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Not as spooky as they may sound, they are the remnants of day gone by, and may range from places with deserted, historical building (or remnants of), to communities that still exist around these sites, or even places with no trace of existence at all.
Roads that were once “main” roads connecting cities and towns, now less than secondary roads, sometimes even trails, that run through the most rural parts of our county, are where you now find the most unlikely places that a community or town would ever exist. Who would ever think that a bustling little place, with a general store, hotel, industry and stagecoach stop once occupied a now empty field, or over-grown section of forest. Once one of the many stop offs of the long gone stagecoach on it’s way to the next destination, or the place someone called home.
Notwithstanding, some are still inhabited by country dwellers and private property, and seekers of these places must be careful not to encroach on private lands. More than likely many of the landowners in and around these sites probably don’t even know the history they live near. It’s easy to assume previous generations have left their mark when foundations and remnants remain, but not quite so when all traces have been eradicated.
That’s why an historical “NEWAYGO COUNTY LAND ATLAS”, sometimes referred to as a plat map, is so unique. Although the sizes of townships have somewhat changed over the years, the basic layout of a land atlas hasn’t. The “Baseline” and the “Principle Meridian” (sometimes called the Centerline) still dissect the county into four equal parts. The section numbers of townships, and range lines still remain the same. Even if a township has been downsized, and its sections have been consumed to make a new township; land descriptions and section numbers remain the same.
Section and range lines were often used in the placement of roads as time went on. Since “sections” are usually one mile square segments, the “mile roads”, run north from the Baseline, the numbered roads run south from the Baseline all running east and west. Roads running north and south from either direction of the Centerline (the range lines) were usually named after people, places, or things. (The only exception being inside city limits).
Although names of roads may have changed somewhat over the years, most remain the same as they originated. Interestingly enough, many of the north and south roads were named after Michigan governors, which have held office over the history of the state. Traveling across Michigan you may notice these reoccurring names in a variety of counties sometimes even laid out in the same pattern. All of the main roads west of the Centerline in Newaygo County are named after historic governors. Main roads east of the Centerline are named after trees…Oak, Spruce, Pine, etc.
In working together with the 1880 land atlas and the present plat maps, you find many interesting changes that have taken place through out the century. Towns that when their natural resources were extinguished, dwindled and faded, their population moving elsewhere. Some have survived as small communities, but others literally disintegrated over time, with nothing left but a few foundations where buildings once stood. Sometimes no trace remains, being plowed under to support a farmers field, or pasture land.
Roads that once were stagecoach lines and traversed three counties are now so rural that it’s hard to imagine that it once stretched hundreds of miles, or more, and was the only direct route to get from here to there. Towns that sprung up as stagecoach stops are one of the least likely to find traces of because they were on the first roads that were cut through the wilderness and usually date back to the mid 1800’s. Many are not even documented.
The towns that were railroad stops are more likely to have survived, since rails are still in existence. In the early Twentieth Century it was convenient to place roads on straightest line from one point to the other, and have the road follow the tracks. These towns are usually about ten miles, apart, more or less, since the early steam engines had to stop for water at about that interval of time. Most of these roads are still in existence, what we call our “state roads” and you will usually notice this distance between the towns.
Anytime progress rules, and bigger and better roads are constructed, such as expressways, turnpikes, and freeways, the former suffers economic loss. Starting with the stagecoaches, taken over by the steam engines, and the rail lines taken over by the automobile, rural towns through out Michigan grew smaller instead of larger. Although, not quite as drastically as did the stage stops, for with better roads for autos, running the rail lines, they were not by-passed completely.
In modern times, with the advent of expressways, the original”automobile roads” now suffer loss with travel orientated business’ such as hotels, motels, and tourist attractions. Being “off the beaten track”, they must come up with ideas for new industry and business, and think of ways to attract tourism off the continuous ribbon of asphalt that stretches hundreds of miles without ceasing.
White Cloud is located in the center of Newaygo County on M-37. Being constructed in the 1950’s M-37 was designed to be a more direct route north from Grand Rapids. It also follows the rail line of the G.R.N. & L.S. Railway.
Settled in 1877, as a railroad junction with the Big Rapids branch of the C. & M.L. Railroad, it was originally called Morgan Station, presumably after the first postmaster J.L. Morgan. Lumber was its main industry. In 1879 it was incorporated as a village and the name was changed to White Cloud in honor of a local Indian chief. In 1912-13 it became the county seat.
Although White Cloud cannot be considered a ghost town, it does have it’s own little section that is. Just outside the village limits, in the southwest corner, on the White River, there was once a thriving little community of about 500 called Alleytown, named after J. Alley who was a local lumber baron in the area. As the story goes it was quite a favorite with lumberjacks, near and far. It had hotels, general stores, restaurants, and boasted more saloons than any other of its business. It had quite a reputation…. with its bawdy, “hurdy-gurdy” atmosphere, similar to the cattle towns of the old West. On ”the wrong side of the tracks” as the saying goes, and literally so, as the Big Rapids branch of the C. & M. L. S. Railway, and the White River, ran right through this town with it’s “roughhouse” reputation.
Fire eventually ravaged Alleytown and little remained. It eventually became part of White Cloud. Nothing remains of Alleytown today. Its main streets, along the White River, are overgrown with underbrush, as if nothing ever existed except nature itself and much of the property is privately owned.
Although I was unable to come up with a recent picture of what Alleytown looks like today, one will be added when the opportunity arises. I have yet to come up with any sort of vintage photos of this place, and anyone that may have access to information or photos of Alleytown (circa. 1877---1882), please contact us at this website.
I’m ending this page with the Ghost Town nearest to our location of White Cloud, but have many more to come. My next story will be about Denver, Michigan, a stagecoach stop about five miles east of the Oceana/Newaygo County line, with pictures of the present site as it stands today.
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