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Manistee County, Michigan

52 topographic sheets cover 31 settlements here, and 19 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

19 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Michigan within the United States
Manistee County within Michigan

What the record shows

  • 307 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 19 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 9 buildings, 5 districts, 4 structures and 1 object.
  • 3 of the 19 listings were added during the 1970s.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 31 populated places in this county; 31 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

19

Every property in this county listed on the National Register of Historic Places, with the year it was listed and the federal nomination document.

Photograph PropertyType ListedReference
Simeon Babcock Housebuilding199999001455
Camp Tosebodistrict200000000644
First Congregational Churchbuilding197474000995
Guardian Angels Churchbuilding2020100005180
John J. Makinen Bottle Housebuilding198787000423
Manistee Central Business Districtdistrict198282002851
Manistee County Courthouse Fountainobject198888000065
Manistee Fire Stationbuilding2026100012565
Manistee Harbor, South Breakwaterstructure199595001162
Manistee Harbor, South Breakwaterstructure199595001162
Manistee Iron Works Machine Shopbuilding201010000477
Manistee North Pierstructure199090000718
Orchard Beach State Parkdistrict200909001064
Our Saviour's Evangelical Lutheran Churchbuilding197272000639
Portage Point Inn Complexbuilding198585003001
Ramsdell Theatrebuilding197272000640
Sandenburgh-Rogers Summer Resort Complexdistrict199696001421
Udell Lookout Towerstructure199695001013
Walther League Camp-Camp Arcadiadistrict2017100000884

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

323 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 323 of them, burning about 1,696 acres. 7 started naturally and 26 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning86
Missing data/not specified/undetermined63
Power generation/transmission/distribution50
Recreation and ceremony45
Arson/incendiarism26
Equipment and vehicle use20
Misuse of fire by a minor13
Natural7
Smoking6
Fireworks5
Railroad operations and maintenance1
Other causes1

The five largest, by the area the report gives. None of them was recorded as arson.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
14 April 2003Debris and open burning764 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestWARFIELD ROAD
5 August 2004Debris and open burning70 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
16 June 2009Missing data/not specified/undetermined64 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestCEDAR ROAD
29 April 2006Smoking60 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestNORTH COUNTRY TRAIL
8 May 1994Recreation and ceremony55 acresHuron-Manistee National Forest3 KEGER
26 March 2003Debris and open burning44 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestSTRONACH
25 July 1998Recreation and ceremony35 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestNORTH CUSTER
5 May 1992Debris and open burning25 acresHuron-Manistee National ForestNINE MILE BRIDGE

Every settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it - see the settlement index below.

Storms, 1956 to 2026

60 of 121 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 121 reports for this county, causing 3 deaths, no injuries and about $7,897,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind58
Hail47
Flash Flood9
Flood3
Tornado2
Lightning2

