Chapter Six
Great Lakes States
Introduction
The Great Lakes States region is home to some
of the largest fresh water lakes in the world,
estimated to hold one-fifth of the world’s fresh
water supply. The five states in this region,
Illinois (ILL ih NOY), Indiana, Michigan, Ohio,
and Wisconsin touch four of the great lakes
including Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, Lake
Huron, and Lake Erie. The water from the lakes
is very important for industry and for the cities
in this region.
Land
The Great Lakes States land is mostly plains,
especially in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and in the
southern part of the Lower Peninsula in
Michigan. The Upper Peninsula and northern
parts of the Lower Peninsula in Michigan have
low mountains and highlands. Northern
Wisconsin also has high hills with many rocky
areas.
Lakes can be very pleasant, strong
thunderstorms often drop heavy rain. The
temperatures can also be hot and humid in the
summer, but not as humid as the states in the
southern part of the United States. Fall is a
beautiful time in the Great Lakes. Even though
the nights may have frost, the days are warm,
with sunshine, so that residents can enjoy the
outdoors and view the beautiful fall colors.
Economy
The once strong industrial economy of the Great
Lakes suffered in the recession that began in
2008. Many of the states in this region have
higher unemployment (people out of work)
than in other parts of the country. One of the
reasons for this is that people do not want to
buy a new car in a poor economy or they cannot
get loans to buy new cars. As a result, steel mills
and car factories have either slowed down their
production or have closed completely.
Consumers (people who buy products) are also
Two major rivers in the region are the Mississippi
River on the region’s western border and the
Ohio River on the southern border. Numerous
smaller rivers feed into these rivers.
Climate
The residents of the Great Lakes experience a
great variety of weather because of the four
seasons. In the winter, Michigan, Ohio, and the
northwest part of Indiana can receive much
lake-effect snow, while areas in the southern part
of the region are generally milder with less snow.
The shoreline areas are also relatively warmer
in early winter because of the warm lake waters.
Even though spring and summer in the Great
A truck assembly plant
buying more and more foreign cars because of
lower costs and good workmanship (careful
attention to assembling cars).
The automobile and steel industries flourished
in the area for many years mainly because of
the Great Lakes. Not only do the lakes provide
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Maps.com
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Population Map of the
Great Lakes States
Illinois - IL
Indiana - IN
Michigan - MI
Ohio - OH
Wisconsin - WI
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Great Lakes States
fresh water which is needed in production, but
ships can use the Great Lakes shipping routes
to transport raw materials such as iron and coal
which are needed to make steel. Ships also carry
steel and finished products to markets around
the world because the Great Lakes are
connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the St.
Lawrence Seaway. Also, barges travel south to
the Mississippi River through a system of canals
and rivers in Illinois.
Farmers in the Great Lakes States grow many
crops, especially corn and soybeans. Many
products are made from these crops, including
food products for animals and people, fertilizers,
ethanol, gasoline, and biodiesel fuel. Farmers
in the Great Lakes States also raise fruits,
vegetables, and dairy products which are sold
nationwide and to nearby markets.
Mining continues to be important to the Great
Lake States. Starting about 100 years ago, iron
ore deposits in the northern part of the region
were shipped to mills in great amounts so that
steel products could be made. The rich deposits
of coal and limestone found in southern Indiana
and Illinois are being used today in the
production of electricity and steel.
History
The Great Lakes have had an important impact
on the history of the region. Native American
tribes such as the Ojibwa, the Ottawa, and the
Potawatomie were some of the many tribes in
the area. French explorers Joliet (zhohl YAY)
and Marquette (mar KET) explored the area in
1673. When you follow their route on the map,
you will see that they started in Lake Michigan
and came up the Fox River into Wisconsin. After
carrying their supplies overland, they took their
canoes down the Wisconsin River to the
Mississippi. While on the Mississippi River
(which they called the Great River) near present
day Arkansas, they met Native Americans who
told them that white men were ahead “several
days journey”. Fearing Spanish attack, they
turned around and went back up the river to the
Illinois river and returned to Lake Michigan.
