Ossineke, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ossineke, Michigan
|
|
|---|---|
Location within Alpena County
|
|
 Ossineke, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Ossineke, Michigan
Location in the United States
|
|
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Alpena County |
| Township | Sanborn |
| Area | |
| • Total | 3.67 sq mi (9.50 km2) |
| • Land | 3.66 sq mi (9.47 km2) |
| • Water | 0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 932 |
| • Density | 254.85/sq mi (98.41/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
49766
|
| Area code(s) | 989 |
| FIPS code | 26-61500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393175 |
Ossineke is a small community in Alpena County, Michigan. It's not a city but a special kind of place called a census-designated place. This means it has a defined area for counting people. In 2020, about 932 people lived there. Ossineke is located within Sanborn Township, a few miles south of the larger city of Alpena. You can find it right on U.S. Highway 23.
The name Ossineke comes from an old Native American language, either Ojibwa or Ottawa. It means "Where the image stones stood." Today, the name asiniike means "to quarry," which is about digging for stones.
Contents
About Ossineke's Location
Ossineke is located in the northern part of Michigan. It covers an area of about 3.67 square miles (9.50 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a tiny bit of water.
Ossineke's Past
The Legend of the Image Stones
Long ago, there were special "image stones" in Ossineke. People believed these stones held the spirit of a chief named Shinggabaw. He had promised to return to this spot after he passed away.
One day, a rival tribe stole the stones. But a powerful spirit, called the Great Spirit, put them back. The spirit also stopped the raiding party. Later, a fisherman took the stones to use as anchors for his fishing nets. Now, these special stones are thought to be somewhere in Lake Huron.
A Unique Event: The Pizza Funeral
In 1973, Ossineke was the location of a very unusual event. It was called the Great Michigan Pizza Funeral. This was a unique and memorable happening for the community.
Who Lives in Ossineke?
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 2020 | 932 | — | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2000, there were 1,059 people living in Ossineke. There were 416 households, which are groups of people living together. Most people were White. A small number of people were from other backgrounds.
About 25% of the people in Ossineke were under 18 years old. The average age was 40 years.
Getting Around Ossineke
Bus Service
If you need to travel to other towns, Indian Trails offers bus service. You can catch a bus daily from Ossineke to places like St. Ignace and Bay City.
Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox
In downtown Ossineke, right on US-23, you can see a very large statue. It's of the famous giant lumberjack, Paul Bunyan, and his blue ox, Babe. This huge statue was moved to Ossineke in a "mega-move" from its first home in Spruce, Michigan.
See also
In Spanish: Ossineke (Míchigan) para niños
