Crawford County, Michigan
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Crawford County is a
county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
. Its population was 12,988 as of the 2020 census. The
county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...
of Crawford County is Grayling, the county's only incorporated community. Crawford County is located in the
Northern Lower Peninsula Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula and Isle Royale, which are ...
of Michigan. It contains land within three of Michigan's largest watersheds, belonging to the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon rivers and 75% of the county is publicly owned by the
Department of Military Affairs Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is the department in charge of military matters within the Indian Ministry of Defence. Headed by the Chief of Defence Staff, as its ''ex-officio'' secretary, the DMA provides integration between the Indian ...
, the
United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 United States National Forest, national forests and 20 United States Natio ...
or the
State of Michigan Michigan ( ) is a peninsular U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, ...
.


History

The county is named for Col. William Crawford, a Revolutionary War officer captured by Native Americans near
Sandusky, Ohio Sandusky ( ) is a city in Erie County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Situated on the southern shore of Lake Erie, Sandusky is located roughly midway between Toledo, Ohio, Toledo ( west) and Cleveland ( east). At the 2020 United Stat ...
and
burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...
in 1792. Created by the
Michigan Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of the Senate (the upper chamber) and the House of Representatives (the lower chamber). Article IV of the Michigan Con ...
as Shawono County in 1840, before being renamed in 1843 as Crawford County. "Shawono" was derived from an
Ojibwe The Ojibwe (; Ojibwe writing systems#Ojibwe syllabics, syll.: ᐅᒋᐺ; plural: ''Ojibweg'' ᐅᒋᐺᒃ) are an Anishinaabe people whose homeland (''Ojibwewaki'' ᐅᒋᐺᐘᑭ) covers much of the Great Lakes region and the Great Plains, n ...
word, ''zhaawanong'', meaning "from the south". The area was administered by other Michigan counties before 1879 when the county government was organized. Due to the location in rural northern Michigan, Crawford County's greatest economic growth occurred in the 1800s when lumbering clear-cut most of the extensive forests of Norway pine, birch, maple, beech and hemlock. With the trees gone, tourism became the center of the economy. In the 1870s Crawford County became a popular destination for recreational fishing. The Michigan grayling, found in the Au Sable River, first gained the attention of anglers. The Crawford County Avalanche began publishing a weekly paper in 1879. Their first edition featured a fishing story on the front-page. By the end of the century, the grayling species vanished due to a combination of overfishing, river degradation due to logging, and the impact of human-introduced brown trout. The Au Sable River of today boasts large populations of brown and rainbow trout and remains a premiere trout fishing area in both Michigan and the nation.


1900s

A 1912 text, ''A History of Northern Michigan and its people'' by Perry F. Powers & Harry Gordner Cutler describes Crawford County: The topography is rolling hills but not so steep as to impede farm equipment. The Au Sable River, along with its tributaries, traverse the entire county, providing water and locations for ranching livestock. It also presents an opportunity for superb trout fishing. On the western county line is a natural reservoir that forms the Manistee River. Transportation is primarily provided by the ''Michigan Central'' railroad. The ''Detroit & Charlevoix'' railroad has track to Frederic, Michigan to the northwest. Half of the land is the county is a gravel loam soil which can produce standard crops. Thousands of acres of clear-cut old growth pine in Crawford County is available to settle. Potatoes, clover and root crops will thrive in this soil. Growing clover seed has become recognized as a “money crop”. Fruit trees are becoming a popular choice with apples being prolific and flavorful. “Plains” soil supports native grasses which stockmen are using for profitable sheep and cattle ranches throughout the county. There are few swamps and lowlands, all along narrow strips beside waterways, which can be productive with proper drainage. Over a hundred years ago, people journeyed "up north" for rest, recreation and their health. Hunting has always been popular, and for wild game, large tracts of second-growth timber on land originally clear-cut provide better food and protection than the original forests did. Deer populations are stable despite the hundreds that are taken every year by settlers and sportsmen.


