Welcome to the Website of Mikel B. Classen

Mikel B. Classen – Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan

Author, Photographer, and Historian

Recipient of the Historical Society of Michigan’s, 2020 George Follo Award for Upper Peninsula History

News From Mikel: 8/24/2023 – It’s been a nice summer this year. The weather has been excellent. I’m hitting many shows and I have some scheduled up until December. In other news I have a novel called “The Alexandria Code” in the process of publication. This is a thrilling adventure story that is a roller coaster ride from the beginning. More on that later.

In the meantime, my newest book, “Faces, Places and Days Gone By, A Pictorial History of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Volume 1, is now available. It is available on Amazon in hardcover, softcover, and ebook. The link is here: Buy Faces, Places & Days Gone By on Amazon.

Latest Posts

Italian Hall Disaster – Calumet – MI – 1913

The Italian Hall Disaster in Calumet, Michigan, on Christmas Eve, 1913 Striking Miner’s Children Die in Stampede when someone yells “Fire.” As many of you know, I do a lot of events throughout the year. I’m often asked about the Italian Hall Disaster in Calumet, Michigan, where someone yelled “Fire” and dozens of children were…

Jim Harrison at Grand Marais, Michigan

A few years ago, when I lived in Grand Marais, Michigan, I was fortunate enough to get to know Jim Harrison a little bit. He owned property there and would come and write out in his log cabin in the woods. It was situated on a beautiful bend on the nearby Sucker River. He would…

Portage Swing Bridge Collision – Houghton – Hancock – Michigan

The Collapse of the Portage Canal Swing Bridge, April 1905 The Portage Canal swing bridge which ran between Houghton and Hancock, Michigan was an amazing bit of engineering. Originally built in 1875, it was constructed of wood and featured a giant gear which swiveled the bridge to run parallel to the canal. It would then…

New Reviews for Faces, Places & Days Gone By

Book reviews of my new book: Faces, Places & Days Gone By – A Pictorial History of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula From the Lansing State Journal and Detroit Free Press. “Faces, Places and Days Gone By” ($19.95 paperback, $34.95 hardcover) written by Mikel B. Classen, managing editor of “The U.P. Reader,” is an oversized volume that’s full…

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