Vassar in Tuscola County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Vassar's Logging Era
Photographed by Kathy Garman, August 1, 2020
1. Vassar's Logging Era Marker
Inscription.
Vassar's Logging Era. . Here on the Cass River, March 1, 1849, four men led by Townsend North and James M. Edmunds found a suitable place to build a dam and start a town, which was named for Edmunds uncle, Matthew Vassar, later the founder of Vassar College, New York. The growth of the town for the next thirty years was based on lumbering and its many related industries. Cork pine, the best variety of white pine, grew in abundance along the Cass River and was much in demand. These kings of the forest grew to a height of 150 feet, a diameter of three or four feet. The wood was light, strong, easy to work with. Millions of board feet were marketed all over the world, especially in Americas prairie states. With forests depleted, a diversified economy developed here -- agriculture, manufacturing, and commercial business.
Here on the Cass River, March 1, 1849, four men led by Townsend North and James M. Edmunds found a suitable place to build a dam and start a town, which was named for Edmunds uncle, Matthew Vassar, later the founder of Vassar College, New York. The growth of the town for the next thirty years was based on lumbering and its many related industries. Cork pine, the best variety of white pine, grew in abundance along the Cass River and was much in demand. These kings of the forest grew to a height of 150 feet, a diameter of three or four feet. The wood was light, strong, easy to work with. Millions of board feet were marketed all over the world, especially in Americas prairie states. With forests depleted, a diversified economy developed here -- agriculture, manufacturing, and commercial business.
Erected 1965 by Michigan Historical Commission. (Marker Number L52.)
Location. 43° 22.244′ N, 83° 34.81′ W. Marker is in Vassar, Michigan, in Tuscola County. It is at the intersection of East Huron
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Avenue (State Highway 15) and North Water Street, on the left when traveling east on East Huron Avenue. The marker is located in front of the Vassar City Hall. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 287 East Huron Ave, Vassar MI 48768, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Michigans Thumb. It is also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Credits. This page was last revised on June 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 27, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. This page has been viewed 718 times since then and 37 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on December 27, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. 2. submitted on December 28, 2020, by John Garman of Rochester Hills. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
