1 of 6
Alcona has a rich history and its human occupation has spanned at least the past eleven centuries. The earliest artifacts found here are stone lance heads, similar to those used by the ancestor's of today's Native Americans from approximately 9,000 BC. Native Americans while traveling to trading posts would stop to camp on Lake Huron's shoreline near "The Great Black Rock", which is north of Greenbush. Out in the lake, offerings were placed in the rock's hollowed out surface to ensure safe journeys.
Todays Alcona county (679 square miles or 434,560 acres) was formed on April 1, 1840 from unorganized land. This land, while within the bounds of the State of Michigan (Statehood in 1837), was not official property of the State until June, 1854 when congress officially granted these and other lands to the state (see Abstract in Database section). Alcona was then formally platted in 1869. Originally named Neewago after the Chippewa Indian Chief, it was renamed Alcona on March 8, 1843. The name believed to have been made up by Henry R. Schoolcraft with "al" from the Arabic for "the," "co" the root of a word for "plain" or "prairie," and "na" for excellent; thus the word is interpreted as "Excellent or Beautiful plains". The country seat is Harrisville and its parent counties are Alpena and Cheboygan.
The area began to be settled around the mid 1840's with Springport being the first settlement located on the Lake Huron shore and it served as a commercial fishing port. Additional ports were established at Alcona, Black River, and Harrisville to accommodate the growing fishing fleets and to serve the lumber industry. The first crop, Rye, was raised near Springport in 1857. The interior of the county had early industries being lumbering and farming with over one third of the county eventually being contained within the Huron National Forest. Alcona County is also home to one of the Great Lakes oldest lighthouses, the Sturgeon Point Lighthouse, circa 1869.