Presque Isle County, Michigan

Presque Isle County, Michigan
Seal
Location in the state of Michigan
Michigan's location in the U.S.
Founded	1840
Seat	Rogers City
Area  - Total  - Land  - Water	2,572.75 sq mi (6,663 km²) 660.07 sq mi (1,710 km²) 1,912.68 sq mi (4,954 km²), 74.34%
Population  - (2000)  - Density	14,411 21/sq mi (8/km²)
Website	www.presqueislecounty.org

Presque Isle County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 14,411. The county seat is Rogers City.

Both the county and Presque Isle Township are named for Presque Isle (literally, "almost an island") which is French for "peninsula". A large part of the township consists of that peninsula, with Lake Huron on the east and Grand Lake on the west and narrows strips of land connecting it to the mainland at the north and south ends. The community of Presque Isle is situated near the center of this peninsula.

The county was set off on April 1, 1840 and a county government was first organized in 1871. The government was re-organized in 1875.

History

Early Native Americans living in the area were nomadic, using the land as hunting grounds. To them the land between the Ocqueoc and Swan Rivers was sacred ground. The name "Presque Isle" was given to the area by fur traders who portaged over the strip of land that attaches Presque Isle to the main land

Early development of the area was delayed because it had no navigable river. The Ocqueoc River was Presque Isle's largest river but it was shallow and crooked, with many rapids. In the spring of 1839 a surveying party, contracted by the state of Michigan, reported that the land of this area was worthless. This further discouraged development until the 1860s when the Crawford family settled into a quiet cove of Lake Huron, south of the present-day site of Rogers City. They intended to develop a stone quarry, but found the stone to flaky to be used as building material. Turning to lumbering, they sold the wood to steamers traveling the Great Lakes.

In 1868 W.E. Rogers, an officer in the US Army, organized a surveying party to Presque Isle, with Albert Molitor as supervisor. Seeing the huge forests, they attempted to purchase Crawford's Quarry but were refused. They formed the Molitor-Rogers Company purchasing the land at the site of Rogers City. The following year a large party of German and Polish immigrants arrived and began settling in the area. The Molitor-Rogers Company built a sawmill, store, boarding house, and blacksmith shop. The small city was solely supplied by the company. After a difficult winter in 1870-71, the community began to thrive.

The original settlers of this county were lumbermen, fishermen and farmers. In 1907 a mining engineer/geologist from New York, H.H. Hindshaw, visited Crawford's Quarry and found it to be rich in limestone. Following this discovery, the Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company of Calcite was founded purchasing 8,000 acres (32 km²) at Calcite, the new name for Crawford's Quarry. Recognizing the need for a means of shipping their product the Bradley Transportation Company was formed. The company is known in the area for being the chief business, as a large number of the area's residents are employed by the company. One of the darker aspects of the county's history involved the Bradley Transportation Company when one of their cargo ships, the Carl D. Bradley sank on Lake Michigan in a November Gale in 1958 with the lost of 33 lives, 29 of whom resided in Presque Isle County (26 were from Rogers City, two were from Onaway, and one was from Metz Township).

Today the world's largest limestone processing plant is located in Rogers City, which is also a major Great Lakes Port. This is the best natural harbor on Lake Huron between Port Huron and Mackinaw City.

Geography

According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 2,572.75 square miles (6,663.4 km²), of which 660.07 square miles (1,709.6 km²) (or 25.66%) is land and 1,912.68 square miles (4,953.8 km²) (or 74.34%) is water. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.

Geographic features

• Grand Lake (Presque Isle, Michigan)
• Ocqueoc Falls [1] (Ocqueoc Township, Michigan)

Transportation

Air

There are two private airports in Presque Isle County

• Presque Isle County Airport (Rogers City)
• Leo E. Goetz County Airport (Onaway)

The nearest commercial airline airports are Alpena County Regional Airport and Cherry Capital Airport (Traverse City).

