Manton, Michigan is in the northeast quadrant of Wexford County, in the Northern Michigan part of the Lower Peninsula.
The chief route to or from the city is US-131, which runs north-south just outside of its eastern city limits. M-42 enters the city from the west, where it becomes Main Street, turns south at its intersection with Business-131, and then turns east to exit the city in its southeast quadrant. Other cities and villages within twenty miles of Manton include Cadillac, Fife Lake, Lake City, Mesick, and Kingsley.
Manton Creek flows through the center of town, forming Mill Pond in the northwest, and another widened body of water in the easttern part of the city.
An Old Order Amish colony was established near Manton in the early 1990s. Affiliated with the Amish community in Smyrna, Maine, the community is more open to people who want to join the Amish than many other Old Order Amish communities.
European-American settlement of the area began in the 1860s, at which time it was a heavily wooded hard maple forest with a narrow cut, which is where the town was platted.
George Manton, Ezra Harger, and William Meares came to the area in 1872, platting the townsite as Cedar Creek, which was then the name of the creek now known as Manton Creek. However, when the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railroad established a station there, it platted an adjoining piece of land as Manton, as it had already named its station Manton Station, and Manton soon absorbed Cedar Creek, and the creek itself later took the name of Manton Creek. The town was named for the early settler, George Manton, who was also the largest landowner and postmaster, when a post office was established on January 3, 1873.
Manton was incorporated as a village in 1877, and became a city in 1923.
The Wexford County seat of government, originally in Sherman, was moved to Manton in 1881, the result of a compromise between Cadillac and Sherman. However, Cadillac won the county seat in April of 1882. In what became known as the Battle of Manton, a sheriff's posse left Cadillac for Manton the day after the election to seize the county records, and were driven from town by an angry crowd of Manton residents. Upon his return to Cadillac, the sheriff encountered a force of several hundred armed men, as well as a brass band. Bolstered by this strong force, the sheriff returned to Manton and was able to gain possession of the records.
Manton's population has remained stable over the years. A large decline in its population in 1920 was followed by an even larger increase in 1930, and currently has a population of more than 1,500, which represents its peak population thus far.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the city of Manton, Michigan. Thus, online resources for the municipal government, as well as local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, and recreational opportunities within the city are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
With facilities in Manton and Cadillac, Michigan, the restaurant's addresses, hours of operation, and contacts are posted, along with social media contacts, and its breakfast menu, lunch and dinner menu, and pizza, subs, and appetizers menu are available through the site. Orders may be placed online or by telephone. Job opportunities at the restaurant are published, with job overviews, job descriptions, and an online job application. Special notices are posted on the site.
https://getcastironed.com/
A ministry of the Free Methodist Church, MCC offers a full Christian summer camp programs for campers of all ages, and retreats, conferences, and other ministry activities during the non-summer months. Includes are its S.C.A.M.P. Camp for seniors, Camp Impact for 7-12th-graders, CLC Camp for 4-6th-graders, and its Family Camp for the whole family. Its camping programs are highlighted, along with job opportunities, a map showing its location, phone and fax numbers, and a contact form.
http://www.mantonchristiancamp.org/
The Manton, Michigan public school district offers a K-12 curriculum through an elementary school, middle school, and high school, each of which are featured here, with faculty and staff contacts, school schedules, student and parent guides, and announcements. District reports, an annual school calendar, policy information, lunch menus, and an annual report are published, along with sports schedules, coaching staff data, and live feeds of sports events. Employment opportunities are posted.
https://www.mantonschools.org/
Manton United Methodist Church
The UMC congregation meets at its facilities on North Michigan Avenue in Manton, Michigan, which is on the corner of Michigan Avenue and Main Street. The address, contact data, and a worship schedule are published on the site, along with a calendar of events, announcement of special activities, a Sunday bulletin, and UMC staff contacts. Instructions and policies for renting the facilities of the church are stated, including its general rental fees, and a downloadable building usage form.
http://www.mantonumc.com/
The official municipal website posts the Manton city office address, phone number, and email addresses, the city charter, code of ordinances, a list of city committees, commissions, and members, meeting agendas and minutes, and financial and municipal performance reports. Other resources include contacts and information about municipal services, a calendar of events, a gallery of historical photos, water quality data, property tax searches, announcements, and online bill pay.
https://mantonmi.org/
