Alpena County was originally set off from Michilimackinac County as Anamickee County founded in 1840, which in 1843 was changed to Alpena, a pseudo-Native American word — a neologism coined by Henry Schoolcraft, meaning something like "a good partridge country."[7][8][9] This was part of a much larger effort to rename a great many of the Michigan counties at the time.[8]
The first European settler at modern-day Alpena was W.F. Cullings, a fisherman in 1835. In 1856, George W. Fletcher and three others from Detroit platted a village by the name of Fremont, after John C. Frémont. The community was briefly renamed Thunder Bay in 1857 before being renamed again to Alpena in 1871.[10] The city of Alpena was officially incorporated by Michigan State Legislature on March 29, 1871.[11]
Most of the city was lost in the Great Michigan Fire of 1871.[12] Less than one year later, on July 12, 1872, Alpena was hit by another fire, the largest in its history, which destroyed 15 acres (6.1 ha) of homes and businesses[13] for a total amount of 65 buildings.[14] The blaze started in a barn and lasted for two hours, killing at least four people and causing at least $180,000 (equivalent to $4,580,000 in 2023) in damages.[15][16][17] Alpena was again hit by a disastrous fire on July 11, 1888.[16][17] In the early 1910s a failed attempt was led by the Alpena Motor Car Company to turn the city into "Automobile City" and compete with Detroit.
In 1920 the population of the city was 11,101, and in 1927 the trade through the city's port was valued over 8 million dollars, and the output of the 24 factories at a little under another 8 million.[18]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.23 square miles (23.91 km2), of which, 8.54 square miles (22.12 km2) of it is land and 0.69 square miles (1.79 km2) (7.48%) is water.[22] The city is on the shore of Lake Huron's Thunder Bay, with Alpena Township surrounding it on land.
Climate
Alpena has a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm summers along with cool nights, moderated by nearby Lake Huron and cold, snowy winters with annual snowfall averaging 84 inches (210 cm).[23]
Climate data for Alpena County Regional Airport, Michigan (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1916–present)
As of the census[29] of 2010, there were 10,483 people, 4,734 households, and 2,565 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,227.5 inhabitants per square mile (473.9/km2). There were 5,278 housing units at an average density of 618.0 per square mile (238.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.8% White, 0.5% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.7% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.
There were 4,734 households, of which 24.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.3% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.8% were non-families. 39.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.84.
The median age in the city was 42.5 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 19.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.7% male and 52.3% female.
2000 census
As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 11,304 people, 4,874 households, and 2,865 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,348.9 inhabitants per square mile (520.8/km2). There were 5,200 housing units at an average density of 620.5 per square mile (239.6/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 97.66% White, 0.42% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
There were 4,874 households, out of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.2% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $30,353, and the median income for a family was $40,056. Males had a median income of $34,534 versus $21,951 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,476. About 10.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
While tourism is an important component of the area's economy, both Alpena and Rogers City have an industrial base. In particular, Alpena is home to Lafarge-Holcim cement plant and to Besser Company (maker of a concrete block making machinery), as well as a drywall board manufacturing facility owned by Decorative Panels International. Rogers City is the location of the world's largest limestone quarry (see Michigan Limestone and Chemical Company), which is used in steel making in the Great Lakes and Rust Belt regions.
MidMichigan Health, a federally-designated rural regional medical referral center, is the largest employer in the city of Alpena.[30]
Until it largely closed in 2022, Alpena's primary shopping center was the Alpena Mall, the only enclosed shopping mall in the northeastern Lower Peninsula. In full operation, the former mall featured approximately 20 stores, with JCPenney and Gordon Food Service as the anchor stores.[31] Other retailers operate in this part of town and on M-32 west of town and south on US-23.
Alpena is served by a number of institutions that enhance the artistic and cultural character of the city, reflecting its rich heritage in Great Lakes shipping and industry. Alpena is the gateway to the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of Michigan's 13 underwater preserves. The cold, fresh waters of the Great Lakes serve a valuable role in preserving the numerous shipwrecks in Lake Huron, documenting a history of tragedy that spans over 300 years. The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena is the interpretive and administrative center of the sanctuary, located on the banks of the Thunder Bay River.[32][33]
The local history of the Alpena area is documented by the Besser Museum, founded with an endowment from industrialist Jesse Besser. The Besser Museum is located on an 8 acres (3.2 ha) campus in northern Alpena, and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Permanent attractions at the Besser Museum include a planetarium and the Katherine V., a wooden fishing tug that spent its entire life on Lake Huron. The Besser Museum also features rotating collections of art, science, and local history. The museum is the publisher of The Town that Wouldn't Die: A Photographic History of Alpena, Michigan from Its Beginnings Through 1940.[34]
The Alpena County George N. Fletcher Public Library serves Alpena County. Its special collections include the Northeast Michigan Oral History Archive, the comprehensive Great Lakes Maritime Collection, and a full collection of Alpena newspapers dating back to 1871.
Arts organizations in the Alpena area include the Alpena Symphony Orchestra; the Alpena Civic Theatre; and the Thunder Bay Theatre, Northeast Michigan's year-round professional theatre located in the historic 1904 Spens Block on North Second Ave. Cinema in Alpena is supported by the newly opened Sanctuary Cinema, located in a former JCPenney store in Downtown Alpena, and the Maltz Opera House, currently[update] under renovation to its 1920s-era appearance.
Rockport State Park is Michigan's 100th state park and a dark sky preserve, is situated just north of the city on the Lake Huron shore.[B] Within its 4,237 acres (1,715 ha)s, it contains a 300 acres (120 ha) abandoned limestone quarry, Devonian fossils, sinkholes and a protected deep water harbor.[C] It is a U.S. 23 route heritage site.[39] It is part of the "Alpena Blueway" paddling route.[40][41][42] There are many other state parks in the area.[43]
Infrastructure
Air
A U.S. Air Force Reserve Bell HH-1N Huey (s/n 69-6612) taking off on maneuvers during a reserve rescue exercise at Phelps Collins Air National Guard Base
US 23 serves Alpena on its way along the Lake Huron shoreline. It has been designated the "Sunrise Side Coastal Highway", and runs along (or parallels) the Lake Huron shore. To the north, it passes Grand Lake and Long Lake, then to Rogers City, through Cheboygan, and on to Mackinaw City, where it ends at I-75 and the Mackinac Bridge. On US 23 as it crosses Birdsong Bay just south of Alpena exists a sign which notes that it rests on the 45th parallel, indicating travelers are halfway between the equator and the North Pole.[47] This is one of 29 places (six are in Michigan) in the U.S. where such signs are known to exist.[48] US 23 continues south to Ossineke then further south to Oscoda and Tawas City. US 23 south joins Interstate 75 near Standish where it continues south downstate.
M-32 ends its 100-mile (160 km) easterly route from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron traversing the northern Lower Peninsula within downtown Alpena at an intersection with US 23.
Alpena, along with the rest of Alpena County and portions of Presque Isle County, is served by Alpena Public Schools. Alpena Public Schools was established as the first county-wide school district in the state of Michigan in 1963. The district has one high school, a junior high, an alternative/adult high school, and six elementary schools. The elementary schools are Besser, Ella White, Hinks, Lincoln, Sanborn, and Wilson Elementary Schools. Geographically, it is the largest school district in the Lower Peninsula, encompassing more than 620 square miles (1,600 km2).
There are two private schools in Alpena. All Saints Catholic School is affiliated with the four Roman Catholic parishes in the city (St. Anne's, St. Bernard's, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception) and provides preschool to 8th grade education. Immanuel Lutheran School is supported by the Immanuel Lutheran Church and has preschool to 8th grade classes.
^In Michigan, it is the only synagogue in the northeast (Northern Michigan) of the Lower Peninsula.[19] It is closely associated with the Hebrew Benevolent Society Cemetery.[20]
^The park was previously known as "The Rockport property."[36]
^"... Rockport State Park, Michigan’s 100th State Park and an official Dark Sky Preserve includes a deep-water protected harbor, an old limestone quarry of approximately 300 acres, a unique series of sinkholes, Devonian Period fossils, the Besser Natural Area, and a broad range of land types, vegetative cover, cultural resources, and recreation opportunities[37][38]
^Romig, Walter (1986). Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities. Detroit: Wayne State University Press. p. 20. ISBN0-8143-1838-X.
^"Jewish Alpena is back! Temple Beth-El: A Campaign to document the history and special story of Alpena's Jewish Sanctuary". Patroncity. Retrieved April 18, 2023. In 1875, the Hebrew Benevolent Society was formed for the purpose of "buying a burial ground." Founders then chartered a society and rented a room in which to hold regular meetings and prayer services (1877). As with all newly emerging Jewish congregations of the era, the Hebrew Benevolent Society was chartered to take care of its sick, bury the dead, and hold Sabbath and holiday services, which at the time, were conducted by officers and selected members.
^"Station: Alpena CO RGNL AP, MI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
^"Station: Alpena WWTP, MI". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
Haltiner, Robert E.; Taber, Ann (1986). The Town that Wouldn't Die: A Photographic History of Alpena, Michigan from Its Beginnings Through 1940. Alpena, Michigan: Jesse Besser Museum. ISBN0-9617779-0-7.
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