East Tawas, MI

East Tawas grew out of the lumber boom on Tawas Bay. Smith, Van Valkenburg and Company established a mill on the bay shore in the 1860s, and homes gathered around it; the city incorporated in 1895. That beginning still makes sense on the map: Lake Huron and Tawas Bay shape the shoreline, while the old timber economy shows why the community formed where it did.

Present-day East Tawas keeps that waterfront history in view through Tawas Point State Park, whose lighthouse dates to 1853 and whose harbor includes a fishing pier. Tawas Area Schools serve the public-school system, and Holy Family School provides a private elementary option. The city sits next to Tawas Point and the state park in Baldwin Township, so everyday civic life and shoreline recreation occupy the same small regional setting. The harbor and lighthouse also give the city a visible connection to Lake Huron. A former lumber center is still read through its bay, harbor, lighthouse, and school district.