Category Archives: History

At only 36 acres Wilson is one of the smallest parks in the system but it has a lot of history. The land along the western shoreline of Budd Lake for the state park was donated to the city of Harrison in 1900, then transferred to the state in 1922. The park was originally the site of the Wilson Brothers Sawmill and Company Store, which thrived in the late 1800s The state park was dedicated in 1927. The Civilian Conservation Corps was active in the park from 1939 to 1941 and built the magnificent stone and wood beach house designed by Ralph B. Herrick. He designed many other buildings for the state parks including the Ludington beach house.

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The Michigan State Parks began in 1919 after the passage of Public Act 218, which created the Michigan State Park Commission to acquire lands for state parks. After a couple of years, the state acquired land donated by lumber barons or became the property of the state because of delinquent taxes. The state also purchased property for public use such as Interlochen State Park. By the early 1920s, the state had 25 parks. It’s interesting looking at the list as some of the names have changed and some parks are now city or county parks.

• Mackinac Island
• Michilimackinac State Park, Mackinaw City
• D. H. Day State Park, Glen Arbor
• Traverse City State Park, Traverse City
• Boyne City State Park, Boyne City
• Onaway State Park, Onaway
• Harrisville State Park, Harrisville
• Cheboygan State Park, Cheboygan
• Cadillac State Park, Cadillac
• Interlochen State Park, Interlochen
• East Tawas State Park, East Tawas Bay
• Paw Paw State Park,
• Gladwin State Park, Gladwin
• Harrison State Park, Harrison
• Frank W. Fletcher State Park (Sunken Lake), Presque Isle County
• Charles Mears State Park, Pentwater
• Dunes State Park, Silver Lake
• White Cloud State Park, White Cloud
• Burt Lake State Park, Indian River
• Adrian State Park,  Irish Hills area
• Grand Haven State Park, Grand Haven
• Otsego Lake Park Site, Otsego County
• Muskegon State Park, Muskegon
• Lyon Lake Park Site, Calhoun County
• Hanson’s Military Reservation, Grayling

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