County Seat: Alpena County
Origin of Name: A Native American word meaning “a good partridge county”
Set Off: 1840 as Anomickee County. Name change to Alpena in 1843.
Organized: 1857
Population in 2000 Census: 31,314

Government Holidays

If any of the holidays falls on a Saturday, the preceding Friday shall be celebrated as the holiday. If any of the holidays falls on a Sunday, the following Monday shall be considered the holiday.

December 31: New Year's Eve
January 1: New Year’s Day
Third Monday in January: Martin Luther King
President’s Day
Good Friday
Last Monday in May: Memorial Day
July 4th: Independence Day
First Monday in September: Labor Day
November 11: Veteran’s Day
Fourth Thursday in November: Thanksgiving Day
Fourth Friday in November: Day after Thanksgiving
December 24: Day before Christmas
December 25: Christmas Day

Hours of Operation: 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday except on County holidays listed above

Publications and Resources

August Proposals Operating Millage
Alpena County Visitors Guide provided by Alpena Visitors Bureau
Center for Disease Control and Prevention: H1N1 Information
Directory of Programs & Services for Aging Adults in Alpena County
Official Ballot Proposal Language
Recycling Information
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit

Ordinances

Addressing
Animal Control
Cost Recovery
Parking Ordinance
Planning Commission
ORV

Alpena County

Alpena County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the population was 31,314. The county seat is Alpena. It is considered to be part of Northern Michigan.It was founded originally in 1840 as Anomickee County. In 1843, the name was changed to Alpena, a pseudo-Native American word — a neologism coined by Henry Schoolcraft, meaning something like "a good partridge country. This was part of a much larger effort to rename a great many of the Michigan counties at the time. Alpena County was officially organized in 1857.

Geography

Alpena County is in the northeast of the mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Lake Huron and Thunder Bay are to the east, Alcona County to the south, Oscoda County to the southwest, Montmorency County to the west, and Presque Isle County to the north. Most of the county is drained by the Thunder Bay River and its tributaries. The Mackinaw State Forest occupies large tracts of land in the county. The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is located offshore adjacent to the county. The 45th parallel bisects the county, meaning it is half way between the North Pole and the equator.
Several islands in Thunder Bay are part of the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge. There are automated lighthouses on Middle Island and Thunder Bay Island.

Government (Information as of January 2009)

The county government operates the jail, maintains rural roads, operates the major local courts, keeps files of deeds and mortgages, maintains vital records, administers public health regulations, and participates with the state in the provision of welfare and other social services. The county board of commissioners controls the budget but has only limited authority to make laws or ordinances. In Michigan, most local government functions — police and fire; building and zoning, tax assessment, street maintenance, etc. — are the responsibility of individual cities and townships.
The County operates three parks (and camp grounds) with beaches on local lakes, namely Beaver Lake Park in Lachine; Long Lake Park in Alpena; and Sunken Lake Park in Posen

Local Museums and Landmarks: The Besser Museum Planetarium and the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Historical Markers

There are eight recognized historical markers in the county:

• Amber Stokes
• Alpena City Hall
• Alpena County Courthouse
• The Daniel Carter Family
• First Congregational Church [Alpena]
• Monarch Mill
• St. Bernard Catholic Church
• World's Largest Cement Plant