History, Small Town Charm…and Alligators! In Athens, Michigan

There are a few (actually, sixteen) villages and towns throughout the country called ‘Athens’. Surprisingly, they are NOT mostly named after Athens, Greece…the name comes from Athens, New York, where residents left and settled in different states throughout the country. Even though they left their homes in New York, they still wanted to pay homage to their former hometown, so they named their new villages the same.

One of those New Yorkers was Isaac Crossett, came to the Calhoun County, Michigan area and immediately settled, building his house in 1832.

The Athens area was heavily populated by the Potawatomi tribe and later in the 1830s some were driven out of the area. Many remained, however, but by 1913 Athens Township recorded only sixty Potawatomi residents (and a few Ottawas) out of 1500.

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On February 15, 1837, a post office was established and Ephraim Turner was appointed as the town’s first postmaster. Twenty-two years later, on October 11, 1859, the post office went belly up and shut down. But it wasn’t down for the count quite yet…..it was reinstated on April 3, 1860 and is still going great guns.

The year 1854 saw the very first Athens general store, built by William Simons. The town was finally platted in 1860 and incorporated as a village in 1895.

Up to the 1920s, Athens had an auto garage, blacksmith, cemetery, church, creamery, depot, dry goods, hotel, livery, mill, power company, wagon works, and many more establishments and businesses.

So why should you visit in the 2000s? For the history and small town charm of course, but also for another reason: alligators. That’s right – Athens has its own alligator rescue facility, “The Alligator Sanctuary”. It is open to visitors and the curious to see the hundreds of gators that were brought here not just by rescue, but by adoption, donation…and even birth. They welcome school visits for educational purposes.

So if you love Michigan history – or alligators – either way, you’ll enjoy a trip to Athens in Calhoun County. Below is a gallery of vintage Athens photos, featuring a few “then-and-now” comparisons.

MORE VINTAGE PHOTOS: