Pere Cheney, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Pere Cheney, Michigan
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Ghost town and former village
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Historic Pere Cheney Cemetery
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 Pere Cheney, Michigan
Location in Michigan
Pere Cheney, Michigan
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Crawford |
| Township | Beaver Creek |
| Elevation | 1,201 ft (366 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
48653 (Roscommon)
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| Area code(s) | 989 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1617781 |
Pere Cheney, also known as Cheney or Center Plains, was a small village in Crawford County, Michigan. It was a busy lumbering town in the late 1800s. Pere Cheney was the very first community in Crawford County. It was started by lumberjacks who followed the Jackson, Lansing and Saginaw Railroad north.
The town began in 1874 around a sawmill owned by George M. Cheney. For a short time, it was even the county seat for Crawford County in 1879. But soon, the larger town of Grayling took over this role. Pere Cheney had its own train station, called the Cheney depot, and a post office. The post office closed in 1912, and the village was left empty in the early 1900s. Today, it is known as a ghost town.
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History of Pere Cheney
Pere Cheney was founded in 1873. George Cheney received land from the Michigan Central Railroad to create a stop along the train line. Soon, the town had a general store, sawmills, carpenters, a doctor, a hotel with telegraph service, and a post office. By the mid-1870s, about 1,500 people lived there.
The Diphtheria Outbreaks
In 1893, a serious illness called diphtheria spread through the town. It caused many people to get sick and sadly, many died. Diphtheria returned again in 1897. Because of these outbreaks, the town's population dropped a lot. By 1901, only 25 people lived in Pere Cheney. By 1917, there were only 18 people left. The land was then sold off, and the town was officially called a ghost town.
The Cemetery Today
The Pere Cheney Cemetery is owned and cared for by Beaver Creek Township, Michigan. In March 2015, there were plans to fix up the cemetery and make it look better. Even today, the Pere Cheney Cemetery is considered one of the most talked-about "witch graves" in the Midwest.
Pere Cheney's Ghostly Reputation
Many spooky stories are told about the ghost town of Pere Cheney and its cemetery. People talk about seeing Ghosts, witches, strange figures, glowing lights, and mysterious orbs in the trees. Some visitors have reported hearing children laughing. Others say they found handprints on their cars after visiting.
Why is it Haunted?
Some people believe Pere Cheney was cursed from the beginning. They say it was built on Native American land, which might have caused bad luck. The cemetery is hidden deep in the woods, down a small dirt road, next to old railroad tracks. There are no signs pointing to it.
Lost Graves and Legends
At least 90 people were buried in the Pere Cheney Cemetery. However, over time, many of the gravestones have been damaged or removed. Local stories say that a terrible disease, like cholera or diphtheria, wiped out the entire town.
According to local legends, a witch was banished from the village and cursed it. This curse is sometimes blamed for the serious disease outbreaks that happened in the area. Many people believe the entire town is haunted. While some stories suggest people tried to burn the town to stop the disease, there is no proof of this. After the diseases, the remaining people moved their belongings to what is now Grayling.