The most serious of them, by death, then injury, then recorded damage. The accounts are quoted exactly as the forecast office filed them.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
July 1987Thunderstorm Windnot stated2 killedno account filed
September 2016LightningHigh Bridge1 killedA Texas man was was struck and killed by lightning while on the North Country Trail in Dickson Township.
July 2019Flash FloodOak Hill$3,500,000Thunderstorms moved repeatedly over Manistee County in the morning and afternoon of the 20th. Excessive rainfall produced substantial flooding across central and southern Manistee County. By late on the 20th, rainfall totals reached 8.90 in Parkdale (near Manistee), and 5.95 in Wellston. Water entered numerous homes and stores in the greater Manistee area, and in Dublin, resulting in property damage. The campground at Orchard Beach State Park was at one point under four feet of water. Many roads were flooded and closed to travel for several hours. 12th Street in the city of Manistee was washed out. Places near the Manistee River were most susceptible to flooding.
April 2024HailOnekama$2,000,000Images shared on social media from Zosel St. in Onekama of measured 2 inch hail. Damage to vehicles and home siding. Time estimated from radar.
June 2008Flash FloodOak Hill$970,000Spotters in Manistee and Wellston measured around six inches of rain in a few hours very late on the 12th into the pre-dawn hours of the 13th. Radar estimated up to ten inches of rainfall along the southern border of Manistee County. Substantial flash flooding resulted, with considerable soil erosion, thanks in part to the sandy soils of the area. At one point the majority of roads in the south half of Manistee County were under water. High water entered some homes. In the city of Manistee, asphalt, stop signs, and light posts were flushed into Lake Michigan by the raging waters. The county road commission estimated $500,000 in damages to the county road system.
July 2005Flash FloodManistee$500,000A slow moving thunderstorm dumped over three inches of rain (and hail) on the southwest corner of Manistee County. A spotter in the city of Manistee reported 4.35 inches of rain in two and a half hours. Widespread urban flooding resulted in the city and its environs, with the worst damage along the River Street corridor. Erosion was severe in spots, due to the sandy soils prevalent in the area. Some gravel roads and driveways were washed out; city streets had one to two feet of flowing water in them. Numerous vehicles stalled out in the high water. Basement flooding was also widespread. A hotel had flood waters enter its ground floor, prompting the evacuation of twenty five guests. Sewage system backups contributed to flood damage in the city.
April 1956Tornado (F4)not stated$250,000no account filed
June 2008Thunderstorm WindManistee$195,000Widespread thunderstorm wind damage occurred across the south half of the city of Manistee, and especially between 2nd and 10th Streets. Many trees were downed, and some structures were damaged, mainly by falling trees.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindManistee$120,000Wind gusts were measured to 79 mph at Manistee Harbor, and to 62 mph at Manistee Blacker Airport. The most intense damage was in a localized, one square mile area, on the north side of downtown Manistee. A pole building was destroyed, and there was damage to trees and shingles along Monroe Street. Roofs and overhead doors were damaged in several commercial buildings along Glocheski Drive and Washington Street.
April 2024Thunderstorm WindOnekama$50,000Reports of wind damage, including uprooted trees, during large hail event in Onekama.
April 2024HailOnekama$50,000Hail report with photo from social media.
October 2006Thunderstorm WindManistee$50,000Several hundred trees were downed at Manistee National Golf Course and the surrounding area. One large tree was downed onto a truck. A window was blown out of a home.
May 2011Flash FloodManistee$40,000Persistent thunderstorms produced periodic, significant street flooding in and near the city of Manistee. A spotter in Manistee measured 4.44 inches of rain from 9 am to 9 pm. Water rose over the curbs of many city streets, and parts of US-31 and M-22 were closed for part of the afternoon.
April 2017Thunderstorm WindManistee$16,000A number of trees and utility poles were downed in and near the city of Manistee. A gust of 68 mph was measured at Manistee Blacker Airport.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindManistee$16,000Numerous trees and some power lines downed. One vehicle was crushed by a falling tree.
June 2008Tornado (EF0)Stronach$15,000EF0 tornado with estimated wind speeds 75 to 85 mph. The tornado tracked through forested land near Skocelas Road, just south of M-55. Numerous trees and large limbs were downed.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindPomona$12,000Dozens of healthy maple trees were downed.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindWellston$12,000Scattered downed trees occurred in Wellston, including one tree downed onto a vehicle.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindOnekama$12,000Several trees were downed. One tree in Onekama was left leaning on a home.
May 2012Thunderstorm WindManistee$10,000Trees and power lines were downed.
May 2011Flash FloodWellston$10,000Training thunderstorms brought excessive rainfall to the Wellston area. A cooperative observer, 1 mile north of Wellston, measured 5.05 inches of rain from 9 am to 9 pm. A considerable amount of standing water developed on area roads, and some were closed for part of the afternoon.
September 2011Thunderstorm WindManistee$8,000Trees and power lines were downed in the city of Manistee.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindManistee$7,000Trees were knocked down in the city of Manistee.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindWildwood$7,000Numerous trees were downed between Milarch and Erdman Roads in Onekama Township.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindManistee$6,000Several large trees were downed.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindManistee$6,000Trees and power lines were downed.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindOnekama$5,000Social media pictures of multiple trees/large limbs downed.
July 2013Thunderstorm WindWellston$5,000Several trees and power lines were downed in Wellston.
July 2019Thunderstorm Wind(Mbl)Blackr Apt Mani$4,000Several trees were downed.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindWellston$4,000Six trees were blown down west of Wellston, near M-55.
April 2008Thunderstorm WindHigh Bridge$3,000A few large trees were downed along M-55, seven miles west of Wellston.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindWellston$3,000Two trees and several large limbs were downed.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindWellston$2,500Large tree blown over. An anemometer measured a 62 mph gust before the cups were blown off the measuring device.
August 2017Thunderstorm WindManistee$2,000A large tree was downed onto power lines.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindBear Lake$2,000Trees were blown down along Bear Lake, and on Wallaker Road northeast of Bear Lake.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindWellston$2,000Three large trees were blown down.
June 2024Flash FloodManistee$1,000Social media reports of street flooding in Manistee around 7am EST, including photo of flooded roadways at River and Maple Streets in Manistee.
June 2024FloodPortage Lake$1,000Social media report with video of creek overflowing banks and ponding in ditch along M 22 along the south east side of Portage Lake south of Onekama.
October 2006Thunderstorm WindBear Lake$1,000Power lines downed.
March 2026HailPleasanton-Photo of hail up to around penny size near Bear Lake, MI.
March 2026HailPleasanton-A second round brought accumulating hail of around the size of quarters.
March 2026HailWellston-Trained spotter reported accumulating hail up to 0.80 inches in diameter.
April 2025HailManistee-Report from storm chaser group's social media page of measured hail in the Manistee area of 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter.
April 2024HailOnekama-Social media image of up to inch size hail on a deck.
April 2024HailBear Lake-Three-quarter-inch sized hail reported.
April 2024HailPortage Lake-Accumulating hail of at least quarter size shown in photos and videos on social media.
April 2024HailBear Lake-Report of three-quarter inch hail.
April 2024HailPortage Lake-Quarter sized hail report.
August 2024Thunderstorm WindHigh Bridge-A 12 inch diameter aspen tree was downed by strong thunderstorm winds.
May 2022HailManistee-Nickel and dime size hail on the SW side of Manistee.
September 2022HailBear Lake-Bear Lake area. Report relayed by local broadcast media.
September 2022HailKaleva-Hail report relayed by local broadcast media.
September 2021HailParkdale-Report from mping.
July 2019FloodOak Hill-See earlier flash flood event in Manistee County. Flooding lingered in southern Manistee County for much of the following night, with numerous roads closed and barricaded.
August 2013Thunderstorm WindManistee-Measured at the entrance to Manistee Harbor.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindKaleva-A spotter estimated 60 mph winds.
June 2008HailSpringdale-Hail ranged from pea to quarter sized.
June 2008FloodHarlan-Flooding lingered for several days after the heavy rain event ended, mainly on the Manistee River and its larger tributaries.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindManistee-A tree was downed across a road.
April 2002Thunderstorm WindManistee-Trees and power lines down.

