MICHIGAN ‘LOST’ TOWN: Blaine, in St. Clair County

The community of Blaine in Michigan's Thumb was started as far back as 1828 when a sawmill was constructed in the area by Thomas S. Knapp.

In 1866, the township was named Grant Township after General Ulysses S. Grant. In turn, the town, which was mainly a post office, was named Grant Center. However, that name didn’t last long, as there was already another postal station with that name. The town re-named itself after Senator James G. Blaine.

By 1916, the town was referred to by two names: “Blaine P.O.” and “Grant Center” before settling on just plain “Blaine”. This postal stop was alongside the now torn-up Pere Marquette Railroad.

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The post office, which opened in 1879, shut down for good in 1960.

The community of Blaine can be found in St. Clair County, at the intersection of Burtch Rd. and Wildcat Rd. When you visit, you’ll definitely wanna check out the Blaine General Store, still standing there on the corner. There are a few other old structures that can be found within the area, if you drive around a little.

Blaine does show up on occasional maps, and not on others. Take a look at the photos below and then take a little roadtrip over there!

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