The City of Onaway, Michigan is situated in western Presque Isle County, near Cheboygan County, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.
The chief routes through the city are M-211 (Main Street), M-68 (Washington Avenue, State Street), and M-33, which joins M-68 in the southern portion of the city. Other routes include Glasier Road and Hayner Road (Lynn Street).
Like Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the northern part of the Lower Peninsula is sparsely populated. There are only three named communities within twenty-five miles of Onaway. The unincorporated community of Tower is just under four miles west of the city, the village of Millersburg is nine miles east, and Rogers City is just under twenty-three miles east-northeast.
Using a section of the former railbed of the Detroit & Mackinac Railway, the North Eastern State Trail is a 71-mile bicycle and hiking path from Alpena to Cheboygan, which passes through Onaway. Snowmobilers use the trail during the winter.
Onaway Area Schools provides a K-12 curriculum for students in the city of Onaway and seven surrounding townships, operating from one campus just outside the southern city limits. Within the city limits are the Presque Isle Academy, an alternative high school, the Industrial Arts Institute, which prepares students for professional careers in the welding industry.
Law enforcement for the city is contracted with the Presque Isle County Sheriff's Office, which responds from Rogers City. The Onaway Area Fire Department is stationed within the city, and services Onaway, Allis Township, and North Allis Township. Also headquartered in the city, the Onaway Area Ambulance Service provides prehospital care to the city, as well as Allis, North Allis, Bearinger, Case, Forest, Ocqueoc, and Waverly townships.
Listed on State and National historic registers, the Onaway Courthouse building houses the city hall, the Onaway branch of the Presque Isle District Library, and the Onaway Historical Museum. Once restorations are completed, the plans are for the museum to move to the Masonic Temple, which had been vacant for several years.
Prior to the early 1880s, the area that was to become Onaway was little more than a clearing along a trail, surrounded by wilderness, with some farmland.
Settlers soon started coming into the area, attracted to the timber resources and farmland. Among them were Merritt Chandler and his brother-in-law, Thomas E. Shaw. Chandler had been granted 40,000 acres of land from the state for his services mapping and building roads, while Shaw was the son of a sawmill operator. Both were well-educated Quakers.
A post office was established on October 23, 1882, and named Shaw, for Thomas Shaw, who served as the first postmaster. Chandler platted the townsite in 1886, naming it Onaiweh, a reference to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, Hiawatha. The post office was renamed Onaway on March 29, 1890, with Chandler as postmaster. On August 18, 1893, Shaw got the post office back from Chandler and had it renamed Adalaska, but it was changed back to Onaway on November 15, 1897, and the community was incorporated as a village, under that name, in 1899, becoming a city in 1903.
In 1899, the Detroit & Mackinaw Railroad came through, linking Onaway to Tower, and its population increased from around 500 to 1,200 within a couple of years. Onaway first appeared on a census roll in 1900, with a population of 1,204, and reached its peak population of 2,789 in 1930. Declining slightly each census year since that date, the city currently has a population of just over 800 people.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is on the City of Onaway, Michigan. Online resources for the city government, or any other governmental entities within the city, are appropriate for this category, along with local schools, churches, organizations, businesses, industries, attractions, events, sports programs, and recreational opportunities.
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Located on Washington Avenue, the Onaway, Michigan motel is within walking distance of downtown, near restaurants, and only minutes from Black Lake, off-road vehicle trails, and snowmobiles may be driven up to the door. Photographs of its rooms are displayed on the site, along with scenes from the surrounding region, links to area attractions, features and a list of amenities, and other information. The address, directions, a map, and a telephone number are posted on the site.
https://lyonsmotelonaway.com/
The Chamber represents, promotes, and seeks to improve the business community of the Onaway, Michigan area through its programs, services, and business advocacy. The benefits of membership are listed on the site, and an application packet may be accessed. Also included is a directory of area businesses, sorted by the type of business, as well as a guide to local schools, attractions, lodging facilities, and events. Volunteer opportunities and announcements are posted on the site.
https://www.onawaycommunitychamber.com/
The Onaway, Michigan museum displays historical artifacts and other items from the city's founding in the late 1800s to the current day. Currently housed on the first floor of the Onaway Historic Courthouse, after its restoration, the museum may be moving to the former Masonic Temple. Its membership policies, locations, hours of operation, and a list of other area museums are set forth, along with a photo gallery, articles on various topics, and an online contact form.
https://www.onawayhistoricalmuseum.com/
Opened in 1983, the track is a quarter-mile oval asphalt track and includes an uphill eighth-mile asphalt drag track that is used for side-by-side semi-truck drag racing. Its history and features are discussed, along with a calendar of events, division rules, oval track driver payouts, driver points, big rig sponsorship packets, challenge rules, and truck registration. Sponsorship packets and media, vendor, and sponsor contracts are posted, with information about local accommodations.
https://onawayspeedway.com/
Situated on the Cheboygan-Presque Isle county line, the city is known as the Sturgeon Capital of Michigan. The official municipal website features a citizen's guide and community dashboard, where water, sewer, and garbage utility rates may be paid. Contacts for the city's administrative and departmental offices are posted, al long with office hours, a list of council members, council agendas, and minutes to meetings. Also included are a guide to the city, local schools, and medical facilities.
https://onawaymi.com/
Statewide Real Estate of Onaway
Facilitating the buying and selling of residential, recreational, commercial, acreage, and income real estate properties, the real estate firm has been in service since 1972. Affiliated with Statewide Real Estate, its location, telephone numbers, and email addresses for its office and agents are included, an overview of its buyer and seller services, and a request form for free market analysis. Available residential, commercial, and land listings are provided.
https://onawayrealestate.com/
Offering a variety of options for travelers and vacationers, the motel is open year-round and features basic and full-kitchenette motel accommodations, recreational vehicle sites, sites for pop-up campers, and tent camping, as well as snowmobile rentals and firewood available for campers. A gallery of photographs is presented, along with daily and weekly rates, while those interested in monthly or extended stays may call for additional information. The office location and contacts are posted.
https://towershoremotel.com/
