Although unincorporated, the community of Hermansville, Michigan is the primary population center in Meyer Township, which is in the northeastern segment of Menominee County.
Large amounts of good timber in the region attracted men like Charles J.L. Meyer, a Wisconsin lumberman, who built a hardwood mill there in 1878. The mill was known as the Four Stack Mill, as Meyer manufactured the Meyer Engine in Fond du Lac, and used four of them in his mill. Each boiler had its own engine and its own stack so, belted together onto one main shaft, he could use all of them or as many as he needed to complete a job.
Since hardwood was used to make charcoal, Meyer built twelve charcoal kilns in 1882. At that time, there were no roads through Hermansville; only trails through the woods.
When the settlement that grew up around Meyer's enterprises needed a name, the name Crofoot was suggested, for Uncle Al Crofoot, a foreman at the Meyer mill. When that was voted down, Mr. Crofoot suggested Hermantown, for Charles Meyer's youngest son. After discussion, Hermansville was agreed upon. On December 9, 1878, a post office was established under that name, with Herman Meyer as postmaster.
Before long, the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad opened a depot in Hermansville, and the growing community had a store, meat market, and ice house. A shingle mill sent its first car of shingles to Weber & Son in Watertown, Wisconsin on May 26, 1879.
At his own expense, Charles Meyer built a school and hired a teacher. Soon after Meyer Township was organized, a school district was created.
Meyer formed the Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company to manage his Michigan businesses, which soon included the production of cedar railroad ties, and hardwood flooring, which eventually became the focus of its operations in Hermansville. Meyer invented machines that were built sturdy enough to handle the strain of rapid production, revolutionizing the manufacture of hardwood flooring.
In 1887, the Soo Line opened a railroad depot in Hermansville, prompting another building boom. Construction of a large hotel began in 1888, and a new large store was built on 2nd Street, both of which Meyer had interests in.
On December 22, 1888, nearly the entire town of Hermansville was destroyed by fire. The fire originated in one of Wisconsin Land and Lumber Company sawmills, which spread to the sawed lumber that surrounded the mill. Hermansville had no fire department and area streams were frozen, so water was scarce. That sawmill, an adjoining sawmill, and a large planing mill were destroyed, but the post office and all of the buildings along Hermansville's only street were burned.
The mill operations and the town were rebuilt but, by 1889, it became apparent that Mr. Meyer was overextended. In order to satisfy his creditors, he assigned all of his personal and corporate assets to his creditors, after which nothing sold for cash, or even at a fair price. After his holdings in Chicago and Fond du Lac had been liquidated, there still remained a large debt on the Hermansville plant.
In 1892, Mr. Meyer suffered a horse and buggy accident, which led to a brain hemorrhage. While he survived, he seemed to have lost his ability to make good decisions. After a series of disappointments, he died in 1908.
Dr. George Washington Earie, Meyer's son-in-law, took over the operations of the company, reorganizing the business and promoting the company's IXL maple flooring line. During his tenure, the company developed a tongue-in-groove process, which led to the company becoming the largest hardwood floor producer in the country. Its debt was retired by 1910, and the Hermansville location remained the headquarters of the company until the death of Meyer's grandsons in 1978.
Currently, the company's office building and Meyer residence is part of the IXL Historical Museum complex in Hermansville.
Hermansville Lake is a 180-acre body of water adjacent to the town, to the west. The lake is fed by the Little Cedar River, which begins a few miles northwest of Hermansville, then flows south through the town, continuing through Daggett, Stephenson, and into Mellen Township, where it empties into the Menominee River.
The chief route through Hermansville is US-2, which passes through the northern part of the community. Other routes include County Road 388 and French Town Road. Cities and villages within twenty miles of Hermansville include Powers, Carney, and Norway, while the unincorporated communities of Cunard, Spalding, Vega, Waucedah, and Nadeau are within ten miles of the community.
The focus of this guide is on the Upper Peninsula community known as Hermansville, Michigan. Online resources focus on the community itself, or on any businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, and events within the community.
Recommended Resources
Maintained by Meyer Township, the site features both the community of Hermansville and the township. A profile, history, and historical timeline for the community are presented, along with township contacts, meeting agendas and minutes, and a guide to local services, educational options, organizations, churches, and businesses. Other resources include a calendar of events, ordinances, and other documents, as well as an introduction to the Hermansville EDC.
http://hermansville.com/
Located on East 3rd Street in Hermansville, Michigan, the auto service company began in 2005. The company works on alignments, brakes, clutches, differentials, drivetrains, exhaust systems, steering, tires, and transmissions, as well as starting and charging problems, performance services, accessories, diagnostic services, and BG additives. Its team is introduced, and customer testimonials are published on the site. Directions and a map showing the location of the facilities are included.
http://www.jaysautoservice.biz/
Neville guitars are hand-crafted in Hermansville, Michigan. An email address and contact form are published on the site, and a description of the materials and construction of the instruments is put forth. A photo gallery illustrates various features of recent builds, another gallery features custom builds that have already been sold, and a list of notable clients is included. In most cases, guitars are custom-made to order but, on some occasions, there may be some in stock.
https://www.nevilleguitars.com/
Affiliated with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Marquette, the St. John Newmann parish includes facilities in Spalding and in Hermansville, Michigan. The church's addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and email addresses. Offering Saturday Mass in both Spalding and Hermansville, as well as a Sunday Mass in Spalding, the church's Mass and Confession schedules are posted on the site, along with church bulletins, and office hours. Diocese resources are also available on the site.
https://dioceseofmarquette.org/stjohnneumann
The Hermansville, Michigan company provides computerized numerical-controlled (CNC) machining services to clients in the automotive, agricultural, mining, Diesel engine, heavy equipment, and power-generating industries. ISO 9001:2015 and IATF 16949:2016 certified, the companies products, services, and capabilities are listed or outlined, a contact form is available, and career opportunities are published on the site. Photographs and information videos are included.
https://stewart-mfg.com/
Featuring bluegrass, country, rock, blues, and folk music performers, the multi-day Woodtick Music Festival is held in Hermansville, Michigan in the late summer. Directions and a map are included. Admission tickets may be purchased online, sponsors are acknowledged, and sponsorship opportunities are posted, along with a list of confirmed vendors, and a lineup of performers. On-site camping options are featured, a map shows the available campsites, and policy information is stated.
https://www.woodtickfestival.com/