Mines and quarries

14 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 14 workings inside this county. 10 still produce and 4 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Magnesite5
Sand and Gravel, Construction4
Fire Clay (Refractory)3
Bromine2
Salt1

The least common of them first, because a county's hundredth gravel pit says nothing its first ten did not.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
R.G.Peters Salt and Lumber Co.SaltPast Producer
Morton Salt Company- ManisteeBromineProducer1892
Morton-ManisteeMagnesite, BromineProducer1940
East Arcadian Clay PitFire Clay (Refractory)Past Producer
Klein's Clay PitFire Clay (Refractory)Past Producer
Kujawsky's Clay PitFire Clay (Refractory)Past Producer
Cecil Gronlund Gravel Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Fischer Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gillispie PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Gronlund Pit and MillSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Martin Marietta-ManisteeMagnesiteProducer1944, 1969
Martin-Marietta Chem.--Manistee, MiMagnesiteProducer
Martin-Marietta Chemicals (Manistee)MagnesiteProducerSedimentary
Morton Chem Co--Manistee, Mich.MagnesiteProducer

Every populated place in the county

31

Named settlements recorded in the Geographic Names Information System, each with the topographic sheets covering it. Villages, hamlets and abandoned places alike. Each is shown with the nearest named watercourse or landform and the survey quadrangle it falls on.

Provenance

  • Topographic sheets. USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection, county index, measured from the bulk metadata.
  • Fire insurance maps. Library of Congress Sanborn collection, faceted to this county.
  • Photographs. Each place queried individually against the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs search.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.