While English and Dutch explorers began settlements along the coastal areas of North America, bold Frenchmen sought to bring their civilization inland, away from the threats that other nations posed and close to the source of furs. The result was that a few intrepid Frenchmen reached The Great Lakes beginning in 1615, traveling hundreds of miles inland, while other European settlements in North America were still perched on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean. This book tells the stories of the men who made the first journeys through the rivers, lakes and woods to reach the place where the fresh water flowed clean and cold, surrounding a beautiful peninsula that became known as Michigan.