Celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, this Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage trail story explores how fisheries have shaped Michigan and our country throughout history; and how these stories live on today through the people, fish, and fishing that connect our coastline, culture and Great Lakes identity.
Many industries and communities in the Great Lakes region, and globally, were impacted from 1939-1945 during World War II. Michigan’s World War II industrial efforts might be best remembered for its industrial might through images of shipyards, and factory assembly lines turning out jeeps, tanks, and aircraft. But another vital wartime industry labored on the freshwater seas of the Great Lakes: commercial fishing.
In 1942, commercial fisherman John Anderson unloaded his catch of lake herring (also called cisco) on the west shore of Green Bay near Beattie Creek in Menominee County, Michigan. At this time, little did Anderson, and all Great Lakes commercial fishermen, know that harvests of lake herring, lake whitefish, and lake trout became part of the nation’s critical food supply chain at a time of unprecedented global need.
Across Michigan, additional commercial fishing communities answered the same call to duty. Their labor unfolded in working ports, on icy decks, and across the inland seas of the Great Lakes demonstrating that victory depended not only on weapons and manufacturing, but also on the ability to feed our nation at war.
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Photo: Michigan Maritime Museum
Michigan’s World War II commercial fishermen rarely appear in traditional wartime narratives, yet their contribution was considered essential by the U.S. government. Working long hours in dangerous conditions, they supplied food when the nation and its allies needed it most. Their story reminds us that war mobilized not only soldiers and factory workers, but entire food systems and the people who sustained them.
Museum exhibits, preserved fishing vessels, working-port histories, and family stories along the Great Lakes shoreline ensure this home-front war effort is not forgotten and are uplifted by the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail. Together, they tell a powerful story: Victory depended not only on those who fought the war, but also on those who fished to feed it.
Read the expanded story online
This article is based on research by The Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven for their exhibit Lake Michigan’s Call to Duty previously on display and local histories collected by the West Shore Fishing Museum in Menominee. These resources place commercial fishers alongside farmers and factory workers in the story of wartime mobilization, underscoring a central truth of World War II: food production was as critical to victory as arms manufacturing.
More stories
Michigan Sea Grant and Michigan State University Extension, in partnership with America250MI and the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail (GLFHT) network, offer this Great Lakes fisheries history and heritage storytelling series celebrating Michigan’s commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary. More stories of Michigan’s Great Lakes fisheries heritage are online at the Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail website.
Additional resources
Explore to learn more about Great Lakes fisheries:
- Life of the Lakes: A Guide to the Great Lakes Fishery — produced by Michigan Sea Grant with University of Michigan Press.
- Small Fry, Big Catches: The Great Lakes Fishery — a Michigan History Magazine article published by the Historical Society of Michigan in partnership with Michigan Sea Grant.
- Looking to buy Michigan fish? MiFreshFish is an online filterable database of Michigan fish suppliers and producers is a fast and easy way to buy fresh, local fish.
- Learn more about America250MI: america250mi.org
