Gladwin County, Michigan

Gladwin County Education, Geography, and History

Gladwin County is a county located in the state of Michigan. Based on the 2010 census, the population was 25,692. The county seat is Gladwin

Etymology - Origin of Gladwin County Name

Gladwin County is named for Henry Gladwin British military commander at Detroit during Pontiac's War.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: CensusBureau Quick Facts

Gladwin County History

Gladwin County is named for Henry Gladwin British military commander at Detroit during Pontiac's War.

Set Off: 1831

Organized: 1875

Gladwin County is a headwaters area. Most of the water that flows out of the county via the Tittabawasee river comes from Gladwin County, only a very small portion flows in from Clare or Roscommon counties. Native Americans crossed this area, and even spent summers here where the fishing was good and summer berries plentiful.

Research is underway to determine the importance of an ancient trail that was noted by the crew of the 1839 re-survey of Township 17 north Range 2 west, which later became Beaverton Township. The eastern terminus of the "Muskegon River Trail" was plotted at the confluence of the three branches of the Tobacco (Assa-mo-quoi-Sepe) River in the northwest corner of Section 12. It is possible that an early cross-country route from Saginaw Bay to Lake Michigan proceeded up the Saginaw, Tittabawasee and Tobacco Rivers to approximately the point west across Ross Lake from the Beaverton City Cemetery. At that point the canoes would be portaged along the trail to the Muskegon river, then floated down to Lake Michigan.

Many native artifacts have been found along that route that attest to seasonal occupation, but so far no signs have been found to indicate any permanent, year-around settlement.

The earliest documented visitors to the area that later became Gladwin County were the surveyors who platted that land according to the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance. Most of the early work was completed during the 1830s. Unfortunately, parts of the first survey were actually done in a bar room in Saginaw. The surveyors had predicted it would be centuries before anyone would move to such a God-forsaken, mosquito-infested swamp.

The earliest census to mention residents in the area was in 1860.

The county is named for Henry Gladwin, British military commandant at Detroit in 1763 during Pontiac's War. The county was set off and named in 1831 and organized in 1875

Geography: Land and Water

As reported by the Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 516 square miles (1,340 km²), of which 502 square miles (1,300 km²) is land and 14 square miles (36 km²) (2.7%) is water. It is the second-smallest county in Michigan by total area.

Neighboring Counties

Bordering counties are as follows:

• Ogemaw County (northeast)
• Arenac County (east)
• Bay County (southeast)
• Midland County (south)
• Clare County (west)
• Roscommon County (northwest)
  

Education

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