1634 - Nicolet discovered Lake Michigan (hunting for passage to Indies)
1658 - 31 French fur traders passed through upper Lake Michigan to the Wisc. shore,
returning to Quebec in 1660 with 60 canoe-loads of fur.
1669-70 - Missions of St. Ignace & St. Francis Xavier of Green Bay were founded
1672 - Beaver Islands were shown, unnamed & grossly inaccurate, in a map in the Jesuit
Relations. It was founded, in great part, on the explorations of Marquette, Joliet, & Allouez in 1665-75.
1679 - the Griffin lost
1742 - Jesuit mission established at present Cross Village, & exerted a strong influence over
the Ottawa in the B.I. region.
1744 - Bellin's map in Charlevoix's Histoire et Description Generale de la Nouvelle France
shows "I du Castor," the first recorded name of a Michigan [Beaver?] Island.
1755 - Kitchen's map used the name "Caster's Island" & Mitchell's map "Beaver I.."
1761 - British occupied for Michilimackinac
1763 - after Indian massacre (Ojibway) of garrison at Mackinac, 3 captives taken to Beaver,
where the Ottawas took them away from the Ojibways.
1796 - Mackinac transferred to Americans
1808 - Mackinac Company (British) had trading post on Mackinac
1816 - Astor succeeded Mackinac Company
1821 - Walk-in-the-Water entered Lake Michigan on trip to Green Bay. Her successor was
the Superior.
1825 - opening of Erie Canal
1830 - fur trade at its peak
1831 - Baraga came to L'Arbre Croche (now Cross Village)
1832 - real start of steam navigation on Lake Michigan
1837 - regular steamboat service established on Lake Michigan
1841 - first propeller ship entered Great Lakes, quickly replaced less-economical
sidewheelers
1847 - Mormons
1851 - Head light[house] begun
1872 - Traverse City had its first RR service
- Robert T. Hatt, Island Life