Atlanta Hotel
(Click Photo to Enlarge)

 
Montmorency County was founded in 1881, after being part of Alpena County and various territorial counties before Michigan statehood. The origin of the name remains unclear, and may have been taken from the French Duke of Montmorenci or the first Catholic bishop of Canada, Montmorency-Laval. Allen Briley, an area pioneer, led the effort for county status, and the first three townships were Briley, Montmorency and Rust. 

Historical and land records were lost when the courthouse burned in early 1942. What was salvaged was moved to a log community center which burned in April of 1943.  Many land records were re-established by court order. More history was lost when the Montmorency Tribune's frame building burned, also in 1943.

The county is 576 square miles, with 648 miles of county road system. 

The geology of the area reflects the last of the glaciers that covered North America. Coming down from the hills on M-33 at the south edge of the county, you see what was once a vast, flat lake bed of meltwater from glacial ice. "Old Baldy," a cone-shaped hill near the western edge of the county off Huff Road, was made by gravel falling through a hole in a glacer. Other hills were pushed up as the glacier moved ahead and receded with climate changes. Soil types, rocks and boulders were created, shaped and moved by those natural earth changes over time.

There are public access points on most of  the lakes, and there is a variety of trout streams, trout lakes, bass, panfish and pike lakes, and the Thunder Bay River and its tributaries.

Michigan's elk herd is primarily in the northern half of our county, and offers unique viewing in early morning and late evening. Whitetail deer, ruffed grouse, black bear, wild turkey,  and many other small animals and birds make their home here. The bald eagle has come back, loon populations are increasing and the osprey on Fletcher Floodwater are unique in the area.

Nearly half the land area is state land, open for everyone. Safety with fire and taking all refuse and trash with you when you leave is appreciated, since the next person would like to share the enjoyment of our beautiful area, too.

Atlanta got its name because the terrain reminded Alfred J. West, of the area around Atlanta, Georgia, where he had fought in the Civil War. West, of Capac, MI, bought a large tract of land in 1881 and started a mill on the Thunder Bay River. He also opened a boarding house for his employees. Alfred Power opened a drug and general store, the community of Atlanta was begun. Later West established the Atlanta Tribune, started a general store, three hotels, a saloon and started a livery service to and from Lewiston and Hillman.

As lumbering declined, Atlanta turned to governmental offices and tourism, and in the 1960's and 1970's a factory assembling automotive electrical parts was a significant employer. Losing that in an early 1980's recession, tourism and retirement living increased in importance for Atlanta's economy. 

Hillman was platted in 1881 by John Hillman Stevens, who gave the village his middle name. That original plat was south of the Thunder Bay River, and in May of 1882 a bridge was constructed and plats on the north side of the river developed. By July of 1882 a post office was established, and Hillman Village was officially incorporated in 1891. In its history it had railroad service, hotels, department stores and other offerings, but many of the original wood buildings were lost in fires, an especially bad one in 1908. The Montmorency County Normal School in Hillman trained many schoolteachers who taught in rural schools of the day.

The county seat began at Brush Creek, which is now Hillman, but two votes for a more central location were held, and the second one moved it to Atlanta in 1893. There was an election to move it to Lewiston, but fraud was discovered in the election, and the results were thrown out.

After the lumbering era declined, Hillman served area agriculture and developed tourism around area lakes and the large Fletcher Floodwaters, created to provide steady water flow for electric power. The community's V-J Day Celebration started with a picnic held by area merchants when the WWII Victory over Japan was announced. That celebration continues as Hillman's primary community festival.

Lewiston is named after Lewis Jenson, who was once the general manager of the Michelson Hanson Lumber Company, which had a large mill between the present downtown and East Twin Lake. Things did not work out, so he left Lewiston and went back to managing the Michelson Hanson Sawmill at the North end of Otsego Lake. He was the Corporate Secretary and the largest stockholder in the Michelson Hanson Lumber Company, but did not control it because there were several large stockholders. Even so, he continued to visit Lewiston frequently. Loggers in camps around the area  would head for "Lew's town" to spend the wages earned for their hard work in the woods.  The town was platted on August 21, 1891 with wide streets and spacious blocks, as the founders looked forward to a prosperous community. When the lumbering boom was over, Lewiston developed as a resort area and that primarily continues today, with some light industry, retirement homes and recreation businesses adding to the economy.
 

Pettinger House	Logging Camp	Lewiston and Southeastern RR Train
Hillman Picnic - 1901	Atlanta Dam	Early Homestead
Big Rock Store	Atlanta Halfway House	Farrier Auto