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Michigan Ghost Towns

Charles B

New member
BEAVER ISLAND, Charlevoix County, Michigan

Hidden in the Beaver Islands Archipelago in the far northeastern end of Lake Michigan, are old French and Mormon colonies, now long forgotten. Big Beaver Island was the headquarters for French trappers and hunters long before the first permanent settlement was established around 1603, but this settlement later disappeared without a trace. In 1847, a Mormon colony was founded near present-day St. James. That colony eventually closed and its site burned.

The French trappers were part of Gov. Frontenac's trapping enterprise out of Montreal. This was quite a profitable business for Frontenac. See the legend of the "Cross on the Rock" sometimes referred to as the "Lost Treasure of Borie". Discount anything written by Francis Scully; it's way off base and only remotely factual.

I have the story right from the native Americans and an actual picture of the cross on the rock. I'll get into this legend of gold treasure at some point.
 
COPPER HARBOR, Keweenaw County, Michigan

This old copper mining town is located at the northern tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula, on the northern side of the Upper Peninsula. In 1843 copper was discovered, and a small town grew up, booming as a copper mining, lumbering, and port town. The mines faded by 1867, and Copper Harbor followed suit. Today it is a tiny tourist-oriented resort.

Nice specimens of copper are sometimes still found in the area.
 
DRUMMOND ISLAND, Chippewa County, Michigan

From 1812-1822, the British operated Fort Drummond here, but abandoned it when the area was determined to be on American soil. A number of logging camps and lumber mills were also located on this island off the eastern tip of the Upper Peninsula. Their locations are not determined.
 
DUNCAN CITY, Cheboygan County, Michigan

Duncan City was a logging town, and was the county seat of Cheboygan County from 1853-1857. It was located on the southern point of Duncan Bay, in the present city of Cheboygan. Duncan City once was more important than Cheboygan, supporting a sawmill, and acting as a fuel stop for Great Lakes steamships. In 1898 the sawmill burned and the town was abandoned.
 
RE: Drummond Island


There are stories of stolen gold coin buried somewhere near the old fort. However that area has pretty much disappeared due to the dolomite mine.
 
Just wondering if you have to ask permission to go to these
islands. It seems like every piece of land, Islands included
are owned by SOMEbody. Bloody terrible if you ask me.
Robt2300
 
Typically you will need permission. I know a lot of guys don't ask especially if the place is really remote or if you find that the property owner is an out of state corporation. I don't want anybody to get into any trouble so I always say to ask for permission and make sure you understand local laws on metal detecting.
 
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