Winter Sports Park

The ''Grayling Winter Sports Park'' (GWSP) was opened in 1929. It started as a
toboggan A toboggan is a simple sled used in snowy winter recreation. It is also a traditional form of cargo transport used by the Innu, Cree and Ojibwe of North America, sometimes part of a dog train. It is used on snow to carry one or more people (o ...
run that grew into Michigan's first ski resort. Following the popular
1932 Winter Olympics The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Lake Placid 1932, were a winter multi-sport event in the United States, held in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4 ...
, Grayling constructed a 66-foot
ski jump Ski jumping is a winter sport in which competitors aim to achieve the farthest jump after sliding down on their skis from a specially designed curved ramp. Along with jump length, competitor's aerial style and other factors also affect the fin ...
in 1934. A few years later, a Winter Carnival was started that included a parade, ice sculpture competition, and a Snow Queen pageant. The park's popularity increased to the point where a "Snow Train" was established to bring skiers to Grayling from across the state. Transportation from Lodges in Grayling to the park was provided by flat-bed trucks. Groomed trails were provided for
Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...
and
snowshoe Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...
ing. The '' Cass City Chronicle'' noted in March 1941, "Due to generous support of the federal park service, state conservation department, and
Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...
, Grayling offers today the finest public toboggan set-up in the entire United States, and this isn't paid ballyhoo. Six steel slides are the only ones of their kind anywhere not excluding Lake Placid or Sun Valley (Idaho). Two ski tows have been in operation; next season there will be three." The Crawford County operated the GWSP into the late 1960s when
Fred Bear Fred Bear (March 5, 1902 – April 27, 1988) was an American bow hunter and manufacturer. Although he did not start bow hunting until he was 29 and did not master the skill for many years, he is widely regarded as a pioneer in the bow hunting c ...
, owner of Bear Archery, and other local businessmen assumed operational control. It was renamed, ''Bear Mountain'' and they attempted to create a commercial ski area to compete with resorts further north. A legal challenge in 1973 resulted in a judgement giving control back to the county, which has operated it since then as ''Hanson Hills Recreation Area'' by the Grayling Recreation Authority. The annual canoe / kayak race record winning time is held by Scott Norman in his significantly modified kayak, which not only gave him the speed record, but also the distance record, as his brakes failed to deploy and he was retrieved by snowmobile outside of the park near M-93. "


Military

In 1913, lumber baron Rasmus Hanson donated 147,000 acres (590 km2) of harvested timberland to the state of Michigan for military training. Most of the land is situated in Crawford County, with parcels in Kalkaska and Otsego counties. Troops first began training there in 1914. It is the primary training facility for the Michigan National Guard and is the largest
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
training facility in the United States.


Hartwick Pines

Edward Hartwick graduated from Grayling High School in 1888 and received an appointment to
West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), commonly known as West Point, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York that educates cadets for service as Officer_(armed_forces)#United_States, comm ...
in 1889. Four years later he graduated with high honors and was assigned to the 4th Cavalry. He soon transferred to the
9th Cavalry The 9th Cavalry Regiment is a parent cavalry regiment of the United States Army. Historically, it was one of the Army's four segregated African-American regiments and was part of what was known as the Buffalo Soldiers. The regiment saw combat d ...
, known as the Buffalo Soldiers on the western frontier. With the advent of the
Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...
, his unit was sent to
Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...
where he participated in the
Battle of San Juan Hill The Battle of San Juan Hill (), also known as the Battle for the San Juan Heights, was a major battle of the Spanish–American War fought between an American force under the command of William Rufus Shafter and Joseph Wheeler against a Span ...
. At wars end, he returned to Grayling and married Karen Bessie Michelson, then resigned his commission nine months later. He engaged in the banking and lumber business, prospered, and later moved to
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
. When the United States entered
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, he volunteered for service at age 46 and was commissioned an Army
Major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...
. After just a few months in France, he contracted
meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, intense headache, vomiting and neck stiffness and occasion ...
and died. In 1927, Karen Michelson Hartwick purchased including the last of virgin old growth pine forest in Michigan's lower peninsula and donated it to the state of Michigan to honor her husband. Hartwick Pines State Park is the largest state park in the lower peninsula.


