Merritt, Michigan

Merritt is an unincorporated community in Missaukee County in the U.S. state of Michigan.[1] The community is centered between Butterfield Township to the south and Enterprise Township to the north. As an unincorporated community, Merritt has no legally defined boundaries or population statistics of its own but does have its own post office with the 49667 ZIP Code.[2]

Not to be confused with Merritt Township in Bay County.

Merritt, Michigan
Unincorporated community
Looking north along Merritt Road toward M-55
Looking north along Merritt Road toward M-55
Merritt is located in Michigan
Merritt
Merritt
Location within the state of Michigan
Merritt is located in the United States
Merritt
Merritt
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 44°19′47″N 84°56′41″W
CountryUnited States
StateMichigan
CountyMissaukee
TownshipsButterfield and Enterprise
Settled1901
Elevation
1,155 ft (352 m)
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)
49667
Area code231
GNIS feature ID632136[1]
U.S. Post Office in Merritt

Geography

The community is centered along Merritt Road and M-55 in eastern Missaukee County about 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Lake City.

The Merritt post office currently uses the 49667 ZIP Code, which covers most of the eastern portion of Missaukee County, including the northern portion of Butterfield Township and the southern portion of Enterprise Township. The ZIP Code also includes a very small portion of Aetna Township to the west, as well as Lake Township in Roscommon County to the east.[2][3]

The community is surrounded by portions of the Cadillac Forest Management Unit of Pere Marquette State Forest and is located about 25 miles (40.2 km) east of the city of Cadillac.[4] Portions of the Muskegon River flow near Merritt, and other notable places within the area include Dead Stream Flooding State Wildlife Management Area, Merritt Speedway, and the Reedsburg Dam.[5][6][7]

Merritt is served by two separate school districts. Residents in the western portion of the community may attend Lake City Area School District, while the majority of residents to the east may attend Houghton Lake Community School.[8]

History

In 1901, Charles and Elizabeth Merritt traveled from Belleville near Detroit on a covered wagon trip that took three weeks. They settled in the rural area, and other families soon joined them. In 1908, the community was given the name Merritt for the first time when a railway was opened through the area. The area become popular for its abundant supply of lumber. Farming soon became a dominant industry in the area. A school district was established in 1920, and the District No. 3 of Butterfield built a high school in Merritt in 1936. A fire department was established in Merritt in 1955. In 1993, a new fire station was built along M-55.[9][10]

M-74 was a formerly designated state highway that existed from 1919 to 1939 near Merritt. The highway was located just northeast of the center of the community. After being decommissioned, it continues to exist as a local roadway called North Star Road, which connects Merritt to the community of Pioneer.[11]

The area received its first post office on November 22, 1910 with merchant Charles P. Sherman as the first postmaster.[12] The post office remains in operation and is located at 329 South Merritt Road.[13] The post office has been in its present location since 1956.[9]

Notable people
  • Burt Reynolds, actor, director, and producer who lived part of his childhood in Merritt[14]

References
  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Merritt, Michigan
  2. UnitedStatesZipCodes.org (2020). "ZIP Code 49667: Merritt". Retrieved October 16, 2020.
  3. Google (October 21, 2020). "49667 ZIP Code map" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  4. Michigan Economic Development Corporation (2020). "Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau: Merritt". Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  5. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Dead Stream Flooding
  6. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Merritt Speedway
  7. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Reedsburg Dam
  8. Michigan Geographic Framework (November 15, 2013). "Monroe County School Districts" (PDF). Retrieved May 12, 2021.
  9. The Houghton Lake Resorter (August 7, 2008), Merritt has long rural history, retrieved October 21, 2020
  10. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Merritt Area Fire Department
  11. Google (October 21, 2020). "Overview Map of Former M-74" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
  12. Romig, Walter (October 1, 1986) [1973]. Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities (Paperback). Detroit, Michigan: Wayne State University Press. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-8143-1838-6.
  13. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Merritt Post Office
  14. The Houghton Lake Resorter (September 13, 2018), Merritt area residents recall memories of Burt Reynolds, retrieved October 21, 2020
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