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History of Alpena, Michigan

Alpena, county seat of Alpena County, is located on the shores of Thunder Bay, an inlet of Lake Huron in northeast Michigan. Large limestone quarries near Alpena led to the development of substantial a cement-manufacturing industry. The first settlement was a trading post, established in 1835. Alpena was laid out as village in 1853 and became incorporated as a city in 1871. While the great Michigan forests were being logged in the second half of the 19th century, Alpena was a major sawmill town. Alpena Community College began by offering classes in the local high school in 1952, moving to its permanent campus in 1957. The Jesse Besser Museum supports a wide variety of cultural interests, from history to science. Alpena Regional Medical Center serves not just Alpena, but all of northeastern Michigan.