Fire

The ''Stephen Bridge Road Fire'' of 1990 was a significant event in
Northern Michigan Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsul ...
and was reported in the national news.
On a snowy day in March 1990, a homeowner was preparing to burn large brush piles from a section of land he recently cleared. He obtained a burn permit before setting the fire and monitoring it. The large piles smoked and smoldered for a couple of weeks before the fire seemed to burn out. One month later, the fire rekindled, burned for a day, then appeared to go out again. Three weeks passed, and a property owner nearby noticed the pile burning, and less than 20 minutes later had spread to the neighboring woodland.
An investigation determined that the fire had been continuously burning at the base of the pile from the middle of March until May 8. On that day, a strong wind brought fresh air and the fire took off. Crews contained the fire in less than two days. But, by the time it was all said and done – almost seven weeks after the first flame was sparked 5,916 acres along 8 miles had burned, $5.5 million in property including 76 homes, 125 other buildings, 37 vehicles & boatsand $700,000 in timber had been destroyed. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) produced a case study in 1991 titled, "1990 Stephan Bridge Road Fire, northern Lower Michigan".


Geography

According to the
U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.2%) is water. Although it is located on Michigan's Lower Peninsula, Crawford County is considered to be part of
Northern Michigan Northern Michigan (also known as Northern Lower Michigan and colloquially within Michigan as "Up North") is a region of the U.S. state of Michigan. The region, which is distinct from the more northerly Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Upper Peninsul ...
. The county contains land within three of Michigan's largest watersheds, belonging to the Au Sable, Manistee, and Muskegon rivers. Crawford County has relatively few lakes, mostly in the northern part of the county. Lake Margrethe is the county's largest and has a surface area of . Other water bodies >100 acres include Big Bradford Lake, Big Bear Lake, KP Lake, Shellenbarger Lake, Shupac Lake and Wakeley Lake. Some of these are so-called kettle lakes,' formed by the melting of blocks of glacial ice, left as the glacier retreated, which created a depression in the soil. The
Manistee River The Manistee River ( ', seldom referred to as the Big Manistee River) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 river in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. s ...
flows on the western edge of the county; branches of the Au Sable River flow throughout the remainder of the county. The county is part of the Au Sable State Forest, specifically the Grayling FMU (Alcona, Crawford, Oscoda, and northern Iosco counties). Parts of the county are also within the
Huron National Forest The Huron National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1909 after the logging era began to decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee Nati ...
. Glaciers shaped the area, creating a unique regional ecosystem. A large portion of the area is the so-called Grayling outwash plain, which consists of broad outwash plain including sandy ice-disintegration ridges; jack pine barrens, some white pine-red pine forest, and northern hardwood forest. Large lakes were created by glacial action.


Rivers

* Au Sable River, begins in Otsego County, Michigan and flows through Crawford, Oscoda, Alcona, then Iosco before flowing into
Lake Huron Lake Huron ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is shared on the north and east by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south and west by the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the lake is derived from early French ex ...
. *
Manistee River The Manistee River ( ', seldom referred to as the Big Manistee River) is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed November 21, 2011 river in the Lower Peninsula of the U.S. s ...
begins in
Antrim County, Michigan Antrim County ( ) is a County (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 23,431. The county seat is Bellaire, Michigan, Bellaire. The name is taken from Co ...
and flows through Otsego, Crawford, Kalkaska,
Wexford Wexford ( ; archaic Yola dialect, Yola: ''Weiseforthe'') is the county town of County Wexford, Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Wexford lies on the south side of Wexford Harbour, the estuary of the River Slaney near the southeastern corner of the ...
, then Manistee before flowing into
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan ( ) is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...
.


Adjacent counties

* Otsego County - north * Montmorency County - northeast * Oscoda County - east * Ogemaw County - southeast * Roscommon County - south * Missaukee County - southwest * Kalkaska County - west * Antrim County - northwest


Protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural or cultural values. Protected areas are those areas in which human presence or the exploitation of natural resources (e.g. firewood ...
s

*
Huron National Forest The Huron National Forest is a United States National Forest, National Forest in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. It was established in 1909 after the logging era began to decline. In 1945, it was administratively combined with the Manistee Nati ...
(part) * Au Sable State Forest * Huron–Manistee National Forests * Kirtlands Warbler Wildlife Management Area


