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According to Riddle’s conversation with Don La Barre, head of the Special Collections Department at the Alpena County Library, numerous people have reached out to La Barre since The News’ March 4 story about the pending name change.
Some have reached out in search of historical context to help inform their suggestion for a new name to the Interior Department. Others have searched for the history of the naming of the bay in an effort to preserve the current name, which the Interior Department is changing because many people view the current name as offensive to Native American women.
However you feel about the pending name change, it’s great to see such piqued interest in our history, especially in the history of the original inhabitants of Northeast Michigan, a story too often untold, told the wrong way, or told by the wrong people.
Understanding our history helps us understand how we got to our current situation, and that can help provide some clues about where we might end up — or at least inform our decisions about where we want to take our future.
We’d encourage residents to brush up on all of Northeast Michigan’s history (including by picking up a copy of the 2022 edition of Pioneer Dreams magazine at The News, 130 Park Place) to gain a better understanding about the people and circumstances that made Alpena what it is today.
You’ll also learn, by the by, that Alpena has a long history of name changes. The city itself went through several name changes — from Fremont to Alpena to Thunder Bay — before settling on Alpena, which means something like “almost a partridge.”
So keep digging, Northeast Michigan. We think you’ll love what you find.
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