Our City

About Our City

Originally established as a logging community, Cadillac's first sawmill, the "Pioneer Mill," began operations in 1871. Two years later in 1873, under the funding of George A. Mitchell, the Clam Lake Canal was completed between Big Clam Lake and Little Clam Lake. The Clam Lake Canal was used to transport timber between the lakes to the railroad station.

The community was initially recognized in 1874, as the Village of Clam Lake. However, just a few years later in 1877, the growing community was officially incorporated as the City of Cadillac, being renamed, after Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, a French explorer who founded the city of Detroit, in 1701. Little Clam Lake and Big Clam Lake, were also renamed, to the now current, Lake Cadillac and Lake Mitchell, respectively.

In 1882, after feuding with the nearby town of Sherman, and the overly embellished "Battle of Manton," Cadillac became the Wexford County seat of government. Gradually, various manufacturing firms began to find success in Cadillac. This is particularly due to the production of the highly effective Shay Locomotive (pictured below) built by Ephraim Shay in 1878. The city's production of the Shay Locomotive by the Michigan's Iron Works company, based in Cadillac, continued for most of the 1880's. However, the logging industry remained the main production focus until the early 20th century. In 1899, at the start of the eminent timber depletion, the Cadillac Club, the forerunner of the Cadillac Area Chamber of Commerce, was formed. The timber depletion soon paved the way for the industrial development soon to dominate the local economy, and does so still to this day.

In 1936, the U.S. Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps created the Caberfae Ski Resort, which fostered in future waves of tourism to the area. Caberfae Ski Resort remains in operation today, as the oldest ski resort in the midwest. Tourism has since become a key factor to Cadillac's economy. In the summer, tourists travel to the city for boating, fishing, hiking, mountain biking and camping. During the fall, hunting and color tours are popular. Winter is arguably the busiest season; the area can be found packed with downhill skiers, cross-country skiers, ice-fishers, snow-shoers and, most importantly, snow-mobilers. The North American Snowmobile Festival (NASF) is held on frozen Lake Cadillac every winter.

In October 1975, the rock group "Kiss" visited Cadillac and performed at the Cadillac High School gymnasium. They played the concert to honor the Cadillac High School football team. The assistant coach of the football team, Jim Neff, an English teacher and rock'n'roll fan, thought to inspire the team by playing "Kiss" music in the locker room. He also connected the team's game plan, K-I-S-S or "Keep It Simple Stupid", with the band. The team went on to win seven straight games and their conference co-championship. After learning of their association with the team's success, the band decided to visit the school and play at the homecoming game.

Cadillac is also known as Chestnut Town, USA. The local area is home to a relatively large number of American chestnut trees, planted by pioneers from New York and Pennsylvania who settled in western Michigan. A blight in the early 20th century wiped out nearly every American chestnut tree, however those in western Michigan developed a mysterious resistance and survived. The Cadillac Chestnut Harvest Festival is held every year, on the second Saturday of October.

Interesting Facts:

    1. Thirsty's, a gas station on M-55 west of Cadillac, was the home of Samantha or "Sam The Bear" from the 1970s             through the late 1990s, when Sam died of old age. Sam was the only brown bear in captivity in the US at the time         to hibernate naturally. Sam lived in a large cage in front of the gas station and was fed ice cream cones by tourists         every summer.

    2. Lake Cadillac is entirely within the city limits, and is claimed to be the largest lake entirely within any city in the                 United States.

    3. The Clam Lake Canal was featured on "Ripley's Believe It Or Not" in the 1970s due to the phenomenon that in                 winter the canal freezes before the lakes, and then after the lakes freeze, the canal thaws and remains unfrozen for         the rest of the winter.

    4. Cadillac was chosen in 1988 to donate the holiday tree to sit on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol building in                           Washington D.C.

    5. Former New England Patriot's defensive back Jim Bowman was born in Cadillac, MI.