Marquette and Joliet’s trip showed the way for
more French settlement in the Great Lakes
States. Early French trading posts and forts
founded on their trips grew into towns and cities
such as Chicago and Detroit. The French
influence ended in the Great Lakes area at the
end of the French and Indian War in 1763, when
the British took control of the Great Lakes
Region.
The region became part of the United States of
America in 1783 after the American Revolution.
At this time, the Great Lakes States were known
as the Northwest Territory ( only part of
Minnesota was in the territory). In 1787, the
United States government established the
Northwest Ordinance, a group of laws that
would govern the settlement of the Northwest
Territory. Each state had sur veys (land
measurements) done so that the government
could sell the land in an organized way. Each
state was divided into square townships which
included even smaller squares called sections
(one square mile). The Northwest Ordinance
also set aside one section in each township for a
school. You can still see where the sections are
located today because roads were often built on
the edges of the squares. Under the Northwest
Ordinance slavery was not allowed in the
territory. This part of the law would eventually
lead to the states remaining in the United States
during the Civil War.
The War of 1812 was fought in the Great Lakes
States, with several of the battles fought in the
Detroit area. Before the war, an important battle
was fought at Tippecanoe in Northwest Indiana.
General William H. Harrison defeated a group
of Native Americans led by an influential Native
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Great Lakes States
Tippecanoe Battlefield in Northwest Indiana
American leader called Tecumseh. Throughout
this time period, the United States signed many
treaties with Native American tribes and white
settlement followed. Ohio was the first of the
Great Lakes States to gain statehood in 1803,
and Wisconsin the last, in 1848.
Ohio - The Buckeye State
History
The Ohio River, which means “beautiful river”
to the Seneca tribe of Native Americans, has
been used as a highway for many years by
settlers, farmers, and businesses. The first
Europeans to hear of this river and the Ohio
country were the French. Historians believe that
Joliet and La Salle (La SAL) explored parts of
Ohio in the 1660s and 1670s.
In the years following their exploration, many
battles between the Americans and the Native
Americans were fought. The most important
battle was the Battle of Fallen Timbers, fought
in 1794, during which General Anthony Wayne
defeated a united force of Native Americans
under the leadership of a Shawnee chief named
Blue Jacket. After the American victory, the
Treaty of Greenville opened up much of Ohio
to American and European settlement.
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Settlers came to Ohio in great numbers, using
the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes as well as
some overland paths. After Ohio became a state
in 1803, the United States fought the War of
1812 against the British and their Native
American allies. This was of great concern to
the people of Ohio because they knew that the
Native Americans wanted their land back. One
great battle of this war took place on Lake Erie
when Admiral Oliver H. Perry defeated the
British. Perry’s victorious words after the battle
were, “We have met the enemy and they are
ours.” With this victory and the close of the
war, the Ohio country returned to relative peace.
After the war, settlers continued to stream into
Ohio, many using the National Road. Starting
in Maryland, this government road wended its
way through Wheeling, West Virginia, and then
into Ohio. Later, the road was extended all the
way to Vandalia, in the middle of Illinois. Early
farmers and businessmen in Ohio also used the
road to transport their goods. Today, you can
still follow parts of the old route across central
Ohio.
In the 1800s and 1900s, Ohio became known
as a birthplace of presidents because seven men
born in Ohio later led our nation as president!
Ulysses S. Grant was possibly the most famous
of these men because he helped lead the
northern states to victory in the Civil War.
However, Grant’s presidency also saw much
corruption, which means that people used their
government jobs not to help the people, but
rather, to gain power and money for themselves
and their friends. Sadly, other 19th century Ohio
presidents and government officials also had this
problem.
Ohio continued to grow as a state of business
and invention. Two notable inventors were
Orville and Wilbur Wright from Dayton, Ohio.
Great Lakes States
We learned earlier that the Wright brothers made
the first flight in North Carolina. Yet, Dayton,
Ohio, was the place where the brothers perfected
the science of flying. The United States Air Force
Museum, located near Dayton, is a great place
to visit to learn more about the history of flight.
