Ghost Town or Not? McKinley in Oscoda County, Michigan

McKinley started out as a lumber and mining town called 'Potts Headquarters' after the J.E. Potts Salt & Lumber Company. With the additions of many shops & stores, machine shops, the lumber camp, and churches, McKinley soon became Oscoda County's largest settlement.

FAST FACTS:
1880: The town is first settled
1881: Oscoda County established
1886: Post office begins operating
1886: Population of 700

The Potts Lumber Company was one of the largest lumber companies in Michigan, but by 1888 they had acquired huge debts. They sold their assets to another lumber company – H.M. Loud Lumber – who continued to support the town.

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The post office changed its name to McKinley in early 1892, followed by the decline of the lumber boom. McKinley's population shrank down to 250 by 1897 and suffered even more when a huge fire broke out in 1900 and ruined the railroad repair shops.

Still reeling from the devastation, the town of McKinley was never rebuilt. Once the lumber company cut out, so did the residents. By 1905, only 50 residents remained...and all they had was the post office, one store, and one church. When other buildings were moved to other nearby communities, the town of McKinley was soon left deserted. The post office closed in 1913. In 1917, only 20 residents were left.

In the 1940s, McKinley was redeveloped into a tourist/resort area. A few more businesses popped up and by 1969 there were 35 families in town.

Even though the town is now a tourist destination with the promises of good fishing, boating, and camping, many still regard McKinley as a ghost town based on its history.

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