Clare County is located a little northeast of the middle of Michigan’s lower peninsula. It was organized in 1840, with Farwell as the county seat.

At that time, its name was Kaykee, after Chippewa Indian Chief Pigeon Hawk , who signed the Treaty of 1826. In 1843, Irish immigrants renamed it after a county in their homeland. The first permanent community to settle here was in Dover in Grant Township, started by William Crawford, a Civil War veteran.

The county grew rapidly in the 1850’s and 60’s due to its huge white pine forests and strategic position for floating lumber both east and west to Saginaw (down the Tobacco River) and Muskegon (down the Muskegon River). The rapid growth produced such lawlessness in the lumber camps and even local government that citizens burned down the courthouse in Farwell in 1877 and moved the county seat to Harrison for a fresh start.

Today, Clare county remains relatively rural, with a population of about 30,000. The area has been a paradise for sportsmen and fishermen, with many lakes, streams and woods ripe with fish and game. Places like Lake George and Lake Station have developed into popular resort areas, dotted with many summer cottages. Its largest community is Clare, where a diverse economic base consisting of small manufacturing and agriculture continues to develop.