Most of Au Sable Township was built recently: 2% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Below: 2 old photos and papers, maps from 1959 on, and the census since 1890.
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Au Sable Township is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns. Its age holds the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Au Sable Township’s overall grade.
Few Michigan towns list much on the Register (a typical Michigan town has 0.0 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Au Sable Township’s 0.0 sits below most of its state (32% of Michigan towns have fewer) while its 0 listings outnumber those of 23% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from D to B−. The pre-1940 share (±1.8 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1848.
Founding year: Wikipedia (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Au Sable Township’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
Au Sable was first settled in 1848 when Curtis Emerson and James Eldridge purchased land in the area. The community was platted the next year. A post office in Au Sable began operating on September 23, 1856 and was named for its location along the Au Sable River. The community was replatted in 1867 and incorporated as a village in 1872. Au Sable was the largest community in the county and incorporated as a city in 1889.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
The U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Au Sable Township.
1959East Tawas sheet · 1:62,500
U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Au Sable Township.
Then & now
Stand where they stood
No then-and-now pairs yet. Take a photo from the same spot as an old one and they appear here side by side.
Retake this viewJohnson's Resort Motel sign, 1988
Find the spot, match the angle, and add your photo. It becomes the first then-and-now pair on Au Sable Township’s page.
In 1848, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1890 counted 4,328 people here.
How does Au Sable Township rank for history?
Au Sable Township is more historic than 35% of U.S. towns. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
How old are the homes in Au Sable Township?
2% of Au Sable Township’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.8 points), against a typical 12% for a Michigan town; the median home was built in 1971.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (2), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1988