How Misery Bay in Lake Superior Got Its Name

Just the name of this place evokes images of Stephen King’s novel (and film) Misery...but it’s far from being close in comparison.

There are a couple of Misery Bays in Michigan: one near Alpena and the one that is the crux of this article, In Ontonagon County near the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula along Lake Superior.

The area is not even close to evoking Misery. It’s along the clear blue waters of Superior with sandy beaches, numerous wildflowers, rare and unique rocks, and plenty of wildlife. So why the name “Misery” Bay?

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Legend has it that on a summer day in June during the early 1880s, a settler was at the foot of the bay cutting marsh grass to feed his livestock when two men from the government pulled up in their boat. It was a hot day and the settler was doing hard, hot work. The government guys happened to be surveying the land and yelled to the man, “Hey, what’s the name of this place?”

Weary, the settler was sweating and had been swatting away pesky bugs and didn’t clearly hear the question. He answered, “I’m in misery!!!” so that’s the name the surveyors wrote down.

Quite the opposite of its name.

See images and location of Misery Bay in the gallery found below.

Misery bay and Agate beach 😉