Land
Much of west and northwest Ohio is flatter and
less hilly than the rest of the state, with the
lowest land in the northern part along the
southern shore of Lake Erie. The soil in these
areas is very fertile so that crops grow well. In
contrast, many more hills and forests are found
in the south and eastern part of Ohio, where
the Appalachian Mountains begin. The soil is
not as fertile there, so there are fewer farms.
However, resources such as wood and minerals
are found in abundance there. The state of Ohio
is called the Buckeye State after a tree called
the buckeye, a shrub or tree in the horse-chestnut
family.
found in the water. Since that time, the state
and federal governments have spent much money
and made laws to clean up the water. The United
States government has had to work extra hard
at controlling the amount of algae that grows in
the water of Lake Erie and the surrounding river
waters. When too much algae grows on the
surface of the water, there is little oxygen left in
the water, causing the fish to die. The loss of
oxygen in the water due to the growth of algae
and other plants in the water is called the process
of eutrophication (U trof ih KAY tion). This
often occurs because too much fertilizer drains
from surrounding pastures and farmland into the
water. Other kinds of pollution have also
affected rivers in Ohio. The Cuyahoga River,
near Cleveland, Ohio, was so polluted by an oil
slick that it caught fire several times! The last
fire in 1969 brought national attention to the
pollution of rivers.
The Cuyahoga River - Cleveland, Ohio
A leaf from a Buckeye Tree
Lake Erie, shallowest of the five Great Lakes,
forms much of the northern border of Ohio.
In the 1960s the lake was in big trouble due to
the pollution that was being dumped into the
lake, especially by factories. At one point in the
1960s, people called Lake Erie a dead lake
because of the algae (AL gee) and pollution
Besides Lake Erie, Ohio has other major bodies
of water, mainly rivers. In the northwest, the
Maumee River flows to Lake Erie near Toledo.
In the south, the Ohio River forms the entire
southern border of Ohio. Smaller rivers such
as the Muskingum (Muh SKING um), the Scioto
(Sigh OH tah), and the Miami Rivers all flow
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Great Lakes States
State capitol building in downtown Columbus
southward into the Ohio River. The capital of
Ohio, Columbus, is on the Scioto River in the
center of the state.
Reformed Worldview Perspective: God
calls us to be good stewards of the water
in our lakes and streams. What are
some things Christians can do to
properly use fertilizer and chemicals on
their land so that the water stays clean?
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Farming
Corn and soybeans are the most important crops
for the agricultural economy of Ohio. The fertile
ground of northern and western Ohio produces
a great amount of these two crops, which are
used mainly as feed for livestock. Corn from
here is also used to produce ethanol as fuel for
automobiles. Besides these two crops, Ohio
leads the nation in making Swiss cheese and is
one of the top producers of pumpkins in the
United States.
Great Lakes States
Cincinnati, Ohio, is on the Ohio River
The state of Ohio produces many eggs, second
only to the state of Iowa in egg production.
Many of Ohio’s egg farms are called factory
farms because laying hens are confined to small
cages in stacked rows. After the eggs are
gathered, they are shipped on the highway to
markets by semi-trucks. Because the amount of
waste and manure from these chickens is as
much as the waste produced by some cities, the
public health departments make sure that the
waste is disposed of properly.
Economy
Cities in Ohio have many factories that produce
products related to the transportation industry,
including automobiles, trucks, and airplanes.
Steel mills are found in cities such as Cleveland
(population 396,815), Youngstown (population
66,982) and Cincinnati. The recession that began
in 2008 hit the state very hard and many people
lost their jobs. Over the last several years, a
number of Ohio cities have decreased in
population because people are moving to the
suburbs or to other states.
Akron (population 199,110) is home to the
Goodyear Tire Company, a large corporation
that produces rubber tires for cars and trucks.
The city is has many other high technology
companies. The City of Dayton (population
141,527) was known for the NCR Cash Register
Company, but the company has now moved to
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Great Lakes States
Georgia, an example of why many of Ohio’s
cities have lost jobs and people. However,
airplane research and production is a bright spot
for Dayton, Ohio, hometown of Orville and
Wilbur Wright.
