Points North | Great Lakes. Great Stories.

A teen band in western New York is destined for greatness. Then cracks begin to form, starting with an unwelcome surprise from Lake Erie. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North good...

Michigan morel hunter Anthony Williams explains why he keeps his best mushroom spots secret—and why they're one of his family's most treasured heirlooms. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool P...

In 1860, the steamship Lady Elgin was struck by a small schooner in Lake Michigan. Around 300 people drowned in the disaster, making it the deadliest shipwreck in Great Lakes history. The tragedy would have a major influence on maritime safety in the Great Lakes. This episode comes from Curious City , a podcast from WBEZ Chicago. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to...

When eight Bigfoot sightings were reported in just five days, northeast Ohio had the country’s attention. What was it like for these small rural communities to be at the center of the Bigfoot universe? And did it change what the people there believed? _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fa...

Passenger pigeons were once the most abundant bird in North America. But in 1914, they went extinct. Most of their last nesting grounds hugged the Great Lakes. What was it like to experience these birds? And what are we left with when we lose a species? _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North...

Owls are elusive birds of the night – part of this mysterious world we rarely encounter. Researchers are learning just how complex an owl’s communication is. We go into the woods to try to experience these birds for ourselves. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5...

For more overlooked stories from the past, check out HISTORY This Week wherever you get your podcasts! On April 3, 1851, a man who escaped slavery to Boston was kidnapped by slave catchers. The Fugitive Slave Act turned cities across the North into hunting grounds. But resistance was growing. In Pennsylvania, William Parker was building a network to fight back.  _______________________ If you enjo...

When Seth Swoboda’s trees started dying, he asked two scientists for help. Their theory: herbicides were drifting onto his private property from farm fields and killing his trees, and it was happening all over. They just had to prove it. This episode is based on a story written by Christian Elliott for bioGraphic Magazine. Read it here . _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please te...

After a boat captain notices strange black goo on his ship’s rudder, he scoops some of it into a cup. A few months later, that cup ends up in a lab, where scientists make a surprising discovery. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show...

In northwest Indiana, there’s a 20-mile stretch of Lake Michigan that’s dominated by industry. It’s some of the dirtiest water in the lake, but it's also home to some of the biggest waves anywhere on the Great Lakes. Despite the pollution, there’s a dedicated group of surfers who keep flocking to this area. And one day, after a really big chemical spill from one of the factories, the surfers decid...

Kevin Shafer is obsessed with rain. As the head of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, it’s his job to be. But when a thousand-year storm comes out of nowhere and dumps over a foot of rain, Kevin is faced with a decision: send sewage into people’s basements or into Lake Michigan.  _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out...

Rock hunting holds a special place in Joyce Fetrow’s heart. Years ago, she battled alcoholism that drove her to some dark places. Now, Joyce dedicates her life to helping others find recovery, and says rocks remind her of that journey and inspire her to keep on track with her sobriety. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to mo...

When U.P. snowboarder Nick Baumgartner lost in a qualifying round at the 2022 Olympics, he broke down on national TV. It was his fourth Olympics, he’d never medaled, and he was 40 years old. He might not get another shot at a medal. But then he got some news. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points...

It’s auction day in Rogers City, Michigan. Along a county highway lined with pine trees, another family sawmill quietly peels itself off the map. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points No...

Edmonia Lewis, the first globally-recognized sculptor of African American and Native American descent, achieved critical acclaim for her masterpiece, “The Death of Cleopatra.” But over 100 years ago, it disappeared.  _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, yo...

Lake Superior can change in a heartbeat; one minute it’s calm ― the next it's raging into a wild storm. When people in the water get caught off-guard, first-responders have to balance being the hero and knowing when to call it quits. _______________________ If you enjoy this episode, please text it to a friend! Help us get Points North out to more ears... Join the Points North Fan Club today! For...

For almost seven years, Bugsy Sailor has been on a mission to watch every sunrise. But now, he wonders if the inspiration that started this project will also be the thing that ends it. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscribe to the Points North Newslett...

November 10, 1975: The SS Edmund Fitzgerald sinks in a massive storm on Lake Superior. But just miles away, a few fishermen are struggling in the same storm — fighting for survival. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter...

In October 1960, Prince Akihito of Japan visited Chicago for 21 hours. Chicago’s mayor presented the prince with a diplomatic gift: 18 bluegill. What happened next would change the underwater world of Japan forever. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscri...

On a remote island in Lake Michigan, some old apple trees could have very rare, never-before-discovered genes. And if they do, they could join the U.S. stockpile of apples poised to fight off future threats. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscribe to th...

Buildings and light pollution are taking a heavy toll on migrating birds. Some cities in the Midwest and Great Plains are working to fix that. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscribe to the Points North Newsletter for more Great Lakes news. And follow u...

In one of the most polluted parts of Lake Michigan, whitefish are thriving. Some people wonder if we should try to replicate that environment elsewhere to save the iconic species. But that could mean doing something untested and controversial. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points Nort...

In the early 1800s, a group of politicians decided part of the Ohio border should move farther north. It started a decades-long border fight between Michigan and Ohio. There were winners. There were losers. And in the end, it shaped the states as we know them. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some...

In 2014, a group of botanists discovered that a very rare plant native to the Kankakee River in Illinois, had vanished from its only known native habitat in the world. That set off a quest to bring back the missing Midwestern flower. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies...

What would happen if our devices were alive? Would it change the way we treat them? One researcher in Chicago wanted to find out. So she made a smartwatch that has to be fed and watered to work. _______________________ Join the Points North Fan Club today! For just $5/month, you can support the show you love, and we'll send you some cool Points North goodies in return. Subscribe to the Points Nort...