The Elk Capital of Michigan: Atlanta, Montmorency County
I have been through the village of Atlanta many times. It sits on M-32 between Gaylord and Alpena...and I can agree with the claim that it is “The Elk Capital of Michigan” as I have seen a whole herd of wild elk during one of my trips across M-32 – one winter, we came across a herd of over one hundred elk, just grazing in a field. We took a photo which is included in the gallery below. This is a sight that I am fully aware I may never ever see again.
Atlanta is in Montmorency County, Briley Township, along the Thunder Bay River. It was founded by a lumberman, Alfred West, who came here from Capac in 1881. It was Alfred who gave the town its name, after the city of the same name in Georgia. Alfred was a Civil War veteran and seemed to recall certain events in Georgia (good or bad?) that inspired him to give this Michigan village its name.
In 1882, a post office was established and Alfred became its first postmaster. The village did become incorporated for a while but is now under township government and is the county seat.
In 1996, Legislature officially gave Atlanta the title of “The Elk Capital of Michigan” due to its overwhelming number of wild elk – unlike elsewhere in Michigan.
Aside from my wild elk photo, I have included a few old images of Atlanta from over one hundred years ago. Also added are a couple of photos of a shoe tree that is just outside of town as you head west.
The Elk Capital of Michigan: Atlanta
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