Cincinnati (population 296,943) is a large city
on the Ohio River in the southwest corner of
the state. Many large corporations have
headquarters in the area, including Procter and
Gamble, a company that is well-known for soap
production. The largest city of Ohio is the
capital city of Columbus in the center of the
state. The banking and insurance industry of
the city has continued to grow, and its population
has increased to 787,033 people. Columbus is
home to Ohio State University, the second
largest university in the country, with over
55,000 students. It is the only major city in Ohio
that has increased in population in recent years.
Indiana - The Hoosier State
History
People from Indiana are often called
“Hoosiers”, but nobody really knows exactly
what it means. Some historians speculate that
it came from the question, “who’s here?” which
may have been asked about new settlers in the
state. The word also used to refer to a country
person who does not have good manners, but
today all residents of Indiana are called
“Hoosiers”.
Settlers began coming to Indiana in the early
1800s after the United States defeated Britain
in the American Revolution, and continued to
come after the War of 1812. Vincennes, a city
in the southwest corner of the state, was the
site of a major victory for the Americans during
the American Revolution in 1779. In that
battle, George Rogers Clark captured Fort
Sackville from the British.
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Many Native American tribes, including one led
by Tecumseh, fought as allies of the British
before and during the War of 1812. In 1811,
William H. Harrison defeated a Native
American force at Tippecanoe near the presentday city of Lafayette. Because of this victory,
Harrison became known as “Old Tippecanoe”.
Harrison later became president mainly because
of his popularity gained from the victory at
Tippecanoe.
Land
The settlers of Indiana found plains of rich and
fertile land which today still produces many
crops. The southern part of the state has steep
hills that often have caves and are not as fertile.
Wyandotte Caves is an important tourist
attraction in the southern part of the state near
Leavenworth.
The major body of water near Indiana is Lake
Michigan on the northwest corner. This area
was one of the first places where conservation
started in the United States. Because of the
many factories in the area, residents wanted to
preser ve the beauty of the shoreline.
Conservation means that parks were set aside
on the shoreline so no more factories could be
built there. Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore
and Indiana Dunes State Park are examples of
conservation efforts.
Important rivers in the state are the Ohio and
Wabash Rivers. The Wabash River flows across
the middle of the state until it becomes the
southwest border between Indiana and Illinois.
It later flows into the Ohio River, the river which
forms the entire southern border of the state of
Ohio. On the other side of the Ohio River is
Kentucky. The other states bordering Indiana
are Michigan to the north and Ohio to the east.
Great Lakes States
Farming
Corn and soybeans are important crops in much
of Indiana. Although ethanol plants in the state
can change the corn into fuel for cars, much of
the corn goes to feeding livestock. The soybeans
are made into a fuel for trucks in biodiesel plants.
In the city of Claypool in the northern part of
the state, one of the world’s largest biodiesel
plants has been built, bringing jobs and industry
to Indiana. The U.S. government wants to build
more of these plants so that we don’t have to
buy so much oil from other countries.
Northwest Indiana Harbor with
Steel Mills
the waters of Lake Michigan and the air of
neighboring communities are not polluted.
The other major metropolitan area (population
1.8 million) of Indiana is the capital, Indianapolis
(population 829,718). This area is best known
as the place where the Eli Lilly Corporation, a
company that makes drugs and other products
to help keep people healthy, was founded.
A coil of steel on a train
Other major cities in Indiana are Evansville
(population 117,429) in the southwest, South
Bend (population 101,168) in the north central
part of the state, and Fort Wayne (population
253,691) in the northeastern part of the state.
Economy
Steel production and oil refining are important
industries in the northwest part of Indiana.
Large cities such as Gary (population 80,294)
and Hammond (population 80,830) are the
center of one of the largest steel-making areas
in the country. These cities, along with Whiting,
are considered part of the metropolitan area of
Chicago, Illinois. Semi-trucks carrying steel
come in and out of the factories and travel on
the many interstate highways in the area. The
city of Whiting is known for its oil refineries.
