Editing Bear Lake, Michigan (section)

=== Homesteading ===
On May 20, 1862, President Lincoln signed into law the [[Homestead Act]], which offered {{convert|160|acre|km2}} of undeveloped federal land to anyone who filed an application, create a farm, and apply for a deed. Almost immediately, people began exploring the area between Manistee and [[Traverse City, Michigan|Traverse City]], looking for prime farmland.

In 1863, Russell Smith, D.E. Sibley, Elisha Richmond, George W. Hopkins, Simeon Anderson, and others came to Bear Lake on such scouting expeditions. At the time, the region was entirely heavily forested with white pine and hardwoods, and with only a single walking trail. Smith and Sibley both moved their families to the area that year, and began their homesteads. Sibley's homestead was on the north side of Bear Lake; Smith's was on the south side, and included the present village.

By 1864, Simeon Anderson and about 25 other families had started homesteads in the Bear Lake area. In that year Elisha Richmond made his first failed attempt to move his large family to the area from [[Illinois]].

In 1865, the township of Bear Lake, also including the area of [[Pleasanton, Michigan|Pleasanton]], was created, formerly being part of [[Brown Township, Michigan|Brown Township]]. A township council was formed.

By 1867, many more families had established homesteads, and two-thirds of the prime farming land had been claimed. A post office was established, and the Elisha Richmond family completed the eleven-week journey to Bear Lake. In this year, George W. Hopkins, wife Ella Hopkins, brother David H. Hopkins, and sister Martha (Mattie) Hopkins arrived in Manistee to begin a brick manufacturing plant.

About this time, Russell Smith made an offer of some of his land to anyone who would set up a saw mill to turn the trees into lumber and a gristmill to create flour from grain. The offer was taken by Mr. Carpenter and Mr. Harrington, and rudimentary mills for each were constructed. Carpenter and Harrington then subdivided the land and offered it for sale. Stores were established by Anderson, Tillson, Erb, Lewis and A.H. Cook.

By 1870, the Hopkins family had switched from brick manufacturing to lumber, primarily putting logs in the Manistee rivers, and floating them to the mills for sale.

Homesteaders in Bear Lake were cutting the trees, and burning all the trees that they couldn't use, in order to clear the land. There was no one interested in buying the trees, and no way to get cut logs or lumber to market. Prior to the sawmill, boards were brought by boat from Manistee to Portage Lake and then carried, or carted, to Bear Lake.

In 1873, the Hopkins family company purchased {{convert|88|acre|m2}} of the Smith property. The Bear Lake Tram Railway was built from the south side of Bear Lake down to [[Lake Michigan]] at Pierport. The railway was made of maple wood rails with steel strapping, and horse-drawn trailers were built and put on the rails. This railway enabled the transport of lumber cut in the Bear Lake sawmill to be moved to Lake Michigan, and then sold to the various markets in [[Chicago]] and [[Milwaukee]].

In 1874, the Hopkins built a large sawmill, a brickyard, a [[gristmill]], and a store.<ref name="History"/>