Shining Big Sea Water

In Shining Big Sea Water, historian Norman K. Risjord offers a grand tour of Lake Superior&#39;s remarkable history, taking readers through the centuries and into the lives of those who have traveled the lake and inhabited its shores.<br /><br />Through lively, informative chapters, Risjord begins with the lake&#39;s cataclysmic geological birth, then explores the lives of native peoples along the shore before European contact and during the fur trade, showing how Superior functioned as an unusual &quot;blue water highway&quot; for Indians, early explorers, industries, and settlers. He outlines the development of such cities as Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan; Ashland, Wisconsin; and Two Harbors, Minnesota, and tells the fascinating histories of life-saving lighthouses and famous shipwrecks. In the final chapter, Risjord looks to the future, offering a clear-eyed account of the environmental and economic challenges faced by America&#39;s largest freshwater lake.<br /><br />Interspersed throughout the book are handy tips for travelers, highlighting historically significant sites that illustrate key pieces of Lake Superior&#39;s natural and human history, including national lakeshores in the United States and provincial parks in Canada.