Mason County: 1850-1950 portrays the settlement and growth of Mason County, Michigan, as the area transformed from a land covered in virgin pine and native settlements to communities of farmers and manufacturers. This history of the region begins with images of logging and mills and follows the growth of towns, villages, and individual townships. The adversity, struggles, successes, and joys of carving a new life from the wilderness are captured in more than 200 carefully selected images. These unique photographs illustrate a life of hardship, service, and dedication to faith, family, and...

Oceana County, named for the great freshwater ocean of Lake Michigan, was formed in 1831 and organized on February 13, 1855. The great forest seemed to be an ocean itself, a never-ending sea of green gold for the lumber barons to exploit. The harvest of these mammoth stands of pines brought men and their families to the area to work and build their fortunes. As with many of its immediate neighbors, Oceana County was forged from the exploits of trappers and lumbermen--it was sustained and nurtured by the farmers and businessmen who remained. They built communities on the pine-stumped fields...