Indian River History

The history of Indian River, Michigan begins with the Inland Waterway across the "Tip of the Mitt" of Northern Michigan. In the center of this transportation route is Tuscarora Township, which includes Indian River and a portion of both Mullett Lake and Burt Lake.

The first white settler arrived in 1873, after the Civil War. Soon pioneer log cabin homesteads started appearing. Timber cutting and prosperous saw mills, followed by orchards and farms, eventually cleared the land.

Near the turn of the century, more than 32 steamboats carried supplies, mail, logs and forest products along the Inland Waterway. With the addition of new railroads, touring passengers arrived and many of them settled in summer hotels and in river and lakeside vacation homes.

Indian River was devastated by a fire in 1911, along the downtown area, destroying much of the business district in Tuscarora Township. The township has since recovered and is still growing to this day. Between the touring settlers and the lack of timber left to cut, Indian River became the resort area it is today.

There is controversy as to how the township derived its name of Tuscarora. One account states that at the request of W.M. McArthur the township was named after the New York State tribe of Indians by the name of Tuscarora. Another account states that W.J. Stone, an early pioneer, was quoted in 1879 saying, "the township of Tuscarora was organized in our home, and in that home, everything connected with the organization of the Township had its beginning. When question arose to the name of the Township, my mother suggested that we were in Indian Country and an Indian name would be appropriate. She suggested Tuscarora."

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