Imlay City History

Imlay City (named after a pioneer settler, William H. Imlay, in 1850) owes much of its current existence to the railroads that criss-crossed the area a century ago. Employees like Charles Palmer (Port Huron and Lake Michigan Railway's chief engineer) liked the land they saw and bought as many as 240 acres of dirt as the place to raise their families. It took only 18 months for the town's population to spring to 500 people, and boast a school, two hotels, four general stores, two hardware stores, a furniture store, a drugstore, two carriage and blacksmith shops, a saw and planing mill, a livery stable and an elevator.

By 1914, the town began building around streetcar lines - a sure sign of a progressive community as only larger cities typically invested in this public transportation.

Thanks to the historical society's dedication, many slices of this Americana lifestyle remain preserved and dignified throughout Imlay City.