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History · Wolverine

Wolverine’s post office opened in 1881, and 40% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: 1 old photo or paper, maps from 1957 on, and the census since 1910.

1881first post office
0on the National Register
40%homes built before 1940
1old photo or paper
Add an old photoShare a memory
From Wolverine’s archive · credits on each photo
Quick answers

How Wolverine began

When was Wolverine founded?

1881

The Wolverine post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name.

First census: 794 in 19102020 census: 309145 years
Founding year: the first Wolverine post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0).The full story ↓

What stands out about Wolverine’s past

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

A history waiting to be writtenOnly 1 old photo is in the public archives. The rest are in attics and albums.Then and nowOne place photographed years apart. Drag to compare.Old housesHalf of Wolverine’s homes were built before 1961.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Wolverine’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
1 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Retake an old viewMichigan Central Depot (Wolverine) 1920: stand where they stood+15Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Then & now

The same spot, 101 years apart

Drag across each photo to compare.

Michigan Central DepotMichigan Central Depot (Wolverine) 192019202021
Michigan Central Depot (Wolverine) 1920Matched from the two captions
The story

How Wolverine came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Wolverine.

Read it all →

The area was originally settled by Jacob Shook and his family as early as 1874. The community was named "Torrey" when George Richards settled in the area soon after. Venturing to the area was difficult, as the nearest railway line ended in Gaylord about 20 miles (32.2 km) to the south. Richards was a frequent traveler back and forth to Gaylord for mail and supplies, often staying mid-route at Vanderbilt. He requested a closer post office, which was granted under the name Wolverine in late 1880.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Wolverine, decade by decade

One decade in the archive so far: the 1920s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.

1920s1 item
Michigan Central Depot (Wolverine) 19201920Michigan Central Depot (Wolverine) 1920
1930s–1990snothing yet
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.
Add from your album
Today6 recent
Wolverine, MI (August 2026)2026Wolverine, MI (August 2026)Wolverine, MI post office2021Wolverine, MI post officeSturgeon River2021Sturgeon RiverMichigan Central Depot2021Michigan Central DepotWolverine, Michigan2019Wolverine, MichiganWolverine (village), MI location22019Wolverine (village), MI location2
On the map

Wolverine on the map, 1957 to 1986

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

Wolverine on the 1957 USGS mapWolverine on the 1986 USGS map1957Wolverine 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 Wolverine.

People over time

Wolverine, census by census

0200400600800192019401960198020002020Peak: 794

Between 244 and 794 people in every census since 1910.

12 censuses, 1910–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Wolverine’s Wikipedia page.

Questions about Wolverine’s history

What year was Wolverine founded?

The Wolverine post office opened in 1881, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

Memory lane

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

Town Square →
Start a conversation
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 Wikimedia Commons (7), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps and U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.