Web Design in Shepherd, MI

About Shepherd, Isabella County

Shepherd is a village in Coe Township, Isabella County, in mid-Michigan, with a population of 1,469 at the 2020 census. It began as a lumbering settlement on the Salt River and covers just under one square mile, all land. It is best known beyond the county for its maple syrup festival, held every spring since 1958.

History of Shepherd

• First settled by lumberman Isaac Shepherd and others along the Salt River. A post office named Salt River opened on August 8, 1857, and the community was formally platted in 1866.
• The railroads expanded into the area by 1885 and the station was named Shepherd because it stood on Isaac Shepherd's estate. The post office was renamed Shepherd on March 8, 1887.
• Most of the community was destroyed by fire in 1887, was rebuilt, and incorporated as a village in 1889.

Landmarks and Places in Shepherd

• The Salt River, the waterway the community was first settled along.
• The village office building, which houses the village hall, the police department and the library.
• A preserved railroad caboose, listed by the village among its local landmarks.

The Shepherd Economy

• Founded as a lumbering settlement on the Salt River, Shepherd later served as a railroad station and trading point after the line reached the area in 1885.
• US-127 runs south to north just east of the village boundaries and is reached from exit 135 at Blanchard Road.
• The maple syrup festival draws visitors to the village each spring and raises funds for local recreational activities.

Community Life in Shepherd

• The Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival dates to 1958. In the festival's own words, 'Trees were tapped, sap was gathered by volunteers, and the public was invited to a community wide pancake dinner.'
• The festival now runs across several days in late April and includes pancake and sausage meals, a grand parade, carnival rides, classic car shows, tractor pulls, arts and crafts exhibits, children's activities and pageants.
• Len Kasper, radio play-by-play announcer for the Chicago White Sox, grew up in Shepherd.

Local reference: en.wikipedia.org, www.shepherdmaplesyrupfest.org, villageofshepherd.org