Alcona County, Michigan
Alcona County | |
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UTC−4 (EDT) | |
Congressional district | 1st |
Website | https://alconacountymi.com/ motto="First of 83" |
Alcona County (/ælˈkoʊnə/ al-KOH-nə) is a county of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,167.[2] Its county seat is Harrisville.[3] Alphabetically it is the first county in Michigan; as its flag states, it is the "First of 83".
History
The county was created by the state legislature on April 1, 1840.[5][6] It was at first named Negwegon County,[4] after the name of a well-known Chippewa chief, also known as "Little Wing". He was honored as having been an American ally against the British in the War of 1812.
It was renamed to Alcona County on March 8, 1843, after a
Alcona County was initially attached to Mackinac County for purposes of revenue, taxation, and judicial matters. The attachment shifted to Cheboygan County in 1853, to Alpena County in 1857, to Iosco County in 1858, and to Alpena County in 1859.
Harrisville Township, then comprising the entire county, was organized in 1860. County government was organized in 1869, becoming effective on May 8, 1869.[10][11] The county's slogan on its seal (a single gold star on a green field in the shape of Alcona County) is "First of 83," which refers to its place alphabetically among Michigan counties.[12]
In 2007, Alcona County was forced to explore options to remedy a major budget shortfall resulting from an official's embezzlement. Former County Treasurer Thomas Katona pleaded guilty in June 2007 to charges that he embezzled more than 1.2 million dollars from county funds to invest them in a
Katona was sentenced to 9–14 years imprisonment on June 12, 2007, by the 23rd Circuit Court. Judge William Myles said Katona's crimes warranted more severe punishment than called for in state sentencing guidelines, due to the amount of money involved and the number of victims in the case.[15]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,791 square miles (4,640 km2), of which 675 square miles (1,750 km2) is land and 1,116 square miles (2,890 km2) (62%) is water.[16]
The area is part of the Au Sable State Forest, specifically the Grayling FMU (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties). The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.
Alcona County has a shoreline on
Lakes
Lakes in the county include:[17]
- Lake Huron
- Alcona Lake
- Badger Lake
- Bear Lake
- Brownlee Lake
- Byron Lake
- Cedar Lake
- Clear Lake
- Crooked Lake
- Crystal Lake
- Curtis Lake
- Honawan Lake
- Horseshoe Lake
- Hubbard Lake, one of the state's twenty largest inland lakes.[18]
- Hunter Lake
- Indian Lake
- Jenkins lake
- Jewell Lake
- Lost Lake
- North Hoist Lake
- North Lake
- O'Brien Lake
- Poplar Lake
- Reid Lake
- South Hoist Lake
- Tompson Lake
Adjacent counties
- Alpena County - north
- Iosco County - south
- Ogemaw County - southwest
- Oscoda County - west
- Montmorency County - northwest
National protected area
- Huron National Forest (part)
Communities
City
- Harrisville (county seat)
Village
Civil townships
Census-designated places
Other unincorporated communities
- Alcona
- Alvin
- Backus Beach
- Barton City
- Black River
- Bryant
- Cheviers
- Curran
- Curtisville
- Glennie
- Greenbush
- Gustin
- Killmaster
- Kurtz
- Larson Beach
- Mikado
- Springport
- Spruce
- Wallace
Ghost town
- Bamfield
Government
The county government maintains rural roads, operates the local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and
The Alcona County
Elected officials
- Prosecuting Attorney: Thomas Jay Weichel
- Sheriff: Scott A. Stephenson
- County Clerk/Circuit Court Clerk: Stephany Eller
- County Treasurer: Cheryl L. Franks
- Register of Deeds: Melissa A. Cordes
- Road Commissioners: Alfred J. Scully, Harry L. Harvey, Theodore R. Somers[19]
(as of May 2018)
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1860 | 185 | — | |
1870 | 696 | 276.2% | |
1880 | 3,107 | 346.4% | |
1890 | 5,409 | 74.1% | |
1900 | 5,691 | 5.2% | |
1910 | 5,703 | 0.2% | |
1920 | 5,912 | 3.7% | |
1930 | 4,989 | −15.6% | |
1940 | 5,463 | 9.5% | |
1950 | 5,856 | 7.2% | |
1960 | 6,352 | 8.5% | |
1970 | 7,113 | 12.0% | |
1980 | 9,740 | 36.9% | |
1990 | 10,145 | 4.2% | |
2000 | 11,719 | 15.5% | |
2010 | 10,942 | −6.6% | |
2020 | 10,167 | −7.1% | |
2023 (est.) | 10,489 | [20] | 3.2% |
US Decennial Census[21] 1790-1960[22] 1900-1990[23] 1990-2000[24] 2010-2018[2] |
As of the
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $31,362, and the median income for a family was $35,669. Males had a median income of $29,712 versus $20,566 for females. The
Education
Alcona County is served by three
Students on the southern side of the county are assigned to Oscoda Area Schools in the neighboring county of Iosco, while students on the western side of the county in Mitchell Township are assigned to Fairview Area School District, based in Oscoda County.[26] Each school district is supported by a different intermediate school district, with the majority of students enrolled in the county being covered by the Alpena–Montmorency–Alcona Education Service District, based in Alpena.[27]
Districts
School districts include:[25][26]
Politics
Alcona County has been reliably Republican since the beginning. Since 1884, the county has voted against the Republican nominee for president only five times.
Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
2020 | 4,848 | 68.63% | 2,142 | 30.32% | 74 | 1.05% |
2016 | 4,201 | 67.78% | 1,732 | 27.94% | 265 | 4.28% |
2012 | 3,571 | 58.50% | 2,472 | 40.50% | 61 | 1.00% |
2008 | 3,404 | 53.02% | 2,896 | 45.11% | 120 | 1.87% |
2004 | 3,592 | 55.00% | 2,871 | 43.96% | 68 | 1.04% |
2000 | 3,152 | 52.56% | 2,696 | 44.96% | 149 | 2.48% |
1996 | 2,227 | 40.09% | 2,619 | 47.15% | 709 | 12.76% |
1992 | 2,247 | 38.88% | 2,383 | 41.24% | 1,149 | 19.88% |
1988 | 2,966 | 60.47% | 1,918 | 39.10% | 21 | 0.43% |
1984 | 3,223 | 66.41% | 1,616 | 33.30% | 14 | 0.29% |
1980 | 2,905 | 57.39% | 1,857 | 36.69% | 300 | 5.93% |
1976 | 2,328 | 52.87% | 2,038 | 46.29% | 37 | 0.84% |
1972 | 2,434 | 65.91% | 1,195 | 32.36% | 64 | 1.73% |
1968 | 1,852 | 58.76% | 958 | 30.39% | 342 | 10.85% |
1964 | 1,199 | 42.59% | 1,611 | 57.23% | 5 | 0.18% |
1960 | 2,053 | 66.25% | 1,038 | 33.49% | 8 | 0.26% |
1956 | 1,991 | 71.52% | 788 | 28.30% | 5 | 0.18% |
1952 | 1,441 | 65.06% | 766 | 34.58% | 8 | 0.36% |
1948 | 1,425 | 65.73% | 708 | 32.66% | 35 | 1.61% |
1944 | 1,503 | 67.40% | 716 | 32.11% | 11 | 0.49% |
1940 | 1,648 | 65.89% | 847 | 33.87% | 6 | 0.24% |
1936 | 1,276 | 52.95% | 919 | 38.13% | 215 | 8.92% |
1932 | 881 | 47.83% | 884 | 47.99% | 77 | 4.18% |
1928 | 1,149 | 78.81% | 302 | 20.71% | 7 | 0.48% |
1924 | 1,027 | 72.32% | 184 | 12.96% | 209 | 14.72% |
1920 | 1,043 | 75.85% | 264 | 19.20% | 68 | 4.95% |
1916 | 573 | 53.20% | 453 | 42.06% | 51 | 4.74% |
1912 | 291 | 29.45% | 145 | 14.68% | 552 | 55.87% |
1908 | 824 | 76.37% | 175 | 16.22% | 80 | 7.41% |
1904 | 901 | 87.31% | 92 | 8.91% | 39 | 3.78% |
1900 | 849 | 84.06% | 145 | 14.36% | 16 | 1.58% |
1896 | 743 | 70.90% | 275 | 26.24% | 30 | 2.86% |
1892 | 556 | 57.32% | 380 | 39.18% | 34 | 3.51% |
1888 | 645 | 55.60% | 502 | 43.28% | 13 | 1.12% |
1884 | 545 | 61.51% | 339 | 38.26% | 2 | 0.23% |
Media
Newspapers
- The Alcona County Review located in Harrisville is the county's newspaper of record, and has served the community since 1877.[29]
- The lower peninsula.[30]
- The Oscoda Press is a weekly newspaper serving southern Iosco County.[31]
- Daily editions of the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News are available throughout the area.
