Little Big Town is an ongoing blog series that grew out of my years of research into the life of Henry McMorran, one of the most prominent businessmen and public figures in the history of Port Huron. But, as so often happens in historical research, following one person led me to many others. Along the way, I discovered people, places, events and connections whose stories caught my attention and sometimes carried me far beyond McMorran himself. This is a space for those stories.
When I started the Tappingroots blog ten years ago, one of my goals was to share some of the stories I had uncovered about Henry McMorran, and over the years I did just that. What I never really had the opportunity to do was explain why I became so interested in Henry in the first place, or why I kept returning to his story. I have also learned and grown tremendously as a researcher and writer since I first took on this project for myself. My understanding of Henry and of the people and community around him has grown along with me. That research also led me to discover other stories, eventually resulting in my first book, Pioneers of St. Clair County, Michigan.
I always intended to write a book about Henry, but over time I came to realize his story does not fit neatly into a traditional biography. His legacy is scattered across newspapers, court records, business ventures, people and places. Bringing what I have learned about him together in this series and in my past blog posts about him gives me an opportunity to share his legacy as I found it, in bits and pieces, and sometimes through the stories of others.
Although I have lived away from Port Huron for many years, it has never stopped feeling like home. I call this series Little Big Town because that is how I have come to see my hometown, a relatively small community with a remarkable rich and colorful history. Perhaps every hometown is a little bigger in the eyes of the people who love it. The blue water, the familiar streets, childhood memories, and the family and friends who are still there remain a part of me, even from a distance. The more I learn about Port Huron’s past, the more I appreciate the place that helped shape me.