Wilson, Michigan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wilson, Michigan
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 Wilson, Michigan
Location in Michigan
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| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Menominee |
| Township | Harris |
| Elevation | 794 ft (242 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code(s) |
49896
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| Area code(s) | 906 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1616553 |
Wilson is a small, unincorporated community in Menominee County, Michigan. This means it's a group of homes and businesses that isn't officially a town or city. Wilson is located in Harris Township. You can find it along U.S. Highway 2 and U.S. Highway 41. It's also near the Canadian National Railway. Wilson is about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) east of Powers, Michigan. It has its own post office with the ZIP code 49896.
History of Wilson
The community of Wilson started to grow in the late 1800s. The Chicago and North Western Railway built a train station here in 1872 or 1873. This station helped serve local businesses that made charcoal using large kilns. At first, the station was called Ferry Switch.
The first school in Wilson opened its doors a few years later, in 1881 or 1882. A post office also opened in the community on February 24, 1881. It was originally named Myra. Daniel McIntyre was the first person in charge of the post office. Later that same year, on November 1, 1881, the post office's name changed to Wilson. It was named after Frank D. Wilson, who owned a local sawmill. He then became the new postmaster. The train station in Wilson eventually closed in 1950.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church and School
Two very important buildings in the Wilson community are the Seventh-day Adventist Church and its school. Wilson is home to the largest Adventist church in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This church also runs a Junior Academy, which teaches students from first grade up to tenth grade.
In the early 1900s, a group of Adventists from Wisconsin moved to the area. They started farming and helped build the community. A church was built in 1908, and services were first held in French. The first minister was R.J. Bellows. Sadly, a fire caused by a furnace destroyed the church in 1948. However, a new church was quickly built and finished in 1949.
At first, a small part of the church was used as a schoolroom. But this space was not big enough for all the students. So, in 1947, a public school building was bought from Ford River Township. It was moved to land across from the church. In 1964, the old school building was taken down. A new, larger school was built with three rooms and a gymnasium. This school is still open and teaching students today. Many people living in Wilson now are descendants of those who helped build the church and school.
Education in Wilson
Students in Wilson attend schools that are part of the Bark River-Harris School District.
The Hannahville Indian School is also located nearby.
