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Alcona County (Script error: No such module "IPAc-en".Script error: No such module "Respell".) is a county of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,167.[1] Its county seat is Harrisville.[2] Alphabetically it is the first county in Michigan; as its flag states, it is the "First of 83".
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The county was created by the state legislature on April 1, 1840.[4][5] It was at first named Negwegon County,[3] after the name of a well-known Chippewa chief, also known as "Little Wing". He was honored as having been an American ally against the British in the War of 1812.
It was renamed to Alcona County on March 8, 1843, after a neologism created by Henry Rowe Schoolcraft from parts of words from Native American languages, plus Arabic, Greek and Latin.[6][7] These were amalgamated to mean "fine or excellent plain".[8][9] He was an influential US Indian agent and geographer.
Harrisville Township, then comprising the entire county, was organized in 1860. County government was organized in 1869, becoming effective on May 8, 1869.[10][11] The county's slogan on its seal (a single gold star on a green field in the shape of Alcona County) is "First of 83," which refers to its place alphabetically among Michigan counties.[12]
In 2007, Alcona County discovered that $1.2 million was missing and was forced to alter its $4 million budget. An investigation revealed that Thomas Katona, who had been the county treasurer for thirteen years, had wired $186,500 of county funds to accounts associated with a well-known Nigerian scam.[13][14] Katona, who had already lost more than $70,000 of his savings on the scam, ignored repeated warnings from friends and his bank that his so-called investments seemed suspicious.[15]
Katona was sentenced to 9–14 years imprisonment on June 12, 2007, by the 23rd Circuit Court. Judge William Myles said Katona's crimes warranted more severe punishment than called for in state sentencing guidelines, due to the amount of money involved and the number of victims in the case.[16]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of Script error: No such module "convert"., of which Script error: No such module "convert". is land and Script error: No such module "convert". (62%) is water.[17]
The area is part of the Au Sable State Forest, specifically the Grayling FMU (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties). The county is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.
The county government maintains rural roads, operates the local courts, records deeds, mortgages, and vital records, administers public health regulations, and works with state agencies to provide social services. The county
board of commissioners controls the budget and has 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.
The Alcona County Circuit Court is part of the 23rd Circuit of Michigan. This multicounty circuit also includes Arenac, Iosco and Oscoda Counties. This court was previously part of the 26th Circuit, which included Alpena and Montmorency Counties.
US Decennial Census[22] 1790-1960[23] 1900-1990[24] 1990-2000[25] 2010-2018[1]
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Racial and ethnic composition
Alcona County, Michigan – Racial and ethnic composition <templatestyles src="Nobold/styles.css"/>Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 10,167. The median age was 58.2 years. 13.2% of residents were under the age of 18 and 35.8% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 103.5 males age 18 and over.[35][36]
7.1% of residents lived in urban areas, while 92.9% lived in rural areas.[37]
There were 4,907 households in the county, of which 16.0% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.7% were married-couple households, 22.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 21.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[35]
There were 10,263 housing units, of which 52.2% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 88.9% were owner-occupied and 11.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 2.6% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.7%.[35]
In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $31,362, and the median income for a family was $35,669. Males had a median income of $29,712 versus $20,566 for females. The per capita income for the county was $17,653. About 9.10% of families and 12.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 9.00% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Alcona County is served by three public school districts. Public school district boundaries are not coterminous with the county boundary or any municipality boundaries within the county. Only one district, Alcona Community Schools, is entirely contained within the county, enrolling 690 students for the 2021–2022 school year.[38]
Springport Inn,[45]Springport home of Civil War Captain Joseph VanBuskirk.[46]
Parks and recreation
There is a senior citizens center building that opened in the 1940s. In 2023 there was a controversy over how to use a $12,500,000 grant that was to be used to build a replacement building.[47]
Transportation
Highways
Script error: No such module "Jct". — north of Standish, it has been designated the Sunrise Side Coastal Highway. Parallels the Lake Huron shore, connects with M-72 in Harrisville. US 23 is the most proximate connector to Alpena and Mackinaw City.
Script error: No such module "Jct". — runs along the western side of the county, from US 23 north of Standish to Rogers City.
Script error: No such module "Jct". — In 1936, downtown Harrisville became the eastern terminus[48] of the Script error: No such module "convert".M-72, which runs across the lower peninsula from Empire, Michigan. It is one of three true cross peninsular highways.[49]
Script error: No such module "Jct". — runs from US 23 at Greenbush through Mikado to M-65 at Glennie.
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Script error: No such module "Jct". — runs north–south from US 23 at Oscoda to US 23 south of Ossineke.
Airport
Alcona County has been a part of developing the Oscoda-Wurtsmith Airport, which became a public airport in 1993. It now occupies a portion of the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base, which is in Oscoda Township, Michigan in neighboring Iosco County, Michigan. It is primarily used for cargo and light general aviation activities. The Airport offers 24-hour near all weather daily access.
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