Situated along the North Branch of the Cass River, Ubly is in Bingham Township, southern Huron County, in the upper Thumb Region of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.
Ubly is reached primarily by M-19 (Ubly Road), which becomes Washington Street within the village limits, and Atwater Road, which intersect in the western downtown area. Morrison Road forms the village's southern border in the west.
Cities and villages within twenty-five miles of Ubly include Bad Axe, Minden City, Owendale, Gagetown, Cass City, Kinde, Elkton, Forestville, Harbor Beach, Deckerville, and Sandusky, although the unincorporated communities of Tyre, Austin Center, Parisville, Freidberger, Ivanhoe, Verona, and New Greenleaf are within ten miles.
Ubly first appeared on a US census roll in 1900 with a population of 432. It grew steadily through the next seven decades, with a peak population of 899 in 1970. It has declined slightly each decade since, with the exception of 2000, for a population of 836 in 2020.
Originally, the community was known as Sidon, a biblical reference for its location north of Tyre. In 1865, Alfred Pagett opened a store, and the settlement soon became known as Pagett's Corners. His store was destroyed in a fire in 1881.
Around 1880, the settlement was about to get a post office and a railroad, and Mr. Pagett proposed renaming the community Ubley, for his native town in England. There are at least two stories for why it ended up being spelled Ubly rather than Ubley. One is that, when the application for a post office came back, someone in Washington D.C. had left out the "e," spelling it Ubly. The other is that after a railroad depot was established in the community, the railroad spelled it Ubly on the depot sign, and it stuck.
Whatever the real story, a post office was established on April 14, 1880, with Alfred Pagett as postmaster, and the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad opened a depot that same year. By 1898, the railroad had a 31-car passing track in Ubly, along with a daytime agent and operator, with trains regularly stopping for freight and passengers. About one mile south of Ubly, the F&PM Railroad had a designated siding, known as Krohn's Siding.
The post office closed on September 14, 1881, but was restored on April 19, 1882, with Mr. Pagett continuing as postmaster. Today, the Ubly post office is still in operation.
Ubly was incorporated as a village in 1896.
Built by David Pierce, a local contractor, in 1907, the Citizens Bank Block also housed a library and a harness shop. The bank was co-founded by Albert Sleeper, who later served as Treasurer as a member of the Michigan Senate, Treasurer of Michigan, and the 29th Governor of Michigan. He co-founded the bank with his uncle, A.W. Merrell, and took full ownership of it in 1900, later acquiring other banks and real estate. Mr. Sleeper and his wife, Mary Moore Sleeper, set up a library on the second floor of the bank in 1908.
On February 25, 2004, a wolverine was sighted near Ubly. This was the first confirmed report of a wolverine sighting in more than two hundred years.
The focal point of this portion of our guide is the small village of Ubly, Michigan. Online resources for the municipal government, any other governmental entities within the village, and local businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, and recreational opportunities within the village are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
NAS is the retail business of Nutrien, a worldwide provider of crop inputs and services that was formed through the merger of PotashCorp and Atrium. Its products include seeds and seed treatment items, fertilizers and nutritional products, herbicides, insecticides, fungicides, and planning, purchasing, and management tools, among others. A portfolio of its brands is provided, information on becoming a partner or solutions provider, and a list of current providers is included.
https://nutrienagsolutions.com/
Created in 1908, the library began above the Sleeper Bank in Ubly, Michigan, as a gift to the community from Mr. And Mrs. A.E. Sleeper. In 1983, the library purchased the former Hubbard State Bank building, and, in 1990. The library added the adjacent former Ubly Party Store building. Its location, history, and photo gallery are provided, along with an overview of its new and older books, new movies, its summer reading program, other programs, and access to its online databases.
https://www.sleeper.michlibrary.org/
Headquartered on Main Street in Ubly, Michigan, TEC offers electric services, fiber Internet services, heating and air conditioning services, and LP gas services. Outages may be reported online, and an outage map is featured on the site, which includes information on the restoration process, its repair responsibilities, and storm preparation data. Its programs and services are highlighted, rates are posted, and prospective member information and applications are included.
https://www.tecmi.coop/
Opened in 2018, the Ubly Christian Church meets at its facilities on East Atwater Road, Ubly, Michigan. Service times, a calendar of events, and a statement of beliefs are provided, along with a history of the church, leadership introductions, office hours, and contacts. An overview of its ministries to students, children, and small groups is included, and recent sermons may be viewed in its sermon archive. Contributions to the church may be made online, in person, or by mail.
https://ublychristianchurch.org/
Offering a K-12 public school curriculum, UCS operates an elementary school and a combined junior/senior high school, each of which is featured here, including addresses, office phone and fax numbers, and contacts for the school principals. Other resources include student enrollment forms, transfer forms, exchange student information, and records release forms, as well as a district calendar, a staff directory, a strategic plan, academic and athletic clubs, and employment opportunities.
https://www.ublyschools.org/
Situated in southwestern Ubly, Michigan, the drag racetrack is also known as the Ubly Dragway. The facilities offer one-eighth and one-fourth-mile races on its single-track course. Track schedules are published on the site, along with points and scores, and an introduction to its racetrack campground, which offers weekend camping. Its address, a map showing its location, office hours and contacts, and information about promotional hoodies, sweatshirts, tee-shirts, and other apparel.
https://ublydragwaymi.com/
Ubly Heights Golf & Country Club
Opened in 1997, the facilities include an 18-hole championship layout featuring mounding terrain and tall heather grasses. Individual and corporate membership information, prices, applications, and a membership request form are set forth, along with standard golf rates, three-hole rates, 9-hole rates, weekend rates, and senior specials. Course details, including a map of the course layout, are posted, with information about accommodating banquets and special events.
https://ublyheights.com/
