Alpena, Michigan Alpena, Michigan The Alpena Light at the Alpena Municipal Marina The Alpena Light at the Alpena Municipal Marina Location of Alpena inside Alpena County, Michigan Location of Alpena inside Alpena County, Michigan County Alpena Alpena County Courthouse in Alpena Alpena / l pi n / is a town/city in the U.S.
State of Michigan and the governmental center of county of Alpena County. It is considered to be part of northern Michigan.
Even with its small population, it is by far the biggest city in the sparsely populated Northeast Michigan (lower peninsula) area, serving as its commercial and cultural hub.
It is considered to be one of the two anchor metros/cities of Northern Michigan, along with Traverse City.
It was originally part of Anomickee County established in 1840, which in 1843 was changed to Alpena, a pseudo-Native American word a neologism coined by Henry Schoolcraft, meaning something like "a good partridge country." This was part of a much larger accomplishment to rename a great many of the Michigan counties at the time. Today, Alpena is known for its limestone quarry, one of the biggest in the world, owned and directed by the Lafarge corporation and is a primary cement manufacturer and exporter.
While at one time the biggest in the world, the cement plant is now just the biggest cement plant for Lafarge in North America with an annual capacity of almost 3 million tons of cement. Alpena is also the world command posts of Besser Company, a manufacturer of concrete block machines.
Most of the town/city was lost in the Great Michigan Fire of 1871. Less than one year later, on July 12, 1872, Alpena was hit by another fire, the biggest in its history, which finished 15 acres of homes and businesses for a total amount of 65 buildings. The blaze started in a barn and lasted for two hours, killing at least four citizens and causing at least $180,000 in damages. Alpena was again hit by a disastrous fire on July 11, 1888. In February 2007 Bizjournals ranked Alpena as the hottest retirement destination in the Great Lakes region and #44 nationally. The town/city has a number of notable buildings, including the Art deco Alpena County Courthouse, the I.O.O.F.
According to the United States Enumeration Bureau, the town/city has a total region of 9.23 square miles (23.91 km2), of which, 8.54 square miles (22.12 km2) of it is territory and 0.69 square miles (1.79 km2) is water. The town/city is on the shore of Lake Huron's Thunder Bay, with Alpena Township encircling it on land.
Light stations and lighthouses surround Alpena. Several islands off the coast in Thunder Bay are part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge, and Scarecrow Island is part of the Michigan Islands Wilderness Area.
Climate data for Alpena County Regional Airport, Michigan (1981 2010 normals, extremes 1916 present) Climate data for Alpena, Michigan (Water Treatment Plant near downtown), 1981 2010 normals Alpena County Regional Airport (IATA: APN, ICAO: KAPN, FAA LID: APN) is the northeast lower peninsula of Michigan's chief commercial airport and handles daily Delta Connection flights to Detroit and Minneapolis/St.
It is a public-use airport positioned in Wilson Township, Michigan six miles (10 km) west of the central company precinct of Alpena.
The Michigan Air National Guard's Alpena Combat Readiness Training Center co-utilizes the airfield.
Alpena is situated along the Lake State Railway, formerly the Detroit and Mackinac Railway (D&M). Earlier barns s that served Alpena were assembled and owned by the Alger Smith and Co.
Logging company: (1) the Detroit, Bay City and Alpena Railroad, which entered Alpena from the south around 1886, and (2) the Alpena and Northern Railroad. US 23 serves Alpena on its way along the Lake Huron shoreline.
On US 23 as it crosses Squaw Bay just south of Alpena exists a sign which notes that it rests on the 45th alongside, indicating travelers are halfway between the equator and the North Pole. This is one of 29 places (six are in Michigan) in the U.S.
M-32 ends its 100-mile (160 km) eastern route from Lake Michigan to Lake Huron traversing the northern lower peninsula inside downtown Alpena at an intersection with US 23.
