SMALLTOWN MICHIGAN: The Old Stagecoach Stop in Livingston County

The little historic burg of Cohoctah lies in Cohoctah Township near the junction of W. Cohoctah Road and Oak Grove Road in Livingston County.....it was a stagecoach stop in the late 1800's as a rest for travelers from Howell to Linden.

The Township was organized in 1838 as Tuscola Township, renamed Bristol Township in 1857 and finally settled on Cohoctah by 1867.

I understand Cohoctah has a Fourth of July parade every year and is the only parade in Livingston County that can be seen twice: coming through, turning around and returning the same way!

More Cohoctah history according to the July 30, 1915 edition of The Byron Herald:
"The thriving village of Cohoctah was first thought of and made possible by the construction of the Toledo, Ann Arbor and North Michigan railroad, in the winter of 1886-7.....The first building, the elevator, was erected during the summer of 1867.....Cohoctah’s excellent hotel building was erected by its present proprietor, H. D. Gilland, on the west side of the railroad in 1901. The W. E. Miller store building and postoffice was built by Schuyler Wrigglesworth in 1897, in which he conducted a general store for several years. Alex Noble of Argentine, was the first to conduct a blacksmith shop."

Cohoctah had other businesses spring up during the 1880's & 1890's including a bank, billiard parlor, confectionary store and schoolhouse. Around 1902 a sawmill was constructed.

Nowadays, the hotel looks like it's still standing, as is the old general store and other old structures, some abandoned, which makes this unincorporated Michigan community another perfect stop on your Michigan roadtrip.

***Always seek permission to investigate abandoned structures.***

There are thousands of things to see, do & discover on Michigan's back roads, dirt roads and side roads. The more you discover about our state the more fascinating it becomes.

Save the highways for work.....take the backroads for pleasure!