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McMillan, Michigan

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Coordinates: 46°20′20″N 85°41′14″W / 46.33889°N 85.68722°W / 46.33889; -85.68722
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For the unrelated townships of the same name, see McMillan Township, Michigan (disambiguation).

McMillan, Michigan
Unincorporated community
Looking west along M-28
Looking west along M-28
McMillan is located in Michigan
McMillan
McMillan
Location within the state of Michigan
McMillan is located in the United States
McMillan
McMillan
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 46°20′20″N 85°41′14″W / 46.33889°N 85.68722°W / 46.33889; -85.68722
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyLuce
TownshipColumbus
Settled1881
Established1882
Elevation
781 ft (238 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
49853
Area code906
GNIS feature ID631994[1]

McMillan is an unincorporated community in Luce County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[1] The community is located along M-28 within Columbus Township. As an unincorporated community, McMillan has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 49853 ZIP Code.[2][3]

History

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McMillan listed on a 1911 county map

The community of McMillan was first settled in 1881 when the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway built a line through the area. A rail depot named the McMillan Station opened to serve the area.[4][5] The station and the new community were named after railway executive and future Michigan senator James McMillan.[6] At the time, the area was part of western Chippewa County until Luce County was created in 1887.[7]

McMillan received a post office on April 21, 1882. The post office has continuously remained in operation and is currently located at 22579 M-28 in the center of the community.[8]

McMillan recorded a population of 40 in 1887. The community benefited from the increased lumber industry, and the railway connected it to many other communities within the Upper Peninsula. In 1910, the community reached a peak population of around 300 and consisted of several general stores, hotels, saloons, sawmill, livery, and the Northern Cooperage & Lumber Company. When the lumber industry declined, the community's population reduced to about 200 by 1927, and many businesses left.[9] In 1919, M-25 was designated as a state highway that ran through McMillan. In 1928, the highway was redesignated as M-28.[10] The railway line remains active and is operated by Canadian National Railway but no longer contains a stop or railway station within McMillan.[11]

The Columbus Township Cemetery, also known as the McMillan Cemetery, is located in the community along County Road 415 just south of M-28.[12]

Lincoln School

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Around 1910, the McMillan School was built to serve its residents. The building was constructed in an unusual way, in which there are no windows on the front of the building. These were referred to as "blind walls" that were meant to control lighting in the corner classrooms.[13] The building did not receive electricity until 1925. In 1916, the school merged with the larger Standard School system in order to better serve the rural population. The same year, the building also received a significant addition as the student population grew. Until 1922, the school served students up to the eleventh grade, as twelfth grade students had to complete their education in Newberry. In 1923, the school saw its first graduating class of four students. In 1932, the building was rebranded as the Lincoln School, although budget restraints still caused some students to go to Newberry.[14] The school closed by 1973 and students were consolidated into Tahquamenon Area Schools in Newberry. The building was purchased and turned into a bottling company that filtered water from the nearby Tahquamenon River, although the original structure now remains vacant.

Geography

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The community of McMillan is located within southeast Columbus Township in the state's Upper Peninsula about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of the village of Newberry. McMillan sits at an elevation of 781 feet (238 m) above sea level.[1] Some areas surrounding the community are included in the Sault Ste. Marie section of the Lake Superior State Forest.

McMillan is centered along M-28 and County Road 415 (known locally as McMillan Avenue). In addition to Newberry, other nearby communities include Dollarville to the east, Curtis and Helmer to the south, Seney to the west, and the smaller McMillan Corner directly to the south along H-33.[15]

Along with Newberry, McMillan has one of only two current post offices in Luce County. The McMillan post office uses the 49853 ZIP Code. The post office serves a much larger area that includes most of Columbus Township and Lakefield Township, as well as a very small northern portion of Portage Township in Mackinac County to the south and the eastern fringes of Germfask Township in Schoolcraft County to the west.[16][17] The community is served by Tahquamenon Area Schools in Newberry, which has the largest area of any public school district in the state.[18][19]

The upper portion of the Tahquamenon River flows just north of the center of the community. The Columbus Township Hall is located in McMillan at 7459 County Road 415.[20]

Media

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[edit]
  • Main Street in 1910
    Main Street in 1910
  • The former McMillan Station in 1918
    The former McMillan Station in 1918
  • U.S. Post Office in McMillan
    U.S. Post Office in McMillan
  • The defunct Lincoln School in 2021
    The defunct Lincoln School in 2021

References

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  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McMillan, Michigan
  2. ^ "49853 ZIP Code map" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  3. ^ UnitedStatesZipCodes.org (2021). "ZIP Code 49853: McMillan". Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  4. ^ Michiganrailroads.com (2021). "Station: McMillan, MI". Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  5. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McMillan Station
  6. ^ Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Great Lakes Books Series. Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. pp. 342–343. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.
  7. ^ "Bibliography on Luce County". Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  8. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McMillan Post Office
  9. ^ Dodge, Ray (1996) [1973]. Michigan Ghost Towns: Of the Upper Peninsula (formerly Michigan Ghost Towns, Vol. III). Alpena, Michigan: Thunder Bay Press Michigan. pp. 187–188. ISBN 9780934884020.
  10. ^ Michigan State Highway Department (December 1, 1927). Official Highway Service Map (Map). [c. 1:810,000]. Lansing: Michigan State Highway Department. OCLC 12701195, 79754957.
  11. ^ Michigan Department of Transportation (March 2017). "Michigan's Railroad System: Railroads Operating in Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved July 4, 2021.
  12. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Columbus Township Cemetery
  13. ^ State Historic Preservation Office (September 2003). "An Honor and an Ornament: Public School Buildings in Michigan" (PDF). Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  14. ^ Haynes, Dutch; Delbert, Musgrave; Bohn, Musgrave (2000). History of Columbus Township. McMillan, MI: Columbus Township. pp. 393–395.
  15. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: McMillan Corner, Michigan
  16. ^ "49853 ZIP Code map" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  17. ^ UnitedStatesZipCodes.org (2021). "ZIP Code 49853: McMillan". Retrieved September 3, 2021.
  18. ^ Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Luce County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved July 24, 2021.
  19. ^ State of Michigan (May 22, 2018). "Square mileage of Michigan school districts" (PDF). Retrieved July 21, 2021.
  20. ^ Michigan Townships Association (2021). "Columbus Twp., Luce Co". Retrieved October 22, 2021.
  21. ^ Federal Communications Commission (2021). "FM Query Results: WMJT". Retrieved October 21, 2021.
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