336 GENERAL HISTORY. 



ent of the park, from whom the fact is learned that the success of this enter- 

 prise has begotten another and rival movement for the opening of what is to 

 be known as the West Michigan park, upon the north side of the lake, and 

 embracing ninety acres of land. This movement originated during the 

 autumn of 1885, and is also the undertaking of a stock company, who already 

 have a dock, sidewalks and a fine, large hotel built during the summer of 

 1886. 



According to the census of 1884 Ottawa county has of 



Apple orchards, 4,975 acres, 172,610 bearing trees, yielding, in 1883, 

 60,950 bushels of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 984 acres, 84,223 bearing trees, yielding, in 1883, 8,836 

 bushels of fruit. 



The value of orchard products of all kinds, sold or consumed, in 1883, 

 was $67,960.00. 



Vineyards, 158 acres: grapes sold in 1883, 129,367 pounds. 



wine made in 1883, 450 gallons. 



Nurseries, one acre; products sold in 1883, $1,153.00. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, $16,429.00. 



SANILAC COUNTY. 



A county was laid out and named Sanilac by proclamation of Governor 

 Lewis Cass, dated September 10th, 1822, which included the present county, 

 except the southern portion, then included in St. Clair, and considerable 

 additional territory at the west and north. 



The county was organized in pursuance of an act of the State Legislature, 

 which took effect fjom and after the 31st of December, 1849. 



The act fixed the county seat at Lexington until 1853. The present county 

 seat is at Sandusky. 



A Sanilac County Agricultural Society was organized as early as 1868. 



A District Agricultural Society was organized at Deckerville in 1873, prob- 

 ably in the interest of the more northerly portion of the county. 



In 1876 the Central District Agricultural Society was organized. 



At page 174 of the report of the State Horticultural Society, in a " Brief of 

 Horticulture," C. W. Garfield says: " Since the great fires that ran over the 

 country in 1881 there has been a rapid development of the agriculture of this 

 region, and it has been found that there are peculiar characteristics that 

 commend this country to the fruit grower. 



"As yet injurious insects have not seriously troubled the fruit grower, and 

 apples and pears are singularly clean and smooth. Near the lake shore 

 peaches can be grown with success, and the ports along the shore give ample 

 facilities for marketing products. There is no question but this will be a« 

 grand country for plums and grapes. Plantations of all sorts of fruits are 

 rapidly starting up along the shore." 



The county, according to the census of 1884, had of apple orchards 4,401 

 acres, 107,899 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 19,058 bushels of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 22 acres, 1,280 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 494 bushels 

 of fruit. 



