“Rural Voices” shares cultural, educational, economic and artistic views of people who have lived and thrived in the Upper Peninsula. Each of our authors in Rural Voices may be living here in the U.P. or living someplace around the globe, but the U.P. is an important part of who they are and what their beliefs and values are today. Rural Voices wants to share the voices of our neighbors and friends about life and experiences in the UP.
Recently Published
Rural Voices: Jon G. LaSalle
“I was raised on our family’s homestead near Fayette Historic State Park on the Garden Peninsula. I attended school in a two-room schoolhouse in Fairbanks Township called “Mud Lake School” that had K-4 in one room and 5th-8th grades in the second room.” Read Jon G. LaSalle’s fascinating account of growing up in the Upper Peninsula in his Rural Voices piece.
Paul Schloegel: What Being a Yooper Means to Me
“It’s more than trees and pasties. If I am staying true to my roots, it means we respect nature. We respect our neighbors as well as their opinions and we should be willing to do everything in our power to help others in need. I’m inspired by my community’s rich deep history, and driven to be a part of its future through many outlets. These are the qualities that have molded this Yooper into who I am today.”
UP Leader Heads to Big DC Job, a Sault Star Remembered, Munising Paper Closes, New Service for Veterans, & New Generation of UP Leaders
A Bay Mills leader heads to big DC job, a Sault Saint Marie star remembered, the Munising newspaper shuts down, a Houghton bookstore closes, new service for Veterans available, and a new generation of Upper Peninsula leaders.
The French Regime in the Upper Peninsula – Part Three
Upper Peninsula historian Dr. Russell Magnaghi gives a fascinating overview of how the French explored and greatly influenced the history and development of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This is the final installment of our three-part series.
My Experiences Growing Up as a Copper Country Boy
Marquette’s Walt Lindala details his early experiences growing up in the Keweenaw in a Finnish household, and how these experiences shaped his view of the Upper Peninsula, the necessity for “SISU,” and the importance of education, the arts, and embracing change to make for a better future.
