North Branch, MI

North Branch is a Lapeer County village in North Branch Township, built around the north branch of the Flint River. Richard and Mrs. Beach, along with George and Mrs. Simmons, were among the first settlers in 1854, and John and Richard Beach established the post office, store, and trading post that formed the first village center. It incorporated in 1881, but two fires—the Great Michigan Fire of 1871 and Thumb Fire of 1881—left a mark on its early story. Huron Street remains the main thoroughfare, crossing the village's older center.

Rail and water give North Branch a shape that still makes sense. The village sat on the Pontiac, Oxford & Northern line toward Caseville, later associated with the Grand Trunk Western system, while the Flint River branch ran through the township. Today the village maintains a downtown development authority and an industrial park, alongside council, utility, and community services. The local map is small but legible: Huron Street through the middle, the river branch nearby, North Branch Township around it, and a village that rebuilt after fire rather than losing its name.