East Bay in 1861 by Peter Barbeau.  Railroad transportation was still  years away in this remote wilderness, and the importance of a safe harbor for ships plying the lake was of tremendous importance to Grand Marais' development. 

The fur trade gradually declined and gave way to booming fish and lumber industries, complete with railroad lines for shipment, and by the late 1800s Grand Marais was a thriving community.  Like all booms, though,  the lumber boom went bust around 1910, and the railroad service was soon discontinued.  Grand Marais gradually diminished in size.  Today it is a mecca for vacationers as well as a self-sufficient little town.  Miles of unspoiled beaches and access to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore bring new visitors every year.  We hope you'll visit us soon. 

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