Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
The Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) is a fraternal organization dedicated to preserving the history and legacy of veteran heroes who fought and worked to save the Union in the American Civil War. Organized in 1881 and chartered by Congress in 1954, SUVCW is the legal heir and successor to the Grand Army of the Republic. Learn more at https://suvcw.org/organization-overview.
There is a Michigan chapter along with a “Camp” in Cadillac named after General Orlando M. Poe. Clare County is within this territory. The group publishes an excellent newsletter and has recently published two articles about Clare residents. They are posted below:
JOHN W. DUNSMORE: SULTANA SURVIVOR & CLARE COUNTY RESIDENT
Michigan Engineer John W. Dunsmore only served in the Union Army for eighteen months, but during that time he survived wounding and capture at the hands of rebel cavalry, confinement for seven months in Confederate prison camp, and then the ill-fated journey of the steamer Sultana, a side-wheel steamboat which exploded and sank on the Mississippi River on April 27, 1865, killing 1,167 people in what remains the worst maritime disaster in United States history. Article available as PDF.
RIEGLE AND YOUNGLOVE HONORED AS LAST VETERANS OF CLARE COUNTY, MICHIGAN
Two old men, two final witnesses to the great national tragedy, both residing in the Clare area, the two heroes were the Last Union Veterans of Clare County, Michigan. These well respected old Veterans of Clare County took their final breaths just one single day apart, on the 10th and 11th days of January 1939. Two men with incredible wartime stories that were revisited one last time. Article available as PDF.
Learn more about the Michigan Chapter at https://www.suvcwmi.org/.
Digitized newspapers from Clare County
Archived at CMU’s Clarke Historical Library
Clare County Cleaver — Harrison — 1891 – 2017
Clare County Press — Clare — 1878 – 1886
Clare Courier — Clare — 1895 – 1922
Clare Democrat — Clare — 1885 – 1889
Clare Democrat and Press — Clare — 1890 – 1892
Clare Press — Clare — 1886 – 1887
Clare Sentinel — Clare — 1896 – 1999
Clare Sentinel (1892) — Clare — 1892 – 1894
Clare Sentinel and the Democrat-Press — Clare — 1894 – 1896
Farwell News — Farwell — 1953 – 1971
Rotary Chronicle — Clare — 1955 – 1975
Clare County Review (Google News Archive) — 2004 – 2009
Newspaper Clippings
Click an image to see the whole clipping.
Digitized books about Clare County
- Michigan’s Timber Battleground: A History of Clare County: 1674-1900 by Forrest B. Meek
- Michigan’s Heartland: 1900-1918 by Forrest B. Meek
- Michigan’s Logging Railroad Era 1850-1963 A Selected and Annotated Bibliography by Forrest Meek and Carl Jay Bajema
- A Dictionary of Clare Citizens Who Served their Country compiled by Forrest Meek
- History of the First One Hundred Years of Clare United Methodist Church: 1871-1971 by Nettie A. Holbrook
- Diamond Jubilee: Harrison: Where the North Begins by Thelma M. Hubbell
- Farwell Area Centennial: 1870-1970 by Hazel G. Littlefield
- Clare 2079 by Clare students
- History of Clare County and Clare (1927 notebook) by Emma Jennings Sager
- Soil Survey of Clare County, Michigan by United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service
- Clare Osteopathic Hospital Dedication by the Clare Sentinel
Historical Society of Michigan
The Historical Society of Michigan publishes Michigan History Magazine six times per year.
Below is a list of selected articles (text only) that touch on Clare County history.
Libraries
- Pere Marquette District Library (Clare)
- Surrey Township Public Library (Farwell)
- Harrison District Library (Harrison)
- Clarke Historical Library (Central Michigan University)
- Michigan eLibrary
Library of Michigan online resources
Residents of the state are entitled to free card access. Once registered, account holders have access to the following resources:
- Genealogy (family history) records
- Magazine articles and academic journals
- Nonfiction eBooks
- Pere Marquette : A Michigan Railroad System Before 1900 by Graydon M. Meints
- Michigan History Magazine (text-only)
- ReadMichigan eBook Collection
- eBooks on ProQuest
- NewspaperArchive
- Newspapers on Newsbank
- HeritageHub
Blog Posts
- 1.8 Million Years of Clare History (or 150 feet)Note: This is the first of two posts dealing with the geologic history of Clare County, Michigan, USA. Ever take a good look at our… Read more: 1.8 Million Years of Clare History (or 150 feet)
- 2.5 Billion Years of Clare History (or 40 Miles)Note: This is the second of two posts dealing with the geologic history of Clare County, Michigan, USA. If you like warm, you should have… Read more: 2.5 Billion Years of Clare History (or 40 Miles)
- A Face to a Name in a GraveyardJim Garrity went off to war. Jim was a farm kid from rural Clare County, Michigan, a poor, sparsely populated county in mid Michigan. According… Read more: A Face to a Name in a Graveyard
- Looking Back at Clare County, MIThrough the pages of old newspapers It’s amazing the interesting things one can run across in old newspapers. For example, I was conducting some research… Read more: Looking Back at Clare County, MI
- A Lake Dock that Rises into the SkyThe Lake Coal Dock as seen from the west. A paved biking, walking and snowmobile trail is adjacent. Inside the trees to the left is… Read more: A Lake Dock that Rises into the Sky
- Blowing Stuff Up in Clare CountyThe following article appeared on Page one of the Dec. 4, 1925 issue of The Clare Sentinel . Apparently, farmers back then could be trusted with… Read more: Blowing Stuff Up in Clare County
- Railroad History in Harrison, MichiganThis is a revised version of an article that appears in Harrison’s 125th Anniversary History booklet written and edited by Angela Kellogg to celebrate the mid-Michigan… Read more: Railroad History in Harrison, Michigan
- Henry Ford In Harrison, Michigan(Above) Ford tractors undergoing testing in Harrison, MI Industrialist Henry Ford was a lousy tipper, at least when he got his shoes shined in Harrison.… Read more: Henry Ford In Harrison, Michigan
- The Great Flu Pandemic in a Small Michigan CountyJames Garrity was a Clare County farm boy, the only boy in a family of four sisters. He was 19 years old when he convinced… Read more: The Great Flu Pandemic in a Small Michigan County
- Gangsters Up NorthA review of Robert Knapp’s latest book on Michigan history I want to know more about Joe Barnes. Was this resident of Clare County that… Read more: Gangsters Up North
- Clare County Murders 1871-2020A review of a book by Jon H. Ringelberg Thou shalt not kill: Exodus 20:13 It’s one of the 10 Commandments and even people who… Read more: Clare County Murders 1871-2020