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Arenac County
June 12, 1903 — Late spring frost damaged crops.
A state geological report noted that a late spring frost damaged crops in Arenac County on June 12, 1903. The report said crops could be “considerably damaged” by an unexpected frost, showing how risky farming could be in the county’s short growing season.
June 13, 1918 — Standish faced a possible loss of electric power.
The Arenac County Historical Society timeline, drawing from the Arenac County Independent, notes that electric power in Standish would have stopped if local business places had not voluntarily tripled their rate.
June 8, 1927 — Rural electrification moved forward in Turner, Twining and Whittemore.
Voters approved electric light proposals in the three communities, and construction was expected to begin at once. It was a major quality-of-life step for small-town and rural Arenac County during the 1920s. The Arenac County Historical Society notes that most timeline entries from 1890 forward are quoted from the Arenac County Independent.
June 13, 1928 — Grocery prices offered a snapshot of daily life.
An A&P Grocery ad listed Grandmother’s Bread at 9 cents for a large loaf, a 100-pound bag of pure cane sugar for $6.40 and Shredded Wheat at 19 cents a package.
June 12, 1929 — Standish High School valedictorian had perfect attendance.
Kathryn White of Turner, a Standish High School graduate, was reported to have missed no days during two years of high school and was named valedictorian.
June 8, 1932 — Turner student earned a trip to the State Fair.
Roland Humerickhouse of Turner, age 14, won a trip to the State Fair after earning the top score in the eighth-grade examination. The short item is a reminder of how county school exams and fairs were tied to public recognition for rural students.
June 13, 1934 — Arenac County remembered its Civil War generation.
Henry Hibner, 94, of Standish, was reported as Arenac County’s only Civil War veteran. The same item noted that the Independent had published a photo of Harry Matuzak of Omer speaking with Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics.
June 1999 — Arenac County was tied to a free speech case.
The ACLU reported on the “Cussing Canoeist” case after a canoeist was ticketed following a profanity complaint. The story involved an officer who had left the Arenac County Sheriff’s Department and drew attention beyond northeast Michigan.
June 8, 2011 — One-room school history was preserved.
The Arenac County Historical Society’s indexed page for One Room Country Schools, Arenac County, Michigan was dated June 8, 2011. The index helps researchers find information on rural schools such as Berry, Deep Gully, Deford, Haley, Hanna and Maple Ridge. It remains a useful resource for families tracing Arenac County’s school history.
June 12, 2020 — Flood recovery continued after historic May flooding.
Following the May 2020 flood events, Arenac County moved into public assistance and recovery communications. Later county recovery materials noted that families affected by the May 2020 floods could still seek help, and regional planning documents identified Arenac as one of the counties affected by the flood and infrastructure disaster.
June 12, 2025 — State property transfer bill advanced.
A bill involving the transfer of certain state-owned property in Arenac County moved forward in Lansing. House Bill 4011 was referred to the Senate Committee on Local Government on June 12, 2025.
Crawford County
Background note — Camp Grayling’s 20th-century growth shaped the county.
Camp Grayling was founded in 1913 on land donated by lumberman Rasmus Hanson and now spans 147,000 acres in Crawford, Kalkaska and Otsego counties. It remains one of Crawford County’s most important 20th-century institutions.
June 9, 1927 — Saginaw businessmen visited Grayling.
The Crawford Avalanche reported that about 45 Saginaw businessmen visited Grayling during a 500-mile goodwill tour through northeastern Michigan. About 100 Grayling-area retailers joined them for a dinner at Shoppenagon’s Inn, where speakers talked about tourism, business and promoting Michigan as a vacation destination.
June 14, 1933 — Grayling’s Au Sable CCC Camp was established.
The Au Sable No. 681 Civilian Conservation Corps camp at Grayling was established June 14, 1933. CCC camps were part of the New Deal and had a lasting effect on northern Michigan forests, parks and public lands.
June 9, 2016 — State officials announced a new Arctic grayling effort.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources announced an initiative to bring Arctic grayling back to Michigan waters. The effort carried special meaning in Crawford County because Grayling took its name from the fish once associated with the Au Sable River area.
June 10, 2021 — Wildfire reported near Camp Grayling.
A 130-acre wildfire near Camp Grayling was under investigation after smoke was reported in the area. The fire added to the region’s long history of wildfire risk, especially around military training lands, jack pine areas and sandy soils.
June 14, 2022 — Camp Grayling expansion drew public input.
