For thousands of years, the St. Marys River on the eastern edge of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been an important focal point. It is the only way out of the immense Lake Superior by water, and it is a narrow border separating the United States (Michigan) from Canada (Ontario). Most of Chippewa County is not far from its shores. Through the years, the river has provided a living, first on the river itself and then farther inland in the form of lumber, berries, farm crops and more. Alternating Currents is the tale of the successes and failures of various enterprises over the years, woven together with the constant thread of peoples’ belief that a life in Chippewa County was worth living, from founding fathers like Otto Fowle and William Chandler, to those who added color and texture, including Charles Field, Reginald P. Turner, W.D. Hitchcock and Mary Wood.