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Hey western Michigan!

D

Dave H (MI)

Well-known Member
I am a map junkie. Not internet maps, but actual paper maps that don't disappear when you lose signal. In my Michigan atlas under Newaygo county there is a thing called "Big Prairie Desert". Further investigation calls this the eastern most desert in the U.S. (hype) but most sources list it as a lesson in how NOT to farm. A dust bowl of sorts. I see there is a park associated with it and was wondering if anyone had been there and is there anything of interest? Retrieving my assorted auction and CL treasures has me meandering over most of the lower peninsula and I would drive over that way if it has any appeal. Interesting stories associated with it and I like history.
For the history buff.
 
I've heard of it,but I just never paid much attention whenever anybody has talked about it I guess.
 
I just found that a while back and it has really fascinated me. Even has cactus by some reports. If I get within 20 minutes of it anytime soon I will drive over that way and see what it is like.
 
I know how it is. Lived over this way over 50 years. I have been to the Field Museum in Chicago more times than I have been to Henry Ford Museum. I can remember working the front desk at the Holiday Inn putting myself thru college and being shouted at by a guy..."whaddya mean you've never been to Greenfield Village! You live here don't you!"

Like it was mandatory or something.
 
Yep,I like going to these little out of the way museums and historical sites when I travel,but I've never been to the Heritage Village three miles from my house or the local Historical Museum.
 
Had a friend, and hunting buddy who hailed from over there. Hunted that tract regularly. The way he described it, was a sand lot covered with a few scrub pines.
 
Dave H;

There's a Newaygo Dry Prairie, 80 acres, in Section 35, NE 1/4, Brooks Township. Owned by U.S. Forest Service. Inquire at Provost, Alma College, Alma, Mi.

Larry
 
Had some great-grandparents that lived at Paris in Newaygo County a long time ago. Like most rural folks, they did a little bit of farming, but not on any commercial scale. It was mostly woods and scrub. They would be considered poor today, but lived to be very old despite working very hard or maybe because they worked hard. Interesting info. Rand
 
That's what I was worried I would find if I drove out of my way to see it. Kinda like Sleeping Bear once you leave the lakeshore.
 
Large areas of Newaygo County used to be covered by prairie, Big Prairie Township in Newaygo was so named because there wasn't much there except sand and cactus. The original township was broken into four smaller ones. The historical society in Newaygo has photos of the area from the model T era showing cars parked next to huge cactus plants. I wrote the history section of the Pere Marquette watershed plan and did a bunch of research on the area. Most of the forest service property that is now covered with pines was an open prairie not suitable for farming so it reverted to the Feds for unpaid taxes, and the CCC did what they did best, planted millions of pine trees on the land.

There are several remnant prairies in the area, many with rather rare/unique plants. I have cactus growing on my property in Big Rapids and it's doing well. I could go on, but it might get boring.
 
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