368 GENERAL HISTORY. 



ALCONA COUNTY. 



This county "was set off as Negwegon by an act of the LegisLiture, approved 

 April 1st, 1840. The name was changed to Alcona at or prior to the date of 

 organization. 



It was organized in pursuance of an act of the Legislature, approved March 

 12th, 1869, which provided for the perfecting of its organization on or before 

 the 15th of April, 1869. 



The county seat is Harrisville. 



Secretary C. P. Keynolds, of the Alcona County Agricultural Society, in 

 a contribution to the "History of Michigan Horticulture" (vol. 10, p. 217) 

 s&js: "Experience indicates that Eed Astrachan, Wagener and Northern 

 Spy are successful, and that Oldenburgh also gives promise of success. The 

 curculio does not yet attack the plum, which is being planted quite liberally. 

 The Concord grape ripens, and the improved small fruits are being slowly 

 introduced." He adds: — 



" We have no horticultural society organized, but the fruit interest is en- 

 couraged by the agricultural society organized six years ago, and several good 

 exhibits of apples, pears and plums have been made at the fairs of the 

 society." 



The following communication from Mr. Eeynolds gives some account of 

 the first settlement, and of the agricultural and horticultural development of 

 the county: — 



Alcona county properly belongs to that group of newly-settled territoi-y known as 

 northern Michigan, It should not be confounded with the north peninsula, for it has 

 none of the features of that more northerly land of ice and snow, but rather that part 

 of northeast Michigan lying on the west shore of Lake Huron, Its more particular 

 location is about half way between Bay City and Mackinaw, about 198 miles north of 

 Detroit and 100 miles from Bay City. 



Alcona county has topographical features that are peculiar to itself, and quite differ- 

 ent from the other shore counties that lie either north or south of it. The most prom- 

 inent general feature that distinguishes it from all the others are the high banks that 

 border the lake shore on the east. These bluffs are from ten to fifty feet from the water, 

 and are noticeable from j^assing boats, esjDecially in midsummer, when they are crowned 

 with grass and trees. 



This greenness presents a pleasing change from the low, sandy, desolate appearance 

 of the dry cedars that fringe the shores above and below it. Another noticeable dis- 

 tinction is the marked difference in its forest trees. Instead of those dreary dry cedars, 

 here are the sugar maples, the oak, the glossy hemlock, and towering above them is 

 the majestic white pine, the monarch of its forests. The eastern side of the county has 

 a breadth of four townships that border the west shore of Lake Huron, and have a 

 rough, hilly formation, with numerous gulches that carry off the surplus waters to the 

 lake ; but the westerly townships are undulating or rolling lands, with lai'ge tracts of 

 level land, with heavy clay soils, such as would please the eye of a farmer. 



The county has a great variety of soils ; the eastern range, adjoining the lake, are of 

 a pecuharly marked alluvial character, that indicate the washings of the lake ; appar- 

 ently the lake has gradually receded from its shore, leaving sti-ata of clay, gravel and 

 sand, Avith occasional ridges of cobble stone. Another marked peculiarity of the soil 



