They Ran Like Mad: The 1908 Metz Fire and Northern Michigan’s Burning Year
About this episode
This episode explores the devastating Metz Fire of 1908 in northern Michigan through reports and personal accounts.
In October 1908, northern Michigan burned. The Metz Fire destroyed a village, killed dozens and left hundreds homeless. At the same time, fires threatened communities near Alpena, Traverse City and Sault Ste. Marie, where ashes fell on the water “as if from a volcano.” This episode follows the fire through newspaper reports and the firsthand escape account of Mildred Swan, a Bay City teacher who ran through burning orchards and fences to survive. The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications
People in this episode
Host: Thumbwind Publications
Topics covered
- historical events
- wildfires
- Michigan history
- survival stories
- community impact
Keywords
- Metz Fire
- northern Michigan
- wildfires
- Mildred Swan
- historical events
- survival
- community impact
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Michigan, Bay City, Alpena, Traverse City, Sault Ste. Marie
More episodes of The End of the Road in Michigan
- Apartment 211: How the Collingwood Massacre Ended Detroit’s Purple Gang
- The Day the Trolleys Stopped: Michigan’s Lost Interurban Age
- The Men Who Didn’t Want to Leave: German POWs in Michigan
- The Gogebic Michigan Highwayman - The Last Stagecoach Robbery in North America
- Steam, Smoke, and Sunday Excursions: Newberry’s Turn of the Century Transformation
- Walled Lake, Michigan: Roller Coasters, Dance Floors, and a Lakeside Dream
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The End of the Road in Michigan podcast page.