MLT - Big Rock Traditional Geocache

The cache is located in an area that was once home to the town of Big Rock.  Today all that is left are the Big Rock itself and a few foundations.  The town, as many located around here in that era was established as a logging community that harvested the enormous white pines that covered the land.

The first official mention of Big Rock was on March 22, 1882 when Seth Gillet opened a post office by that name.  This Post office soon closed on October 2nd and transferred to the new town of Atlanta Michigan. William Remington then established a Post Office on May 26, 1884 in his general store. This store was located at a nearby creek that was later dammed to form what is the present day Lake Inez. The settlement was known as Remington and was only around until late 1884. Seth Gillet's brother Wallace then returned to the original Big Rock site and opened his Post Office on December 14, 1885. He chose to stay with the original name Big Rock and this is how it remained. Many buildings and area businesses made this community. These were of course the Post Office, a hotel, grange hall, church, school and flour-mill (down by the creek). One web site shows a population of 18 in Big Rock during the 1895, but other sites reflect a much higher number.

The Post Office remained open until 1920 and many of the buildings stayed in tact for years to follow.  In 1936 a large fire caused a lot of devastation to a majority of these buildings.  In 1966 another fire burned the final building to the ground.  The only evidence remaining of this once flourishing community are the foundations that you see around you and a church located down the road whose namesake was taken from this old town.

Below is a link to the Michigan Lost Towns (MLT) site and a link to a site that discusses more history of the community and its residents.