Overview

When lumbering was the key industry in northern Michigan, every community near Arcadia seemed to be centered around a sawmill, the jobs it provided, and the goods and services needed by sawmill workers and their families.

The Earliest Sawmills in the Area

Two of the earliest sawmills in the Arcadia area were the Averill sawmill near Lower Herring Lake and the Huntington sawmill just south of what would become Arcadia.

The Lumbering Process

Lumbering consists of four steps: logging, driving logs to the mill, manufacturing, and marketing.

Logging Near Arcadia

Driving to the Mill

Manufacturing Wood Products

Transporting Arcadia Wood Products

Sawmills in Arcadia

Many small, temporary sawmills sprang up in the area. These three more permanent, large sawmills are covered here:

The Starke Land and Lumber Company Sawmill

The Arcadia Furniture Company Sawmill

The Arcadia Lumber Company Sawmill

Next | Timeline

The Starke Land & Lumber Company sawmill was located at the north end of Lake Arcadia in Arcadia, Michigan in the late 1800's. When it burned again in 1906, it was replaced by the Arcadia Furniture Factory, which also had a small sawmill.