In this episode of End of the Road in Michigan, we travel back to the height of the lumber boom to explore one of the Great Lakes region’s lost company towns. Entirely owned by a single firm, this once-thriving settlement embodied the economic highs and social constraints of Michigan’s timber industry in the 1800s. We look at how these towns operated, what made them vanish, and what traces, if any, remain today.

Near the tip of the eastern side of Michigan’s thumb lies a small cluster of neatly appointed cottages and mobile homes. Some have a commanding view of Lake Huron. This neighborhood is situated near the New River, a creek. There is a street with a neat name Tip O Thumb Drive. It describes the neighborhood perfectly. It’s almost idyllic. The question is, did someone develop this as a neighborhood during the post-World War II cottage boom? Surprisingly, this cottage retirement community is way older than that.

Read the entire story at A Lost Lumber and Company Town – New River Michigan.

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