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The History of Anamakee Bay

Located on the shores of Michigan’s Lake Huron

In Alpena, MI and Ossineke, MI

HISTORY OF Anamakee Bay (Now Thunder Bay)

AH-NE-MI-KE, the thunder or thunderbirds, are also extremely powerful figures of Algonquian mythology. Thunderbirds are thought to reside the sky in the west and are responsible for thunder, which they cause by flapping their wings. They also make lightening bolts, which are fire balls thrown by Ah-ne-mi-ke at malevolent water creatures such as Me-she-pe-shiw. Thunderbirds are fearsome creatures...but generally benign.

ME-SHE-PE-SHIW, one of the most powerful creatures in Native American legends and lore of the Upper Great Lakes is the Underwater Panther (or Horned Mountain Lion), Me-She-Pe-Shiw, an extremely malevolent creature, lived beneath the waters of the Upper Great Lakes. Native people believed he caused great storms on the Lakes by thrashing his long tail... and were most mindful to offer sacrifies (especially tobacco) to appease the creature before beginning long voyages over the water of the Great Lakes.

(Now comes the Chippewa Chief Animickee)

Uniquely enough, it's the same natural resources that attract people to Northeast Michigan today, as in the beginning. Alpena was settled because of its lumber and convenient waterways systems.

Like the history of most towns, the past constitutes many interesting stories. For example, Alpena, laid out in 1840, was originally named "Animickee" for a Chippewa Chief who signed the treaty of 1826, negotiated by Henry R Schoolcraft. The word "Animickee" means "Thunder" and corresponds to the French "Anse du Tonners", which appears on a French map dated 1688.