Editing Elk Rapids, Michigan (section)

==History==
{{see also|History of Northern Michigan}}The first settler in the Elk Rapids area was Abram S. Wadsworth, from [[Connecticut]]. Wadsworth platted the area in 1852, calling it '''Stevens'''. A post office opened in 1854. In 1858, Wadsworth renamed the area to Elk Rapids, after finding a pair of [[Antler|elk antlers]] near the mouth of the later-named [[Elk River (Michigan)|Elk River]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Romig |first=Walter |title=Michigan Place Names: The History and Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-8143-1838-X |location=[[Detroit]] |pages=179}}</ref> In 1863, [[Antrim County, Michigan|Antrim County]] was organized, and Elk Rapids was made the [[county seat]]. However, the seat was moved to the more centrally-located [[Bellaire, Michigan|Bellaire]] in 1879.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Antrim County, MI |url=http://genealogytrails.com/mich/antrim/history_traverseregion.html |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=genealogytrails.com}}</ref> In 1892, Elk Rapids became a station on a spur of the [[Chicago and West Michigan Railway]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=michiganrailroads.com - Evolution Map - Lower - 1892 |url=http://www.michiganrailroads.com/evolution-of-michigan-railroads/178-evolution-lower-peninsula/evolution-1890s/4387-evolution-map-lower-1892 |access-date=January 21, 2023 |website=www.michiganrailroads.com |archive-date=October 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221028035359/http://www.michiganrailroads.com/evolution-of-michigan-railroads/178-evolution-lower-peninsula/evolution-1890s/4387-evolution-map-lower-1892 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The town was incorporated as a [[village]] in 1900.<ref name=":0" />