The Crawford County Avalanche reported that the Michigan Department of Natural Resources was gathering public input on the proposed Camp Grayling expansion through an online map. The issue became one of the most closely watched land-use debates in northern Michigan.
June 8-13, 2023 — Crawford County wildfire remained in the news.
After a major Crawford County wildfire burned an estimated 2,400 acres, officials continued to monitor hot spots. The fire also drew attention because of its potential impact on Kirtland’s warbler habitat.
June 10-13, 2025 — Camp Grayling marked 15 years of partnership with Liberia.
Camp Grayling hosted events marking 15 years of partnership between the Michigan National Guard and Liberia. The events included a tree-planting ceremony and the annual Pass in Review parade, tying Camp Grayling’s long military role to modern international partnerships.
Iosco County
June 8, 1953 — Iosco County was struck during one of Michigan’s worst tornado outbreaks.
A deadly F2 tornado struck Iosco County during the same outbreak that produced the Flint-Beecher tornado. Tornado records list the Iosco County tornado at 6:40 p.m., with a 16.6-mile path, a width of 833 yards and four deaths. Gongwer reported the tornado killed a family of four and injured 13 others. The same outbreak is remembered as one of Michigan’s worst weather disasters. The National Weather Service says the Flint-Beecher tornado killed 116 people and injured 844, making it the last U.S. tornado to cause more than 100 deaths.
June 10-11, 2006 — Tawas Point State Park hosted Celebration Days.
Tawas Point State Park held Celebration Days from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event celebrated the pioneer spirit of the Tawas area with tomahawk throwing, old-time games, candlemaking, a fishing derby, nature hikes and traditional music. Events were held in the day-use area and on the lighthouse grounds.
June 14, 2014 — County tobacco ban discussed.
Iosco County was developing an ordinance that would ban tobacco products on county campuses. The proposal reflected a broader 21st-century shift toward smoke-free public facilities.
June 13, 2019 — PFAS testing continued in the Oscoda area.
State environmental officials coordinated surface water sampling and residential well testing as part of the Oscoda-area PFAS investigation tied to the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The work was part of a long-running effort to define the contamination area and protect drinking water.
June 12, 2020 — Wurtsmith PFAS response expanded.
The Air Force announced plans to award a contract to expand capture zones to better control PFOS and PFOA migration near Clark’s Marsh and two existing treated plumes near Oscoda. The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base remains one of Michigan’s most significant PFAS cleanup sites.
Ogemaw County
19th-century context — Ogemaw County was established under the Public Acts of 1875.
Ogemaw County was established by the State of Michigan under the Public Acts of 1875. Edwards and Ogemaw townships were among the first organized in 1873, and early settlement followed the county’s rivers, including the Tittabawassee River.
June 8, 1914 — Civil War veteran Elias W. Hutton died in West Branch Township.
Elias W. Hutton, a Civil War veteran and West Branch resident, died June 8, 1914, in West Branch Township. He served as a private in Company A of the 5th Michigan Cavalry. He enlisted at Pontiac, served from Aug. 20, 1862, to June 23, 1865, later lived in West Branch and was listed on the GAR Post 370 muster roll. He is buried at Brookside Cemetery in West Branch.
June 14, 1926 — County marriage records preserved a family-history entry.
Ogemaw County marriage records list Thelma B. Harrington and George W. Roe on June 14, 1926. The index notes the records came from Book One of the official marriage record books held by the Ogemaw County Clerk.
June 8, 2011 — Broadband expansion was discussed at Ogemaw Heights.
Merit Network announced a community meeting at Ogemaw Heights High School to explain the REACH-3MC broadband project. The federally funded fiber project was intended to bring new broadband infrastructure into Ogemaw County and other underserved areas.
June 9, 2016 — Ogemaw conservation officer honored.
Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Kyle Bader of Ogemaw County received a Law Enforcement Division Lifesaving Award at the Natural Resources Commission meeting in Gaylord. The DNR said Bader was honored for helping locate and assist a man in crisis earlier that spring.
June 9, 2025 — Kirtland’s warbler protections drew attention.
Environmental groups welcomed stricter protections for Kirtland’s warblers in an Ogemaw County pipeline permit. The issue involved habitat protections tied to the Kirtland’s Warbler Wildlife Management Area.
June 12, 2025 — Students visited the Ogemaw County Historical Museum.
Surline Middle School summer school students visited the Ogemaw County Historical Museum. Students toured the museum and asked questions about local history, showing how local history is still being passed to younger generations.
