CROSS VILLAGE

The Place

Cross Village, MI, is located on the Northwestern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. It used to be a thriving fishing and lumber town. The Village has a rich history that has a strong connection to the Native American Ottawa Indians.

Before his death in 1675, Father Jacques Marquette, a famous French Jesuit who was close with the Native Indian Population of Northern Michigan, planted a huge white cross on a bluff overlooking lake Michigan. By 1787, this region became known to the Indians as “Land of the Cross.” In 1855 Emmet County was reorganized and four new townships were created by the State. One of them was "La Croix," which officially changed its name to Cross Village in 1875 [1].

A map of Cross Village

The Story

In "The Last Good Country", Nick and his sister run away from home. The story is essentially an adventure through the woods. Nick earns money for the trip by fishing for trout and illegally selling it to Mrs. Packard, a lady who runs the inn nearby. Nick enjoys the privacy of the woods. He says to his sister, “You just enjoy this, Littless. This is good for you. This is the way forests were in the olden days. This is about the last good country there is left. Nobody gets in here ever.”

The Hemingway Connection

In The Last Good Country, Hemingway mentions Cross Village in relation to Nick and his sister’s wild escapade. Nick fishes a lot in this story. Cross Village is a place where Hemingway would often go and fish.