Cheboygan County MI Genealogy

History of

Tuscarora Township

The Tuscarora region with its 48 mile network of lakes, portages, and rivers has provided a lifeline for the area's inhabitants for at least 200 years. Stretching from the Little Traverse Bay area of Lake Michigan to Cheboygan on Lake Huron, it was first used by Indians for fishing, hunting, and canoe transportation - later for their access to fur trading on Mackinac Island.

In recent years it has become known as the inland waterway across the "tip of the mitt" of Northern Michigan. In the center of this transportation route is Tuscarora Township, which includes Indian River and portion of both Mullett Lake and Burt Lake.

There are two accounts as to how the township derived its name of Tuscarora:

One of the accounts states that W.M. McArthur requested the township be named after the New York State tribe of Indians, Tuscarora.

The second account states that W.J. Stone, an early pioneer, was quoted saying, "the township of Tuscarora was organized in our home, and in that home, everything connected with the organization of the Township had its beginning. When question arose to the name of the Township, my mother suggested that we were in Indian Country and an Indian name would be appropriate. She suggested Tuscarora." This was in 1879.

In 1911, much of the business district in Tuscarora Township was destroyed when a fire devastated the downtown area of Indian River. The township ultimately recovered and continued to grow.

This Page Was Last Updated Saturday, 03-Mar-2012 12:37:37 MST