Highways

• US 23
• 
  BUS US 23 provides a loop through downtown Rogers City.
• M-33
• M-65
• M-68
• M-211
• F-21

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 14,411 people, 6,155 households, and 4,203 families residing in the county. The population density was 22 people per square mile (8/km²). There were 9,910 housing units at an average density of 15 per square mile (6/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.07% White, 0.26% Black or African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. 0.55% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 28.5% were of German, 28.2% Polish, 7.9% English, 6.3% American, 5.6% French and 5.6% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.7% spoke English and 3.1% Polish as their first language.

There were 6,155 households out of which 24.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.80% were married couples living together, 6.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.70% were non-families. 28.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the county the population was spread out with 20.90% under the age of 18, 6.50% from 18 to 24, 22.40% from 25 to 44, 27.80% from 45 to 64, and 22.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 99.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.10 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,656, and the median income for a family was $37,426. Males had a median income of $31,275 versus $20,625 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,363. About 6.80% of families and 10.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.10% of those under age 18 and 9.20% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire, building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Presque Isle County elected officials

• Prosecuting Attorney: Richard Steiger
• Sheriff:Robert Paschke
• County Clerk: Susan M. Rhode
• County Treasurer: Beth Heinzel
• Register of Deeds: Cathy I. Idalski
• Drain Commissioner: Charles M. Lyon
• County Surveyor: Norman J. Quaine, Jr.

(information as of September 2009)

Cities, villages, and townships

Cities Onaway Rogers City

Villages Millersburg Posen

Unincorporated Hawks Leroy Manitou Beach Metz Presque Isle

Townships

Allis Township Bearinger Township Belknap Township Bismarck Township Case Township

Krakow Township Metz Township Moltke Township North Allis Township Ocqueoc Township

Posen Township Presque Isle Township Pulawski Township Rogers Township

Historical markers

There are ten recognized Michigan historical markers in the county:

• Bearinger Union School
• Burnham's Landing
• Elowsky Mill
• Forty Mile Point Lighthouse / Graveyard of Ships
• Lake Huron
• The Metz Fire
• Old Presque Isle Lighthouse
• Presque Isle Electric Cooperative Monument
• Presque Isle Light Station
• World's Largest Limestone Quarry

Media

Newspapers

• The Alpena News is the daily newspaper of record for much of northeastern Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
• The Onaway Outlook is the daily newspaper for the city of Onaway, Michigan.
• The Presque Isle County Advance is the weekly newspaper of Presque Isle County

Television

The following television stations are available over-the-air in Presque Isle County:

• Channel 4: WTOM-TV "TV 7&4" (NBC) (Cheboygan; satellite of WPBN-TV, Traverse City)
• Channel 6: WCML "CMU Public Television" (PBS) (Alpena; satellite of WCMU-TV, Mount Pleasant)
• Channel 8: WGTQ "ABC 29&8" (ABC) (Sault Ste. Marie; satellite of WGTU, Traverse City)
• Channel 10: WWUP-TV "9&10 News" (CBS) (Sault Ste. Marie; satellite of WWTV, Cadillac)
• Channel 11: WBKB-TV "Channel 11 News" (CBS) (Alpena)
• Channel 45: WFUP "Fox 32" (Fox) (Vanderbilt; satellite of WFQX-TV Cadillac)

Radio

The following radio stations can be heard in Rogers City

FM

Call Sign	Frequency	City Broadcast From
WPHN	90.5	Gaylord
WCML	91.7	Alpena
WFCX	92.5	Atlanta
WKJZ	94.9	Hillman
WRZG	96.7	Rogers City
WHAK-FM	99.9	Rogers City
WHSB	107.7	Alpena

AM

Call Sign	Frequency	City Broadcast From
WTCM	580	Traverse City
WHAK	960	Rogers City

NOAA Weather Radio

NOAA Weather Radio can be heard on 162.550 MHz (Call Sign KIG83, Alpena)

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Presque Isle County, Michigan

External links

• Presque Isle County website
• Enchanted forest, Northern Michigan source for information, calendars, etc.
• Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Presque Isle County