Midland County, Michigan

Midland County is located half-way up Michigan�s Lower Peninsula a little to the east. Historically, it was inhabited by Pottawatomi, Chippewa and Ottawa Indians. French settlers came here in the 1820�, and made their home around "The Forks," an area where the Pine and Chippewa Rivers flow into the Tittabawassee, or "shining" river, as the Indians referred to it. As the lumbering boom hit the region, this area developed, eventually being named the city of Midland, due to its location in the state.

A key player in the development of the area was Herbert Henry Dow, who sunk the first salt well in the state here, eventually founding the Dow Chemical Company in 1897. This led the way for more manufacturing and industry to where Midland County today has established a diverse economic base. Midland�s economy has also become tied into that of neighbors Saginaw and Bay City, becoming known as the Tri-Cities Area.

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