A Short History of Munising Munising is an Indian name meaning "Place of the Great Island" in Chippewa. In 1820 the Chippewa village was located at the mouth of the Anna River. They then moved camp to Sand Point. History shows that many travelers and early explorers visited the area.  Munising was actually founded by white men in 1850 but the first civilization was built in Au Train.  The town consisted of thirty homes, one blacksmith shop, the bay furnace, a sawmill and a government lighthouse. In 1894, Timothy Nestor took a trip with Captain Taylor who ran an excursion boat named City of Munising, to Munising Bay, and while there he explored the area. In 1895, he hired men and work started on the city now known as Munising. In 1896, a post office was established and the population at that time was 500.  In May of 1896, the village was incorporated. Thomas G. Sullivan, an early settler, was the first mayor of  Munising after its incorporation  and the namesake of Sullivan's Landing, Sullivan Creek and Sullivan Lake.  The new community grew rapidly and within one year after the first tree was cut, the population jumped to 3,500. Docks, sawmills and a tannery were built and a newspaper was printed. The Courthouse was moved from Au Train to Munising in 1901. A fire hall and a City Dock were completed in 1938. Post Munising History Information View Munising History Posts