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–Not graded
History · Sand Lake

Half of Sand Lake’s homes were built after 1971

Most of Sand Lake was built recently: 6% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1971. Below: maps from 1959 on.

0on the National Register
6%homes built before 1940
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What stands out about Sand Lake’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Sand Lake are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Sand Lake’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Sand Lake’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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The story so far

Sand Lake, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Sand Lake yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Sand Lake is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Iosco County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The CDP had a population of 1,418 at the 2020 census. The CDP occupies portions of Grant Township, Plainfield Township, and Wilber Township.

Its population held steady between the last two censuses: 1,412 in 2010, 1,418 in 2020.

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

Be the first to add onePhotograph a print flat, in daylight, no flash.
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On the map

Sand Lake on the map, 1959 to 1989

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Sand Lake. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Sand Lake on the 1959 USGS mapSand Lake on the 1989 USGS map1959Tawas City 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 Sand Lake.

Famous people

Famous people close to Sand Lake

Nobody well known was born in Sand Lake itself, so here are the best known from just nearby.

See all →
Lynn N. RiversAmerican politician · b. 1956
J. Scott CampbellAmerican comic book artist · b. 1973
Jeff JanisAmerican football player · b. 1991
George PrescottAmerican politician · b. 1913
L
Leland JacobsAmerican teacher · b. 1907
Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Tawas TownshipIts storyC−Wilber TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townGrant TownshipIts storyC−

Questions about Sand Lake’s history

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

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). How TownRatings grades history →

From U.S. Geological Survey historical maps. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.