100 Years Ago: L. B. Oberlin finds the Upper Peninsula full of charm to motorists

100 Years Ago

July 23, 1924: Mr. and Mrs. L. B. Oberlin and daughter, Esther, returned last night from a two weeks’ motor trip in the Upper Peninsula, which they found a delightful region for motoring. Uniformly fine roads, excellent hotel accommodations, the charm of the scenery and the hospitality of the people, combine to make it attractive to the tourist. Crossing the straits, their route included Manistique, Marquette, Ishpeming, Negaunee and the hunting region near Sidnaw, passing thence south to Milwaukee, across the lake, and up the east shore as far as Petoskey, a total distance of about 1,800 miles. All this was made over excellent roads and with only one detour of about ten miles. Mr. Oberlin was impressed with the progress of agriculture in the western part of the Upper Peninsula where fine crops of wheat, oats, hay, beans, fruit and garden products were observed. The luxuriant growth of clover was especially noticeable, justifying the named “Cloverland” which is applied to that region. Good agricultural land is not uniform; however, rich areas being interspersed with tracts of sand, swamp or rocky hills. The country is developing rapidly, due largely to the extension of good roads. Wheat was beginning to color when he left, being perhaps ten days behind its condition in lower Michigan. The depressed state of the mining industry, however, made an unfortunate contrast, few mines being in operation. The summer resorts also have had a disastrous season, owing to the unusually cool weather farther south. In the trip, he found ordinary guide books of little use, but the weekly bulletins and maps issued by the state highway department were very useful and dependable.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: 100 Years Ago: L. B. Oberlin finds the Upper Peninsula full of charm to motorists