SMALLTOWN MICHIGAN: The Old Storefronts of Minden City

Minden City is a village located in Minden Township within Sanilac County in Michigan's thumb.

Not much is known or recorded about Minden City, aside from it established it's first post office in 1862 and was simply named 'Minden' until it added the 'City' part in 1883.

It's assumed it was a lumber town that did fairly well in the mid-to-late 1800's, as evidenced by the numerous old structures and storefronts still standing. There seems to be two parts to Minden's downtown area, both with lots of old storefronts, mainly on the west side of downtown. Some of these buildings have been turned into homes, many others are abandoned (SEE PHOTOS BELOW).

One of the highlights of the town is the old hotel, located on the east side of downtown; the hotel sign can still be seen.

Do we call Minden City a 'ghost town'? Good question. There seems to be a number of residents there, although recent census states the town had a population of 242 in the year 2000, which dwindled to 197 in 2010. The census also states that the village has a total area of 1.10 square miles; the cemetery lies just a tad outside the town limits, a hair over a mile west of town on Bay City/Forestville Rd (Main Street).

Take a drive thru Minden City on your next Michigan roadtrip and soak up some smalltown Michigan history; feel free to stop in the old town hall and see if you can dig up some extra Minden City historic facts. As always, be courteous & respectful when you visit these out-of-the-way places, and ask permission to enter any abandoned structures you may find!