LEGENDS OF THE GREAT LAKES: JACQUES MARQUETTE
There are epic stories of success, adventure, and tragedy that originate from the Great Lakes region. Some you have heard, some you have not. A few of these stories have survived for generations and become legends. The best of these tall tales can be found here in LEGENDS OF THE GREAT LAKES, an occasional series within our retooling tour. This installment will feature Father Jacques Marquette, French missionary and explorer.
Jacques Marquette's life began in Laon, France on June 10 of 1637. He became a missionary at age 17.
This is what he may have looked like back in the day.
He arrived in New France in 1666. From there he traveled up the St. Lawrence and into the Great Lakes. He was assigned to an area of what is now Michigan's Upper Peninsula. He and his companions founded Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan in 1668. The establishment of this community is recognized as the third oldest European settlement west of the Appalachian mountains.
Father Marquette spent his time with the indigenous people of the Midwest region. By living with them, he became one of the first recorded Europeans to learn of river and overland routes connecting the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River. In 1673 he began exploring these routes with Louis Jolliet, another well known French-Canadian explorer. The exploration of this region continued throughout 1674. He was returning to the mission at St. Ignace in 1675, when he fell gravely ill.
He died on the shore of Lake Michigan, near present day Ludington, in May of 1675.
Pere Marquette Beach at Muskegon, Michigan is named in his honor. This photo was taken near sunset on a hot July evening. There are still a few people in the water and it appears to be very calm. Paddle boarding has become popular in West Michigan in recent years.
Looks like the Coast Guard is prepping for some night time training.
Apparently, Pere Marquette was a pretty good guy in life, because people named a WHOLE bunch of stuff after him. There's a whole county and city named after him in the Upper Peninsula! Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois all have communities with his namesake. There are also some natural areas named for him. Here is the Pere Marquette State Forest in Michigan. It's a popular place for winter activities.
A notable company also took on his name. The Pere Marquette Railway formed after a merger of three well known Michigan railroads. The company had track that joined many communities all over the state, the upper Midwest, and parts of Canada. Here is one of their trains as it passes through Lansing, Michigan in June of 1938. Looks like there was a lot going on that day.
The farm and factories were busy, but people were still able to take a break for ice cream. Just don't speed down Grand River Avenue...
The Pere Marquette Railway merged with C&O in 1947. Some of the original track that the company once managed remains. Amtrak named one of its passenger trains "Pere Marquette" in 1984. The train travels from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Chicago, Illinois and back, each day. Here is the train as it heads towards Grand Rapids on a warm evening in late May.
The last Saturday in April is the opening day of trout season throughout Michigan. I look forward to this day each year. I fish a stretch of the Pere Marquette River near Custer, Michigan. I travel here with my family and friends each year. It's a good time. This spring has been especially rainy, so I anticipate the water to be high and muddy, much like it is in this photo.
Thanks for reading! The first photo and the historical information came from Wikipedia. HEY! A big thanks for the Trixie for this CJ! I hope everyone has a safe week.
-
18
11 Comments
Recommended Comments
Sign In or register to comment...
To comment in reply, you must be a community member
Sign In
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In NowCreate an Account
Sign up to join our friendly community. It's easy!
Register a New Account