Winn, Michigan is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in central Fremont Township, Isabella County.
In Michigan, unincorporated communities have no legal autonomy and are without defined boundaries. However, the U.S. Census Bureau has defined boundaries for Winn, as a CDP, albeit for the sole purposes of the census.
South Winn Road is the western CDP boundary, while South Fordyce Road is the eastern boundary, and West Pleasant Valley Road is its southern boundary. The northern boundary of the CDP is undefined geographically. In the east, it's just north of West Blanchard Road while, in the west, it is a few miles north along South Winn Road.
Incorporated cities and villages within twenty-five miles of Winn include Shepherd, Mt. Pleasant, Lake Isabella, Edmore, Rosebush, McBride, Alma, St. Louis, Mecosta, Farwell, and Stanton, while the unincorporated communities of Two Rivers, Blanchard, Beal City, and Vestaburg are within ten miles.
At the time of the 2020 census, the community had a population of 166.
At the time that it was organized in 1863, Fremont Township was sparsely populated. However, on December 19, 1867, a post office was established, with Franklin J. Williams as the first postmaster.
The origins of the name are in dispute. One story is that it was named for an early settler with the surname of Winn who was instrumental in obtaining a post office for the community, while another is that it was named for a pioneer's hometown of Wynn, England.
In 1875, William Wiley Dush, an Ohio native, settled an area nearby in order to exploit the timber resources. He built a steam-powered sawmill, while much of the surrounding area became farmland after the timber was cut. Dush platted a townsite in Fremont Township that was dually listed as Dushville and Winn.
As the community grew, the name of the post office was changed to Dustville on January 26, 1882, with Mr. Dust as postmaster, as he also operated a store. By that time, the timber industry was in decline due to the exhaustion of the available resources, and the community had a population of about two hundred. The town had a few general stores, a blacksmith shop, a boarding house, a church, and a Good Templars lodge.
However, in the late 1880s, a series of fires destroyed Dush's sawmill and general store. He rebuilt the sawmill, but moved to Broomfield Township soon afterward, dying in a sawmill explosion in 1888.
The community's name was simultaneously known as either Winn or Dushville, and another community to the north was known as Hardscrabble. After the death of Mr. Dush, residents petitioned to revert the post office's name to Winn, and this was accomplished on January 14, 1898. In time, the areas of Winn, Dushville, and Hardscrabble became known as Winn.
In 1946, as much of the area's woodlands had regrown, the Morey Brothers reestablished the lumber industry in the community. By 1951, the Morey Mill was the largest sawmill in Central Michigan.
The Winn community celebrated its centennial anniversary in 1976, but it has never been incorporated as a municipality.
This portion of our web guide focuses on the unincorporated community known as Winn, Michigan. Governmental entities, businesses, industries, schools, places of worship, organizations, attractions, events, and recreational opportunities within the community are appropriate for this category.
Recommended Resources
Fremont Township, Isabella County, Michigan
Situated in the southern part of the county, bordering Montcalm County to the south, the civil township includes the unincorporated communities of Bristol and Winn. The official township website includes a list and contacts for elected township officials, the names of board members and commissioners, demographics, as well as schedules and information about tax payments, and election data. Township services are given, and the history of the township is told.
https://fremonttwnshp.com/
Situated in Winn, Michigan, the auto body shop covers Mount Pleasant, Alma, Shepherd, Remus, Blanchard, and the surrounding areas, employing ASE-certified auto mechanics specializing in a wide range of auto body repair solutions, including bodywork, paint, frame straightening, and collision and dent repairs. Free, no-obligation estimates are available. Its address, a map showing its location, contact data, and customer testimonials are published on the site.
https://www.jtautobodyllc.com/
Founded by Norval Morey, a sawmill operator with a patent for a portable pulp wood de-barker, the Winn, Michigan company now employs more than four hundred people and has acquired Boxer Equipment, Rayco Manufacturing, and DENIS CIMAF over years, expanding its capabilities and reach. Still headquartered in Winn, the company produces articulated wheel loaders, brush chippers, chip harvesters, mulching attachments, and other products, which are highlighted here.
https://www.morbark.com/
Located in Winn, Michigan, the K-5 school is part of Shepherd Public Schools. Its location, school schedules, and information about its resources for parents, its reading programs, summer programs, and other activities of the school are set forth, along with a district calendar, announcements, a staff directory, a newsletter, a menu, student handbook, and an overview of its parent's club. Its media center includes links to other online educational resources.
https://www.shepherdschools.net/o/winn-elementary-school
Offering online and offline connections, Winn Telecom provides technology, services, and customer service to businesses, government agencies, and educational institutions locally, nationally, and internationally. A coverage map indicates the area where local services are provided, along with its DSL and fiber optic Internet services, voice-over-internet protocol (VOIP), traditional voice telephone services, colocation, and hosted security services. Contacts are included.
https://winntel.com/
