364 GENERAL HISTORY. 



WEXFORD COUNTY. 



This was set off as Kautawaubet county by an act of the Legislaiure, 

 approved April 1st, 1840. The act of organization applied the name Wex- 

 ford. 



Wexford county was organized in pursuance of an act of the Legislature, 

 approved March 30th, 1869. 



The county seat, originally located at Sherman, has been transferred to 

 Cadillac. 



Lumbering has been and still is a leading business in this county, the pro- 

 duct finding an outlet down the Manistee river and its branches till the con- 

 struction of the Grand Eapids & Indiana railroad, which passes through 

 the eastern tier of townships of the county. Since the opening of this road 

 large quantities of lumber have been sent over it and distributed in States 

 south of Michigan. 



Wexford lies almost wholly within the basin of the Manistee and Little 

 Manistee rivers, although the waters of Clam lake, near its southeast corner, 

 find their way to the Muskegon. 



The elevation of the county varies from two to seven hundred feet above 

 the waters of Lake Michigan. 



As indicated by the last census (that of 1884), but slight attention has 

 so far been given to the development of the horticultural capacities of the 

 county. At that time it had of 



Apple orchards, 519 acres, 4,681 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 610 bush- 

 els of fruit. 



Peach orchards, 95 acres, 4 bearing trees, yielding in 1883, 4 bushels of 

 fruit. 



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

 §1,380.00. 



Vineyards, one acre: grapes sold in 1883, none. 



wine made in 1883, none. 



Nurseries, none. 



Market garden products sold in 1883, $2,017.00. 



During the winter of 1885-6 a Wexford County Horticultural Society was 

 organized with the aid of Secretary Garfield, of the State Horticultural Soci- 

 ety. 



In the report for 1886 it is remarked: " The proverbial ^ fruit tree agent' 

 came to this region 'early and often,' and convinced many of our farmers 

 that the tropical fruits would do well here if properly planted, and they gazed 

 accordingly, with Avatering mouths and longing eyes, at the fine pictures of 

 peaches and other tender fruits shown by the agent, ordered a good supply, 

 planted the stock (usually stunted), watched it lovingly and tenderly, saw it 

 all die, and then threw the stumps away, with the conclusion that this coun- 

 try is not good for fruit." 



A very pleasant and profitable strawberry festival was held in June. 



An interesting and instructive meeting was held in November, at which the 

 success of many varieties of fruits was discussed, and Mr. Crosby, the presi- 

 dent, was delegated to attend the annual meeting of the State Horticultural 

 Society the next week, to secure the identification of unknown varieties. 



