Bad Axe in Huron County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

History of the City of Bad Axe

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 21, 2022

1. History of the City of Bad Axe Marker

Inscription.
While surveying the first state road through the Huron County wilderness in 1861, Rudolph Papst and George Willis Pack made camp here and found a much-used and badly damaged axe. At Pack's suggestion, Papst used the name "Bad Axe Camp” in the minutes of the survey and on a sign he placed along the main trail. By the time Papst returned from the Civil War, the name was on the map.

Bad Axe was incorporated as a village in 1885 with Septimus Irwin, its first settler, as president; and it was incorporated as Huron County's first city on March 15, 1905 with Joseph Fremont as the first mayor. Bad Axe celebrated its first 100 years as a city in 2005. It remains the county seat and is the largest community in Huron County as well as a commercial center for the upper Thumb area.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Government & Politics • Roads & Vehicles • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical date for this entry is March 15, 1905.

Location. 43° 48.117′ N, 82° 59.93′ W. Marker is in Bad Axe, Michigan, in Huron County. It is at the intersection of East Huron Avenue (Michigan Route 142) and South Heisterman Street, on the right when traveling east on East Huron Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 219 E Huron Ave, Bad Axe MI 48413, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is on Michigan’s Thumb

and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. 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.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: This Commerative Walkway (a few steps from this marker); Huron County Veterans Memorial (a few steps from this marker); a different marker also named Huron County Veterans Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); The Freedom Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Richard M. Nixon (within shouting distance of this marker); Citizens Bank Block (approx. 7.2 miles away); Kinde Veterans Memorial (approx. 9.7 miles away); Sanilac Petroglyphs (approx. 10.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bad Axe.

Photographed by Craig Doda, November 21, 2022

2. History of the City of Bad Axe Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on December 4, 2022. It was originally submitted on November 23, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 752 times since then and 71 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 23, 2022, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.