MICHIGAN SMALL TOWN: Munith, in Jackson County

In 1885, Munith’s growth began when the Grand Trunk Railroad came through in 1883, a grain elevator was built in 1884, and a hotel with a saloon was erected in 1885.

In 1918, at the end of WWI and the beginning of Prohibition, the saloon was shut down.

A three-story store was constructed and opened in 1885, with the top floor used as a dance hall. There was also a bank, shoe store, lumber yard, post office, doctor’s office, horse & buggy mail carriers, meat market, stockyard, creamery, cider mill with a roller rink, blacksmith, and church.

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In 1913, a fire broke out, blazing through town and destroying five of the businesses, including the bank. New stores were constructed, including a new hardware store and slaughterhouse. An auto garage was built in 1917, a new school in 1925, and a little cafeteria which included an ice cream parlor.

M-106 pushed its way through Munith in 1939, in 1969 the grain elevator was demolished, and in 1974 the railroad was closed down and soon torn up. When the trains stopped coming through, many of the remaining businesses didn’t last very long. The Munith Cemetery is north of town and is also known as the Pixley Cemetery or Thurston Cemetery.

Below are some memorabilia items from Munith, as well as a few old atlases to show how bustling Munith used to be.