State Parks

* Hartwick Pines State Park * North Higgins Lake State Park


Communities


City

* Grayling


Charter township

* Grayling Charter Township


Civil townships

* Beaver Creek Township * Frederic Township * Lovells Township * Maple Forest Township * South Branch Township


Unincorporated communities

* Babbits Resort * Collens Landing * Danish Landing * Deerheart Valley * Eldorado * Five Corners * Forbush Corner * Frederic * Ishaward * Lake Margrethe * Louis Cabin Landing *
Lovells Hogan Lovells ( ) is an American-British law firm co-headquartered in London and Washington, D.C., Washington, DC. The firm was formed in 2010 by the Mergers and acquisitions, merger of the American law firm Hogan & Hartson and the British law f ...
* McIntyre Landing *
Rasmus Rasmus may refer to: People * Rasmus (given name) * Rasmus (surname) Arts and entertainment * The Rasmus, a Finnish rock band formerly called Rasmus ** ''The Rasmus'' (album), a self-titled studio album by the Finnish band * the title char ...
* Skyline Village * Wildwood


Ghost towns

* Bucks * Deward * Pere Cheney


Demographics

As of the
census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...
of 2000, there were 14,273 people, 5,625 households, and 4,038 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 10,042 housing units at an average density of . At the 2020 census, its population was 12,988. In 2000, the racial makeup of the county was 96.38% Race (United States Census), White, 1.50% Race (United States Census), Black or Race (United States Census), African American, 0.60% Race (United States Census), Native American, 0.25% Race (United States Census), Asian, 0.02% Race (United States Census), Pacific Islander, 0.20% from Race (United States Census), other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. 0.99% of the population were Race (United States Census), Hispanic or Race (United States Census), Latino of any race. 24.8% were of German Americans, German, 12.5% English Americans, English, 10.1% American ancestry, American, 8.9% Irish Americans, Irish, 7.4% Polish Americans, Polish and 5.9% French Americans, French ancestry. 97.7% spoke English language, English and 1.5% Spanish language, Spanish as their first language. There were 5,625 households, out of which 30.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.60% were Marriage, married couples living together, 9.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.20% were non-families. 24.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.87. In the county, 24.50% of the population was under the age of 18, 6.30% was from 18 to 24, 26.60% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 16.60% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 104.00 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.40 males. In 2000, the median income for a household in the county was $33,364, and the median income for a family was $37,056. Males had a median income of $31,504 versus $21,250 for females. The per capita income for the county was $16,903. About 10.00% of families and 12.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.60% of those under age 18 and 7.60% of those age 65 or over.


Religion

Crawford County is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gaylord. It is also located in the Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Michigan, based in Saginaw, Michigan.


Economy

The largest employer in the county is Camp Grayling followed by the Grayling Hospital. The small size of the population won't support any Big-box store, big box stores; Tractor Supply Company moved into the building that Kmart vacated in the late 2010s. There have been a few small employers added to the industrial park at West Four Mile Road south of Grayling. Several Craft beer, microbreweries and a new art gallery opened prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and summer tourist spending is rising again.


Banking

Crawford County has branches of two large commercial banks, Fifth Third Bank and Huntington Bank; two area banks, Horizon Bank (from Indiana) and State Savings Bank (from Gaylord); and two Michigan credit unions, Northland Area Federal Credit Union and North Central Area Credit Union.


Logistics

Several trucking companies have operations in Crawford County.


Media

The Crawford County Avalanche states that it has been "Grayling's Hometown Newspaper Since 1879".


Military

Camp Grayling is the primary training facility for the Michigan National Guard and is the largest
National Guard National guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards. ...
training facility in the United States.


Government


Administrative structure

Governmental responsibilities within Michigan counties are divided between cities and townships, with the county providing certain services that are economically justified.


County Commissioners

General financial control in Crawford County is vested in a 7-member elected County commission. In Michigan, they have limited authority to make laws or ordinances. Most local government functions are the responsibility of individual cities and townships. The county commission delegates authority to an appointed ''Controller'' who functions as the County executive, following the direction of the commission in daily operations and management. The controller in Crawford County is Paul Compo.


