Rose City, Michigan Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Rose City, Michigan
City
City of Rose City
Looking north along M-33 toward Main Street
Location within Ogemaw County
Rose City, Michigan Location in Michigan Show map of Michigan Rose City, Michigan Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Ogemaw
Settled	1875
Incorporated	1910
Government
• Type	Mayor–council
Area
• Total	1.08 sq mi (2.81 km²)
• Land	1.08 sq mi (2.79 km²)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.02 km²)
Elevation	958 ft (292 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	577
• Density	535.75/sq mi (206.90/km²)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code(s)	48654
Area code(s)	989
FIPS code	26-69680
GNIS feature ID	636193

Rose City is a small city in Ogemaw County, Michigan. In 2020, about 577 people lived there. It is one of the smallest cities in Michigan.

History of Rose City
Geography and Nature
Population Information
- Rose City in 2010
Images for kids
See also

History of Rose City

Rose City started as a logging town called Churchill. It was first settled in 1875 by Hiram Hodge. He built a hotel, but later left the area.

How Rose City Got Its Name

In 1875, the Rose family, including Allan S. Rose, moved to the area from New York. Allan S. Rose and M.H. French started a new settlement. They called their company the "French and Rose Land Company." They built a general store, cabins, and boarding houses. The town was busy with logging operations, cutting down large pine trees.

The post office opened on September 8, 1875, still named Churchill. But on July 23, 1892, the town moved a little to the east. The post office name changed to Rose City, honoring the Rose family. Rose City officially became a city in 1905.

The Big Fire and Changes

In 1910, a huge fire destroyed the main business area of Rose City. Thirty buildings burned down in just one hour. This fire ended Rose City's time as a major logging center. Many businesses decided not to rebuild.

From 1945 to 1960, the city improved a lot. They built a sewer system, paved streets, and added streetlights. Rose City is known for its many artesian wells, which are natural springs that bring water to the surface. Because of these wells, Rose City was once called "The Home of Artesian Wells."

In 1962, the Rose City school district joined with West Branch. They became the West Branch-Rose City Area Schools district.

Historic Sites in Rose City

In 2002, Rose City and the place where the big fire happened became Michigan State Historic Sites. A special marker was put up in Rose City Park to tell its story. The Cleveland Park Pavilion, near Rose City Park, is also a registered historic site.

Geography and Nature

Rose City covers about 1.09 square miles (2.81 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water.

Houghton Creek, a small stream, flows through part of the city. This creek eventually joins the Rifle River. The Rifle River State Recreation Area is only about 3 miles (5 km) east of Rose City. This park is great for outdoor fun all year, like canoeing, swimming, fishing, and snowmobiling. There are also 75 lakes within 15 miles of Rose City.

Population Information

Rose City has seen its population change over the years:

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1910	542	—
1920	331	−38.9%
1930	338	2.1%
1940	355	5.0%
1950	446	25.6%
1960	435	−2.5%
1970	530	21.8%
1980	661	24.7%
1990	686	3.8%
2000	721	5.1%
2010	653	−9.4%
2020	577	−11.6%
U.S. Decennial Census

Rose City in 2010

In 2010, 653 people lived in Rose City. There were 238 households. About 35.7% of these households had children under 18 living there. The average age of people in Rose City was 44.6 years old.

Most people in Rose City were White (96.9%). A small number were Native American (1.2%) or Asian (0.3%). About 1.7% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.