| The Jordan Valley's natural history dates back to the
retreat of the Wisconsin Glacier about 10,000 years ago. The ebb
and flow of this giant ice shield created the random hills,
valleys, river channels, lakes, and streams. Little is known
about the valley's early cultural history except that indigenous
peoples utilized these lands and harvested their resources for
ages. Explorers, fur trappers, and missionaries were some of the
first Europeans to visit this region. Later, in the mid
1800's, homesteads began to appear around the river's mouth. In
the late 1800's the logging era boomed. Most of the Jordan
Valley was sequentially clear-cut. The Jordan River was used as
a log driving stream supplying saw mills all around the Great
Lakes. In the early 1900's, immense wildfires burned large areas
of the watershed.
By 1925 most of the timber, saw mills, and logging camps were
gone. Some people attempted to farm the cleared lands but soon
found the thin soils unproductive. Many of these barren lands
reverted to state ownership. Today these lands have been allowed
to heal and are now part of the 25,000 acre Jordan Valley
Management Area of the Mackinaw State Forest. |
