Iosco County ( , ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and t ...

; its eastern border is formed by

Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as Lake Michigan, to which it is connected by the , Straits of Mack ...

. As of the 2010 census, the population was 25,237. The

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...

Tawas City Tawas City is a city in and county seat of Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,834 at the 2020 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Tawas Township, but the two area administered automously. History Tawas Cit ...

Etymology of Iosco

''Iosco'' has traditionally been said to be a Native American word meaning "water of light", but was actually coined as a pseudo-Native American name by

Henry Rowe Schoolcraft Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (March 28, 1793 – December 10, 1864) was an American geographer, geologist, and ethnologist, noted for his early studies of Native American cultures, as well as for his 1832 expedition to the source of the Mississippi ...

, an American geographer and ethnologist who served as the U.S. Indian agent in Michigan in the late 19th century. He named several counties and towns during the state's formative years.

History

The county was created by the Michigan Legislature in 1840 as Kanotin County, and renamed Iosco County in 1843. It was administered by a succession of other Michigan counties before the organization of county government in 1857. A majority of the population was

Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...

. The area offered shelter from tall white pines and food from the river and lake. Iosco County was cut from a piece of land ceded by the Ojibwe to the U.S. government. When the lumber boom hit, many more people moved to the area. The 400-acre Alabaster Historic District, listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

, is associated with an operating

gypsum Gypsum is a soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula . It is widely mined and is used as a fertilizer and as the main constituent in many forms of plaster, blackboard or sidewalk chalk, and drywa ...

open-pit mine south of Tawas City. The large company town included internal rail lines for transportation and a tramway extending over

on long piers for loading gypsum onto ships. Started in 1862, the mine supplied gypsum for temporary buildings constructed in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

at the

World Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...

of 1893. Two companies continue to mine gypsum in Iosco County. In 2009, Alabaster Township formed the nonprofit Alabaster Wind Power Development Corp. to conduct the necessary two-year studies of wind data at this site as a potential location for development of

wind turbine A wind turbine is a device that converts the kinetic energy of wind into electrical energy. Hundreds of thousands of large turbines, in installations known as wind farms, now generate over 650 gigawatts of power, with 60 GW added each year. ...

s. It proposed using 10 large tramway platforms that extend more than 6,000 feet into the lake to gauge winds. The turbines could be built on the tramways. At the time, the federal government was offering subsidies for such studies and development of alternative energy projects.

Geography

According to the

US Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of th ...

, the county has an area of , of which is land and (71%) is water. It is considered part of

Northern Michigan Northern Michigan, also known as Northern Lower Michigan (known colloquially to residents of more southerly parts of the state and summer residents from cities such as Detroit as " Up North"), is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. A popul ...

. In total, it covers about 6,361,837 acres.

Geographic features

*Lumberman's Monument *Canoer's memorial *60 Lakes Area - Located near Hale *Iargo Springs *Tawas Point Light House - First lit in 1853 *Tawas Bay * Pine River – rises in Alcona County and flows into Iosco County, where it empties into Van Etten Lake at northwest of Oscoda. * Au Sable River
Tuttle Marsh Wildlife Area
*

Van Etten Lake Van Etten Lake is a lake in Iosco County, Michigan. The lake is largely developed with houses surrounded by dense forest. The bottom is mainly clay and it has a maximum depth of . The lake flows through the Pine River into the Au Sable River ...

*Tawas Lake *

Foote Dam Pond Foote Dam is a hydro-electric dam on the Au Sable River in Michigan. Background This hydro-electric dam was completed in 1918 and has a capacity of 9,000 kilowatts. It is located 9 miles upstream from Lake Huron and is named for William A. Foote, ...

* Au Sable State Forest (partial) – the Grayling Fire Management Unit consists of Alcona, Crawford, and Oscoda Counties, and northern Iosco county.

Major highways

* – known as the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway. * – one of three cross-peninsular state highways. It begins in Tawas City at the junction with US 23. * * *

River Road National Scenic Byway The River Road National Scenic Byway (also called the River Road National Forest Scenic Byway) is a National Scenic Byway and National Forest Scenic Byway in the US state of Michigan. This byway follows M-65 and River Road; it extends eastward i ...

