The Former Lumber Town of Langston, Montcalm County

Another of Michigan's hundreds - maybe thousands - of old lumber towns is Langston, in Pine Township within Montcalm County.

According to a business directory of 1875, Langston had:
Two hotels: the Briggs House and the Bloombury House.
Ten lumbermen.
One lumber & shingle dealer.
One lumber & shingle mill.
General store.
Mechanic.
Carpenter.
Fresh & salted meats dealer.

One of the old hotels, built by Zenas Briggs, still stands south of town on the west side of M-91. There's also an old one-room schoolhouse sitting alongside the left side of the road a little further up. (SEE PHOTOS BELOW).

Langston also had a livery stable, saloon, blacksmith, one-room schools, several more downtown stores & shops, the D. Lang Hotel, and the Gardner Light Company.

Beginning in the mid-1800's, Langston was an exceptionally booming lumber town, utilizing the Flat River which ran through the southern part of town. At the time, the river had its own dam near the shingle mill which was part of Mill Pond. The old pond has since morphed into part of the Flat River.

Any Michigan small town (that you have not yet visited) is worth the trip to learn more about our state, no matter how out-of-the-way it may be. Take a drive through Langston, see some of the old structures that still stand, and grab some road munchies in one of their small town shops.