Which Two Michigan Towns Were Named After a Famous Author?

The first name and the last name of one of the world's most famous authors were given to two Michigan towns in the Upper Peninsula. Can you guess which towns they would be?

Allenville & Pickford?
Curtis & McLeod?
Evelyn & Campbell?

Nah. The towns in question are Rudyard and Kipling. They were named by Fred D. Underwood, then-vice president of the Soo Line Railroad, who was an admirer of author Rudyard Kipling. Some of Kipling's most famous works include The Jungle Book, Captains Courageous, and Kim.

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Kipling released more than 1,000 stories, books, and poems. He was born in India in 1865 and passed away in London in 1936 at the age of 70. As far as we know, he never visited Michigan, but he came close. He toured North America, beginning in 1889. Starting his tour in San Francisco, he made his way to Chicago, bypassed Michigan, and went thru Ohio and Pennsylvania, going further east to new York and Boston.

The town of Rudyard is in Chippewa County's Rudyard Township, originally called “Pine River”. When a depot was established in 1890, it was decided to re-name the town, thanks to other Michigan communities named 'Pine River'. The name was changed to 'Rudyard' after Underwood's suggestion. A post office began operations in 1891.

134 miles away from Rudyard is Kipling, in Brampton Township, Delta County. It originated in 1885 when the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company built a charcoal iron furnace on Bay de Noc. When the Soo Line came through in 1887, Underwood completed his tribute to his favorite author by naming this town 'Kipling'. A post office opened in 1903 and finally folded after 32 years on September 30, 1935.

Scroll a ways down to see a few photos.