Alpena, along with the rest of Alpena County and portions of Presque Isle County, is served by Alpena Public Schools.
Alpena Public Schools was established as the first county-wide school precinct in the state of Michigan in 1963.
There are two private schools in Alpena.
Alpena is also home to Alpena Community College.
While tourism is an meaningful component of the area's economy, both Alpena and Rogers City have an industrialized base.
In particular, Alpena is home to Lafarge - Holcim cement plant and to Besser Company (maker of a concrete block making machinery), as well as a drywall board manufacturing facility owned by Decorative Panels International.
Alpena's major shopping center is the Alpena Mall, the only enclosed shopping mall in the northeastern Lower Peninsula, featuring approximately 20 stores, with JCPenney and Gordon Food Service as the anchor stores. Other retailers operate in this part of town and on M-32 west of town and south on US-23. Alpena is also home to the Alpena Thunder hockey team.
Alpena City Hall Alpena County Courthouse The Daniel Carter Family, Alpena'a first settlers.
The Alpena News is the daily journal of record for much of northeastern lower peninsula of Michigan.
Alpena is home to a several airways broadcasts.
Alpena is the third smallest (208) Nielsen Designated Market Area (DMA) in the United States.
Television stations positioned inside the Alpena DMA: Cable tv service is provided inside Alpena and many outlying communities by Charter Communications.
The Alpena County Library Jesse Besser, inventor and benefactor of the Besser Museum for Northeast Michigan; lived in Alpena Paul Bunker, 1901 and 1902 All-American football player; College Football Hall of Famer; born in Alpena William Comstock, 33rd governor of Michigan; born in Alpena President William Mc - Kinley; born in Alpena Bob Devaney, football coach for Nebraska Cornhuskers football and Wyoming Cowboys football; College Football Hall of Famer; lived in Alpena Brian Dutcher, basketball coach for San Diego State; born in Alpena Jim Dutcher, former basketball head coach for University of Minnesota; born in Alpena Emerson, Michigan state Senator; born in Alpena Stanley Grenz, Christian theologian; born in Alpena Blaise Ilsley, pitcher for the Chicago Cubs; born in Alpena Leavitt, Jr., United States Air Force general; born in Alpena Betty Mahmoody, author of Not Without My Daughter; lived in Alpena Harvey Marlatt, shooting guard for the Detroit Pistons; born in Alpena Joel Potrykus, filmmaker (Ape (2012 film)); born in Alpena Dan Rohn, infielder for the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians; born in Alpena Michael Bailey Smith, actor (Charmed); born in Alpena Stevens, novelist and short story writer; born in Alpena Kevin Young, first baseman for the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates; born in Alpena Although the locale was chose because snow was expected to be integral to the movie (and was moved from Denver's Stapleton Airport which had no snow), a dearth of rain in Alpena necessitated the use of artificial snow. "Alpena Regional Medical Center - Main".
"A History of the Place Names of Alpena County".
"Bibliography on Alpena County".
About Alpena argus.
Alpena, MI: The News.
"MI Alpena CO RGNL AP".
"Station Name: MI ALPENA WWTP".
Michigan Railroad history for Alpena.
"Alpena Mall".
The Alpena News "Thunder Bay Theatre Alpena Michigan Downtown Alpena Live Theatre Live Show".
"Alpena Yacht Club - Sailing School - Alpena, Michigan".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alpena, Michigan.
Alpena Convention and Visitors Bureau - Visit Alpena City of Alpena's official website Alpena surface temperature - Great Lakes Coast Watch Alpena County Soil Survey, U.S.
Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University, Bibliography on Alpena, Michigan Alpena, Michigan at DMOZ Municipalities and communities of Alpena County, Michigan, United States
Categories:
Cities in Alpena County, Michigan - Cities in Michigan - County seats in Michigan - Populated places on the Great Lakes - Micropolitan areas of Michigan - Populated places established in 1840 - 1840 establishments in Michigan
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