Good Morning, Keweenaw!

This stunning photograph was taken by Justin Marier of South Range, Michigan while on his way to work…. Has the Portage Canal ever look more beautiful?!

Portage Canal

In 1865, the U.S. government awarded 200,000 acres of land to the Portage Lake and Lake Superior Ship Canal Company to build a canal. (The U.S. government gave more acreage to the project that totaled around 450,000 acres upon the project’s completion.) It was a project that would take over 9 years to complete. The canal was created with the intention of connecting the Keweenaw Bay through Portage Lake with Lake Superior. This would save ships a tremendous amount of time and money!

Introducing the Portage Canal: In 1874 the canal was finished! It was 2 miles long, 100 feet in width, and 14 feet deep. (In 1935, it was widened to 500 feet in width.)