Discover History
The history of the two forests begins long before the creation of either forest. The land that is now Michigan was once an unbroken forest, inhabited by numerous Native American tribes. After European settlement of the area, logging and farming became the main forms of occupation. Land that became the forests was heavily logged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The land that makes up the two forests is broken up by private land, especially on the Manistee National Forest. During the Great Depression land was bought by the Forest Service to help farmers and landowners and to inject money into the economy. However, some landowners only sold the unproductive land and kept the productive areas, thus breaking up the land purchases.
The Forest Service established the Huron National Forest in 1909. The Huron National Forest is 437,287 acres spreading 70 miles east to west and 30 miles north to south. The forest was renamed in 1929 after an Iroquoian tribe of the Great Lakes Region- the Huron's. The Manistee National Forest was established in 1938. The name comes from a Native American word meaning, "the whispering through the pines." The Manistee National Forest is 538,756 acres that spreads 40 miles east to west and 70 miles north to south. In 1945, the Huron National Forest and Manistee National Forest were joined for administrative purposes.
Flickr Album of Historical Photos from around the Huron-Manistee National Forests - 1800's to 1960's.
Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary is home to over 230 identified species of wildflowers. It is also the only wildflower sanctuary in the National Forest system. In 1949 the sanctuary was officially established through a formal cooperative agreement between the Forest Service and Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan.
Loda Lake has had a place in history going back to its use and appreciation by the Potawatomi, one of the three tribes of the Three Fires Confederacy. In the 1830’s, when the Indian Removal Act was passed, the tribe was removed from Michigan. At this same time the logging era of Michigan was in full swing, with the forested areas logged to support the rebuilding of America after WWI.
In the 1900’s, 5,000 acres of land around Bass Lake was purchased by the Hansen and Beers families. The Hansons used the land as a summer home and vacation spot. In 1911 or 1912 the family took a trip to Europe to meet Albert Schmidt, who was engaged to their daughter Marjorie. A delay in Mr. Schmidt meeting them caused the family to miss taking the Titanic back to the U.S. An art studio was built for Mr. Schmidt by Mr. Hanson at the Bass Lake property out of gratitude for his tardiness.
From 1909 to 1916 the area was farmed by Thomas E. Hunt, an acquaintance of Mr. Hanson. He turned what Mr. Hanson deemed “worthless farmland” into a thriving farm using modern farming methods. After the Hunts left the area a series of families farmed the area, but none as successfully as the Hunts. In 1937 Marjorie Schmidt, the Hansons daughter, sold the property to the Forest Service and it was made part of the Manistee National Forest.
In the mid-30’s the Garden Clubs of Michigan were looking for a place to serve as a sanctuary for wildflowers and other native plants. They knew that Bass Lake harbored a wide variety of wildflowers and in 1938 the Forest Service and Garden Clubs of Michigan began exploring the possibility of designating the property as a wildflower sanctuary.
It was during this time period that Bass Lake was renamed as Loda Lake. In a letter dated October 32, 1942, Forest Supervisor W. I. White noted that the name “Bass Lake” applied to 65 different lakes in Michigan. He went on to state “… a very detailed study was made to determine names which might have some local significance, a euphonious sound which would not be difficult to pronounce, and similar considerations. The significance of the name “Loda” is this: Loda or Lonidaw was the wife of Chief Simon Pokagon, the Great Potawatomi Chief. Simon was a guest of Mayer Carter Harrison during the Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893, at which time he delivered an outstanding speech.”
Today, among the many amenities at the site, visitors can walk a 1.2-mile trail that has 42 carsonite posts that correspond to a walking guide that will help visitors identify what native plants are located in that area. For more information and directions visit: