Arenac County, Michigan

Arenac: "A sandy place for a good footing" - that�s what Henry Schoolcraft observed of the area when he named it after the combination of : "arena," referring to the sand in the Coliseum to provide a better footing for gladiators, and "ac," Indian for: "place of." Located at the bottom of Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron, this area has long been inhabited, with 5000 year old Indian artifacts being found there. The Rifle, Au Gres and Pine Rivers made excellent fishing and canoeing routes for both Ottawa Indians and early settlers to the area - including Captain J. P. Phillips and John Lentz, who started a sawmill in 1856. Once part of Bay and Saginaw Counties, it organized as Arenac County in 1883, during the lumber boom, keeping to its name in providing settlers a "good footing" for starting out.

Arenac County today remains a popular resort area, with plenty of canoeing, hunting and fishing. Standish, the county seat, is considered a sportsman�s supply headquarters for those travelling up north. The Rifle and Au Gres Rivers continue to be favorite canoeing spots, and provide ample opportunity for trout, chinook, coho, and smelt. The Au Gres area includes a marina on the big lake with an inland channel to the city. The Tittabawassee River State Forest to the west also provides opportunity for hunting small game.

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