Escanaba, Michigan

Escanaba (/ˌɛskəˈnɑːbə/ ESS-kə-NAH-bə) is a city in Delta County in the U.S. state of Michigan, located in the banana belt on the state's Upper Peninsula. The population was 12,616 at the 2010 census, making it the third-largest city in the Upper Peninsula after Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie. It is the seat of government of Delta County.

There is also Escanaba Township, which is north of the city and is not adjacent to it, although a portion of the urban area around the city extends into the township. Both are named for the Escanaba River that flows into the Little Bay de Noc of Lake Michigan just north of the city at 45°46′37″N 87°03′30″W / 45.77694°N 87.05833°W / 45.77694; -87.05833.

History

The word "Escanaba" roughly translates from various regional native languages to "land of the red buck" although some people maintain that it refers to "flat rock". Escanaba was an Ojibwa village in the early 19th century. As an American settlement, Escanaba began as a port town in the mid-19th century, gaining importance to the Union as a shipping point for iron ore, lumber and copper during the Civil War. In his poem "The Song of Hiawatha", Henry Wadsworth Longfellow described how Hiawatha "crossed the rushing Esconaba" referring to the river. Located on Little Bay de Noc at the northern edge of Lake Michigan, Escanaba continues to serve as an important shipping point for iron ore to other Great Lakes ports, especially south to Chicago and northern Indiana. The local paper mill, for many years Mead Corporation's Publishing Paper Division, is currently operated by NewPage Corporation; located on the outskirts of the city alongside the Escanaba River, it is now the area's largest employer.

State Fair

A state fair is a competitive and recreational gathering in the United States. It may also refer to:

Escanaba River

The Escanaba River is a 52.2-mile-long (84.0 km)river on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan.

In his poem The Song of Hiawatha, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes how Hiawatha "crossed the rushing Esconaba". It is a wide river that cuts into limestone beds. The upper river is rocky and scenic and supports brook, brown and some rainbow trout throughout along with warmwater species in the impoundments. John D. Voelker, writing as Robert Traver, authored fishing stories set on the Escanaba in Trout Madness.

The East Branch and the Middle Branch of the Escanaba converge in the town of Gwinn to form the main stem. The stretch from this convergence south to the Delta County line is mostly wide and smooth, ideal for a canoe trip. Dams on the river's branches require caution, however. From the Delta County line, the river runs south to its mouth on Lake Michigan at 45°46′37″N 87°03′30″W / 45.77694°N 87.05833°W / 45.77694; -87.05833Coordinates: 45°46′37″N 87°03′30″W / 45.77694°N 87.05833°W / 45.77694; -87.05833, near the city of Escanaba.

Jeff Daniels

Jeffrey Warren "Jeff" Daniels (born February 19, 1955) is an American actor, musician, and playwright, whose career includes roles in films, stage productions and on television, for which he has won an Emmy Award winner and received Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and Tony Award nominations.

Making his film debut in Ragtime (1981), Daniels's film credits include Terms of Endearment (1983), Arachnophobia (1990), Gettysburg (1993), Speed (1994), 101 Dalmatians (1996), Fly Away Home (1996), Pleasantville (1998), The Hours (2002), Good Night, and Good Luck (2005), The Lookout (2007), Infamous (2009), Steve Jobs (2015) and The Martian (2015). One of his most notable roles is Harry Dunne in the buddy comedy Dumb and Dumber (1994) opposite Jim Carrey, a role he reprised in the 2014 sequel Dumb and Dumber To (2014). He has received Golden Globe Award nominations for Best Actor for his performances in The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), Something Wild (1986) and The Squid and the Whale (2005).

Sand Point Light

The Sand Point Lighthouse is located in Escanaba, Michigan, United States, on Lake Michigan's northern shore. Since 1989, it has been an unofficial aid to navigation. Though it is an operational aid to navigation. The restored lighthouse is now open to the public during the summer months. It is also known as the Escanaba/Sand Point (Little Bay de Noc) Light or the Escanaba Light.

This Sand Point Light is one of two bearing that name in Michigan. The other is in Baraga.

History

Soon after it became a town in 1863, Escanaba was quickly growing as an important shipping port. The Peninsula Railroad was completed in 1864, which linked Escanaba to the iron mines of the Upper Peninsula to the north. Iron ore docks were built in the Escanaba harbor and the shipping of iron ore to steel mills along the Great Lakes became Escanaba's leading industry.

As shipping traffic increased dramatically, so did the need for some sort of light structure to guide the ships in and out of the harbor and to warn them of the treacherous sand shoals that reached out into Little Bay de Noc from Sand Point, a sandspit located just south of and adjacent to the harbor area. The United States Lighthouse Service approved construction of the Sand Point Lighthouse at a cost of $11,000. Construction began in the fall of 1867 and was completed in early spring 1868. The light first shone on the night of May 13, 1868.