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The Village of Walkerville, Michigan is in northwest Leavitt Township in northeast Oceana County.

Harrison Road (Main Street) and N 176th Avenue (Harmon Street) intersect in eastern Walkerville. Cities and villages within twenty-five miles of Walkerville include Hesperia, Hart, Shelby, Pentwater, New Era, Scottville, and Custer, while the unincorporated communities of Elbridge, Beanville, and Crystal Valley are within ten miles.

Beaver Creek flows through the southwest corner of the village, and several large swamps, as well as portions of the Huron-Manistee National Forest, surround the village.

Most of the Walkerville's land area is agricultural, forested, swampland, or otherwise vacant. The inhabited portion of the village is concentrated in the center-east, along Main Street and a few short side streets to the north or south of Main Street.

Walkerville's peak recorded population was in 1910, the first year that it appeared on a census roll, when it had a population of 371. At the time of the 2020 census, its population was 246.

The village is named for Fayette Walker, who platted the townsite on land he owned in 1883. On November 2nd of that year, a post office was established as Stetson, for Alvin C. Stetson, who served as the first postmaster.

The Mason & Oceana Railroad extended its track to Walkerville in 1888, which spurred the growth of the town, particularly since Walkerville was the terminus of the rail line, which operated a railroad station, a coaling station, and a water tank in the area. The Mason & Oceana had a wye (triangular junction) a couple of miles north of Walkerville.

By 1990, the village had a sawmill, a feed mill, two meat markets, a saloon, two hotels, and some shops. As the townspeople continued to refer to their town as Walkerville, while the post office was named Stetson, this proved to be confusing. Hence, townspeople lobbied the postal service to change its name to Walkerville, and this was done on May 13, 1898.

Besides the railroad, Walkerville also supported surrounding lumber operations, but deforestation put a halt to that by the end of the century, after which agriculture became the mainstay of the community. Milwaukee produce-buyers would come to Walkerville, purchase produce, and then have it shipped by rail to another station on the line, and eventually to a shipping point on Lake Michigan.

This too, didn't last long, however. The railroad shut down in 1903.

Walkerville never grew to be a large or even a medium-sized town, but the small village has a park with playground equipment, and the community supports a couple of banks, some stores, a gas station, a well-drilling company, and a few service businesses. Its post office is still in operation, and the village has a museum, an elementary school, a high school, and a couple of churches.

This portion of our guide focuses on the Village of Walkerville, Michigan. Online resources for the municipal government and any businesses, industries, schools, churches, organizations, attractions, events, entertainment venues, or recreational opportunities in Walkerville are appropriate for this category.

 

 

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