Introduction: Welcome to the North Country

Maybe you’ve heard about a place like this, a place where kids can still bike to the corner grocer for ice cream cones and where there are still family-owned hardware and book stores downtown, with retailers so exceptional they prosper even in the face of bigger competition.

It’s a place where “going green” isn’t the newest trend; appreciating nature has always been a way of life.
This is Emmet County, Michigan.

Maybe you’ve traveled here as a child to summer or ski, remembering how life just felt different north of the 45th parallel. Maybe you’ve longed for a log cabin on a lake. Or perhaps the appeal of living here year ‘round has always been in the back of your mind.

There is no better time to live the Emmet County lifestyle than now.

While economic fluctuations are changing the face of towns around the country, Emmet County finds itself in a comfortable, stable position. Our diverse economy, world-class medical care, unmatched natural amenities, thousands of acres of county parkland and enduring resort communities make this one place where the chaos disappears and where life is lived to the fullest each season of the year.

In today’s wired world, it’s possible more than ever to choose where you want to live instead of where you have to work. This philosophy is evident in the number of small local start-ups that have gone national, and by looking at the resumes of the influential leaders who call Emmet County home while conducting business internationally.

They’re writing the continuing chapters of this community that is steeped in rich history, the place where Ernest Hemingway spent his summers, the land of L’Arbre Croche (the Crooked Tree) and the place where the Bay View Association’s famed Victorian “gingerbread” cottages have stood since 1875, many within the same families.

As we look back at our history with deference to those founders and philanthropists who came before, we move ahead progressively with providence. I am proud to have served as administrator of this county for 26 years, during which time the area has experienced significant growth and also kept its core values. We invite you for a visit, and even more so, to stay. Become part of Emmet County. We have a tremendous amount of assets to offer you, your family and your business.

This is truly that place you’ve heard about, where quality of life is everything.

Lyn Johnson, Emmet County Controller

Emmet County Guide 2010 » Introduction: Welcome to the North Country