Law enforcement

The Crawford County Sheriff is elected to lead the county's law enforcement department. The sheriff's jurisdiction encompasses all areas where a city or township has not established another Law enforcement agency. The county seat has the ''Grayling Police Department''. The current sheriff is Ryan Swope. The Sheriff is also responsible for the Crawford County Dispatch Center which responds to 911 calls as well as non-emergencies 24 hours a day. They forward calls for fires and medical emergencies throughout the county. The county jail is also staffed and managed by the Sheriff's Department, as is security for the county courts.


Fire & rescue

Firefighting and Emergency services are the responsibility of cities and townships. The City of Grayling and Grayling Charter township have a joint department, with 22 salaried and paid-per call professionals. The remaining townships each have a primarily Volunteer fire department, but all provide mutual and automatic aid to other departments throughout the county and adjacent counties. They also participate in Wildfire suppression due to large forested areas including state parks, National Forests, state forests and wildlife management areas.


Road department

The Crawford County Road Department (CCRD) has responsibility for 180 miles of primary roads, 206 miles of state highways and 526 miles of local roads in the county. The counties 34 CCRD employees and utilize hundreds of pieces of equipment to keep county roadways in good repair. The department is also responsible for traffic signals, flashing beacons, bridges, road signs and culverts within county road rights of way throughout Crawford County's 558 square miles. Normal duties include: roadside brush control, snow and ice removal, roadside mowing, dust control on gravel roads, patching potholes, pavement markings, road & bridge design, inspection of contracted projects, and traffic studies. Five elected road commissioners meet bi-weekly to review, approve and plan department activities.


Records

The County Clerk is responsible for maintaining vital records including divorce/marriage, death/birth, notary, Trade name, DBA registration, application to carry a concealed pistol, DD Form 214, DD214. The officeholder is also Register of Deeds legally recording real/personal property docs, indexes and provides access to mortgages and liens, deeds, UCC transactions, oil/gas/mineral rights. Legal Records involve filing civil cases valued above $25,000 for Circuit Trial Court and processing criminal felony cases transferred from District Court. Unemployment (MESC), Probate Court and driver's license restoration appeals are also filed as well as orders of personal protection. Change of venue, civil/criminal bond money collection, construction lien certificate releases and issuing vendor permits to veterans are also normal processes. The County Clerk position is elected and the current officeholder in Crawford County is Sandra M. Moore.


Treasurer

In other states, the Treasurer, County Treasurer is known as the ''Tax Collector''. Disbursements from the county, including payroll and vendor payments, are made by the treasurer following authorization by the County Commissioners. The treasurer must also maximize the interest earned on undisbursed funds through safe, short-term investments. The treasurer documents the collection of funds to the county which include: property taxes, state and federal grants, interest income, and various service and license fees. The County Clerk collects money in the course of daily business including fines, fees and bonds, then forwards it to the treasurer. The position of treasurer is elected and the current officeholder in Crawford County is Kate M. Wagner.


Legal

Crawford County's chief law enforcement official is the Prosecutor, Prosecuting Attorney/County Counsel. They have a multitude of responsibilities that include: * Prosecution of felony and misdemeanor violations of the criminal laws of Michigan * Prosecution of violations of County ordinances * Prosecution of juvenile offenses, both felony & misdemeanor * Represent the County in Circuit and District Courts; parental neglect and juvenile delinquency; Family Court probate issues; the Court of Appeals; the Supreme Court of Michigan * Attend commitment hearings for mental health if contested * Establish paternity and family support orders * Represent County departments and the County Commission on legal issues The position of prosecutor is elected and the current officeholder in Crawford County is Sierra R. Koch.


Judicial

There are three courts in Crawford County: Crawford County Probate Court, 46th Circuit Court, and 87-C District Court. The Michigan Supreme Court approved a Concurrent Jurisdiction Plan, an agreement entered into by all Crawford County elected judges. The judicial in the county operates as a unified (single) trial court, resulting in an efficient use of resources. This system reduces repetition, simplifies case processing, provides better customer service, controls costs and reduces receivables. One appointed court administrator assists all the judges with any administrative matter in the court system.


