Town Name: Jennings
Population: 264
Reason for becoming a ghost town: Reliant on the Mitchell brothers, the town was doomed when they packed up and headed for Cadillac.
Town History: Jennings is one the most well-known ghost towns due to the fact that it was one of the biggest towns to ever become a ghost town. While the town still exists in a sense, it no longer has a post office (which closed in 1956) and is a far cry from its peak population of 2,000 citizens during its high point.
Jennings was named after presidential candidate WIlliam Jennings Bryan, but it was the Mitchell Brothers that basically owned the town. After the Dewings brothers built a sawmill on nearby Crooked Lake in 1878, Austin and WIlliam Mitchell came in and took over. Originally named Round Lake and Mitchell, Jennings became a boomtown. The Mitchells expanded the mill to manufacture flooring, shingles, and siding. 600 men were employed at any given time and the mill ran every day all day (except Sundays). A branch of the GR&I railroad was built to accomodate the products constantly coming out of this town.
Unlike other local communities that comprised of mostly shacks and wooden structures, Jennings consisted of well-built homes that were financed by the Mitchell brothers and their local bank. A chemical factory was also located here to produce turpentine from the cut stumps left over from the lumber harvests. A nice sized hotel, town hall, livery, saloon, pool hall, school, and four churches were once located here, but now only one one church still exists. Most businesses ran through the Mitchells, but a productive business was had when people would cut ice out of Crooked Lake and shipped it out across the state. TImes were good.
Unfortunately, because almost everything ran through the Mitchells, the town's future was held in their hands. The lumber was drying up and the Mitchells were not interested in keeping a town alive if there is better opportunities elsewhere. During the first two decades of the 20th century, the Mitchells slowly starting moving operations to Cadillac. Businesses and homes were closed up and relocated to Cadillac (for some of the houses, quite literally and some can still be seen there). The Mitchells are now primarily known for their activities in Cadillac, where several things there are named after them.The mills were closed and people moved where there was work. By the 1930s, Jennings population had plummeted to less than 50.
While the town recovered somewhat, Jennings no longer has any major businesses and is primarily compromised of low-income housing. Where once stood stately Victorian homes and giant factories, now stand empty lots and foundations, many of which can be found in the nearby woods. The loud whistles of production and economic prosperity are now silent.
Cache Description: Cache is a clear pill bottle in the Jennings Cemetery. Please do not come here at night.