The Ghost Town of Ozark, Michigan

Another location that is considered to be a Michigan ‘Ghost Town’ is the community named ‘Ozark’. You’ll find it in the Upper Peninsula, Moran Township, Mackinac County.

When the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railroad came through in 1882, the stop was known as “Johnson’s”. A post office became operational in 1884, and the place was given the name “Ozark”. Even though it may sound like a backwoods or southern name, “Ozark” came from a French term ‘Aux Arc’, which means ‘at the bend’.

When the post office closed down in 1966, that was it for Ozark except for the few that chose to remain.

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The only things left here are a few homes that you could count on the fingers of one hand...but at one time it was home to the charcoal kilns owned by the Martel Furnace Company.

There doesn’t seem to be any remains of the kilns. The only sign that shows there was more here than meets the eye is the trail that was once the railroad, still cutting through the area.....a lonely reminder - among 2 or 3 homes - of a town that failed to grow.