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With a population of just over three hundred, Gaastra is the third-smallest incorporated city in Michigan.

Gaastra is adjacent to the city of Caspian to the northwest, in southeastern Stambaugh Township, in the southern part of Iron County, not far from the Wisconsin border. The chief route through the city is County Road 424, which becomes Main Street. Other routes include the Bates-Gaastra Road, Caspian Road, and Nowicki Road. Besides Caspian, the nearest cities or villages include Iron River and Alpha, in Michigan, as well as Tipler, Wisconsin, and Crystal Falls, Michigan.

Land that would become Gaastra was first acquired by Alfred Kidder, a speculator from Marquette, in 1879. He sold it to Andrew Young in 1884, and Edwin H. Piper bought it in 1902, but there is no record of either of these men settling the land.

In October of 1908, Douwe Gaastra, a real-estate speculator, and building contractor, bought the land and platted the village, which he named for himself. On September 26, 1914, a post office was established in a store operated by Olaf A. Olson, who became the postmaster, a job that he kept until his retirement in 1953. Gaastra was incorporated as a village in 1887 and became a city in 1949.

The peak population of Gaastra was 911 in 1920. Its population at the time of the 2010 census was 347, although it is estimated to decline slightly in 2020.

The focus of this guide is on the City of Gaastra, Michigan. Appropriate topics will include online resources representing the municipal government or any businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, events, or recreational or sports programs or facilities within the city.

 

 

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