Refining factories take crude oil and change it
into products like gasoline for cars. The process
often results in toxic byproducts so the factories
and the government have to watch carefully that
Indianapolis, Indiana
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Great Lakes States
Illinois - The Land of Lincoln
History
102
The Illiniwek (ih lih new eck) tribe of Native
Americans lived in the land of Illinois before
Joliet and Marquette explored the land in the
1670s. The name Illinois (ILL ih NOY), taken
from the name of this tribe, has a silent “s” on
the end. Six years after Joliet and Marquette
explored this land, La Salle set up French forts
along the Illinois River, one near Peoria, and
the other in the present-day Starved Rock State
Park.
Above is a portrait of Abraham
Lincoln and below is his home in
Springfield, the capital of Illinois.
Like Ohio and Indiana, Illinois was also part of
the Northwest Territory. However, Illinois has
its own unique history of settlement. In the
1830s, the southern part of Illinois was growing
as farmers cleared out farms, first in the wooded
areas and then in the prairies. The steel plow,
developed by John Deere of Peoria, was a major
invention that allowed farmers to cut through
the thick sod of the prairie without the soil
sticking to the plow. Around this same time
period, another settler named Abraham Lincoln
came to the central part of the state and settled
with his family in Macon County. Later, Lincoln
became a lawyer in Springfield, the capital city.
He worked his way to become the President of
the United States in 1860 when the Civil War
broke out. Tourists can follow the steps of
Lincoln today in many parts of the state.
Historians and museums have painstakingly
preserved many of the remaining historic items
from Lincoln’s time.
1812 by Native Americans of the people that
lived in Fort Dearborn, a fort that had been built
on the present site of Chicago. Because troubles
continued between the settlers and the Native
Americans after the War of 1812, the Blackhawk
War was fought. The Blackhawk War was a
victory for the United States. Even though
young Abraham Lincoln did not see any fighting,
it is said that he fought against numerous
mosquitoes on the way!
One of the experiences young Abraham Lincoln
had was when he served as a soldier in the
Blackhawk War of 1832. This war started
because Illinois settlers were farming on the land
of the Fox and Sauk Native Americans.
Remember that in previous years wars had
prevented settlement in the northern part of the
state. An example of this was the massacre in
After the Blackhawk War, settlement grew in
Illinois, especially around Chicago. Because the
growth in Chicago was so fast, most of the city
was built of wood. On October 8, 1871, a huge
fire engulfed much of the city and it was left in
ruins. Out of the pile of rubble, a new city had
to be built, but this time in brick. Later,
Chicago’s excellent natural location along Lake
Great Lakes States
Michigan allowed it to become a center for
railroads and shipping.
Land
The state of Illinois is a large state with a small
coastline along Lake Michigan on the northeast
corner. From this point, flat plains roll over the
whole state. Some think it is very boring
travelling over this level land, but the soil found
here is some of the richest in the world. Illinois
has some major rivers flowing in or around it.
The Illinois River cuts through the state from
the northeast down to the southwest side of the
state, passing through the city of Peoria.
Illinois has five states that share its borders. The
Mississippi River forms the entire western
border. Sharing the Mississippi River as a border
is the state of Missouri to the southwest and
Iowa to the northwest. On the eastern side of
Illinois is the state of Indiana, with the Wabash
River forming part of the border between the
states in the southeast. The other two bordering
states are Kentucky at the far southern point
and Wisconsin to the north.
The far northwestern tip of Illinois has some
rocky land around the city of Galena where
travelers can enjoy beautiful views along the
highways in the area. In the southern part of
the state are many coal fields. In addition, the
land on the southern tip of Illinois north of
Cairo (Cay row) is similar to the Ozark Mountain
area of Missouri.
The corn in the fields is harvested using huge
machines called combines. Today, the
equipment used by farmers has computers in
them that can read the hills of the land and the
water in the soil. Farmers only harvest when
the soil moisture is acceptable. When the
combine cuts through the field, the kernels of
corn are separated from the husk and the plant,
saving the farmers many hours of work they
formerly did by hand.
Economy
Illinois has a diverse economy, which means
that workers there are employed to do a variety
of jobs. People in the big city of Chicago often
do not realize that almost all of Illinois is filled
with corn fields. On the other hand, the small
towns in the southern and central part of the
state are far different from the busyness of the
big city.
