Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities

Great Lakes Books Series

by Walter Romig, Larry Massie (Forword)

Uncovers the origins of more than 5000 of the state's geographical names.

Genres: Reference, History

673 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 1986

Reviews

[Shoshanna]

Have you ever wondered why Ypsilanti is called Ypsilanti? Why Ann Arbor is called Ann Arbor? Why Detroit is called Detroit? Michigan has so many interesting places with interesting place names stories. Michigan Place Names doesn't have every origin story of every place, but what it does have is the story of the founding of each municipality and if you are lucky, you'll get the story of the place name, too. Oftentimes, Michigan places were named for founders (such as Mount Clemens, Sterling Heights, or Lyon Township), or for towns where many of the original residents came from (such as Rochester, Roscommon, and Romulus). Other times there are more exciting stories, such as the many place names named by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, using Greek, Latin, and Native American language word roots, such as Tuscola, Arenac, Alcona, and Alpena. Did you know the River Raisin, in Monroe County was named so because of the wild grapes that grew on its banks, and that "raisin" is French for "grape" (also many of Monroe Counties settlers spoke French)? Sprinkled throughout are drawings of prominent downtowns and buildings in Michigan. Next time you are in the library, come by and take a look. You might be surprised by what you find!

[Thomas Funke]

Want to know the origin of your city's name? This is the best resource to find out. Comprehensive of not just cities and villages, but ghost towns and place names.