The cache is on the Pere Marquette Trail near the site of the sawmill. It is accessible by bicycle or on foot, or by snowmobile, however the cache is not winter friendly. Access to the trail is available at the intersection with 15th Avenue and 5 mile, 1/3 mile west. A trail near the curve where 5 mile turns south to 10th avenue may be usable when it is dry. Bring your own pen.
Town Name: Chippewa
Population: 0
Reason for becoming a lost town:
Timber was completely harvested. No other industry was present, so the PO was closed and the town eventually dried up.
Town History:
According to the Michigan State Gazetteer and Business Directory, in 1897 the town had a population of 50, likely down from previous years when the timber harvest was in full swing. The town had a post office, a hotel, a general store, a shingle mill, and a school house. By 1907, the population was down to 30 and a livestock yard was added. Today, the settlement is gone. There are a few houses in the area, most of which are used for hunting cabins. It isn’t clear when the settlement dried up, but it was likely very early in the 20th century.
1900 plat of Chippewa, courtesy of the UM Michigan County Histories and Atlases.
Notes of interest:
Nothing remains of the settlement. Aerial photos show evidence of a street west of 10th Avenue heading south-south-west, as shown on the plat. Unfortunately, it is on private property. There are only hunters cabins and a house or two nearby.
