Noah Ferry founded the city at the northwest end of White Lake across from the town of Whitehall. He named it in honor of his father, William Montague Ferry, who founded the cities of Grand Haven and Ferrysburg in neighboring Ottawa County. The town is also home to the worlds largest weathervane but that is a post for a different day.

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A while back I posted about a small one-man town near Grayling called Coopersville. Many people let me know that there is an actual town called Coopersville. Since I was near it recently I had to take a trip through the town of Coopersville between Grand Rapids and Grand Haven. I thought it was a beautiful town, but I did not have much time to explore it, so I guess I will have to take a trip back to it sometime now that I know where it is.

You can check out my post on the other Coopersville HERE

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You could possibly call it a ghost town but a few people still live in Palms located in the Thumb between Cass City and Lake Huron. I figured a name like palms it was named after the palm tree but as any astute Michigander will tell you there are no palm trees in Michigan. The village was settled in 1850 by Canadians John Smith & Michael Dyer. It was businessman Francis Palms who owned most of the land for timber, and when he brought the railroad to the little community in 1881 they named the town in his honor.

Palms owned the most land in Michigan in the mid-1800s in both the Lower and Upper Peninsulas. After harvesting the timber he sold the land but retained the mineral rights. He made a fortune off the copper that was discovered under the property he once owned. He was the president of the Michigan Stove Company and vice president of the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad. At the time of his death, his estate and savings were worth over ten million dollars. The largest estate in Michigan at the time.

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In southern Midland county near the Saginaw county border, just north of Merrill, is the Jam store in the town of Jam Michigan. It sounds like someplace you would go to get some delicious spread to put on Spatz bread, but I found out the name is actually the initials of the first postmaster of the town. J.A.M. stands for James A Murphy. The post office opened in July 1894, and because the sign on the Jam Store says “Since 1894” I am assuming that is the site of the post office. in September of 1903 the post office closed, probably because all the trees were gone, hence all the farmland.

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If you are looking for someplace different to visit that few people know about you need to stop by the old western town of Coopersville. You won’t find it on a map of Michigan since it’s not an official town. It was built by Spike Cooper who is a big fan of westerns and John Wayne. Over the years he has built an old west style town and welcomes people to come visit.

It’s full of interesting antiques and funny signs adorning its many buildings. the town has a general store, livery, jail, and a cemetery. I visited the interesting and quirky little town late last fall in the early morning and there was no one there so I did not get a chance to talk to anyone. I will have to go back later this summer and check it out more.  If you are on Facebook you can follow the Coopersville Facebook page HERE

the address is: 
1860 Fire Tower Road
Lewiston, MI 49756

It has a Lewiston address but its centrally located between Lewiston Grayling and Mio. you can see it on google maps HERE

It’s not far from Hartwick Pines and would be a good place to check out along with the logging museum and chapel at Hartwick Pines State Park.

P.S. Thank you to a couple of my readers for telling me about this place, I would have never known about it if they did not tell me.

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If you have lived in Michigan for a while you have probably been to some of the most popular tourist towns like Mackinaw City, Frankenmuth, and Petoskey.  Traveling around the state I have found many wonderful little towns that you will enjoy visiting if you are looking for someplace different.

Newaygo

Nestled at the south end of the Huron Manistee National Forest Newaygo is a historic little town with quaint little shops and a variety of restaurants. Be sure to visit the Newaygo Brewing Co. in the heart of Downtown.

Manchester

West of Ann Arbor next to the River Raisin sits the historic town of Manchester. The town is busy throughout the summer with its many festivals, a canoe race in May and a Chicken Broil serving over 14,000 chicken dinners in one day.   You can also visit the historic Sharon Mills which is not far away.

Owosso

Located near the Center of the Lower Peninsula Owosso is a perfect location for a day trip from many large cities in southern Michigan. There is a plethora of shopping and restaurants in downtown. You can also walk across a suspension bridge over the Shiawassee River and see the magnificent Curwood Castle which is now a museum open on the weekend.

Rockford

North of Grand Rapids, Rockford is the perfect place to get away from the big city. You can go for a walk on the boardwalk along the Rouge River which runs next to the downtown area. Or you can stroll along the blocks of stores and restaurants in Downtown. Whenever I am near Rockford I have to stop and get a coney dog from the Corner Bar.I am looking forward to it being re-opened this summer after the devistating fire.

Lexington

Lexington is located on the shoreline of Lake Huron north of Port Huron and is a little-known gem on the east side of the state. It’s an Idyllic little town and a great place to get away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. You can enjoy listening to music in the park on Friday nights in the summer or at many of the local bars and pubs. You can stay down the street at the Lexington State Park or in many of the local Bed and Breakfasts in the area.

Alden

Next to the beautiful crystal clear waters of Torch Lake is the town of Alden. It’s a wonderful place to go if you want to get away from the busy streets of Traverse City. The biggest attraction is the Alden Mill House full of specialty blends of spices and seasonings. If you are looking for a quiet little town in Northern Michigan for a place to relax and get a bite to eat you need to visit Alden.

Frankfort

Frankfort is one of the bigger towns on my list but I think it gets overshadowed by Traverse City and Ludington. Located on Lake Michigan, Frankfort is the perfect place to go shopping for the day and relax at one if it’s fine dining establishments and at the end of the day you can take in a sunset over the lighthouse while sitting on a beautiful sandy beach.

Mason

Mason is located south of Lansing and is your classic Midwestern town with a town square and a beautiful courthouse in the middle of it.  Surrounding the courthouse is a variety of antique and gift shops and you can satisfy your hunger at one of the local restaurants.

If you have never visited one of the towns on this list I hope you will adventure out and explore someplace new. You will be surprised at what you will find and may find a new favorite place to visit.

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