Michigan’s small towns possess a charm all their own. Author Amy Piper grew up in one of the state’s small towns, outside Lansing in Holt. She says she always appreciated her hometown’s character, but truly understood what she missed most about it while living in larger cities.
“Yes, there’s all these wonderful theaters and all these things to do, but it comes with a price of people and crowds and traffic and all of that,” Piper said. “Where the small towns like Holt, near Lansing. I went to New York City, didn’t see a Broadway play, came back home and went to the Wharton Center and saw the same play that was on Broadway.”
Recently, Piper published her latest work, documenting the stories that create small-town charm. The book, Small Town Michigan, features community legends, tales passed down over the years, and quirky facts about curious places across the state.
Piper was particularly drawn to communities in the Upper Peninsula. One of her favorite discoveries was Germfask, a town she found captivating because of the Benny the Beard Fisher recycled art sculpture. And was surprised to learn the interesting story behind its name.
“They had eight founders and they were trying to agree in the middle of the night where what they were going to name the town,” Piper said. “Some people didn’t want Deerton, other people had other ideas. Finally, the leader said, stop. We’re going to take the first letter of each of your last names and create a word. And that’s what they came up with is Germfask.”
Piper believes more people have taken notice of Michigan’s small towns, choosing to visit smaller communities that offer a wide range of recreation options or a relaxing view from a historic front porch.
“I tended to pick ones under 15,000,” Piper said. “There’s only a couple that have more than 13,000. So actually trying to whittle it down, you know? They had to have at least some things to do or noteworthy things to go see there to make it worth people going to.”
“Small Town Michigan” includes Upper Peninsula communities such as Copper Harbor, Calumet, Munising and Paradise. The travel book helps visitors explore and understand these communities. Piper says researching the book was an exciting challenge, involving visits to local libraries, museums and conversations with community members. Learn more about Amy Piper and her book Small Town Michigan on her website.
Learn more about small town charms and opportunities to explore communities in the Copper Country with Visit Keweenaw.
