MONTMORENCY COUNTY HISTORY continued
During most of the nineteenth century, the county's land was dense forest with white pine, jack pine and some hardwoods. But in the late nineteenth century when lumber companies discovered the county's vast timber resources, much of the land was clear-cut with the lumber being sent by rail to mills, to nearby rivers or to the Great Lakes for transportation down state.
Photographs of logging train and camp courtesy of Montmorency County Tribune
As the lumber industry declined, the county adapted by becoming agricultural as well as by promoting tourism. Today, tourism remains the largest industry as Montmorency has many acres of state forest land and campgrounds as well as lakes and streams. And in the winter, the county is part of the state snowmobile route. Agriculture, forestry and light manufacturing also provide revenue to the county's residents.
County government offices reside in the courthouse built in 1943 in Atlanta, which replaced the Old County Courthouse that burned in 1942, destroying the Prosecuting Attorney's records. After the fire, surviving records were moved to the Community Hall. One year later, this building also burned and with it all county documents--the exceptions being Montmorency's birth, death and marriage statistics.
Today, eight townships--Albert, Avery, Briley, Hillman, Loud, Montmorency, Rust and Vienna--and the incorporated village of Hillman comprise the local governmental units of Montmorency County.
Old County Courthouse photograph courtesy of Montmorency County Tribune
For further information on the county's history, see the following links:
Cemeteries of Montmorency County, Michigan Interment.net
"1873 Map of Montmorency Michigan" --David Rumsey Company
"1895 Map of Montmorency County"
Heritage Montmorency County Tribune (to view, find Heritage in the pull down menu)
Montmorency County Historical Markers, Michigan Markers
"The History of County Creation" CMU CLARKE LIBRARY
Sunday, April 9, 2006 8:16 AM
