The first family to make a house in Almira Township was the Burrell family.  Andrew Burrell and his wife, Almiral—the township’s namesake –lived on the North side of Sancrainte Creek. The next family was the Addison “A. P. Wheelock family who settled on Ann Lake, the lake being named “Ann” after his estimable wife.

The settlers arrived quickly and made an earnest effort to make themselves a home here. An unbroken and heavily timbered wilderness challenged the settlers, who were content to live in rudely constructed hovels, many of which were often covered with bark stripped from trees.

It took many years of hard toil before the land held out promise of any material returns. The first couple who was married here was Susan Pettis and Judson Pratt who went to live on a farm south of the present Lloyd Bates farm (Corner of Pratt Road and County Road 669).

The residents recognized the importance of religion and education and took early measures to establish institutions reflecting their values. Mrs. Elihu Linkletter (Nee Burnett) taught the first term of school, which was held in a primitive log house, about 12×16 feet inside. These were temporary quarters while the township built a schoolhouse in its first school district—School District No. 1—formed in 1862 and called the Black School.

The Township, with more than 30 bodies of water, was formally established in 1864. The first township meeting was held at A. P. Wheelock’s home at which Harrison Abbe was elected as supervisor, Andrew Rosa as clerk, and A. P. Wheelock as treasurer. One point of business at that first meeting was to dedicate the first schoolhouse.

A Native American brought mail on the back of an Indian pony in summer and on snowshoes in winter once every week. The Post Office was in a building on Hiram Boman’s place just east of the large Malnory house, on Ransom Creek, where Mr. George Griffith lived. Later the Post Office was moved to the Linkletter place, now known as the William Morse farm. The first grocery store was owned by Matt Burnett.

Lake Ann grew into a thriving lumber town.  R. J. Ransom owned a saw and gristmill at Ransom Creek. In 1892, the first railroad (the Manistee & Northeastern) threaded its way through the eastern part of the township and the village of Lake Ann sprang up. Lake Ann was organized in 1893 and incorporated in 1914.

In a few years it had more than 800 residents and 100 buildings. By 1897, Lake Ann consisted of a general store, restaurant, hotel, drug store, meat market, saloon, livery barn and a depot.

Activities centered around the Habbeler sawmill on the lakeshore (which employed 125 men) and the MNE railroad. The Grand Traverse Illustrated described Lake Ann as “a bright little town. Many chances are yet open and money is waiting to roll into the pockets of some more who get there quick… The people of the little burg are wide awake and energetic.”

Timbering and agriculture were the economic base of the Township for the first fifty years. After the collapse of the timber industry, many of the offspring of the early settlers were forced to leave the community to find employment and for the next fifty years or so very little recruitment occurred.

Lake Ann Village was virtually destroyed by fire three times. The first fire occurred on July 4, 1897 when Lake Ann was in competition with Traverse City as the metropolis of this area of Michigan with 1,000 inhabitants. It is not known whether the fire began in the engine room of William Habbeler’s sawmill or by a spark from a tug anchored near the shore.

Over a dozen businesses, freight and flatcar, the depot, endless homes and nearly a half-mile of track were all destroyed. Many of the businesses rebuilt only to be wiped out again by another fire in 1914. The third fire erupted in 1918; it was almost too much for the Village and Lake Ann was never rebuilt to its former status.