Hermansville, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hermansville, Michigan
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Looking east at downtown Hermansville
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 Hermansville, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Hermansville, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Menominee |
| Township | Meyer |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.41 sq mi (3.7 km2) |
| • Land | 1.27 sq mi (3.3 km2) |
| • Water | 0.14 sq mi (0.4 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 509 |
| • Density | 399.8/sq mi (154.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
49847
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| Area code(s) | 906 |
| FIPS code | 26-37760 |
| Designated: | September 17, 1974 |
Hermansville is a small community in Michigan, located in Menominee County. It's known as a census-designated place (CDP), which means it's a special area defined by the census bureau. In 2020, about 509 people lived there.
Hermansville started as a "company town." This means a company built and owned most of the town, including homes for its workers. The company was called the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company. Today, their old main office is a museum called the IXL Historical Museum. A major road, US Highway 2, runs along the northern edge of Hermansville.
Contents
History of Hermansville
Hermansville was founded in 1878 by C.J.L. Meyer. He came from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Meyer built a mill to cut wood, especially cedar and pine trees that grew nearby. The town was named after the son of the person who originally owned the land.
The Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company
In 1883, Meyer started the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company. This company took over the mill and the land. They wanted to find ways to use the many hardwood trees in the area. They became very good at making pre-cut maple wood flooring. Before this, cutting and shaping hard maple wood was very difficult.
The company's special flooring was called the IXL brand. It became very popular because it was strong and had beautiful colors. The company also used other types of wood from the area to make different products.
A Thriving Company Town
As the mill grew, Hermansville quickly became a busy company town. Over 200 homes were built by the company for its employees and their families. The town had many useful places:
- A train station
- General stores
- Taverns
- A bank
- A library
- A post office
- A public school
Other businesses also started in the area. This was helped by the town's good train service and local natural resources.
Changes Over Time
The town's growth eventually slowed down. This happened because most of the trees that fueled Hermansville's economy were cut down. Starting in the 1920s, the IXL Company began selling its homes and land. Most of these were bought by the employees who lived in them.
The number of people living in Hermansville dropped a lot. Many small businesses closed. By the end of World War II, all the homes in the village were privately owned. The IXL Company stopped all its work in Meyer Township by the late 1960s. Today, Hermansville is the main center for Meyer Township.
Geography
Hermansville is located in the northwest part of Menominee County. US Highway 2 is an important road here. It goes west about 16 miles to Norway. It also goes east about 27 miles to Escanaba. Menominee, the county seat, is about 46 miles south.
The Hermansville area covers about 1.41 square miles. Most of this is land (1.27 square miles), and a small part is water (0.14 square miles).
Fun Things to See and Do
Hermansville has some interesting places to visit and things to do.
Hermansville Lake
The Little Cedar River flows near Hermansville. In the early 1900s, a dam was built on this river. This created a reservoir called Hermansville Lake. The lake is special because hundreds of old tree stumps stick out of the water. These are from trees cut down a long time ago.
There's a public sand beach at the west end of First Street. It has restrooms and a pavilion. The lake was drained and improved for a while, but it was refilled in 2008.
IXL Historic Museum
The IXL Historic Museum is in the middle of Hermansville. It teaches visitors about the area's early history as a company town. The main part of the museum is in the old office building of the Wisconsin Land & Lumber Company. This building was finished in 1883 and is a great example of Queen Anne style.
One popular part of the museum tour is the main office. It looks almost exactly as it did over 100 years ago! Other buildings on the museum grounds have been moved and fixed up. These include an old worker's house, a train station, and many antique machines from the early 1900s. The museum is open daily during the summer. You can also visit at other times by making an appointment.
Thomas St. Onge Vietnam Veterans Museum
The Thomas St. Onge Vietnam Veterans Museum is also in Hermansville. It has exhibits about the Vietnam War. You can see a real UH-1 "Huey" helicopter and a Battle Tank that were used in the war. This museum is supported by Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 571. It's open daily in the afternoons during the summer.
Hermansville is special because of its unique history as a company town. Even though fewer people live there now, many of the original buildings and homes are still standing. The village still looks a lot like it did in the early 1900s. A historian named Kathryn Eckert said Hermansville is "one of the state's best examples of a wood products company town."
Images for kids
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Post office
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Arrow on US 2
