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Otsego County, Michigan

50 topographic sheets cover 16 settlements here, and 3 properties are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Research this county

From the record

3 National Register listings published here.

Sources: the National Register database, National Park Service

Michigan within the United States
Otsego County within Michigan

What the record shows

  • 232 topographic sheet readings cover the county's settlements.
  • 3 properties here are on the National Register of Historic Places: 3 buildings.
  • The Geographic Names Information System records 16 populated places in this county; 16 are covered by at least one topographic sheet.

Places on the National Register

3

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
Johannesburg Manufacturing Company Storebuilding200909000475
Frank A. and Rae E. Harris Kramer Housebuilding200202001507
Quick, James A. and Lottie J. (Congdon), Housebuilding201616000509

Wildfire, 1992 to 2020

435 fires

Every wildfire the federal occurrence database records inside this county: 435 of them, burning about 1,190 acres. 9 started naturally and 43 were recorded as arson. Each settlement page carries the fires within five miles of it.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning116
Equipment and vehicle use85
Missing data/not specified/undetermined72
Arson/incendiarism43
Recreation and ceremony38
Misuse of fire by a minor36
Power generation/transmission/distribution14
Smoking11
Natural9
Fireworks5
Railroad operations and maintenance4
Other causes2

The five largest, by the area the report gives. Four of them were set deliberately.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
17 April 1995Arson/incendiarism484 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
13 April 2012Recreation and ceremony44 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesOTSEGO 04
14 May 2019Missing data/not specified/undetermined40 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesOTSEGO 06 BULLS EYE
27 April 2003Debris and open burning35 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
17 April 1995Arson/incendiarism35 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
24 July 2012Arson/incendiarism24 acresMichigan Department of Natural ResourcesOTSEGO 26 - 4 CORNERS
17 April 1995Arson/incendiarism19 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named
22 August 2006Missing data/not specified/undetermined17 acresMichigan Department of Natural Resourcesnot named

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

Storms, 1963 to 2025

60 of 151 shown

The NOAA Storm Events Database holds 151 reports for this county, causing 2 deaths, 45 injuries and about $53,176,500 in recorded property damage. Each settlement page carries the reports that name it.

Kind of event Reports
Thunderstorm Wind82
Hail57
Tornado5
Lightning4
Flood2
Flash Flood1

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
May 2022Tornado (EF3)Elmira2 killed, 44 hurt, $50,000,000This tornado formed in Antrim county 4 miles east of Alba and continued into Otsego county 100 yards SE of the Alba Rd/Old Alba Rd intersection. The tornado continued to move east northeast for almost 16 additional miles before dissipating around 1.75 miles northeast of Sparr. The tornado was rated EF3 in Otsego county based on damage surveyed in multiple locations around the Gaylord area. The first of these locations was damage in the Nottingham Forest manufactured home community. Multiple units were completely destroyed with debris blown away from the original locations of the units (DI 4, DOD 12). The second location was the business district of Gaylord where the buildings of Hobby Lobby, Maurices, and Jimmy Johns experienced collapses of exterior walls where interior walls remained standing (DI 10, DOD 8). The last location, which had the highest estimated wind speed of 150 mph, was damage found to homes on Berkshire Ln on the northeast side of Gaylord. Most exterior walls were collapsed and only partial interior walls were left standing (DI 2, DOD 8). The tornado dissipated at 1457 EST about 1.75 miles northeast of Sparr. Two fatalities were reported in the Nottingham Forest community, along with 44 injuries reported from various locations around Gaylord. The maximum path width in Otsego county was 200 yards.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindGaylord Otsego Arpt1 hurt, $1,200,000A swath of widespread wind damage extended from west-southwest to east of the city of Gaylord. Some of the most concentrated damage was along Van Tyle Road between Hayes Tower Road and Dickerson Road. Hundreds of trees were snapped off or uprooted. Several buildings and vehicles were damaged by falling trees. At least two homes were destroyed. One person was taken to the local hospital for minor injuries after a tree landed their home. The roof of a small business on the west side of Gaylord was partially removed. Power was knocked out to much of the area.
July 2009LightningGaylord$500,000A lightning strike ignited a rapidly-spreading fire that destroyed the Alpine Haus apartment complex. All residents were safely evacuated, but 52 people were left homeless.
September 2014Thunderstorm WindOtsego Lake$295,000Widespread tree damage, and spotty structural damage, occurred in far southern Otsego County, near and east of Waters. Some residential areas east of Waters were inaccessible for many hours after the event, until downed trees could be cleared off of roads. Several vehicles and homes were damaged by fallen trees. One carport in Waters was blown a considerable distance.
July 1974Tornado (F3)not stated$250,000no account filed
September 2014Tornado (EF1)Johannesburg$215,000An EF-1 tornado carved a path across southeast Otsego County. A large number of hardwood and softwood trees were downed, with several falling on area residences. Peak winds were estimated at 110 mph.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindJohannesburg$150,000An estimated 350 to 400 trees were downed in and around the Louis M. Groen Nature Preserve.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindGaylord$55,000A swath of wind damage occurred from west of Gaylord, to central Otsego Lake. Trees were downed along M-32, Hayes Tower Road, and West Otsego Lake Drive. One very large limb was downed onto a cabin near the Beaver Creek Resort. Some damage was done to boats and docks on Otsego Lake.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGaylord$50,000Thunderstorm winds destroyed a dock and damaged a boat on the northeast corner of Otsego Lake.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindVanderbilt$50,000Numerous trees and power lines were brought down by strong thunderstorm winds around Pickerel Lake.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGaylord$50,000Strong thunderstorm winds damaged a 60' X 60' tent set up for an entertainment event, causing and estimated $25 thousand to $30 thousand in damage to light and sound equipment inside the tent. Thunderstorm winds also caused minor damage to the roof of the Community Education Building in Gaylord.
August 2018Thunderstorm WindElmira$35,000A number of large trees were downed from Elmira to Gaylord, including a few onto homes.
August 2003Thunderstorm WindVanderbilt$35,000Siding was ripped off the post office in Vanderbilt. Numerous trees were downed, one of which heavily damaged a Vanderbilt home.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$28,000A few trees were snapped in the Wah Wah Soo Beach area along Otsego Lake. Further east, several trees were downed in the Michaywe development, including on the golf course. One tree was downed onto a home in Michaywe.
July 1969Tornadonot stated$25,000no account filed
July 2014Thunderstorm WindGaylord$24,000Two large trees were downed, one a healthy tree that fell on a vehicle, the second a rotting tree that fell on a home.
August 2015Thunderstorm WindElmira$20,000Scattered trees were downed from near Elmira to Gaylord. A few homes and vehicles were damaged by falling trees.
September 2005Thunderstorm WindGaylord$18,000Numerous trees and large limbs were knocked down. A golf course in Bagley Township lost sixty trees to high winds.
July 2024FloodElmira$15,000Three to six inches of rain fell in the Elmira area in a few hours resulting in flooding in yards and farm fields. A photo of a washout in a gravel driveway showed the rear end of an extended cab pickup partially engulfed by the washout, up to the depth of the top of the rear tires.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindGaylord$15,000Several trees were downed. One building was damaged by a falling tree, and a car on South Otsego Avenue near the library was also struck and damaged.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindSparr$14,000A downed large tree limb damaged the edge of a house roof.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$12,000A tree was downed onto a house. A shore station (a small garage-like structure that sits on a dock) on Otsego Lake was ripped off a dock and tossed into the lake.
November 2013Tornado (EF0)Waters$11,000A tornado briefly touched down, and immediately crossed I-75, in extreme southern Otsego County. The tornado touched down just north of mile marker 268. Numerous evergreen and poplar trees were downed. Most trees were simply blown over, a few were snapped. Estimated peak wind speeds were 65 to 75 mph.
September 2016Thunderstorm WindVanderbilt$7,000One utility pole and multiple power lines were downed at the Vanderbilt Area School. Multiple trees were downed at the intersection of Grant and Elm Streets.
July 2019Thunderstorm WindGaylord Otsego Arpt$6,000Several trees and power lines were downed.
