A Great Lakes Mermaid & Petoskey Stones
When we took our first trip to Northern Michigan in June 2019, we stopped at the Cottage Book Shop in Glen Arbor. At that time the girls were very young, so we picked out just one picture book. It’s called Tallulah: Mermaid of the Great Lakes by Denise Brennan-Nelson.
In the story, the mermaid Tallulah has been searching the oceans for the special gemstone that will make the true colors of her tail shine. A wise sea turtle eventually asks her if she has searched the Great Lakes. Other mermaids and sea animals scoff at this suggestion. “These lakes are special and more beautiful than you could ever imagine” Turtle responds.
After a journey up the St. Lawrence River and into the Great Lakes, Tallulah and Turtle eventually make their way to Lake Michigan. And just as she is losing hope of finding her gemstone, something catches her eye. She picks-up a stone with a beautiful sunburst pattern and when she does, her tail transforms to match the beautiful stone. She has found her gemstone and her home in the Great Lakes.
So, what is this stone?
The Petoskey Stone is Michigan’s official state stone. The word Petoskey appears to have originated in the last 18th century as part of a legend of the Ottawa peoples of the region. Petosegay was the son of a French fur trader and an Ottawa princess. The translation of his name is “rising sun”, “rays of dawn” or “sunbeans of promise”. Petosegay indeed became an important person in the region. A fur trader who traversed white and native worlds and cultures, he acquired a lot of land and wealth. In 1873, a small city developed on his land near where Bear Creek empties into Lake Michigan. It was called Petoskey – an English iteration of his name.
What is a Petoskey Stone? A Petoskey Stone is actually a fossil colonial coral. These coral lived in waters that covered Michiagan about 350 million years ago. The fossil coral is only found in rock strata called Alpena Limesone. Because of this, there is a relatively limited geographic area in Northern Michigan where most Petoskey Stones are found. Many people search in Petoskey State Park, Magnus City Park and beaches around Charlevoix and Leelenau County. I don’t want to lead anyone astray. It’s not common to find one. The early spring right after ice and snow have melted is often the best time to search.
Most people see them after they have been polished to a hard sheen that makes them look like clusters of sunbursts captured in glass. Artists have used the actual rock as well as the pattern in any number of art forms and jewelry.
While not colorful like some of the treasures of the ocean, it feels right that these beautiful creations come from the Great Lakes. Not flashy but still extraordinary.
