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| Brown City Just as the first towns in Michigan grew up along the lakes and rivers – pre-industrial transportation routes – subsequent settlements formed along the burgeoning rail system – the ribbons of steel track that stitched the state and country together. Brown City began as the farm of Robert Brown. With the coming of the Port Huron and Northwestern Railroad, the farm grew into a settlement. In 1879, Robert and his brother, John, christened the growing town Brown City. The east-west trail that cut through the 19th Century settlement became today’s M-90. Brown City, tucked into Sanilac County’s southwest corner, remains the urban hub of a large agricultural region, which includes a thriving Amish community. Residents and businesses annually celebrate their heritage in June now called “Thumb Area Soy Bean Festival” (formerly Brown City Days) highlighted by a parade, carnival and an array of family activities. The city features a wildlife sanctuary and a park bustling with barbecuing and games of horseshoes, volleyball and baseball. Brown City Community: www.ci.brown-city.mi.us |
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| Croswell Croswell is an excellent example of Thumb Area living: friendly people of the present who take great pride in their past. Croswell is home to a locally famous swinging footbridge built in 1905 over the Black River, which bisects the city on its way to Port Huron and the Great Lake. A folksy sign at the east end of the suspension bridge advises pedestrians to “Be Good To Your Mother-in-Law.” The city itself is dotted with pre-Civil War homes and buildings. Lumbering dominated Croswell until the Great Thumb Fire of 1881. Since then, agriculture has been the dominant economic activity, especially sugar beets, symbolized by the city’s iconic Pioneer Sugar plant. The annual Croswell Fair is in August this year and features livestock exhibits and a midway full of rides. The Swinging Bridge Festival in August celebrates the upcoming harvest with a Cardboard Regatta on the Black River. See ads on page 6 and 44. Croswell Community: www.croswell-mich.com Croswell Events: www.croswell-mich.com/events.html |
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| Deckerville Deckerville takes its name from Charles Decker, who launched a lumber business here in 1870. Decker’s son, Martin, became the settlement’s first postmaster that same year. Deckerville incorporated as a village in 1893 and to this day is home to a number of Charles’ descendents. Located just 6 miles from the Lake Huron shoreline, Deckerville has several shops and restaurants, as well as a full-service hospital and library available for campers and resorters. During the summertime, visitors can take a dip in the village’s outdoor pool or roll a few balls at the local bowling alley. In August, past and present villagers gather for the Deckerville Homecoming festival, which features a tractor pull, parade, fireworks and many more activities. In mid September, residents mark the beginning of fall with Oktoberfest. Don’t forget about their Dickens of a Christmas in December. Come celebrate the change of seasons in Deckerville! Deckerville Community: www.deckervilledcdc.com Deckerville Events: www.deckervilledcdc.com/eventscalendar.html |
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| Lexington When Lexington was founded in 1835, it became the first outpost north of Port Huron. Eleven years later, Reuben Diamond named the village after the Battle of Lexington, in which his wife’s cousin, Ethan Allen, fought during the Revolutionary War. The Cadillac Hotel has stood at the heart of village life since its days as a log hotel from 1840 to 1860, when it was rebuilt following a fire. Steamships and freighters made regular stops at the port of Lexington for lumber and agricultural products until the Great Storm of 1913 destroyed the village’s long dock into Lake Huron. Lexington is now noted for its many Victorian homes and historic buildings filled with shops, restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. With its handful of pretty parks and its quaint downtown, the village is the summertime host of the Music in the Park Series, Thumb Fest, the Lexington Art Fair and the annual Bach Festival. Protected by a limestone seawall, Lexington’s picturesque marina doubles as an official State of Michigan Harbor of Refuge. Its beach offers visitors a chance to kick back and enjoy the summer. Nearby golf courses, a bike trail to Croswell, seasonal hunting spots, abundant fishing and a thriving cottage culture make Lexington a vacation mini-mecca. Lexington Community: www.lexingtonmichigan.org/ Lexington Events: www.lexingtonmichigan.org/calendar.htm |
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| Marlette Marlette, located in the heart of Michigan’s Thumb, was first settled in the mid-1800’s by Canadians lured by the tall timber and fertile soil of the area. The lumber industry gave way to farming after the Great Thumb Fire of 1881, with sugar beets, soy beans and corn dominating production today. A large Amish community gives the countryside around Marlette the aura of a bygone era, complete with horse-drawn buggies and outlets selling produce, furniture and baked goods. The friendly city offers a handful of recreational options, including a challenging nine-hole public golf course, a community swimming pool, various agri-tourism opportunities and a playground. One of the biggest employers in the area is Marlette Regional Hospital. Visitors to Marlette may stay in a bed-and-breakfast, stroll the smalltown shopping district and enjoy a casual meal far from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Marlette Community: www.cityofmarlette.com/ Marlette Events: www.cityofmarlette.com/435685.html |
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| Port Sanilac The village now known as Port Sanilac was founded in the early 1840’s by lumbermen who erected a shelter close enough to the beach that it could be seen by passing Great Lakes sailors. The sailors christened the settlement after its appearance – “Bark Shanty Point.” In 1857, the residents officially changed the name of their hometown to Port Sanilac. By then, the village was in full swing. A saw mill, schoolhouse and general store opened in the late 1840’s. In 1850, Raymond Hardware opened – and never closed: it is currently the oldest continuously operated hardware store in Michigan. The blue water of Lake Huron and its sandy beaches have always been Port Sanilac’s chief attractions. The Port Sanilac Lighthouse began illuminating the local waters in 1886 and has been a popular tourist destination ever since. The village’s Harbor of Refuge offers 32 seasonal slips and 35 transient slips as well as a convenient diving launch-site for the Sanilac Shores Underwater Preserve, which encompasses 163 square miles of protected lake bottom featuring shipwrecks dating back to 1864. Port Sanilac is also home to the Barn Theatre and the Sanilac County Historic Village and Museum, a 10-acre campus that showcases eight historical buildings. The community features a handful of casual dining spots, bed-and-breakfasts, the Sanilac District Library, and a vibrant cottage culture. Port Sanilac Community: www.portsanilac.net/ Port Sanilac Events: www.portsanilac.net/ |
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| Sandusky Sandusky, located 15 miles inland from Port Sanilac at the intersection of M-46 and M-19, is the county seat of Sanilac County. Sandusky offers all the services and resources you’d expect from a much larger city: top-notch medical care, a variety of shopping opportunities, lodging, dining, up-to-date library, excellent law enforcement, emergency services and more. Farming and industry combine to make Sandusky an honest, hard working, progressive and safe community. Sandusky has many recreational opportunities and is a beehive of activity. It is home to the annual Michigan Thumb Festival in June, the Sanilac County 4-H Fair in August and popular Original Country Christmas Lighted Farm Implement Parade in December. Sandusky boasts the only tri-plex movie theater in the county as well as a bowling alley, basketball courts, fully handicapped accessible playground in its city park and a public golf course. In the surrounding area, the farmland provides ample hunting opportunities throughout the year as well as many miles of snowmobile trails. Sandusky Community: www.ci.sandusky.mi.us/ Sandusky Events: www.ci.sandusky.mi.us/calendar.html |
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| Carsonville, Applegate, Argyle,
Melvin, Minden City,
Forester, Forestville, Peck, Snover Scattered throughout Sanilac County are several smaller communities, each with its own history and each with its unique attractions. Carsonville, for example, was founded in 1853 by Silas Hall and was known as Hall’s Corners until 1884 when businessman Arthur Carson renamed the settlement. In Peck, you can find a hardware store straight out of the 1950’s. A bar in Applegate serves up some of the best pizza in the county. Despite their differences, the communities share the small-town friendliness and helpfulness that are common throughout Sanilac County. |
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