November 2013Thunderstorm WindSparr$6,000Multiple trees were downed.
May 2018HailOtsego Lake$5,000Hailstones as large as half-dollars fell at the National Weather Service Office for several minutes.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindElmira$5,000Trees downed.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindJohannesburg$5,000Large tree limbs were knocked down from thunderstorm winds, blocking Douglas Lake Road.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGaylord$5,000Strong thunderstorm winds knocked down several trees along Elba Road.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGaylord$5,000Thunderstorm winds brought down a power line and a five inch diameter tree on Old Elba Road.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGaylord$5,000A house was damaged and several trees were blown down or snapped off by thunderstorm winds along Morgan Road near Poquette Road.
July 1994Thunderstorm WindGaylord$5,000Strong winds damaged a barn roof and house near the intersection of Oregon and Parameter Roads.
April 1993Thunderstorm WindGaylord$5,000Thunderstorm winds ripped several hundred hardwood trees from the ground or snapped them off in a path 200 yards wide and extending 3 miles to the northeast. The roof and some external damage was done to a residence along the Haynes-Tower Line road 3.5 miles south of Highway M-32.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindWaters$4,000Tree down on top of vehicle.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindWaters$4,000Tree down on top of vehicle.
July 2020Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$4,000A few trees and large tree limbs were in the Michaywe development.
July 2005Thunderstorm WindGaylord$4,000Trees and large limbs were downed in southeast Otsego County.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$3,000Trees downed on Old State Rd.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindElmira$3,000Trees downed near Estelle RD and Van Tyle RD.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindGaylord$3,000Trees down near Parmater RD and Pyke School RD.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindJohannesburg$3,000Trees downed near M-32 and Rock Rd.
May 2011Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$3,000Two trees and several large limbs were downed.
August 2006Thunderstorm WindGaylord$3,000Several trees downed.
July 2003Flash FloodArbutus Beach$3,000A small line of thunderstorms developed from near Alba to Waters around midday. The National Weather Service office in Gaylord picked up 2.63 inches of rain in about 45 minutes. Basement flooding was reported in the Lakes of the North area, and significant shoulder damage occurred to Mancelona Road, between Passenheim Road and West Otsego Lake Drive. Emergency repairs were needed to the road the next day.
June 1999LightningElmira$3,000Three horses and one pony were killed by lightning when the tree they were standing under was struck.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$2,000Delayed report of a tree down at a residence in Michaywe.
July 2018Thunderstorm WindOtsego Lake$2,000A tree and multiple large limbs were downed onto power lines along West Otsego Lake Drive.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach$2,000A tree was downed near West Otsego Lake Drive and Johns Street. Another tree was felled on Old State Road near I-75.
October 2007Thunderstorm WindGaylord$1,500A large tree was blown down by thunderstorm winds.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindGaylord$1,000Trees damaged.
August 2009Thunderstorm WindVanderbilt$1,000A large tree was downed near Martindale and Pyke School Roads.
July 2024FloodGaylord$500NWS Employee reported flooding of underpass at I-75 and M-32 in Gaylord, along with several other instances of street flooding in the city. KGLR ASOS reported 1.30 inches of rain in approximately 20 minutes; 24 hour total of 2.07 inches ending 7am EST July 30th.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindGaylord$500A 10-inch-diameter poplar tree was uprooted by strong thunderstorm winds.
September 2025HailGaylord Otsego Arpt-Video of hail of at least quarter to half dollar size falling on Old Alba Rd southwest of Gaylord, MI in Otsego county.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindOtsego Lake-Report of downed power lines on the east side of Otsego Lake near Otsego Lake State Park.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindArbutus Beach-Reports of large limbs and trees up to around 9 inch diameter broken and knocked down in the vicinity of Michaywe, including a snapped off birch tree leaning on a house on Opal Lake Rd near the golf course.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindOtsego Lake-Reports of downed powerlines and multiple healthy large trees down on the southwest side of Otsego lake, including a tree on a house and a tree down over West Otsego Lake Drive, which resulted in West Otsego Lake Drive being closed for a time.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindJohannesburg-Powerlines down.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindOtsego Lake-NWS Employee passed along a report from a neighbor of a large part of a tree downed that punctured a garage roof.

Mines and quarries

14 recorded

The Survey's mineral resources record lists 14 workings inside this county. 12 still produce and 2 are closed or unrecorded. Each settlement page carries the workings within five miles of it.

Commodity Workings
Sand and Gravel, Construction13
Fire Clay (Refractory)1

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

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Comstock's Clay PitFire Clay (Refractory)Past Producer
City PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Hoogerhyde PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Mason Excavating Co. PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Mccay PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Otsego County Pit-GlancySand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Otsego County Road Commission PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Otsego County Road Commission PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Otsego County Road Commission PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Otsego County Road Commission PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Poor Farm PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
State of Michigan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
State of Michigan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
State of Michigan PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every populated place in the county

16

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.