Standish, Michigan, A Backstory: 1907-2020s

It’s always a good thing to find out a little bit about our Michigan towns.....the ones you usually don’t hear about.

When was the last time you heard anything about Standish? This question does not apply to the residents of Standish...

First of all, Standish is the county seat of Arenac County, and was platted by John Standish in 1871. Owning all the land in town, John named this new community after himself; but soon afterward he sold off a good portion of his property.

Get our free mobile app

Therefore, a new plat was made by P.M. Angus, who walked the whole way there from Whitefeather, near Pinconning. Once the new plat was made, the town name was changed to "Granton". John Standish wasn’t finished yet. He owned the town's first business (sawmill) and later had the name of the town changed back to ‘Standish’ during the next legislature meeting.

FAST FACTS:
1871: The Jackson & Lansing Railroad comes through
1871: First hotel built, called the Standish House
1871: First train passenger coach arrives
1888: Depot was constructed by local farmers
1889: New stone depot was built
1893: Standish incorporated as a village
1898: The State Bank of Standish opens
1902: Hotel burns down
1903: Incorporated as a city
1907: First automobile dealership (Buick)
1912: First commercial electric lighting
1918: The first gravel road between Pinconning and Standish was laid
1920: Three illegal moonshine stills were confiscated by the sheriff
1926: 24-hour electricity service
1938: Population 913
1970: Standish became a home-rule city