Abandoned Since 1932: The Michigan Ghost Town of Deward

Down a few winding dirt roads deep within Michigan's aptly-named Black Forest and Wilderness Valley, lies what's left of the town of Deward.....halfway between the towns of Gaylord and Grayling a few miles west of I-75 in Crawford County.

What's left of Deward? NOTHING...except a few oil pumps that have invaded the land.

Even though there are NO buildings and NO residents left, curiosity seekers have uncovered many items from the old days of Deward. The town of Deward didn't last very long...approximately only ten years, from the late 1800's into the early 1900's.

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The land was owned by David E. Ward of W. Bloomfield (hence the eventual naming of the town, "D. E. Ward" or "Deward"), whose main business was lumber.

An impressive lumber mill was erected but quickly closed down, around 1912...more than likely thanks to Ward's will, that stated the mill shut down after a ten-year period. The town was abandoned by 1932.

There are plenty of building and house foundations scattered throughout the area. This could be a 'ghost town' search for you that would be a lotta fun...yes, you'll have to travel down various dirt roads to get there - some maybe even one-laners, but it'll be worth it to visit this little slice of Michigan history.