Chicago (population 2,695,598) continues to be
a center for transportation in the country much
as it was in the 1900s. Today, O’Hare airport,
located on the northwest side of the city, is one
of the busiest airports in the country. The huge
downtown is a center for business, trade, and
tourism. In the center of downtown stands the
tallest building in the United States, the Willis
Tower (formerly the Sears Tower). The sky deck
on the 103rd floor offers a breathtaking view of
Farms
The fertile plains of Illinois produce abundant
corn and soybeans. In most years, Illinois leads
the nation in soybean production, and it is usually
second in corn production. Much of the corn is
used for ethanol, a substance used for gasoline.
A major factory in Decatur, Archer Daniels
Midland (ADM), is a leader in ethanol
production.
The Willis Tower is the tallest
building in this picture of
Chicago, Illinois. It used to be
called the Sears Tower.
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Great Lakes States
the metropolitan area, an area which boasts over
10,000,000 people. The nickname of Chicago
is the “Windy City”, not because of the weather
as many think, but because past and present city
leaders and residents are said to often “boast”
about their city!
Chicago’s influence in the Midwest and in the
world is great. The city grew rapidly in the late
1800s and 1900s, especially because of its
meatpacking, transportation, and manufacturing
industries. Today, the city is home to a number
of large corporations and business centers.
In addition to Chicago, Illinois has many other
large cities. Peoria (population 115,007) is home
to John Deere, a company which makes farm
equipment. To the north is Rockford
(population 152,871), a city which has lost many
manufacturing jobs over the last years, although
it hopes to build its economy in the future
through tourism. Further south is the state
capital, Springfield (population 116,250). All
of these cities are connected by an extensive
web of interstate highways that help the
businesses and farms of Illinois.
Reformed Worldview Perspective: It can
be exhilarating to see a large city such
as Chicago. However, the city has a
history of leaders who often commit
corruption, using their power to help
themselves and not the people of the
city. Also, Chicago is a center of the labor
union movement. A union is a group of
workers who band together in order to
get their way with their employers.
Union members are required to take an
oath to the union. Find some texts in
the Bible that condemn corrupt rulers.
See also the Heidelberg Catechism,
Queston and Answer 101 and 104 about
oaths and respect for those in authority.
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Michigan - The Wolverine State
History
Michigan has a fascinating history, beginning
with the Native Americans and their meeting
with the French in the 1600s. One of the first
Frenchman to come to Michigan was Jean
Nicolet, who in 1634 was on a mission for
France to seek a water route to China. When
Nicolet crossed Lake Michigan, he thought he
was in China so he wore a Chinese silk robe!
The French continued coming to Michigan to
convert the Indians to the Roman Catholic
Church and to trap beaver. Forts and mission
churches soon sprang up on the shores of the
northern Great Lakes in towns such as Sault Ste.
Marie (SOO SAINT Mah REE), located on the
far northeastern point of the Upper Peninsula.
Michigan came under British control after the
French and Indian War. At this time, a Native
American named Pontiac united many tribes to
make a great alliance against the white man.
Some of the tribes were the Ojibwa tribe who
lived in the Upper Peninsula, and the Ottawa
and Potawatomie from the Lower Peninsula.
Pontiac’s warriors attacked in many places from
1763 and beyond, especially at Fort Detroit
which he held under siege for seven months.
Finally the British were able to make a treaty
with Pontiac.
Reformed Worldview Perspective: We
learned that the Native Americans were
disappointed the British and the
Americans were taking over their land.
As Reformed Christians, we believe that
God raised up leaders such as Pontiac
with the ability to unite nations. Discuss
how leaders such as Tecumseh and
Pontiac rise to power, not by chance, but
because God puts them in power for a
purpose.
Great Lakes States
The Mackinac Bridge connects the
Lower and Upper Peninsula.
