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The Fishing Village of Leland Michigan: One of The Last Commercial Fisheries on Lake Michigan
Season 7
Episode 7
Published 4 months ago
Description
The Fishing Village of Leland Michigan: One of the Last Commercial Fisheries on Lake Michigan tells the story of Fishtown, a rare working waterfront that grew from Native fishing grounds, sawmill power, iron smoke and Lake Michigan commercial fishing.
This episode of End of the Road in Michigan follows Leland from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, when fish tugs, smokehouses, net racks and weathered shanties lined the Leland River. Before it became one of Michigan’s best-known travel stops, Leland was a hard-working harbor where families made a living from whitefish, trout, ciscoes and lake winds.
The story also covers Leland’s surprising industrial past, including its charcoal iron furnace and the origin of Leland Blue stone. By the 1900s, tourism began to rise, but commercial fishing stayed at the center of the village’s identity.
Leland’s story is not just about nostalgia. It is about labor, water, family businesses and the fight to keep one of Lake Michigan’s last traditional fishing districts in public memory.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications
This episode of End of the Road in Michigan follows Leland from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s, when fish tugs, smokehouses, net racks and weathered shanties lined the Leland River. Before it became one of Michigan’s best-known travel stops, Leland was a hard-working harbor where families made a living from whitefish, trout, ciscoes and lake winds.
The story also covers Leland’s surprising industrial past, including its charcoal iron furnace and the origin of Leland Blue stone. By the 1900s, tourism began to rise, but commercial fishing stayed at the center of the village’s identity.
Leland’s story is not just about nostalgia. It is about labor, water, family businesses and the fight to keep one of Lake Michigan’s last traditional fishing districts in public memory.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications