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History of Roscommon County and area
Roscommon County came into being when it was separated from Midland County in 1875. The area which included Roscommon County was originally called 'Mikenauk' for Chief Mikenauk, who was an Ottawa Indian and referred to as a chief of the first class in the treaty of 1836.
Houghton Lake was originally named 'Roscommon Lake.' In 1877, the Village of Houghton Lake was described as follows: "The county seat of Roscommon County, a place of 20 population, settled in 1873. It is situated on Roscommon Lake, 18 miles from Roscommon Station, it's nearest railroad point."
In 1879, the Village of Roscommon was named county seat by a unanimous vote of the supervisors and a courthouse was built shortly thereafter. About this time, Houghton Lake was named for Douglas Houghton, first Michigan geologist. Lumbering was the main industry and saw mills sprung up around the lumber camps of this early era. The railroads were instrumental in starting the resort industry of the county in the late 1800's. They furnished the transportation of people from Detroit and other cities to Roscommon, where they were then transported to one of the camps at Higgins Lake.
Roscommon County has three large lakes and many smaller ones. Houghton Lake, with 20,044 acres and 30 miles of shoreline, is the largest and home of the nationally famous Tip-Up-Town USA winter festival. Higgins Lake, covering 9,600 acres and reaching a depth of 141 feet, is commonly referred to as the 6th most beautiful lake in the world. Lake St. Helen has an annual Bluegill Festival that attracts a huge crowd each summer. A Village-wide celebration to our country's independence, an all-day art festival and special Christmas celebration keep residents and visitors to the Village of Roscommon hopping with activity year-round.
Among the beautiful streams in the county that provide fine fishing and scenic canoeing are the headwaters of the Muskegon, AuSable and Tittabawassee rivers. Besides the lakes and streams, there are approximately 2,000 acres of backwater above the Reedsburg Dam. The Dead Stream Swamp area covers about 25,000 acres, including 2,000 acres of flooding.There are about 185,000 acres of public land furnishing good hunting for deer, grouse, woodcock, squirrels and ducks. Roscommon County welcomes visitors to the area by providing beautiful scenery, hiking trails, golfing, camping facilities, fishing, hunting, boating, swimming, water skiing, snow skiing, ice skating, sledding, snowmobiling, bowling and airplane rides at the airport.
There is something for everyone, including birdwatching, for those who enjoy the peace and quite of the north. The many fine restaurants in the area offer a delightful menu for those who enjoy fine food.
We now have a beautiful statue paying tribute to the many
firemen in Michigan who help save lives. It is located about two miles south
of the Village of Roscommon. They also have a weekend festival in
mid-September that brings many visitors from Michigan, several surrounding
states and even Canada.
The official 1990 census count was 19,776 full-time residents. Roscommon County was the fourth-ranking county in the State of Michigan for growth - showing a 20.8% population growth since 1980.
Industrial parks located in the Village of Roscommon and Denton Township have provided industry to the area and employment for some of the parents of the 3,300 school age children attending our fine schools. Kirtland Community College provides continued education for 1,500 students in many fields of study.Our business places and professional people are among the best. Our churches represent many denominations. Commercial tourist accommodations are many and varied. We proudly welcome new residents as well as vacationers.