Clare County Historical Society

The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of veteran heroes who fought and worked to save the Union in the American Civil War. Organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954, SUVCW is the legal heir and successor to the Grand Army of the Republic. Learn more at https://suvcw.org/organization-overview.

There is a Michigan chapter along with a “Camp” in Cadillac named after General Orlando M. Poe. Clare County is within this territory. The group publishes an excellent newsletter and has recently published two articles about Clare residents. They are posted below:

Learn more about the Michigan Chapter at https://www.suvcwmi.org/.

Archived at CMU’s Clarke Historical Library

Clare County Cleaver — Harrison — 1891 – 2017

Clare County Press — Clare — 1878 – 1886

Clare Courier — Clare — 1895 – 1922

Clare Democrat — Clare — 1885 – 1889

Clare Democrat and Press — Clare — 1890 – 1892

Clare Press — Clare — 1886 – 1887

Clare Sentinel — Clare — 1896 – 1999

Clare Sentinel (1892) — Clare — 1892 – 1894

Clare Sentinel and the Democrat-Press — Clare — 1894 – 1896

Farwell News — Farwell — 1953 – 1971

Rotary Chronicle — Clare — 1955 – 1975

Clare County Review (Google News Archive) — 2004 – 2009

Newspaper Clippings

Click an image to see the whole clipping.

• Michigan’s Timber Battleground: A History of Clare County: 1674-1900 by Forrest B. Meek
• Michigan’s Heartland: 1900-1918 by Forrest B. Meek
• Michigan’s Logging Railroad Era 1850-1963 A Selected and Annotated Bibliography by Forrest Meek and Carl Jay Bajema
• A Dictionary of Clare Citizens Who Served their Country compiled by Forrest Meek
• History of the First One Hundred Years of Clare United Methodist Church: 1871-1971 by Nettie A. Holbrook
• Diamond Jubilee: Harrison: Where the North Begins by Thelma M. Hubbell
• Farwell Area Centennial: 1870-1970 by Hazel G. Littlefield
• Clare 2079 by Clare students
• History of Clare County and Clare (1927 notebook) by Emma Jennings Sager
• Soil Survey of Clare County, Michigan by United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
• Clare Osteopathic Hospital Dedication by the Clare Sentinel
• Official Souvenir of the Gladwin County Centennial by Gladwin County Centennial Corporation

The Historical Society of Michigan publishes Michigan History Magazine six times per year.

Below is a list of selected articles (text only) that touch on Clare County history.

• Clare County Turns 150.
• The Hare of Clare County.
• Spikehorn Meyer: his own tall tale.
• Martha Hay Ayres: a lumber baroness.
• A Lansingite’s Northern Escape: The Development of Clare County’s Eight Point Lake.
• Library Reaches Renovation Goal.

• Pere Marquette District Library (Clare)
• Surrey Township Public Library (Farwell)
• Harrison District Library (Harrison)
  • Harrison Heritage Homes & Properties Tour (part of 1991 Centennial) PDF
  • Timber & Rail Dominion of Old (1991 Centennial Book) PDF
• Clarke Historical Library (Central Michigan University)
  • Repository search (U-M), Repository search (CMU)
  • Browse digitized newspapers by title
  • Search all archived newspapers for Clare County
• Michigan eLibrary
• Archives of Michigan Digital Collection
• University of Michigan Library – Clare County photos
• Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps – Library of Congress

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• 1.8 Million Years of Clare History (or 150 feet)
  Note: This is the first of two posts dealing with the geologic history of Clare County, Michigan, USA. Ever take a good look at our… Read more: 1.8 Million Years of Clare History (or 150 feet)
• 2.5 Billion Years of Clare History (or 40 Miles)
  Note: This is the second of two posts dealing with the geologic history of Clare County, Michigan, USA. If you like warm, you should have… Read more: 2.5 Billion Years of Clare History (or 40 Miles)
• A Face to a Name in a Graveyard
  Jim Garrity went off to war. Jim was a farm kid from rural Clare County, Michigan, a poor, sparsely populated county in mid Michigan. According… Read more: A Face to a Name in a Graveyard
• Looking Back at Clare County, MI
  Through the pages of old newspapers It’s amazing the interesting things one can run across in old newspapers.  For example, I was conducting some research… Read more: Looking Back at Clare County, MI
• A Lake Dock that Rises into the Sky
  The Lake Coal Dock as seen from the west. A paved biking, walking and snowmobile trail is adjacent. Inside the trees to the left is… Read more: A Lake Dock that Rises into the Sky
• Blowing Stuff Up in Clare County
  The following article appeared on Page one of the Dec. 4, 1925 issue of The Clare Sentinel .   Apparently, farmers back then could be trusted with… Read more: Blowing Stuff Up in Clare County
• Railroad History in Harrison, Michigan
  This is a revised version of an article that appears in Harrison’s 125th Anniversary History booklet written and edited by Angela Kellogg to celebrate the mid-Michigan… Read more: Railroad History in Harrison, Michigan
• Henry Ford In Harrison, Michigan
  (Above) Ford tractors undergoing testing in Harrison, MI Industrialist Henry Ford was a lousy tipper, at least when he got his shoes shined in Harrison.… Read more: Henry Ford In Harrison, Michigan
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  The Great Flu Pandemic in a Small Michigan County
  James Garrity was a Clare County farm boy, the only boy in a family of four sisters.  He was 19 years old when he convinced… Read more: The Great Flu Pandemic in a Small Michigan County
• Gangsters Up North
  A review of Robert Knapp’s latest book on Michigan history I want to know more about Joe Barnes. Was this resident of Clare County that… Read more: Gangsters Up North