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Roscommon County
May 2, 1887 — Markey Township held its first annual meeting after being divided from Gerrish Township. Its first annual meeting was held May 2, 1887 at the home of Benjamin Foster.
April 27, 1950 — Gerrish Township moved forward with fire protection. The Gerrish Township Board voted at a special meeting to buy a new fire truck and accessories from W.S. Darley & Co. for $6,305.70.
Crawford County
April 28, 1882 —The Crawford County Historical Society cited Crawford Avalanche records that the first grist was established at Palmer’s mill in Grayling.
May 2, 1913 —Camp Grayling was established May 2, 1913, under Michigan Public Act 172. The post grew from land donated by Grayling lumberman Rasmus Hanson and has become one of the region’s most important military and economic landmarks.
April 28, 2023 — Camp Grayling expansion proposal was denied. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources declined a proposed 20-year lease of about 162,000 acres of state forest land tied to Camp Grayling. A separate memorandum allowed limited-use permit applications for up to 52,000 acres.
Ogemaw County
April 27, 1875 — Ogemaw County government was organized. Ogemaw County had a complicated early history, including earlier creation and absorption into Iosco County in1867.
April 28, 1887 — The county’s first courthouse in West Branch was destroyed by fire. A replacement courthouse was built in 1888.
May 1, 1889 —Goodar Township history records that Anna Lilliburg was issued the county’s first liquor license. During South Branch’s lumber-era boom, the village had four saloons.
Oscoda County
April 30-May 1, 2006 — Major wildfire burned thousands of acres. Oscoda County’s hazard mitigation plan reported that about 5,950 acres burned, seven vehicles were destroyed. Property damage was estimated at $600,000, and firefighting costs topped $800,000.
Iosco County
May 2, 1877 —The new Tawas Point Lighthouse opened for the first day of navigation on May 2, 1877. The lighthouse guided vessels near Tawas Bay and Lake Huron shoals.
April 29, 1950 — A fish weir on the East Branch of the Au Gres River in Iosco County was completed, according to a Michigan Department of Conservation fisheries report, The weir was built as part of an effort to improve populations of rainbow trout.
April 29, 2020 — EGLE hosted a PFAS response coordination call connected to the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda. The ongoing response involves local, state and federal agencies, as well as the US Air Force.
Arenac County
April 28, 1910 — Records from the Arenac County Historical Society said that H.M. Schmidt, owner of the County Line Cheese Factory in Gibson Township, the factory would start up again Monday, May 2, with a grocery store connected to the business.
May 2, 2022 — State officials announced northbound I-75 bridge work in Arenac County as part of a $37 million project to resurface 6.4 miles of U.S. 23 from I-75 to Grove Street in Standish and repair 19 bridges.
Editor’s Note: Sources for this copy include Arenac County Historical Society, ChatPT, and Wikipedia