In the late 1700s, Michigan became part of the
Northwest Territory. Michigan played a large part
in the War of 1812 because the British captured
Fort Detroit in the southeastern part of the state
and Fort Mackinac (MAK in awe) on the
northern tip of the Lower Peninsula. The
Americans were unable to retake Fort Mackinac,
but in 1815 after the war, the British gave it up.
Fort Detroit also was returned to America.
Michigan grew in population in the years
following the War of 1812. Before Michigan
became a state, a surprising argument began with
the state of Ohio over a strip of land on their
border. The problem was that both states
wanted Toledo. Some say that the name
“Wolverine State” was given to Michigan at this
time because those residents who wanted Toledo
were “ornery” like the wolverine. In 1837 the
United States government solved the problem
by giving the Toledo Strip to Ohio, and giving
three quarters of the Upper Peninsula to
Michigan. Furthermore, Michigan would now
be a state. While most people thought that
Michigan came out on the “short end” of the
deal, the Upper Peninsula would later provide
many precious minerals that would help
Michigan’s economy.
Land
Michigan is the only state in the United States
that has two large, distinct parts called the Upper
Peninsula and the Lower Peninsula. The Lower
Peninsula looks like a mitten with a noticeable
thumb on the east. The Upper Peninsula is
thinner with a finger that points northeast into
Lake Superior. Four other Great Lakes surround
Michigan, including Lake Michigan on the west,
Lake Superior to the north, Lake Huron to the
east, and Lake Erie to the southeast. With this
many lakes it is not surprising that Michigan has
the longest freshwater shoreline of any state!
Beautiful sand beaches are found, especially on
the shore of Lake Michigan.
The Upper Peninsula has pine forests with some
low mountains in the west. The northern part
of the Lower Peninsula also has highlands with
mostly pines and aspens. These scenic areas have
an abundance of natural resources such as timber
and minerals. Although Michigan used to mine
copper and iron in great amounts in the Upper
Peninsula, today it is too expensive to mine these
minerals. In the center of the Lower Peninsula,
the forests gradually change to deciduous trees
such as oaks and maples, which lose their leaves
in the fall. The southern part of the Lower
Peninsula has more plains and fertile soil. You
may wonder whether wolverines are still in the
forests of Michigan because the state is called
the Wolverine State. You need not fear,
wolverines are only in zoos.
Farming
The farms of the southern Lower Peninsula
provide Michigan with a variety of crops. Fruits
and vegetables such as cucumbers, squash,
asparagus, and carrots grow well, especially near
the shore of Lake Michigan, mainly because the
lake keeps the temperatures cooler in the
summer and warmer in the winter. Some
important crops of this area are produced in the
cherry and apple orchards. In fact, Michigan
leads the nation in the production of tart (sour)
cherries and is third in the United States in apple
production. Corn and soybeans are also grown
in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula.
Soybeans are very important as the second
leading crop in Michigan’s agricultural economy.
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Great Lakes States
Michigan leads the nation in the production of
varieties of flowers such as potted petunias and
impatiens. In Western Michigan, for example,
gardeners and home-owners can pick from a
wide variety of flowers in greenhouse stores
during the warmer months. These flowers are
also shipped to many parts of the United States.
fifteen out of one hundred workers were
unemployed in July, 2009. The bad economy has
hit many Michigan cities very hard. Cities such
as Detroit and Flint (population 102,434)
continue to have people move out, leaving
deserted houses and neighborhoods.
Economy
The strength of Michigan’s economy for many
years has been the automobile industry with its
center in Detroit (population 713,777).
Although the automobile had been invented
years earlier, Henry Ford made it possible for
many more Americans to drive a car in the early
1900s. He did this by using the idea of
interchangeable parts in his factories, which
means that parts such as bumpers or doors
would exactly fit on a similar car. Because of
his new ideas, factories could make cars much
more quickly on an assembly line.
Henry Ford
Today, large car companies such as General
Motors, Ford, and Chrysler still make many cars
using the assembly line and high technology
robots. However, the car industry has not sold
enough cars in recent years because of the
recession and many workers in Michigan have
no job. Some car companies have also moved
their factories to other countries where they can
106 pay their workers a cheaper wage. As a result,
Detroit at twilight
In recent years, the collapse of the car industry
has forced the businesses in the state to create
new jobs. One promising industry is health care.