Radio
Historical markers
- GreenbushSchool
- West Harrisville Depot in Lincoln[32]
- Springport Inn,Springport home of Civil War Captain Joseph VanBuskirk.[34]
Parks and recreation
There is a senior citizens center building that opened in the 1940s. In 2023 there was a controversy over how to use a $12,500,000 grant that was to be used to build a replacement building.[35]
Transportation
Highways
- US 23 — north of Standish, it has been designated the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway. Parallels the Lake Huron shore, connects with M-72 in Harrisville. US 23 is the most proximate connector to Alpena and Mackinaw City.
- M-65 — runs along the western side of the county, from US 23 north of Standish to Rogers City.
- lower peninsula from Empire, Michigan. It is one of three true cross peninsular highways.[37]
- Mikado to M-65 at Glennie.
- F-32—
- F-41 — runs north–south from US 23 at Oscoda to US 23 south of Ossineke.
Airport
Alcona County has been a part of developing the
See also
- List of counties in Michigan
- List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Alcona County, Michigan
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Alcona County, Michigan
References
- ^ a b "Bibliography on Alcona County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 15, 2021.
- ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Newberry Library. "Michigan: Individual County Chronologies". Atlas of County Historical Boundaries. Archived from the original on November 6, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ Powers, p. 87
- ^ George Dawson (1840). Acts of the Legislature of the State of Michigan Passed at the Annual Session of 1840. Detroit. pp. 196–200.
- ISBN 0-8143-1838-X.
- ^ Names of Michigan Counties Archived March 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Powers, p. 94
- ^ Powers, p. 88
- ^ Alcona Review[permanent dead link]
- ^ Neighbor Hub. "Alcona County website".
- ^ "Officials begin talks on how to make painful budget cuts," Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Bay City Times, May 31, 2007.
- ^ "Michigan Attorney General press release", June 12, 2007
- ^ "Former Alcona treasurer sentenced to 9-14 years," Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine The Bay City Times, June 13, 2007. Accessed June 24, 2007.
- ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on November 13, 2013. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "DNR - DNR". www.michigan.gov.
- ^ Top 20 Michigan inland lakes Archived April 10, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Alcona County Government
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "US Decennial Census". US Census Bureau. Archived from the original on April 26, 2015. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". US Census Bureau. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). US Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2014.
- ^ a b "Search for Public School Districts: Alcona County, MI". Institute of Education Sciences. National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved July 19, 2023. - Text list
- ^ "Welcome to Alpena-Montmorency-Alcona Educational Service District". AMA Educational Service District. Retrieved July 19, 2023.
- ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org.
- ^ "Alcona County Review".
- ^ "News, Sports, Jobs - The Alpena News".
- ^ "Oscoda Press home page". Iosco County News Herald. East Tawas MI. Retrieved October 23, 2014.
- ^ "Michigan Historical Markers". michmarkers.com. Archived from the original on March 15, 2010. Retrieved January 8, 2008.
- ^ "Springport Inn". Archived from the original on July 9, 2008. Retrieved May 29, 2008.
- ^ "Platt, Connie Faussett, Northern Journal (November-December, 2004), Captain Joseph VanBuskirk of Springport (Harrisville, Michigan)" (PDF). mieastsidepubs.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 25, 2008.
- MLive. Retrieved February 4, 2023.
- ^ "Photos of ends of M-72". state-ends.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2007.
- ^ History of Michigan highways
Further reading
- "History of Alcona County". History of the Lake Huron shore. With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan Library. 2005 [1883]. pp. 255–274. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
- Powers, Perry Francis (2005) [1912]. "Alcona County". A history of northern Michigan and its people. Ann Arbor MI: University of Michigan Library. pp. 498–505. Retrieved April 11, 2007.
External links
- Alcona County Government
- Alcona County Review Newspaper
- Alcona County Historical Society
- Alpena News (serving N.E. Michigan)
- Alcona Park
- "Bibliography on Alcona County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
- Enchanted forest, Northern Michigan source for information, calendars, etc.
- Harrisville City Airport information and map
- Harrisville Harbor, information, webcam, etc.
- Information and links about Harrisville
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources maps of lakes in Alcona County.
- Sunrise side travel and information