State/National

(information as of July 2023)


Education


Primary and secondary

Due to their small population, the county can only sustain one high school, middle school and elementary school. The Crawford AuSable School Board is elected to establish policy to provide the best programs to meet the needs of the students while being fiscally responsible and hiring a superintendent to execute those policies. The current superintendent is Tim Sanchez. * Crawford AuSable School District serves 1,619 students in Crawford County. * Grayling Adventist Elementary School serves 9 students.


Post-secondary

Crawford County is home to Kirtland Community College, a public community college in Grayling.


Public library

The ''Deveraux Memorial Library'' in Grayling is the public library in Crawford County.


Infrastructure


Transportation

Due to its size, the county has no scheduled bus service and limited taxi service. The ''Crawford County Transportation Authority'' offers Demand-responsive transport, dial-a-ride service at low rates.


Air service

Crawford County is not served by Airline, commercial airlines. Grayling Army Airfield, is a public/military use airport located one nautical mile (1.85 km) northwest of the central business district of Grayling. Built in 1977, the United States Army owns it, and a fixed-base operator provides support services to general aviation users.


Bus service

*Indian Trails provides daily intercity bus service in Grayling between St. Ignace, Michigan, St. Ignace and East Lansing, Michigan.


Major highways

* from Detroit, Michigan, Detroit in the south enters on the west side of Crawford County, passes to the east of Grayling, and connects with the Mackinac Bridge to the north. * is a business loop route running through Grayling. It follows the former route of U.S. Route 27 in Michigan, US 27, in part. * in Lansing, Michigan, Lansing goes north through Clare, Michigan, Clare into Roscommon County where it enters Crawford County and terminates at I-75 in Beaver Creek township south of Grayling. * begins on M-72 in South Branch Township near the Oscoda County line and runs south before curving to the west in a loop to Roscommon, Michigan, Roscommon. * is one of only three roads that stretch east–west from Lake Huron to Lake Michigan. It enters South Branch Township from Oscoda County in the southeast, passes through Grayling and continues northeast through Frederic Township to Traverse City, Michigan, Traverse City. * is an route connecting the main gate of Michigan Army National Guard's Camp Grayling, southwest of Grayling, with Hartwick Pines State Park, northeast of Grayling. * begins at BL I-75/M-93 on the northern edge of Grayling and continues east toward Mio, Michigan, Mio. * is a north–south route that begins at Gladwin, Michigan, Gladwin and goes north through Prudenville, Michigan, Prudenville, St. Helen, Michigan, St. Helen, follows M-18 in Crawford County, then continues into southern Otsego County. * County Highway 612 is an east–west roadway that starts southwest of Manistee Lake (Manistee County, Michigan), Manistee Lake in Manistee county and continues east through Frederic in northern Crawford County, has an interchange at I-75, passes through Lewiston, Michigan, Lewiston and ends at M-33 in Montmorency county.


Bicycle route

* There are bicycle lanes identified on some roadways. * Grayling Bicycle Turnpike begins at Hartwick Pines State Park and parallels for 6.5 miles, ending at Michigan Avenue in Grayling.


Utilities

The City of Grayling provides municipal water and sewer to residents, and Beaver Creek/GraylingTownship Utility Authority provides municipal water and sewer to residents on the Four Mile Road corridor. All other county residents utilize well water and private septic systems approved by the Crawford County Health Department. Electrical service throughout the county is provided by either Consumers Energy or Great Lakes Energy Co-op. Natural gas is provided by DTE Energy. Propane Service is provided by half a dozen providers.


Health

* Senior Citizen assistance is provided by ''Crawford County Commission on Aging'', who also sponsor a Senior Center and numerous programs and services to the elderly. * The Crawford County Health Department also offers services to seniors and low income residents. * The primary provider of healthcare in Crawford County is ''Munson Healthcare'' with the Grayling Community Health Center and Grayling Hospital.


See also

* List of counties in Michigan * List of Michigan State Historic Sites in Crawford County, Michigan * National Register of Historic Places listings in Michigan#Crawford County, National Register of Historic Places listings in Crawford County, Michigan


References


External links

*
Crawford County government

''Enchanted forest'', Northern Michigan source for information, calendars, etc.
{{authority control Crawford County, Michigan, Michigan counties 1879 establishments in Michigan Populated places established in 1879