Here is a sunrise over Lake Huron taken from Lakeport State Park, just north of Port Huron. The haze and the distance makes it impossible to see the Great Lakes freighter which was on the horizon--going south into the St. Clair River, as best as I could tell. Laura and I were able to sneak away for a camping trip, just to two of us. (Peter spent the night with a friend.) Laura noted that this was the first time we had done this since 1993.
As we were enjoying a day, a night, and a morning on the shore of one of the Great Lakes, I began to ponder. My thoughts made me go, "Hmmmmmm." Why is it Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, and Lake Superior, but it is Houghton Lake, Higgins Lake, Torch Lake, Burt Lake, etc.? What decides if "Lake" is the first word in the title or the last?
Size of the lake, you suggest? I don't think so. Lake St. Clair is in the chain of the Great Lakes, but it is most certainly not a Great Lake. In Wisconsin, Lake Winnebago is the largest lake in the state, but certainly not worthy of Great Lake. The Great Salt Lake is the largest inland lake west of the Mississippi, but "Lake" comes at the end. In Wisconsin, Mirror Lake and Lake Delton are right next to each other.
So far, the best theory I can come up with is that "Lake" being the first word happens because of a French influence. The French got to the Great Lakes first, so "Lake" introduces the name of each Great Lake. In turn, "Lake" coming at the end of the title might be a British influence. Lac du Flambeau (Wisconsin) would support that French influence theory, but then Fond du Lac (Wisconsin) blows it apart. So, the mystery remains. Any ideas out there?
