Cheboygan County, Michigan

Although Frenchmen were the first recorded white men in the Cheboygan area in the late 1600's, the area was originally inhabited by the Chippewa Indians. Settlers did not arrive until 1844, and even then the county's growth was slow until the first sawmill was built in the 1870's. With the sawmill came a lumbering boom that tripled the population within ten years.

Cheboygan County boasts an extensive system of connecting inland lakes and rivers, which allows boaters to navigate through Mullett and Burt Lakes, and access several towns such as Indian River and Topinabee. Native Americans used this inland water route for centuries, from which the county acquired its name, which literally means: "Water of the Chippewa." Today it is used exclusively for recreation.

Cheboygan County's main industries are tourism, farming, commercial fishing, paper, wood, and metal fabrication and limestone. The county seat, Cheboygan, has a coast guard base and hosts the Northern Michigan Fair.

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