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Alanson is a village in Littlefield Township, Emmet County, in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. The Mackinac Bridge is about twenty-five miles to the north.

The village is bifurcated by Crooked River, which enters the village in the northeast and exiting in the south-central part of the city before emptying into Crooked Lake, just south of Alanson. US Highway 31, which becomes Burr Avenue in Alanson, is west of the river, roughly paralleling it. McPhee Creek empties into the river in the southern part of the village.

The village was settled in 1875. On January 17, 1877, a post office was established there, with Hollis Frayer as its first postmaster. At that time, it was known as Hinman. In 1882, Abner S. Lee, the primary landowner, platted the townsite and cleared an area between the present depot and the river. On June 22 of that year, it was renamed Alanson for Alanson Howard, grandson of W.O. Hugard, president of the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad, which had just extended its tracks through the village.

The railroad brought several tourists, who stayed at the hotels and inns that were built to accommodate them. The first hotel was constructed by G. Ormsby. Early hotels included the McPhee House, The New Inn, and the Buckeye House. General Lew Wallace, Judge K. Landis, and Judge A. Anderson were responsible for the development of several cottages and resorts, primarily along Burt Lake.

Alanson was incorporated as a village in 1905, during the Michigan lumber boom. That same year, the Pellston Electric Company sold power to the Alanson Wooden Ware Company, but also distributed power to homeowners at a fixed rate.

On three consecutive summers, between 1908 and 1910, the village was struck by fires that destroyed both businesses and homes.

Today, the village offers seasonal activities, including boating, fishing, motorcycling, skiing, snowmobiling, and hunting. Surrounded by the Mackinaw State Forest, several outdoor activities are available, including several miles of hiking trails.

The focus of this category is on the village of Alanson, Michigan. Websites focusing on the village are appropriate for this category, of course, but so are those representing local businesses, organizations, churches, schools, and individuals.

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