Surrounded by Harrisville Township on the north, south, and west, and situated on the western shore of Lake Huron, Harrisville, Michigan is the county seat of Alcona County.
At the time of the 2010 census, Harrisville had a population of 493 and was the sixth least populous city in the state. Its peak population was 987 in 1890 and its largest population loss was in the decade following.
The chief route through the city is US-23 and M-72, which terminates at its intersection with US-23 in the center of the city. M-72 traverses the Lower Peninsula, connecting Harrisville with Empire on the Lake Michigan side of the LP. US-23 runs from Jacksonville, Florida to Mackinaw City, Michigan, at the northern tip of the LP.
The only other incorporated community within thirty miles of Harrisville is the village of Lincoln, about eight miles to the west. The unincorporated community of Springport is just over a mile to the south.
Mill Creek flows through the northern part of the city, emptying into Lake Huron near the harbor. There is a small man-made pond on the creek, west of US-23. Adjacent to the city to the south, Harrisville State Park is a 107-acre public recreation area with a sandy beach on the shore of Lake Huron, More than a hundred acres of the park is heavily forested. The park also features 195 campsites, a cabin, and mini-cabins, a carry-in boat launch, sports fields, and picnic areas.
Alcona County has a long history of human occupation. Stone lance heads found in the area were dated back to 9,000 BC. The Ojibwe (Chippewa) were in the area when the first European-Americans came.
The founding of the current city is generally traced back to 1854, when Simeon Holden and Crosier Davison, both fishermen, formed a partnership to purchase pine lands and the rights to build a water mill to power a sawmill operation, which was supervised by Mr. Holden. The operation proved to be profitable, so that Mr. Davison closed his fish business to concentrate his investments on additional pine.
Already, the land offices were busy catering to those who were seeking choice tracts of land, particularly along streams and rivers. The resulting community was first known as Davison's Mill.
Davison and Holden sold their land and mill operations Benjamin Harris and his sons, Levi O. and Henry H. Harris, who had come from New York, and the community soon became known as Harris. When a post office was established on September 16, 1857, with Levi O. Harris as postmaster, the post office was named Harrisville.
Levi Harris proved to be a talented engineer, devising a means of using both water and steam to power a steam gang and siding mill, connecting the reservoir ponds for storing logs, with plank shutes for running them to the mill without significant labor costs. After the death of their father, the Harris brothers continued to operate and expand the business, building docks and purchasing an interest in the Genessee Chief, a twin-screw propeller owned by the Union Steamboat Company, which made weekly trips between Detroit and Saginaw, always stopping at Harrisville. They also cleared land for a farm.
However, in 1866 the brothers sold their large holdings to Weston, Colwell & Company, and left the village, which was not, at the time, very well developed. George L. Weston. of Weston, Colwell & Company, surveyed the townsite in 1866, and had it platted by H.G. Rothwell in 1870. In 1869, Harrisville was named the county seat, and the company contributed land for the courthouse square, and Mr. Rothwell drew up the plans for the county buildings, completing them in 1870. Harrisville was incorporated as a village in 1887, and became a city in 1905.
Today, tourism and seasonal recreation is an important segment of the city's economy. Approximately twenty percent of the residential property in Harrisville are seasonal homes. The city does not have a municipal police department. Law enforcement is provided by the Alcona County Sheriff's Department, supplemented by the Michigan State Police. Ambulance services are provided by Alcona County, which has a station in Harrisville. The city does have a volunteer fire department that provides first response services, as well as fire calls.
Lake State Railroad provides freight services to Alpena, and there is a Great Lakes port facility in Harrisville. The Harrisville Harbor was built by the US Army Corps of Engineers in 1961.
The focus of this category is on the city of Harrisville, Michigan. Online resources pertaining to the city, as well as local businesses, industries, churches, schools, organizations, attractions, events, sports programs, and recreational opportunities.
Recommended Resources
Offering dine-in and carry-out services, the restaurant is located on East Main Street in Harrisville, Michigan. Serving breakfast all day, its breakfast menu, homemade soups and chili, sandwiches and classics, smoothies and sweets, and beverages are featured, along with its prices. Its location, days and hours of operation, telephone number, and social media contacts may be found online. Announcements and photographs are published to the site, and gift cards may be available.
https://docksidecafeharrisville.com/
The property development company was established in 2014 to provide affordable housing for the continued preservation of the harbor town community of Harrisville, Michigan. The process of building a modular home is illustrated, and floor plans, colors and finishes, and the benefits of modular homes are discussed, including vendor relationships. A photo gallery, mortgage calculator, and an iPad application are available. Directions, contacts, and a contact form are featured.
http://www.harbortowndevelopment.com/
Situated on the Lake Huron coast, the City of Harrisville, Michigan is about fifteen miles north of Oscoda. The official municipal website presents a brief history and profile of the city, offers demographic data, and a monthly calendar of events. The city's executive offices, city council, harbor commission, planning commission, zoning board of appeals, board of review, tree board, fire board, and election officials are listed, with contacts, meeting agendas, and minutes.
https://www.harrisvillemi.org/
The Arts Council hosts the annual Harrisville Harmony Weekend Arts & Crafts Festival on the Saturday and Sunday preceding Labor Day, which features more than three hundred exhibitors and other activities. The story of the formation of the Arts Council is provided, along with a calendar of events, photographs of past events, a telephone number, a contact form, and a map showing the location of the Art Council's offices. Applications for artists, crafters, and concessionaires are available.
http://www.harrisvilleartscouncil.com/
The 24-hour facility offers a comfortable lounge and meeting room with a fireplace and complimentary coffee, showers, restrooms, and laundry rooms, as well as a chart room, library. There are computers with WiFi access as far as the harbor docks, two flat-screen televisions with cable access, and a microwave. The exterior includes a dog walk, barbecue grills, picnic tables, and a beachside fire ring. Its dockage and services are highlighted, and a calendar of events is included.
https://harrisvilleharborofrefuge.com/
The family-owned grocery store is located on East Main Street in Harrisville, Michigan. Its location, hours of operation, departments, and contacts are published on the site, which also lists the advantages of shopping at a local store, as well as the benefits of shopping at this particular store. Weekly advertisements and coupons are posted on the site, along with recipes and an online, printable, daily planner, and shopping list. Customers may register for an account with the site.
https://www.hhgrocery.com/
