Surrounded by Brookfield Township, Owendale is in the southwestern portion of Huron County, in the Thumb Region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
The chief routes to and from the city include Sebewaing Road (Main Street) and Owendale Road (4th Street), which intersect downtown. Caseville Road forms the village's western boundary, while Notter Road forms its eastern boundary.
Cities and villages within twenty miles of Owendale include Gagetown, Pigeon, Sebewaing, Elkton, Cass City, Unionville, Caseville, Bad Axe, and Ubly, while the unincorporated communities of Linkville, Elmwood, Kilmanagh, Bach, and Berne are within ten miles.
Owendale's peak population was 312 in 1970, while its 2020 population was 224, which is its lowest population since it first appeared on a census roll in 1910, with a population of 285.
The village was named for John G. Owen and his cousin, John S. Owen, who operated a large sawmill in the area. The Owen's purchased the land, which was then part of the Columbia Swamp, in 1882, anticipating a railroad coming through the area, as three new railroads were laying track in Huron County. They opened their sawmill the following year to harvest oak, which was prevalent in the region.
The area had been partially settled by European-Americans earlier, around 1877, as a logging town, when James and Edward Erskine bought land in the area that was to become Owendale. The Erskines were relatives of the Owens.
In 1887, John G. Owen arranged for Quincy Thomas, a civil engineer, to survey a townsite, laying out streets, alleys, and parks. The following year, the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern Railroad (Grand Trunk Western Railroad) opened a railroad station in Owendale, and the Michigan Central Railway built its Caro Branch from Vassar to Owendale, as well, although it was later cut back to Bach.
Unfortunately, the Owens' sawmill was destroyed by a fire in 1896. By then, much of the oak timber had been depleted, so the sawmill was not rebuilt. Subsequently, the village's economy turned to agriculture. Even today, the village is surrounded by farms, and the village supports a grain elevator and a crop production company.
Owendale was incorporated as a village in 1905.
Just east of the village is the Silver Bullet Speedway. Built in 1955, and originally known as the Owendale Speedway, the Silver Bullet is the oldest dirt race track still in operation in Michigan.
The focus of this portion of our guide is on the village of Owendale, Michigan. Appropriate topics for this category may include online resources for the village government, any other governmental entities within the village, and local businesses, industries, churches, schools, organizations, attractions, and events.
Recommended Resources
Owendale-Gagetown Area Schools
Headquartered in Owendale, Michigan, the public school system offers a preschool, kindergarten, elementary school, and combined junior/senior high school, providing a PK-12th-grade curriculum. Each of its campuses and programs is featured here, including teacher pages and contacts, administrative and departmental contacts, enrollment packets, district policies, and employment opportunities. District calendars and an introduction to the district's parent-teacher organization are provided.
https://www.owengage.org/
Created in the 1980s to provide a camping experience for women, the membership-only resort in Owendale, Michigan is owned and operated by women. Offering safe and secure camping for women over eighteen years of age, the resort offers 24-hour security and daily, weekend, and full-season camping options. Its history, membership policies, rates, and reservation data are set forth, including an online reservation form, a calendar of events, and a map and photographs of the camp.
http://www.windoverwomensresort.com/
Locally owned and operated, the business has served the Greater Thumb area of Michigan's Lower Peninsula for more than forty years, offering driveway replacements or repairs, parking lot installations or repairs, pothole repairs, private street work, walking path paving, overlays resurfacing, and related services for both residential and commercial clients. Examples of its work are provided in photographs, and estimates may be requested through an online form or by telephone.
https://www.yarochasphaltpaving.com/
