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Arenac County
Featured photo: Article looking back at a 1900 logging camp photo taken on Spring Knoll near Omer off Old State Rd. Reading from left. Gus Major (Pine River), his sons Ervin (Standish) & Martin (Sterling), John Mitchell (unnoted), Will Rogers (Flint), Frank Cornell (Arenac), Dennis Goulah (unnoted), Sid Locke (unnoted), Will Cotton (Saganing), (unknown person), Peter James (Saganing). (1946 19 June, Arenac County Independent
June 20-21, 1900 — Standish prepared to host a county Sunday school gathering. The Gladwin County Record reported June 15, 1900, that the Arenac County Sunday-school Association would hold its next meeting at Standish on June 20 and 21.
June 16, 1921 — The Standish City Band gave an outdoor concert at the Standish depot park. The event continued a long local tradition of music, rail travel and civic life centered around the depot.
June 17, 2023 — Standish-Sterling Central made school history when its girls softball team won the MHSAA Division 3 state championship in East Lansing. Senior Macey Fegan delivered a walk-off hit in the seventh inning for a 1-0 win over Ottawa Lake Whiteford. MHSAA reported it was the school’s first softball state championship.
June 19, 2025 — Arenac County’s Relay for Life effort was promoted as teams prepared for an August kickoff at the Standish Historical Depot and Welcome Center. The campaign included sponsorships, bake sales, luminary bags, an ice cream social, ceremonies and survivor recognition.
June 20, 2025 — The Arenac County Independent reported that “Pops in the Past” returned to Standish on Father’s Day weekend. Classic vehicles were displayed downtown after the event had previously been held at the Arenac County Fairgrounds.
Crawford County
June 18, 1891 — A heavy Monday rain brought about 1 1/2 inches in two hours, helping crops but possibly coming too late for some hay fields. The same issue reported that another drive of 5,000 pieces of cedar was moving downriver for R.H. Matheson & Co. A group of local men also returned from the Manistee River with nearly 400 grayling. The first wool clip of the season arrived that week from R. Feldhauser.
June 15, 1933 — A hard windstorm knocked down large trees in Grayling and broke a severe heat wave. One large poplar fell across Ogemaw Street near the home of Supt. Burns, tearing up sidewalk slabs. Other trees came down near the Peter Rasmusson home, the Catholic church on Lake Street and the Clyde Peterson home on Spruce Street. The temperature dropped 30 degrees after the storm.
June 15, 2022 — A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at Camp Grayling to celebrate the opening of a USO facility for service members. UpNorthLive reported that the center gave military personnel a place to relax and recharge while serving or training in northern Michigan.
June 16, 2023 — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan National Guard at Camp Grayling for the 2023 Memorial Pass in Review Ceremony. The ceremony recognized accomplishments from the previous year, honored outstanding performers and remembered deceased and fallen Guard members.
Iosco County
June 18, 1891 — East Tawas passengers escaped safely after an excursion boat began taking on water. The East Tawas excursion steamer Buren sprang a leak soon after leaving the East Tawas dock. The report said the boat was beached and passengers were landed safely. The cause was blamed on boys who had opened valves or a sea-cock and left them open. It was a brief item, but it shows the importance of water travel and tourism along the Lake Huron shore in 19th-century Iosco County.
June 20, 1982 — Weather records show an F1 tornado in Iosco County on June 20, 1982. The storm path was listed at about 2 miles long and 70 yards wide. Another F1 tornado was recorded in the county on June 17, 1992, with a path of about 1 mile and a width of 20 yards.
June 16, 2020 — Michigan Public reported that the U.S. Air Force said it would prioritize PFAS cleanup at the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda and allocate an additional $13.5 million toward the effort. The report also noted that local residents were still seeking more details about the cleanup plan.
June 18, 2022 — Plainfield Township in Iosco County posted its “New Master Plan Parks and Recreation” update on June 18, 2022. The update documented local planning work tied to parks, recreation and community facilities in the Hale area.
Ogemaw County
June 20, 1890 — Ogemaw County birth records list Lulu L. Graham, born June 20, 1890, to Thomas and Hattie Graham. These vital records are useful for tracing settlement patterns, family names and the growth of rural communities after Ogemaw County was organized in 1875.
June 18, 1891 — Ogemaw County marriage records list the June 18, 1891, marriage of Mary E. Wolfram and John J. Erb. While brief, records like this help show the families and households taking shape during the county’s early years.
June 21, 1914 — A Rose City newspaper index lists the birth of a Rowbottom baby boy on June 21, 1914. The entry points to the Rose City Review, July 2, 1914, Page 1, Column 2.
June 21, 2021 — Sterling Area Health Center listed the Ogemaw Clinic as open at 1827 E. Greenwood Road in Prescott.
Oscoda County
June 15, 1910 — A June 15, 1910, death notice reported that George Imlay, 39, of Oscoda, formerly a manager for H.M. Loud’s Sons & Co. at Comins, died after an injury led to blood poisoning.
June 2023 — State stream restoration work began, including a project in Oscoda County. The Michigan DNR received a $5 million restoration grant in 2022, and work began in June 2023.
Roscommon County
June 18, 1891 — An advertisement was posted for I.M. Silsby, “Architect and Builder,” with a Roscommon post office address. The notice offered plans, specifications and estimates.
June 16, 1915 — The Roscommon County Road Commission held its first recorded meeting June 16, 1915, after voters approved the county road system that April by a vote of 388-192. The first commissioners were William B. Orcutt, chairman; Henry Traubenkraut; and Thomas Withe. Their first work was to determine which roads were suitable for the new county road system.
June 15, 1933 — The Crawford Avalanche reported that four people drowned at Houghton Lake after a sudden storm upset small boats on the lake.
Editor’s note: Info compiled from the following resources:Michigan.gov, Michigan Public, UpNorthLive, Up North Voice, MHSAA, Arenac County Independent, Sterling Area Health Center, Plainfield Township, Roscommon County government, AIPG Michigan Section, The Crawford Avalanche archive, Library of Michigan, Detroit Free Press, Detroit News, Detroit Times, Bay City Times, Saginaw News, Alpena News, Houghton Lake Resorter, Crawford County Avalanche, Ogemaw County Herald, Oscoda County Herald, Iosco County News-Herald, Arenac County Independent, Detroit Public Library and Clarke Historical Library.
