06/19/2023
When you think of Michigan immigrants, who comes to mind? The Dutch, who so populated the southwest of the state that they established the town of Holland? The Scandinavians, who settled the shoreline and spearheaded Michigan's fishing industry? Or perhaps the Cornish miners who brought pasties to the Upper Peninsula, or the French who traded with the Anishinaabeg for furs?
These are all great examples, but another early settler group may have slipped under your radar — African Americans.
Michigan was a popular place for African American pioneers to settle after the Civil War. Michigan had been an anti-slavery state from the start, with a strong abolitionist presence. Schools were integrated. It also had one of the country’s best-funded education systems. Michigan boasted over 7,000 schools statewide. The goal was that no child should need to walk more than an hour to school. The land of Northern Michigan was prosperous, and the logging industry offered jobs. All these conditions and opportunities were attractive to single men and families.
African American pioneer families played essential roles in the development of Northern Michigan and the land that makes up the Lakeshore today. Pictured is a historic photo of a class from the Aral School, located inside what is now part of Sleeping Bear Dunes, from about 1908 or 1909. The photo includes five children from the Hall family. Front row: Johnny Hall. Back row (from left): Margaret Hall, May Hall, Pete Hall, Jonah Hall.
Photo: NPS
