Editing Kalkaska, Michigan (section)

== History ==
{{see also|History of Northern Michigan}}
[[File:Kalkaska, MI post office.jpg|thumb|right|250px|U.S. Post Office in Kalkaska]] 
The land on which Kalkaska sits has long been territory under the [[Council of Three Fires]], the [[Ojibwe]], [[Odawa]], and [[Potawatomi]].

In 1872, Albert A. Abbott arrived on the land set to become the village from his hometown of [[Decatur, Michigan|Decatur]]. The following year, on May 12, Abbott platted his land and became its first [[postmaster]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Romig |first=Walter |title=Michigan Place Names: The History of the Founding and the Naming of More Than Five Thousand Past and Present Michigan Communities |publisher=[[Wayne State University Press]] |year=1986 |isbn=0-8143-1837-1 |location=[[Detroit]] |pages=297}}</ref> In 1874, Kalkaska became a station on a new [[Pennsylvania Railroad]] line from [[Walton, Michigan|Walton]] to [[Petoskey, Michigan|Petoskey]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=michiganrailroads.com - Evolution Map - Lower - 1874 |url=http://www.michiganrailroads.com/evolution-of-michigan-railroads/176-evolution-lower-peninsula/evolution-1870s/4365-evolution-map-lower-1874 |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=www.michiganrailroads.com}}</ref> Today, this line is part of the [[Great Lakes Central Railroad]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 2017 |title=Michigan's Railroad System |url=https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/MDOT/Travel/Mobility/Rail/Michigan-Railroad-System-Map.pdf?rev=27681eac5dd14479a882318441cf94f9 |access-date=November 10, 2022 |website=www.michigan.gov}}</ref>

On July 5, 1908, a fire began in the middle of the business block and burned most of the stores. Local photographer E. L. Beebe took a number of photographs of the fire; the resulting postcards were widely sold and can still be found today.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1908 Fire Kalkaska, MI |url=https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mikgs/kas-fire.html |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=sites.rootsweb.com}}</ref> Two years later, another fire started in downtown Kalkaska. Again, in 1925, downtown Kalkaska was devastated by the largest fire since the fire of 1908.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Granada Inn - Kalkaska Motel, Hotel, Lodging, Inn Michigan |url=https://www.granadainnkalkaska.com/kalkaska-history/ |access-date=November 11, 2022 |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1916, noted author [[Ernest Hemingway]] visited and fished in Kalkaska, and later immortalized the town in his story "The Battler".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Guy |first=Bobby|title=Ernest Hemingway's Kalkaska Connection Recognized |url=https://wrkr.com/ernest-hemingways-kalkaska-connection-recognized/ |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=1077 WRKR |language=en}}</ref> A historical marker has been placed at the nearby Rugg Pond, on the [[Rapid River (Kalkaska County, Michigan)|Rapid River]], where Hemingway reportedly fished one night from the power house.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kalkaska Rugg Pond |url=https://www.kalkaskacounty.net/departments/parks_and_recreation/rugg_pond_natural_area.php |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=www.kalkaskacounty.net}}</ref>

On July 10, 1951, the Kalkaska State Bank was robbed by an armed man, who fled and later attempted to escape on foot through a nearby swampy area. After three days of what was termed the largest manhunt in Northern Michigan history, involving the [[FBI]] and local and state authorities, the gunman, Raymond J. Turcotte, who had a long string of prior convictions, including manslaughter, was captured south of the town. Turcotte confessed to the bank robbery and served 18 years in the [[Michigan State Prison]] in [[Jackson, Michigan|Jackson]], including a term for escape in 1961.

Discovery of natural gas and oil in the area during the 1970s lead to significant growth for the village, but the growth has since shifted toward tourism.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Lofton |first=Justine |date=September 18, 2019 |title=Sick of being bypassed, small U.S. 131 towns hatch plan to draw tourists |url=https://www.mlive.com/news/2019/09/sick-of-being-bypassed-small-us-131-towns-hatch-plan-to-draw-tourists.html |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=mlive |language=en}}</ref>

In 1993, the Kalkaska schools made national headlines when a financial crisis resulted in a two-month-long closure. Subsequent funding reform improved the outlook for Kalkaska and similar small rural districts in Michigan.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 3, 2013 |title=Looking Back: Kalkaska Schools' Decision To End 1993 Year Prematurely |url=https://www.interlochenpublicradio.org/2013-07-03/looking-back-kalkaska-schools-decision-to-end-1993-year-prematurely |access-date=November 11, 2022 |website=Interlochen Public Radio |language=en}}</ref>

In 2014, [[Walmart]] announced plans to open a store in Kalkaska. Previously, the closest store was in Traverse City, over 20 miles away. A debate in Kalkaska ensued on whether the community's small-town character could be preserved.<ref>Carlisle, John. "[http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/john-carlisle/2014/11/16/kalkaska-walmart-michigan-small-town/19095937/ Wal-Mart plan for Kalkaska store draws mixed reaction]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150704031505/http://www.freep.com/story/news/columnists/john-carlisle/2014/11/16/kalkaska-walmart-michigan-small-town/19095937/ Archive]). ''[[Detroit Free Press]]''. November 16, 2014. Retrieved on July 3, 2015.</ref> The store was never built due to Walmart's decision to restructure growth plans.

The ''Record Eagle'' reported in 2019 that Kalkaska was poised for substantial growth due to housing shortages in the Traverse City area.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nielsen |first=Dan |date=December 3, 2019 |title=Need rising for new housing options in northern Michigan |url=https://www.record-eagle.com/news/business/need-rising-for-new-housing-options-in-northern-michigan/article_766faf4e-15d9-11ea-b544-23f89f5084e5.html |access-date=December 11, 2020 |website=Traverse City Record-Eagle |language=en}}</ref>