Little Girl’s Point – Place of Legends
ByMikel B. Classen

North of Ironwood there is a place that is steeped in legend and mystery.  It is a rugged and sandy section of the Lake Superior shoreline that is isolated and serene while at the same time feels lonely and mystic.  It is a place that looks like it should have a legend.

The Legend goes as follows:  A daughter of a Chippewa hunter named Leelinaw loved to look out over Lake Superior and canoe along the shoreline to places she found enjoyable.  One of her favorites was Little Girl’s Point which could be seen from her home, what is now known as the Escarpment in Porcupine Mountains State Park.

She was repeatedly told never to go there because it was a sacred place that was haunted by spirits, Puk Wadginees or “the little men of the wood”.  She didn’t heed the warnings and on the day of her wedding she disappeared there. A thorough torchlight search of the woods revealed nothing and no trace of her was ever found.

Fishermen have claimed to see a man and a woman walking the beach. The pair disappeared upon attempts to approach them.  This, of course, has only fueled the legend’s life.

Another legend that came into being was the story that the Incas, or Aztecs had made their way north, fleeing the Spanish carrying a huge treasure of gold. It was rumored that these Indians came up the Mississippi and into Lake Superior eventually hiding their gold somewhere around Little Girl’s Point. One of the early residents of Little Girl’s Point, George Triplett, took this legend seriously.

Triplett began digging all around the Little Girl’s Point area, prospecting. The region had long been considered worthless for commercial mining. One pit after another he dug, some 80 to 100 feet deep. Triplett was closed mouthed about what he found which added to the rumors and speculation. Triplett found silver and copper and hinted at possibly other things. He was even able to use the story of lost Indian treasure to get some investors. For years he dug, but if the lost treasure was there, he never found it.

To get to Little Girl’s Point, go north of Ironwood from U.S.-2, taking County Road 505.  The drive is about 21 miles on blacktop highway.  Just about the time you think you’ve gone too far, you’re there.

Little Girl’s Point is an out of the way place that is virtually unknown and is rarely seen.  The park that is here is seldom filled.  It is too bad because Little Girl’s Point is a wonderful place to stay and enjoy.

A long stretch of beach has campsites right on the shoreline.  There are 30 total.  The main road is a lakeside drive, so the campsites are accessible by any vehicle.  These campsites are an extension of one of the nicest little parks there is.

The park is well groomed, and it contains a picnic area and playground.  It is a peaceful, quiet place, carved out of a hardwood grove that provides an enjoyable atmosphere for the family.  Coupled with the beach, it makes the ideal place to spend summer hours.

A small community surrounds the solitude of Little Girl’s Point. There is a docking facility dredged out of the mouth of Oman’s Creek, a small river. There is a public boat launch that accesses Lake Superior here as well.  This is a remote section of Superior and fishing pressure is minimal.  The river gets seasonal trout and salmon runs in the spring and fall.  A fisherman can do well here.

To add to the mystique of the Native American legend, there is a lone grave site here that is a few hundred yards into the woods.  A small sign along the road marks the trail to the resting place.  A path meanders to a place among tall trees.  A simple square barrier is made of old cedar logs.  Towering over the grave is an old totem pole, a sentinel for the one who made the spirit journey.

Little Girl’s Point has no store of any kind where a traveler can get food and drink, so when planning a trip here, make sure supplies are picked up back in Ironwood.

A trip to Little Girl’s Point makes a unique and beautiful vacation stay.  It will make a quiet and restful one as well.  It is a perfect place for the whole family and the stories of the area should prompt many hours of conversation and speculation.

A Chippewa protection tome reflects the feel of the point:  “Spirits of the green wood plume, shed around thy leaf perfume, such as spring from buds of gold which thy tiny hands unfold, Spirits hither, Spirits repair!” (Quote taken from sign in park.)

For more information on the park at Little Girl’s Point go here: https://www.michigan.org/property/little-girls-point

Content copyright . Mikel Classen. All rights reserved.