Lake Superior place names

the long version

This book is about the origin and meaning of Michigan's Lake Superior shoreline place names in existence before the American invasion of the 1840s. Although such names as Sault Ste. Marie, Tahquamenon River, Grand Marais, Munising, and Keweenaw Bay are in daily use, few know much about their origin and meaning. The existence of these names reveals that before Americans came into the Lake Superior country, and covered the land and water with their names, the area had been occupied by two other cultural groups: Indian and French. The Indian names reflect the way of life of a people who traversed the shoreline of Lake Superior in birch bark canoes in search of fish and animals. Such names as Traverse Island, Portage River, and Grand Marais indicate that in their fur-trade economy the French also adopted the birch bark canoe as their mode of transportation. This book examines the origin and meaning of the Indian and French place names which form part of Michigan's Lake Superior landscape.