Oscoda County
19th-century context — The Oscoda County Courthouse traced back to the 1880s.
The Oscoda County Courthouse in Mio traced back to the 1880s. County taxpayers bought Block 70 in Mio for $100 in 1885, and the courthouse was built from July 1888 to May 1889 by George Hunter. The final cost was $3,794.80.
20th-century tie — The courthouse’s historic status dated to the 1970s.
National Register records list the Oscoda County Courthouse under reference number 72000651, with an Aug. 25, 1972, listing date. That made the courthouse one of Oscoda County’s most important 20th-century preservation landmarks before the 2016 fire.
June 9, 2020 — County board met by teleconference.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oscoda County Board of Commissioners held its June 9, 2020, regular meeting by teleconference under a governor’s executive order. It was part of the pandemic-era shift in local government operations.
June 9-11, 2023 — Nor-East’r Festival returned to Mio.
The Nor-East’r Music & Art Festival was held June 9-11, 2023, at the Oscoda County Fair Grounds, 1889 Caldwell Road, Mio. Michigan Humanities listed the festival as featuring national, regional and Michigan performers, with music, food, art vendors and camping. The festival has become a major 21st-century cultural event for Oscoda County, with a 2025 preview describing it as entering its 21st year.
June 10, 2023 — National Register action began for the former Oscoda County Courthouse.
The National Park Service listed the Oscoda County Courthouse in Mio on its June 10, 2023, pending list for National Register-related action. A later Federal Register notice dated June 14, 2023, listed a request for removal for the courthouse at 311 Morenci Ave. in Mio. The courthouse was later listed as removed from the National Register on July 10, 2023. The county says the original courthouse was built in 1888, was the oldest wood-frame courthouse still in use in Michigan at the time of the 2016 fire and was damaged beyond repair on May 4, 2016.
Roscommon County
June 8, 1957 — State fisheries work studied Houghton Lake.
A Michigan Department of Natural Resources fisheries reference lists a study titled “A summary of fishing on Houghton Lake, Roscommon County, June 8 – September 24, 1957.” The study is part of the long record of state fisheries work on one of Michigan’s best-known inland lakes.
June 14, 1970 — Kirtland Community College held its first commencement.
Kirtland Community College held its first commencement ceremony June 14, 1970, with 44 graduates. Fifteen received associate of arts degrees, 22 received associate of science degrees and seven completed the cosmetology program. The college site at F-97 and County Road 603 in Roscommon County had been selected in May 1967.
June 10, 1974 — A tornado was recorded in Roscommon County.
Tornado history records list an F2 tornado in Roscommon County at 12:01 a.m. June 10, 1974. The short-track storm had a listed path of 0.3 miles and a width of 50 yards.
June 12, 2017 — Iron Belle Trail link neared completion.
The Michigan DNR reported that a 2-mile Iron Belle Trail segment at North Higgins Lake State Park was almost finished. The Roscommon-area trail link helped strengthen the county’s connection to Michigan’s statewide hiking and biking network.
June 9, 2021 — Tornado touched down in Roscommon County.
A tornado touched down in Roscommon County on June 9, 2021. TornadoPath lists the storm as an EF0 with a 1.1-mile path and a width of 25 yards. UpNorthLive reported June 10 that the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado had touched down in the county the previous day.
June 13, 2024 — Genealogy programming highlighted local family history.
The Houghton Lake Resorter reported on a Genealogy 101 class connected with the Roscommon County Genealogical Society. The program reflected ongoing local interest in family history, cemetery records and community archives.
June 12, 2024-June 11, 2025 — Lake-level control remained a county issue.
Roscommon County posted a Lake Level Control Structure Meeting for June 12, 2024. One year later, on June 11, 2025, county commissioners met in special session and discussed advisory board work involving Houghton Lake, Lake St. Helen and Higgins Lake.
Resources include:
Arenac County Historical Society; Crawford Avalanche; Michigan DNR fisheries and park records; National Weather Service; TornadoPath; Federal Register/National Park Service; 9&10 News; UpNorthLive; Michigan Humanities; MIGenWeb; Kirtland Community College; Library of Michigan county guide; Clarke Historical Library; Arenac County Independent; Crawford County Historical Society; Roscommon Area Historical Society; Ogemaw County Historical Museum; Iosco County Historical Museum; Michigan Historical Marker program; National Weather Service and NOAA storm records; National Park Service National Register records; and WIKI.
