BEAVER ISLAND, MI — You can tell a lot about the character of a place by the signage.
On Beaver Island, the pace of life is slow. People come to get away. That’s encapsulated well by a property entrance along East Side Drive, which reads “Isle Awhile.”
Some Beaver Island signs are clever. The island has a unique history which includes an 1800s Mormon religious leader who declared himself king. Presumably, that was partly the inspiration for another east side property entrance, which reads “Sunrise Kingdom.”
Some signs are cheeky, such as one that reads “Topless Beech” on top of what is, presumably, a post made from a beech tree.
Some are strictly informational, such as historical location markers. Others are disappointing, such as one posted at the 250-plus year-old birch tree, which now has a fence for protection from climbers and carvers.
Some signs tell you where you are. Some point the way. Not all are standing vertical. In the village of St. James, the compass at the corner is drilled into the sidewalk.
Some signs are mysterious, though it might not be obvious. Apparently, the bike trail signs just appeared one day and it’s not known who posted them. Probably someone with a bicycle.
The street signs reflect the island’s past and people. Many names are Irish. Some are hard to pronounce. One is Paid een Ogs Road, an east-west route through the island interior, which, according to the Wojan-Cashman Beaver Island map, is pronounced “Päj’een Og.”
(Good luck with that one).
The 56 square-mile island is heavily forested and the gravel roads are narrow. The rural nature lends itself to some cliche, such as a road sign peppered with bullet holes.
There are signs which lack context, like those which read “flood area ahead.” Why might there be water up ahead? It’s because of beavers. Yes, there are beavers on Beaver Island and sometimes they build dams where people would rather they didn’t.
There are signs which are solemn, such as one at Whiskey Point which lists the names of Beaver Islanders who perished on the Great Lakes.
And some signs are just trying to warn of danger. On East Side Road near Welke Airport, a sign warns drivers of “Low Flying Aircraft Ahead.” The private runway is busy with pilots, passengers and packages of all sorts and planes land with low clearance.
In case you weren’t sure what to do in that situation, someone added a helpful addendum.
“Duck.”
See all of our Beaver Island coverage here.
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