– starts at M-65 and runs parallel with the Au Sable River for eastward to US 23 in

Oscoda, Michigan Oscoda ( ) is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 916 at the 2020 census. The community is located within Au Sable Township and Oscoda Town ...

. It is a designated

National Scenic Byway A National Scenic Byway is a road recognized by the United States Department of Transportation for one or more of six "intrinsic qualities": archeological, cultural, historic, natural, recreational, and scenic. The program was established by Co ...

. It passes the

Lumberman's Monument Lumberman's Monument is a monument dedicated to the workers of the early logging industry in Michigan. Standing at 14 feet, the bronze statue features a log surrounded by three figures: a timber cruiser holding a compass, a sawyer with his saw slun ...

Adjacent counties

* Alcona County - north *

Arenac County Arenac County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 15,002. The county seat is Standish. History Arenac County was organized in 1883. The name ''Arenac'', coined by Henry Rowe Sch ...

- southwest * Ogemaw County - west *

Oscoda County Oscoda County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,219, making it the least populous county in the Lower Peninsula, and the sixth-least populous county in the entire state. The county seat ...

- northwest * Huron County - southeast

National protected area

* Huron National Forest (part)

Demographics

As of the

2000 United States Census The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 c ...

, there were 27,339 people, 11,727 households, and 7,857 families in the county. Most of the population is located on the shoreline along US-23,East Tawas, Tawas City, and Oscoda County. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

was 50 people per square mile (19/km²). There were 20,432 housing units at an average density of 37 per square mile (14/km²). The county's racial makeup was 96.92%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

, 0.41%

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.66% Native American, 0.46% Asian, 0.05%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/ racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...

, 0.23% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. 0.98% of the population were

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties for ...

or Latino of any race. 23.2% were of

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

, 12.3%

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

, 10.6% Irish, 9.9%

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

, 8.3% Polish and 7.1%

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

ancestry. 97.4% spoke

and 1.0% Spanish as their first language. There were 11,727 households, out of which 24.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.20% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 28.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.79. The county population included 22.40% under the age of 18, 5.40% from 18 to 24, 23.40% from 25 to 44, 27.30% from 45 to 64, and 21.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 96.30 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.60 males. The median income for a household in the county was $31,321, and the median income for a family was $37,452. Males had a median income of $30,338 versus $21,149 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $17,115. About 9.50% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 18.50% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.

Government

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget, with limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions—police and fire, building and zoning tax assessment, street maintenance, etc.—are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.

Elected officials

Iosco County has been reliably Republican from the beginning. Since 1884, the Republican presidential nominee has carried the county in 27 of 35 elections.

County elected officials

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

: James Bacarella *

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

: Scott D. Frank *

County Clerk A clerk is a white-collar worker who conducts general office tasks, or a worker who performs similar sales-related tasks in a retail environment. The responsibilities of clerical workers commonly include record keeping, filing, staffing service ...

: Nancy J. Huebel *

County Treasurer A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

: Cathy Anderson *

Register of Deeds Recorder of deeds or deeds registry is a government office tasked with maintaining public records and documents, especially records relating to real estate ownership that provide persons other than the owner of a property with real rights over ...

: Ericka Earl * Drain Commissioner: Fred Strauer County commissioners * District 1: Robert Huebel III * District 2: Terry Dutcher * District 3: Charles Finley * District 4: John Moehring * District 5: Donald "Jay" O'Farrell

Education

Iosco County has four public school districts: * Hale Area Schools * Oscoda Area Schools * Tawas Area Schools * Whittemore-Prescott Area Schools There are also three private elementary schools: *Emanuel Lutheran School (Tawas City) *Holy Family School (East Tawas) *Shady Grove School (Whittemore)

Alpena Community College Alpena Community College (ACC) is a public community college in Alpena, Michigan. It was founded in 1952. The college has a main campus in Alpena and another campus, Huron Shores, located in Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. The co ...

offers college-level courses at its campus on the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda and local public school facilities.

Media

*The '' Iosco County News-Herald'' is the newspaper of record for Iosco County. *The ''Oscoda Press'' is a weekly newspaper serving northern Iosco County and southern Alcona County.