Hospitals and medical research buildings are
being built especially in Grand Rapids
(population 188,040) where doctors and
scientists develop new medicines. Recently,
Michigan State University moved its medical
school from the Lansing area to Grand Rapids.
City leaders are happy for this move because it
will bring new jobs to a city that already is wellknown for the production of office furniture.
The state is also trying to increase tourism
especially in the beautiful scenic areas of the
Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower
Peninsula.
Other important cities in Michigan are Lansing
(population 114,297), Ann Arbor (population
113,934), and Kalamazoo (population 74,262).
The state capital of Michigan is found in Lansing
in the south central part of the state. Ann Arbor,
located in the southeastern part of the state, is
home to the University of Michigan. Kalamazoo
and Battle Creek, home of Kellogg’s cereal, are
two other cities in southwest Michigan.
Great Lakes States
Wisconsin - The Badger State
Introduction
In the introduction to the Great Lakes States,
we mentioned the interesting history of famous
explorers such as Nicolet and Joliet. These were
some of the first European explorers to set foot
in what we call Wisconsin. Many Native
American tribes lived in the land at the time
such as the Ho-Chunk (or Winnebago),
Menominee (Meh NAH me nee), and Ojibwa
tribes.
In the early days of Wisconsin, miners worked
hard in the many lead mines of the state. Miners
dug holes into the sides of hills much like a
badger would. After that, Wisconsin became
known as the "Badger State".
Land
The state of Wisconsin has many miles of
shoreline along Lake Michigan to the east and
Lake Superior to the north. Especially in the
central part of the state, tourists enjoy rocky
sandstone ledges along the rivers. In the northern
and western areas of Wisconsin, forested areas
and lakes abound where people can fish, camp,
or hike. The eastern and southern parts of
Wisconsin have more lowlands, especially along
Lake Michigan. The area around Green Bay is
visited often by tourists for its scenery.
Bacteria are added to change milk into curds
(milk that gets thicker until it is a solid). Later
in the manufacturing of the cheese the bacteria
are killed or removed. There are many types of
cheeses that are made in a variety of ways. If
you travel to Wisconsin you will find that many
cheese makers enjoy teaching children how
cheese is made.
Wisconsin farmers also produce a variety of
crops such as beans and peas. Corn is grown in
the southern part of the state, much of it to
feed the dairy cattle. Each year, more than 1.8
million Christmas trees are har vested in
Wisconsin, according to the Wisconsin Farm
Bureau!
Economy
Most of the industry is located in the southern
part of Wisconsin. The largest city in Wisconsin
is Milwaukee (population 594,833) on the shore
of Lake Michigan.
The Milwaukee
metropolitan area is home to many large
companies such as Harley-Davidson
Motorcycles and Briggs and Stratton Engines.
Milwaukee is also known for brewing many
kinds of beer.
The states of Minnesota and Iowa are located
west of Wisconsin. Much of the western border
is formed by the St. Croix (SAINT CROY) and
the Mississippi Rivers. The Upper Peninsula of
Michigan lies to the northeast and the state of
Illinois is to the south.
Farming
The Badger State is well-known for the
production of milk and cheese, a dairy product
that is produced when milk is separated into
whey (a liquid pronounced WAY) and curds.
State capitol in Madison
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Great Lakes States
Reformed Worldview Perspective: Talk
about whether the Reformed Christian
is allowed to drink beer and alcohol in
moderation (not too much). The Bible
often warns against the sin of
drunkenness. What is our view to be?
Milwaukee has spent much money to make its
city more attractive. The lakefront has many
beautiful buildings and artworks. The Milwaukee
Art Musuem has an artwork that looks like the
wings of a bird. The “wings” slowly move up
and down once a day by means of a machine.
This artwork has become an icon of the city
which means that people often think of
Milwaukee when they see this artwork.
Another large city in Wisconsin is the capital
city, Madison (population 233,209), where the
University of Wisconsin is located. Kenosha
(population 99,218) is a city on the shore of
Lake Michigan near Milwaukee.
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
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